Month: July 2015

Nøgne Ø / Kissmeyer Naked Kiss Imperial Porter at 11.5% ABV (C$8.01 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 500 ml, bottle date 23-Sep-2014)

Appearance: clear brown with a short, short-lived finger of tan head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: mild roasty malts, dark fruit, light sour red berries. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter, moderately strong sour. (8/10) Palate: medium to light body, low carbonation, sour finish. (4/5)

Wow – that’s bizarre. There’s not much on the nose other than the roasty malts, but the taste is quite sour. Loads of unexpected black currant sharpness make this quite interesting. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brash Brewing Company Smoglifter Imperial Chocolate Milk Stout Milk / Sweet Stout at 10% ABV (C$9.64 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, bottle date 20-Oct-2014)

Appearance: nearly solid black with one finger of dense mocha head, excellent retention and decent lacing. (4/5) Aroma: chocolate, mild coffee, roasty malts, some dark fruit. (8/10) Taste: moderately strong sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: full body tending a little to the watery, low carbonation, warming finish. (4/5)

I’m not sure it’s “making love to your mouth like a horny sorority girl”, but it’ll do. The body seems viscous at the outset, but turns slightly watery midway. The bitterness does pretty well at balancing the sweetness, but it lingers a little too much, making for a little bit of an edge to the finish. Still pretty good, though! (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Stone Brewing Company Farking Wheaton W00tstout (2015) Imperial Stout at 13% ABV (C$19.34 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, bottle date 20-Jun-2015)

Appearance: deep brown with two fingers of dense mocha head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: chocolate, bourbon, nutty, faint coffee. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (9/10) Palate: full body, low carbonation, silky warming finish. (5/5)

“Drink fresh or age at cellar temp”. Well, I ask you: why does life have to be a series of either/or choices? Why can’t we have both? Why can’t I have my cake and eat it too?

Which is why I bought not one, but TWO of these: so I could both drink fresh AND age at cellar temp. Because sometimes, that’s just how I roll, y’all. And come on – Drew Curtis, Wil Wheaton, and Greg Koch? Three of my favourite dudes ever? Damn straight I’m in! Twice!

And this thing is, already, at a month old, a smooth criminal of a beast. Lots of complexity from the cocoa, pecans, and bourbon barrel ageing, yet nearly zero ABV presence. I’m already drooling at how this will be when it’s mellowed for a year or two. (18/20)

9/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Anderson Valley Brewing Company Brother David’s Triple Abbey Tripel at 10% ABV (C$8.71 at Solo Liquor Okotoks, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Appearance: slightly hazy medium gold with some particulate, a fat finger of rocky ivory head, good retention and moderate lacing. (3/5) Aroma: muted, biscuity malt, caramel, mild citrus and herbal. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, warming finish. (3/5)

A fairly uninspiring tripel. Nothing stands out as being poorly-done, as such, but then again, nothing stands out as being great. The aromas could be more emphatic, and there’s not much excuse for particulate in any style, but the ABV integration is actually not bad. Bottom line, I wouldn’t say “no” to this, but I wouldn’t go looking for it again, either. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Anderson Valley Brewing Company Brother David’s Double Abbey Dubbel at 9% ABV (C$8.71 at Solo Liquor Okotoks, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Appearance: clear deep amber with a short, short-lived light tan head and no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: brown sugar, dark fruit, cola, mild coffee and chocolate. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, very mild bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium to full body, soft carbonation, mildly warming finish. (4/5)

A decent enough dubbel, but it feels a bit light for the style to me, even though the carbonation tends to the soft. There’s a little hop bitterness coming through, and even just the faintest hint of sourness, that isn’t indicated by standard guidelines. Not so much an “abbey dubbel,” perhaps, as an “American dubbel”? (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel La Divine Comédie Pilsener at 5.4% ABV (C$2.47 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 341 ml, bottle date 20-Jun-2015)

Appearance: very slightly hazy straw with one finger of loose white head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: muted, bready malt, grassy hops, mild citrus.  (7/10) Taste: mild sweet, moderately strong bitter. (8/10) Palate: light to medium body, moderate carbonation, crisp lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Not quite as good as the Trou du Diable version – at least, I found the Trou du Diable version to be slightly fruitier and hoppier. This is just as bitter, but the hops are coming through more as grassiness or earthiness, instead of tropical fruit. Really not getting the passionfruit or mango the label claims. On the plus side, this finishes strong as a really crisp and clean pilsener, with a nice lingering bitter finish. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Laughing Dog Brewing Rocketdog Rye IPA American IPA at 6.9% ABV (C$6.56 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, bottle date 23-Apr-2015)

Appearance: clear pale amber with two fingers of rocky ivory head, good retention and spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: pine resin, rye, citrus, doughy yeast. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderately strong bitter, light sour. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

A decent rye IPA. I tend to like this style, particularly how the sharpness of the rye complements the IPA bitterness. And yeah, this one does that, but in a slightly blunt fashion. It’d be nice to still get some bright citrus going on, and I’m not really getting that here. Good, not great. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Black Market Brewing Co. 1945 Berliner Weisse Berliner Weisse at 3.8% ABV (C$7.28 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with one finger of rocky white head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: muted, wheat, citrus, slightly funky. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter, moderate sour. (8/10) Palate: light body, moderate carbonation, dry and emphatic sour finish. (4/5)

A pretty authentic example of the style – low ABV, lightly wheat and fruity flavours on a moderately sour base. Tart and refreshing. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com