RyansBooze

Brouwerij Boon Geuze Mariage Parfait (2011) Gueuze at 8% ABV (€6.10 at Belgian Beer Tradition Rue au Buerre Bruxelles, 375 ml, best before 24-Apr-2034, reviewed 6-Jan-2016)

Appearance: clear pale amber with a fluffy two fingers of ivory head, good retention and patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: complex, barnyard funk, vinous, woody. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter, moderate-strong tart. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, lively carbonation, crisp tart finish. (4/5)

Whew… glad I got to drink that one before it went off… Though now I wish I had another one to cellar for another couple of decades! An excellent example of the Flemish Gueuze style, with lots of horseblankety funk and vinous champagne character. (17/20)

My 209th from the 2010 Edition (198th from the 2013 edition), and 220th combining both editions.

8.5/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Unibroue La Résolution (2015) Spice / Herb / Vegetable at 10% ABV (C$12.99 at Quarry Park Calgary Co-Op, 750 ml, bottle date 25-Aug-2015, reviewed 5-Jan-2016)

Appearance: clear deep brown with one fat finger of dense light tan head, good retention and spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: winter spices, caramel/toffee malt, boozy dark fruit. (9/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, mild bitter, moderate spiciness. (8/10) Palate: medium-full, lively to moderate carbonation, lingering boozy finish. (5/5)

Very similar to last year’s vintage, and my impressions remain pretty much the same: very nearly up there with some of the big Belgian quads, with an ABV that is definitely present, but not overwhelming, while the enthusiastic spices and carbonation balance it out nicely. Big, bombastic, and enthusiastic. I remain convinced this will cellar very well indeed, and I now have a 2014 and a 2015 in storage – I’m thinking a three-year vertical might have to happen next year. (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Stone Brewing Company Arrogant Bastard Ale (2015) American Strong Ale at 7.2% ABV (C$10.78 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, bottle date 22-Oct-2015, best before 20-Jan-2016, reviewed 3-Jan-2016)

Appearance: clear medium to deep amber with one fat finger of dense light tan head, good retention and lacing. (5/5) Aroma: caramel/toffee, pine, citrus, tobacco, mild vanilla, hint of spicy rye. (10/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, strong bitter. (10/10) Palate: medium-full body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (5/5)

Well, on the one hand, this is probably a fresher version than my prior experience with this beer, making the hops much more emphatic. On the other, I’ve had a lot more experience since first giving this a perfect score. I’ll be honest: it’s tough being unbiased here now. It’s definitely not “perfect” – for example, the lacing could be better-defined. But, is that a flaw that justifies dropping a whole point, from 5/5 to 4/5? I don’t (quite) think so. Same goes for some of the minor character flaws in the aroma and flavour. And for obvious reasons, some (most?) people will find it too aggressive, while I, as a major hop-head, don’t. At the end of the day, It’s close enough to perfect that my subjective single point penalty here in the overall doesn’t affect the final score. (19/20)

10/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brasserie de Silly Scotch Silly Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy at 8% ABV (€2.50 at de Biertempel Brussels, 330 ml, best before 17-Dec-2016, reviewed 3-Jan-2016)

Appearance: clear medium to deep amber with a short, short-lived light tan head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: caramel/toffee, dark fruit, leather, woody. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, mild bitter, light tart. (7/10) Palate: medium-full slightly oily body, moderate to low carbonation, short duration sweetish finish. (3/5)

Better than a lot of scotch ales I’ve had – at least it isn’t peaty, and the malt flavour comes through as toffee/caramel but without too much accompanying sweetness. No hop profile to speak of, of course, but there’s generalized mild bitter and just a hint of malt vinegar tartness. (13/20)

My 208th from the 2010 Edition (197th from the 2013 edition), and 219th combining both editions.

6.5/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

YellowBelly Brewery Mummer’s Brew Cranberry Chocolate Porter (2015) American Porter at 7% ABV (C$12.50 at YellowBelly Brewery, 1 l, bottle date 10-Dec-2015, reviewed 30-Dec-2015)

Appearance: clear brown with amber-brown highlights, one finger of fluffy light tan head, moderate retention and patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dark chocolate, coffee, cranberry, dark malt. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration bitter finish. (3/5)

Seasonally appropriate sweet porter with added flavours from locally sourced chocolate and coffee. Not bad, but the flavours don’t feel completely integrated, particularly in the finish. I’m going to cellar a couple of these to see how they develop in a year or two. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Russell Brewing Company Naughty & Spiced Porter American Porter at 6.5% ABV (C$4.37 at Quarry Park Calgary Co-Op, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, reviewed 28-Dec-2015)

Appearance: clear brown with amber-brown highlights, one finger of fluffy light tan head, moderate retention and patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: nutmeg, cinnamon and the usual suspect spices, coffee, chocolate, roasty malts, vanilla. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter, moderate spice. (6/10) Palate: medium slightly oily body, moderate sustained carbonation, and a lingering spicy finish. (3/5)

