RyansBooze

Prince Edward Island Brewing Company Beach Chair Lager Pale Lager at 4.5% ABV (C$3.11 at NLC Stavanger, 473 ml, bottle date 26-Feb-2016, acquired 13-May-2016, reviewed 16-May-2016)

Appearance: clear pale gold with a short, short-lived off-white head, no lacing. (2/5) Aroma: grainy pale malt and sweet adjunct, grassy, very light stone fruit. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (5/10) Light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry mildly bitter finish. (3/5)

I didn’t think much of this at the outset – nor do I think it’s all that great now. But to be fair, it did grow on me as the pint progressed. The flavours are a little more robust than a typical adjunct lager, and it finishes clean. Drinkable and thirst-quenching, if not exciting. (10/20)

5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brasserie McAuslan St-Ambroise IPA English IPA at 6.2% ABV (C$3.57 at NLC Stavanger, 473 ml, bottle date 14-Mar-2016, acquired 13-May-2016, reviewed 15-May-2016)

Appearance: clear pale amber with two fingers of loose ivory head, short retention and patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: generalized fruity esters (stone fruit, apples and pears, some citrus), caramel malt, floral and earthy. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium somewhat creamy body, moderate carbonation, slightly sticky and lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Fairly straightforward English-style IPA, with fruity tones and caramel malt followed by a lingering moderately bitter finish. A solid example of the style, if not all that interesting. (Which, if I’m honest, is probably a key element of the style, right?) I’d place this somewhere in the middle of the pack as far as St-Ambroise’ offerings go – better than their Framboise and Pumpkin, not as good as their Barleywine or Stout. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Spindrift Brewing Co. Riptide IPL India Pale Lager at 6.5% ABV (C$3.57 at NLC Stavanger, 473 ml, bottle date 19-Apr-2016, acquired 13-May-2016, reviewed 15-May-2016)

Appearance: slightly hazy deep gold with one finger of rocky ivory head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: sweet citrus, pine, pale malt, light stone fruit. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry moderate bitter finish. (4/5)

Hey, look at that! Lagers can have fun with hops, too! Of course, it would be niggling pedantry to point out that it’s a lager that looks, smells, and tastes like an ale, right? Regardless, this is a riptide that can pull me in any time. I’m getting pretty happy with what these guys are doing – respectable brews from new kids always make me happy. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Collective Arts Brewing Ransack the Universe Hemisphere IPA American IPA at 6.8% ABV (C$3.59 at NLC Stavanger, 473 ml, bottle date 14-Apr-2016, acquired 13-May-2016, reviewed 14-May-2016)

Appearance: clear pale amber with one fat finger of rocky ivory head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus rind, slightly dank resiny pine, caramel malt, light floral, faint vinous. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, light bitter. (8/10) Medium slightly oily body, moderate carbonation, short duration moderate bitter finish. (4/5)

I gotta say, these guys are really growing on me. Their brews are decent, their labels are fun, and that Blippar integration is a hoot. This is just a shade better than their Rhyme & Reason Pale Ale, with a bit more bite, both in terms of bitterness and ABV. I dunno what the heck “Hemisphere” is supposed to mean – since they’re combining ANZAC and PNW hops, shouldn’t it be a “Spherical” IPA? – but either way it’s one of the better IPA’s the NLC has gotten in, and reasonably fresh at that. Might have to snag a few more of these for entertaining! (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Spindrift Brewing Co. Knotty Buoy Pils Pilsener at 4.8% ABV (C$3.57 at NLC Stavanger, 473 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 13-May-2016, reviewed 14-May-2016)

Appearance: clear pale gold with one fat finger of rocky white head, good retention and spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: grainy pale malt, grassy, light floral. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, light bitter. (5/10) Light body, lively carbonation, crisp light bitter finish. (3/5)

Typical Saaz hops grassiness and pils malts. Fairly unremarkable but clean, crisp, and easy drinking. Definitely a summer thirst-quencher. (10/20)

5.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Founders Brewing Company All Day IPA Session IPA at 4.7% ABV (Trade – thanks, Norm!, 355 ml, bottle date 2-Mar-2016, acquired 11-May-2016, reviewed 13-May-2016)

Appearance: clear pale gold with one finger of creamy off-white head, good retention and patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: resiny pine, pithy citrus, pale malt, light tropical fruit. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Medium-light body tending to watery, moderate carbonation, lingering moderately bitter finish. (3/5)

Starts off promising with a decently hoppy presence at the outset. However, the light body definitely tends to the watery, and this becomes more and more pronounced as the pint progresses. Ultimately the bitterness comes across as being a little too sharp for the thin underlying body, even though it’s not all that bitter in absolute terms. Definitely does not improve as it warms, and is best drunk quickly, before that happens. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Great Lakes Brewing Company Chillwave American Double / Imperial IPA at 9.0% ABV (Trade – thanks, Norm!, 355 ml, best before 3-Jul-2016, acquired 11-May-2016, reviewed 12-May-2016)

Appearance: clear pale amber with one finger of creamy ivory head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: pithy citrus, moderately resiny and dank pine, pale malt, floral, slightly earthy. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (9/10) Medium-full slightly slick body, moderate-high carbonation, lingering moderately bitter lightly warming finish. (4/5)

Oh yeah, that’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout. Nice example of one of my favourite styles. Fresh enough that the hops haven’t lost ground to the pale (and maybe a hint of caramel) malt, big bitter but clean in the finish. The higher ABV is nearly completely integrated, manifesting only as a slight warming in the finish. Big without being overwhelming, confident without being brash. I could drink a whole lot of these. (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Funky Buddha Brewery Floridian Hefeweizen – Hefeweizen at 5.2% ABV

On tap at T-Rex Cafe Disney Springs Orlando. Nice hefe. Decent balance of orange peel, banana, wheat, cloves. Well moderated sweetness and a nice mild tart in the finish. 7/10

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Floridian Hefeweizen

Patrick is drinking a Floridian Hefeweizen by Funky Buddha Brewery on Untappd

Orlando Brewing I-4 IPA – American IPA at 5.8% ABV

Bottle at T-Rex Cafe Disney Springs Orlando. Pleasant mild A/IPA. Floral, pine, and grassy hops, grainy caramel malt. 6/10

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I-4 IPA

Patrick is drinking a I-4 IPA by Orlando Brewing on Untappd