Month: July 2015

Driftwood Brewery FarmHand Saison at 5.5% ABV (C$6.75 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, bottle date 8-May-2015)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale amber with a short, short-lived off-white head, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: Belgian yeast, citrus, light banana, mild green apple. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter, mild black pepper, very mild tart. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lightly funky dry finish. (3/5)

Admittedly I went into this with high hopes, but it didn’t quite deliver. At least, not to the same extent that their IPA’s do. Pleasantly mild black pepper spiciness dovetails nicely with mildly tart and funky fruit. Good, but not great. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Kirin Brewery Kirin Ichiban Pale Lager at 5% ABV (Bottle at Sushi Ginza, 500 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Appearance: pale straw with a short, short-lived white head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: crackery pale malt, slightly grassy. (4/10) Taste: mild sweet, very mild bitter. (4/10) Palate: light body, moderate carbonation, crisp finish. (3/5)

Light, crisp and inoffensive. Goes well with sushi, but that’s about the extent of it. (9/20)

My 189th from the 2010 Edition (177th from the 2013 edition), and 199th combining both editions.

4.5/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Cannery Brewing Company Stumbling Goat Dry-Hopped Maibock Maibock at 6.3% ABV (Gift – thanks, DougB!, 650 ml, best before 31-Sep-2015)

Appearance: clear pale straw with one finger of fluffy white head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: grassy hops, pale crackery malt, hint of herbal and citrus. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild to moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: light body, moderate carbonation, very slight alcohol warming and moderate duration bitter finish. (3/5)

Well, it is what it is. And it’s better than most Helles lagers, or bocks. Even though it’s a Maibock (“May”-bock) that I’m drinking in July, it doesn’t taste faded. Grassy as all get-out, with a crackery/bready/doughy malt backing, but it works for the style – though, admittedly, it’s not a style I know all that well. Overall, yeah, crisp and drinkable. (By the way, no, I’m not making up that best before date – the bottle was stamped 09/31/15 – seriously. I guess if it’s good until the thirty-first of September, it never goes bad? And honestly, that label is the creepiest goat I’ve ever seen. It’s like a mid-level D&D monster requiring a saving throw against the willies…) (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Parallel 49 Apricotopus Sour Apricot Saison Saison at 6.3% ABV (C$4.25 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Appearance: cloudy pale straw with a short, short-lived white head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: dry yeast, unspecific tart fruit, wheat, mild funk. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter, mild tart. (7/10) Palate: light body, moderate carbonation, brief slightly tart and funky finish. (3/5)

I admit, I went into this with high hopes, mostly because my go-to beer guy loved it. It looks like a saison, and it (largely) smells like a saison, with just a hint of extra sour fruit. But really, minimal sour, and minimal apricot – though it does grow as it warms. (At least, minimal beyond the normal content for the style.) So, when you get right down to it, it’s a saison, with a hint of sour and apricot – which aren’t bad things, by any means, but I was expecting to be blown away. And wasn’t. Not a bad saison, but ultimately not overly interesting – decent, but not great, let’s say.  Y’know, I can’t get a handle on this brewery – they blow hot and cold, but not to the point where I won’t try them. Kinda like Phillips, I guess…? (And why, oh why, do all of P49’s labels now say “brewed in collaboration with Parallel 49”, even when they aren’t collabs? Are they collaborating with themselves? I’m pretty sure there’s bible verses against that…) (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Alley Kat Brewing Co. Lemon Hefeweizen Hefeweizen at 4.9% ABV (C$4.95 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Appearance: cloudy straw with two fingers of dense, creamy white head, good retention and moderate lacing. (3/5) Aroma: wheat, lemon, light clove/coriander, banana, slightly sweaty funk. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter, light tart. (6/10) Palate: light body, moderate carbonation, brief finish. (3/5)

Not bad at all – I was expecting a heavier hand with the lemon, perhaps more like a shandy or a radler, but the fact is it’s a hefeweizen with just a mild added touch of lemon. (Not unlike you might get from a lemon wedge on the glass.) Definitely a decent thirst quencher after a sweaty ride on my new bike, though. (Now imagine me in bicycle shorts. I dare you. Go on, do it!) (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Driftwood Brewery Naughty Hildegard Premium Bitter / ESB at 6.5% ABV (C$6.95 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, bottle date 28-Apr-2015)

Appearance: hazy pale amber with two fingers of loose off-white head diminishing fairly quickly to a thin skim, patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, pine, caramel malt. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering leafy hoppy black tea finish. (4/5)

Oh, Hildegard, you have been naughty, haven’t you, putting all those hops in the vicar’s bitter? Time for your spanking, you naughty nun, you! Let’s find out what those stockings are attached to, anyway… (ahem) Where was I? Oh, yes, beer! Not nun-spanking. Not at all. On to the beer! And what a beer! No hesitation in saying this is the best ESB I’ve ever had. I am loving this brewery – their witbier wasn’t anything special, but when it comes time to bring the hops, they bring ‘em in spades. Lots of complexity in the aroma, nicely balanced bitter and malt on the tongue, and a finish that honestly reminds me of nothing so much as unsweetened iced tea. Lovely. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Wild Rose Brewery Hef Nelson Hefeweizen at 5% ABV (C$6.66 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, bottle date 18-Jun-2015)

Appearance: cloudy straw with one finger of loose white head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, minimal lacing. (3/5) Aroma: wheat, banana, coriander, vinous. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (5/10) Palate: light body, moderate carbonation, brief finish. (3/5)

A fairly bland hefeweizen that is distinguished only by the choice of Nelson Sauvin hops. Thirst quencher and not much more. (10/20)

5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Old Yale Brewing Co. Vanishing Monk Witbier at 5% ABV (C$6.75 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with a short, short-lived white head, minimal lacing. (3/5) Aroma: wheat, Belgian yeast, light coriander. (5/10) Taste: mild sweet, mild bitter, light tart. (5/10) Palate: light body, moderate carbonation, brief finish. (3/5)

Not much to say about this one – a bland witbier without much to distinguish it. (10/20)

5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Lagunitas Brewing Company Equinox American Pale Ale at 8% ABV (C$5.78 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no best before or bottle date)

Appearance: clear deep gold with one finger of rocky white head, good retention and light lacing. (3/5) Aroma: grapefruit, pine, caramel malt, slightly dank. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration bitter finish. (4/5)

OK, I give up. How is this NOT an IPA? When you’re sitting at 50 IBU and 8% ABV, why can’t you reasonably call yourself an IPA? Oh, hell, who cares? Nice beer. Drink it if you can. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Alameda Brewing Co. Rose City Red American Amber / Red Ale at 6.4% ABV (C$6.36 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, bottle date 2-Jan-2014)

Appearance: slightly hazy amber-brown with one finger of creamy tan head, OK retention and moderate patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: caramel malt, nutty, light earth, pine, and citrus. (5/10) Taste: mild to moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (5/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, building bitter and slightly boozy warming finish. (3/5)

Meh. Not really my favourite style at the best of times, and through nobody’s fault but my own (I’ve got to get better at checking bottle dates in the store!) this thing is about a year and a half old. Still a fair bit of hops in the flavour, though, giving a fairly bitter finish, but they’ve faded somewhat from the aroma. Might’ve been a bit nicer fresh, but I doubt I would’ve loved it even then. (11/20)

5.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com