A bit heavy-handed with the spices, which are pretty similar to typical pumpkin spice beers. As a result, it doesn’t seem very “christmasy” to me. A sweet, spicy mess on top of a fairly middle-of-the-road amber. OK, nothing thrilling. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Quidi Vidi Brewing Company Winter Ale (2015) Winter Warmer at 6% ABV (C$2.29 at NLC Howley Estates, 341 ml, bottle date 11-Dec-2015, reviewed 28-Dec-2015)

Appearance: clear amber-brown with a short, short-lived light tan head, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: coffee, chocolate, roasty malts, light citrus and spice. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, mild spice. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate sustained carbonation, and an off-dry bitter and mildly spicy finish. (3/5)

Seems slightly different than last year’s: I’m getting more chocolate and roasty malts, and less citrus, than I recall in the 2014 vintage. And unlike last year’s vintage, I’m getting a nicely balanced amount of seasonal spice, which was previously conspicuously absent. Still quite thin for the style in my opinion, and could definitely be bigger and more emphatic, but it’s not a complete wash. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Bruery 8 Maids-A-Milking Imperial Milk Stout at 11.3% ABV (C$13.90 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, bottle date 11-Sep-2015, reviewed 27-Dec-2015)

Appearance: nearly opaque black with a hint of brown around the margins, one finger of pillowy beige head, good retention and patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: muted, chocolate, raisins, roasty malts. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, mild bitter, moderate alcohol. (6/10) Palate: full slick body, moderate carbonation, lingering boozy finish. (3/5)

Pretty sweet, even for a milk stout. On the other hand, it’s an imperial milk stout (I think maybe the first I’ve ever tried) so there’s lots of booziness there too. Might be worth cellaring to see if it settles down, but as it stands it’s a big hot sticky mess. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Central City Brewers + Distillers Red Racer Gingerhead Gingerbread Stout Irish Dry Stout at 6% ABV (C$6.11 at NLC Stavanger, 650 ml, bottle date 25-Sep-2015, reviewed 26-Dec-2015)

Appearance: nearly opaque black with a hint of brown around the margins, one finger of pillowy beige head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: gingerbread, toffee, coffee and roasty malt. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, mild bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration spicy and bitter finish. (3/5)

Well, it’s definitely a gingerbread stout. Smells a little more gingerbready than it tastes, but it’s not badly done. A little on the sweet side for me, and a bit thin in the body. Pleasant enough to sip, wouldn’t bother with it again. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Well, folks, that’ll do it for another year’s Craft Beer Advent Calendar. I present the following 2015 summary, for future reference:

Anderson Valley Brewing Company: Fall Hornin’ (Spice / Herb / Vegetable) – 7/10
Lighthouse Brewing Co.: Black Sam Licorice Stout (American Double / Imperial Stout) – 6/10
Aspen Brewing Company: Independence Pass Ale (American IPA) – 7.5/10
Strathroy Brewing Co.: 1815 XXXX Peacemaker (Traditional Ale) – 6/10
Aviator Brewing Company: Devils Tramping Ground Tripel (Tripel) – 6.5/10
Big Sky Brewing Company: Biere De Noël (2015) (Belgian Strong Dark Ale) – 7.5/10
Cameron’s Brewing Company: Into the Shade Saison Limited Unfiltered Release (Saison) – 7.5/10
Spider Bite Beer Co.: Boris the Spider (Russian Imperial Stout) – 7.5/10
Iron Fist Brewing Company: Spice of Life (Bière de Garde) – 6.5/10
Bridge Brewing Company: Sleigh Booster Imperial Red Ale (American Strong Ale) – 8/10
The Grizzly Paw Brewing Company: Ursa Major Brown Ale (American Brown Ale) – 6/10
Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery: Saint Beatnick (Sweet Stout) – 7/10
Evil Twin Brewing: The Cowboy (Smoked Beer) – 7/10
Saugatuck Brewing Company: Blueberry Maple Stout (Sweet Stout) – 5.5/10
West Sixth Brewing: Christmas Ale (Christmas / Winter Specialty Spiced Beer) – 6.5/10
Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery: Baltic Porter (Baltic Porter) – 8.5/10
Black Market Brewing Co.: The Tradecraft Series Sour Ale With Cherries (Berliner Weisse) – 6/10
Black Oak Brewing Co.: Neck of the Woods Vintage Ale (English Strong Ale) – 7.5/10
Back Forty Beer Company: Trade Day Cuban Coffee Stout (American Stout) – 6.5/10
Paddock Wood Brewing Company: Marzyana (Tripel) – 6/10
Clown Shoes Beer: Bombay Berserker Indian Style Chocolate Stout (American Double / Imperial Stout) – 7/10
Yukon Brewing Company: Longest Night Cascadian Dark Ale (Black IPA) – 5.5/10
Sound Brewery: Old Yonder Star Yorkshire Style Holiday Ale (English Strong Ale) – 6.5/10
DuClaw Brewing Company: Sweet Baby Jesus! (American Porter) – 7.5/10

#ryansbooze  ryansbooze.com