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Reviews

Village Brewery Rancher Alberta Birthday Saison – Saison at 5.5% ABV

Village Brewery Rancher Alberta Birthday Saison Saison at 5.5% ABV (C$7.79 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 23-Jul-2016, reviewed 24-Jul-2016)

Appearance: hazy pale straw with a short-lived loose white head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: white pepper, wheat, orange peel, light burnt rubber. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter, light tart. (6/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lightly bitter and tart  finish. (3/5)

I called it white pepper, but having looked up the brewer’s notes, I guess it’s Grains of Paradise and pink peppercorns – whatever. I’m a bit conflicted on this one: one the one hand, it’s got that rustic character that I like to see in a Saison, but on the other hand, I’m getting a hint of what I identify as burnt rubber (I’m a gearhead, so sue me), which is either an infection, autolyze, or light-struck – but an off flavour any way you slice it. Not one of their better efforts, unfortunately. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Phillips Brewing Company Atomic Buffalo Smokey Red Saison – Saison at 6.2% ABV

Phillips Brewing Company Atomic Buffalo Smokey Red Saison Saison at 6.2% ABV (C$7.09 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, best before 14-Nov-2016, acquired 23-Jul-2016, reviewed 24-Jul-2016)

Appearance: clear red-tinged medium amber with one fat finger of creamy off-white head, good retention and patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: caramel, stone fruit, bready yeast, very light smoke. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry mildly bitter and slightly smoky finish. (3/5)

Better than I was expecting, actually. I was expecting something a lot heavier and smokier, but this is actually fairly light and mild. I still have a beef with higher ABV, non-sessionable saisons, mind you. And this gets fairly sweet and mouth-coating after a while. Not cloying, as such, but not clean, crisp, or tart. So if we’re checking off label descriptions, we’re not doing so hot: smokey? not really. red? not so much. saison? eh…. sorta. Ultimately it’s more “saison” than “smoked”, I guess. OK for a change from the ordinary, but I don’t think it’ll be anybody’s go-to. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Bench Creek Brewing Naked Woodsman – American Pale Ale at 5.2% ABV

Bench Creek Brewing Naked Woodsman American Pale Ale at 5.2% ABV (C$3.37 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 473 ml, bottle date 4-Jul-2016, acquired 23-Jul-2016, reviewed 24-Jul-2016)

Appearance: clear pale gold with two fingers of rocky ivory head, good retention and patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: caramel and bready malt, grass, citrus, floral. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry mildly bitter finish. (3/5)

Eh. Not bad, but nowhere near as good as their White Raven. In particular, the malt is a bit more dominant than I’d prefer for an APA, and such hops as come through are mostly grassy in nature. (Actually smells a bit lager-y.) The body’s also a bit heavy for the style. Just doesn’t shine, overall. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Ninkasi Brewing Company Easy Way – Session IPA at 4.7% ABV

Ninkasi Brewing Company Easy Way Session IPA at 4.7% ABV (C$3.58 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 355 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 23-Jul-2016, reviewed 24-Jul-2016)

Appearance: clear pale gold with one finger of rocky white head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: lemony citrus, pine, crackery pale malt, grass, floral. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium-light body, lively carbonation, crisp moderately bitter finish. (4/5)

The label just calls this an IPA, but I’d consider it more of a S/IPA, both in terms of ABV and body. That being said, it doesn’t seem thin or watered-down. They’ve certainly done a good job of keeping bright hoppy flavours while lowering the gravity. Good example of the style, if not particularly memorable. This would be a good beer for a hot day on a sunny patio. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Le Trou du Diable Le Coq – Sour / Wild Ale at 6.5% ABV

Le Trou du Diable Le Coq Sour / Wild Ale at 6.5% ABV (C$21.49 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, bottle date 26-May-2016, acquired 23-Jul-2016, reviewed 23-Jul-2016)

Appearance: cloudy ruby red with one finger of rocky pink head, good retention and patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: sour cherry, mild horseblankety funk, light balsamic vinegar. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, light funk. (9/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, crisp tart and lightly funky finish. (4/5)

I was caught bit flat-footed by the explosive decapping, but grabbed the glass in time to save most of the subsequent gusher. Thankfully – because I will now impart pretty much the highest compliment I could give: in a blind tasting, you might be able to convince me this was a Cantillon Kriek. Well… y’know… if I had already been drinking… or had a cold… OK, fine, it smells like a Cantillon Kriek, OK? …sort of… The flavours don’t quite have the depth and complexity, and it’s not quite so bone-dry and champagne-like, nor is it the same crystal-clear ruby – but man, still very, very good. Call it 90% of a Cantillon for 60% of the (domestic) price? Totally worth it. (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Dageraad Brewing Blonde IPA – Belgian IPA at 7.5% ABV

