RyansBooze

The Establishment Brewing Company Electric Barbarella (2025) – American Wild Ale at 5.1% ABV (C$22.75 at Collective, 750 ml, packaged on 1-Nov-2025, acquired 23-Jun-2026, reviewed 8-Jul-2026)

Appearance: pale straw with a short, short-lived fizzy head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: oaky barrel, tart berries and field fruit, mild funk. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, light bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (4/5)

Release 067. Another lovely barrel-aged Lambic-ish blended Saison from, let’s admit it, my favourite brewer, period. They say it’s rhubarb, but there’s not much to distinguish it from any random assortment of tart fruit. Which isn’t a criticism, just an observation. I like it. (16/20)

This will be my 6447th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Cabin Brewing Company Aerogram – Session IPA at 4.5% ABV (C$5.35 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 5-Jun-2026, acquired 6-Jul-2026, reviewed 6-Jul-2026)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of pillowy pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus zest, cereal grains, light dank. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light tart. (7/10) Palate: medium body tending slightly thin, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (4/5)

Cryo Mosaic and Ekuanot. The aroma and flavour are both a little light, and an initial slight thinness in the body made it feel just very slightly edgy through the finish – although that diminished pretty quickly. Not their best, but a Session hardly would be, would it? Applying the dreaded “for a Session” qualifier, it’s absolutely fine. That being said, unless I was driving and absolutely needed to keep things on the DL, I’d go for the extra point or two and get something with a bit more oomph. (15/20)

This will be my 6446th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Cabin Brewing Company / Born Brewing Co. Hello Sunshine! – American IPA at 6.7% ABV (C$6.00 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 23-Jun-2026, reviewed 5-Jul-2026)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with one fat finger of pillowy pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, cereal grains. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (4/5)

They call this a “Pineapple IPA”, so I was expecting, y’know, pineapple. In fact, I was a bit concerned that it might be overwhelmingly pineapple. However, they were also apparently concerned about this, since they’ve gone the other way, rendering the pineapple so mild so as to be more a generalized tropical fruit note, rather than clearly pineapple. It’s fine, it’s good, there’s nothing wrong with it (15/20)

This will be my 6445th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Backcountry Brewing You’re More Like Sarah Connor & In the First Movie Too Before She Could Do Chinups – American IPA at 6.5% ABV | 30 IBU (C$7.55 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 23-Jun-2026, reviewed 4-Jul-2026)

Appearance: hazy deep gold with two fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: stone & tropical fruit, citrus, cereal grains, mild dank resin. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (4/5)

Nelson, Motueka, and Citra. Pleasant fruit character without being too sweet, easy-drinking despite the slightly high ABV. Not much else to say here – it works. (16/20)

This will be my 6444th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Establishment Brewing Company Rare Hearts (2025) – American Wild Ale at 5.6% ABV (C$24.00 at Collective, 750 ml, packaged on 1-Nov-2025, acquired 23-Jun-2026, reviewed 30-Jun-2026)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale amber with a short fizzy head diminishing rapidly to nothing, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: oak, strawberries, funk. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, sweetish warming finish. (5/5)

Release 062. This is a pretty faithful adaptation of the Wild or Lambic style, though aesthetically raspberries might be the more traditional fruit choice. But, overall this balances well the barrel, fruit, and funk aspects, with neither really overwhelming the others. So, it would appear that, not satisfied to merely dominate one style (the American IPA and its derivatives), The Establishment is now bound and determined to crush the far more challenging one of the barrel-aged wild. Oh no, don’t threaten me with a good time! (17/20)

This will be my 6441st unique Untappd check-in.

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Backcountry Brewing Little Old Basket Case on Wheels or Ten Foot High Roadblock – American IPA at 6.5% ABV | 30 IBU (C$7.45 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 23-Jun-2026, reviewed 29-Jun-2026)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical & stone fruit, citrus, cereal grains, dank resin. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, sweetish warming finish. (4/5)

“Hit hard with Nectaron and Riwaka” Sure. Works for me. (16/20)

This will be my 6440th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Evil Twin Brewing / Mortalis Brewing Company Even More OldManBearMa – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.16% ABV (C$12.45 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 23-Jun-2026, reviewed 28-Jun-2026)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fluffy pale ivory head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: citrus, overripe tropical fruit, hint of dank resin and earth. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-full slightly creamy body, moderate-soft carbonation, sweetish warming finish. (4/5)

Double dry hopped with Citra, Simcoe, Riwaka Amplifier, and Nelson Amplifier. Note to self: stop buying goddamned Yank beers unless you know they’re really fresh, and even then you ought to be boycotting the fuckers and supporting local. I think at this point, Jeppe is just phoning it in, and there’s nothing coming out of Evil Twin that’s any different than what he was doing ten years ago. It’s fine, but nowhere near worth the ridiculous price tag, especially when there are locals doing as good a job or better. (15/20)

This will be my 6439th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Evil Twin Brewing / Monkish Brewing Co. Even More Foggier Window – American Double / Imperial IPA at 9.16% ABV (C$12.85 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 23-Apr-2024, acquired 23-Jun-2026, reviewed 28-Jun-2026)

Appearance: hazy and particulate-laden medium amber with two fingers of fluffy tan head diminishing gradually to a persistent cap, heavy soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: stone fruit, melon, citrus, sweet malt, hint of dank resin. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-full creamy body, moderate-soft carbonation, sweetish warming finish. (4/5)

I knew I shouldn’t have bought this, and no, I don’t know why I didn’t see the date code beforehand. (Edit: now I remember – I picked up the other Evil Twin collab at the same time and its date code was smeared, so I didn’t even bother to look at this one’s.) Yes, it’s a TIPA, so the high ABV should protect it to some degree, but I’m assuming (hoping?) that this doesn’t look, smell, or taste anything like it was intended to fresh. It’s not terrible, but it seems a bit malt forward. I’m pretty sure I would have liked it more when it was fresh. (15/20)

This will be my 6438th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Establishment Brewing Company Any Way You Want It – American Pale Ale at 5.4% ABV (C$5.85 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 30-Apr-2026, acquired 23-Jun-2026, reviewed 28-Jun-2026)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of fluffy white head diminishing gradually to a thick persistent cap, heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, cereal grains, hint of dank resin. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly creamy body, moderate-soft carbonation, medium duration off-dry finish. (4/5)

Simcoe, Nelson Sauvin, Riwaka, and Mosaic HyperBoost. Lots of fruit aroma and flavour, and a slightly creamy body, but not too sweet or sticky. Pretty emphatic for a fairly light ABV. Ho hum, yet another great beer from The Est. (16/20)

This will be my 6437th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Establishment Brewing Company Das Model – Dortmunder / Export Lager at 5.5% ABV (C$5.75 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 23-Apr-2026, acquired 23-Jun-2026, reviewed 26-Jun-2026)

Appearance: clear pale gold with one finger of fine white head, excellent retention and well-defined lacing. (5/5) Aroma: crackery malt, mineral petrichor, honey, grass, floral. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, medium duration off-dry finish. (4/5)

Well, I keep saying I don’t really understand most lager variants well enough to distinguish a really good one – but it would appear I just haven’t had enough really good ones. This is a really good one. (16/20)

This will be my 6436th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com