Dageraad Brewing Blonde IPA Belgian IPA at 7.5% ABV (C$9.29 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 23-Jul-2016, reviewed 23-Jul-2016)

Appearance: cloudy pale gold with two fingers of loose off-white head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical and stone fruit, dry hay, pale malt, Belgian yeast, mild pine, light horseblankety funk. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, mild funk, light tart. (7/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry bitter and lightly funky finish. (4/5)

I’ve come to expect good Belgian interpretations from these guys, and this doesn’t disappoint. It’s similar to their Blonde, certainly, but the Amarillo hops are definitely changing the complexion of things. There’s still the strong family resemblance imparted by their house yeast, of course, but in this particular case, it takes a long time for that characteristic brown apple note to develop (and when it does it’s less noticeable than I’ve found it to be in their other beers). Ultimately I don’t think it’s better or worse than the Blonde – just different. And different is always good. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Bomber Brewing Company Bomber Brewing IPA – American IPA at 6.3% ABV

Bomber Brewing Company Bomber Brewing IPA American IPA at 6.3% ABV (C$2.17 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 355 ml, bottle date 24-Jun-2016, acquired 19-Jul-2016, reviewed 23-Jul-2016)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale amber with two fingers of loose ivory head, moderate retention and lacing. (3/5) Aroma: citrus, pine, caramel malt, floral/herbal. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium slightly oily body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

Not terrible, by any means, but it’s an older-style A/IPA, with significant malt presence. There’s a decent amount of starts-with-C hopping there, but it’s not as bright as I’d like it to be. Good, not great. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Hauls

Willow Park Wine & Spirits (2016-07-23)

Hey, look! I found some beer! Who’d’a thunk it?

Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel! Petit Détour
Bench Creek Brewing Naked Woodsman
Blindman Brewing American Brown Ale
Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel! Petit Détour
Brauerei Heller-Trum / Schlenkerla Aecht Schlenkerla Eiche
Cannery Brewing Company Drupaceous Apricot Wheat Ale
Dageraad Brewing Blonde IPA
Driftwood Brewery Entangled
Le Trou du Diable Le Coq
Ninkasi Brewing Company Easy Way
Phillips Brewing Company Atomic Buffalo Smokey Red Saison
Village Brewery Rancher

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#ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Reviews

Troubled Monk Brewery Pesky Pig – American Pale Ale at 5% ABV

Troubled Monk Brewery Pesky Pig American Pale Ale at 5% ABV (C$2.33 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 355 ml, bottle date 6-Jul-2016, acquired 19-Jul-2016, reviewed 23-Jul-2016)

Appearance: clear pale gold with two fingers of loose ivory head, moderate retention and patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: pithy grapefruit, pine, crackery pale malt, grass, floral. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry moderately bitter finish. (4/5)

Dunno what that monk’s got to be troubled about: he’s got a beer in each hand, and he’s riding a pig – what’s not to enjoy? As for what’s inside the can, well, pretty much the same phrase applies: what’s not to enjoy? Nice hoppy nose, decent bitterness, and a pleasantly light and crisp body make this quite an enjoyable APA, as long as you drink it fairly quickly: the citrus and pine do fade, leaving behind the grassiness and an almost lager-y character. Luckily, there’s no reason not to drink it at a reasonably quick pace, so, no harm, no foul. (And I’m utterly thrilled to see another craft brewery in Red Deer. The current proliferation of small craft brewers makes me happy.) (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Nøgne Ø / Mikkeller / BrewDog Horizon Tokyo Black – American Double / Imperial Stout at 16% ABV

Nøgne Ø / Mikkeller / BrewDog Horizon Tokyo Black American Double / Imperial Stout at 16% ABV (C$12.02 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 250 ml, bottle date 29-Nov-2012, best before 29-Nov-2027, acquired 3-Jul-2015, reviewed 22-Jul-2016)

Appearance: opaque black with a short-lived loose beige head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: boozy dark fruit, chocolate, liquorice, dark roasty and peaty malt, vanilla. (7/10) Taste: high bitter, moderate-high sweet. (7/10) Full body, soft carbonation, lingering boozy finish. (3/5)

Yeah, it’s another 11 years and then some before the BB date, but it’s good to be proactive, right? I went into this assuming that over three years of ageing should be sufficient to allow this thing to smooth out as much as it was gonna. I might’ve been mistaken. Or maybe this thing is never gonna settle down. Either way, it’s a hot, boozy mess. I’m the last one to criticize a hot, boozy mess, because that pretty much describes me (heyyy-ooo!) but this is just… well… I debated using “harsh”, but, yeah, it’s harsh. Not brutal, perhaps, but definitely harsh. And way overrated: if I’m gonna struggle to drink a mediocre beer, at least let me not have to pay fifty bucks a litre for it? (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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