Month: January 2016

Brasserie Dunham Triple XXX Abbey Tripel at 8.5% ABV (C$9.29 at Zyn, 750 ml, no bottle date or best before, reviewed 22-Jan-2016)

Appearance: cloudy pale gold with a massive and growing fluffy white head, excellent retention and sticky chunky lacing. (3/5) Aroma: complex, candi sugar, citrus zest, apples & pears, tropical fruit, grassy. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter, light tart. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-high carbonation, lightly boozy and tart finish. (4/5)

Not entirely convinced by this one. The flavours are pleasant enough, but it ends up being a little syrupy and sweet for me. The sweetness level might work for some, but I find it a touch cloying. I’d like this more if it were crisper and dryer. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Sound Brewery Monk’s Indiscretion Belgian Strong Pale Ale at 10% ABV (C$17.55 at Andrew Hilton Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, reviewed 21-Jan-2016)

Appearance: clear pale amber with a thin ivory head, good retention and no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: complex, candi sugar, dry-ish tripel-like tropical fruit and Belgian yeast, floral, earthy. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, light tart, light bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-high carbonation, lightly boozy and tart finish. (4/5)

Oh my… if this is indiscretion, I’m not sure why you’d want to be discreet. “I’d rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints,” indeed. Sweet, but not too much so, balanced with a lovely mild tartness and bitter, accented with floral juniper (gin) and yeast. Layers of complexity continue to reveal as it warms, and make it difficult to accurately describe the bouquet. I was expecting (and bracing myself for) a barleywine-ish approach, but this is is a far more interesting prospect. (I can handle a good barleywine, but it’s not my favourite style, especially when it’s not done well.) The ABV is definitely present, but well integrated so that the overall experience is much milder than one might expect from double digits. Well worth looking for. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Phillips Brewing Company Thorny Horn Sour Raspberry American Brown Ale at 6.8% ABV (C$7.95 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, reviewed 21-Jan-2016)

Appearance: red-tinged amber-brown with a short very light purple head, good retention and no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tart raspberry, pale malt or honey, light earthy funk, maybe a hint of cherry. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, light bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-high carbonation, crisp tart finish. (4/5)

Jammy raspberry and lacto sour complement each other pretty well. Any brown ale character left in this is completely overwhelmed by the raspberry and lactic – which is by no means a criticism, because very little is more boring than a plain old brown ale (except maybe an ESB). Overall, a fairly pleasant, if one-dimensional (OK, two-dimensional) light sour that could be a good introduction to the genre for a neophyte. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Gigantic Brewing Company Saboteur (#26) Baltic Porter at 8% ABV (C$10.29 at Zyn, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, reviewed 21-Jan-2016)

Appearance: nearly opaque black with the merest hint of brown highlights, one finger of fine light beige head, excellent retention and good lacing. (4/5) Aroma: chocolate, oatmeal, liquorice, herbal and earthy hops, mild coffee, light smoke. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-full body, soft carbonation, lingering boozy and sticky finish. (3/5)

Not really a traditional Baltic porter: although there’s a fair bit of sweetness, it’s also got a fairly high herbal/earthy hop bitterness, coming through sharper than the 35IBU would suggest. Nice complexity for the style. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Last Best Brewing and Distilling Imperial Porter Imperial Porter at 10.5% ABV (C$15.04 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, reviewed 20-Jan-2016)

Appearance: nearly opaque black with brown highlights, one finger of fine light beige head, excellent retention and good lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dark boozy fruit (plums and figs), brown sugar, chocolate, rum, woody. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, mild bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-full body, soft carbonation, lingering boozy and sticky finish. (3/5)

A nice example of the style. Rich and boozy, it opens up nicely as it warms. It’s a bit too sweet for my taste, and it ends somewhat sticky and cloying, but it’s not bad overall. Impressively easy drinking for such a high ABV. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Bridge Brewing Company Brücke Berliner Weisse Berliner Weisse at 2.8% ABV (C$9.25 on tap at Craft Beer Market, reviewed 20-Jan-2016)

Appearance: clear pale straw with a short white head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: muted, lemon zest, dusty straw, vinous, apple juice. (6/10) Taste: moderate-low sweet, moderate-low tart. (6/10) Palate: light body, moderate carbonation, crisp tart finish. (3/5)

A very mild and lightly tart berliner. In my opinion, a bit too much so – could use a little more presence. Pleasant and refreshing but ultimately a bit too light and watery. The apple starts to taste a little brown after a while, too. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Le Trou du Diable L’Ours (Ass No. 12) American Wild Ale at 6% ABV (C$13.29 at Zyn, 750 ml, bottle date 28-Apr-2015, reviewed 19-Jan-2016)

Appearance: cloudy pale gold with a short white head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: citrus, funky wet straw, white wine, light lactic. (8/10) Taste: moderate-low sweet, moderate tart, light bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, crisp tart finish. (4/5)

Nice easygoing wild. Smells a bit more tart than it tastes – not sure if a little more sweetness would bring it out more, or not, but there’s just a little something lacking on the tongue. Nice funk, though, and a solid wild. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Microbrasserie Charlevoix Dominus Vobiscum Brut (2010) Bière de Champagne at 11% ABV (C$25.65 at Andrew Hilton Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, no bottle date or best before, reviewed 19-Jan-2016)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with two fingers of fluffy white head, good retention and patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: brown apple, champagne yeast, floral. (5/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, mild tart, light bitter. (5/10) Palate: medium-light body, high carbonation, fruity finish. (3/5)

I knew going into this that this was almost certainly well past its best-by date, and I wasn’t wrong. However, since I have a fresh example of the same style in my cellar now (a DeuS Brut des Flandres) I thought it might be interesting to see how they age. In case you’re wondering, the answer is “not well”. I get hints of what this should be, I think, but unfortunately it isn’t, any more. I’ll definitely try it again if I can find it fresher. (10/20)

5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Big Rock Brewery Dark Cherry Abbey Ale Belgian Strong Dark Ale at 9.5% ABV (C$11.75 at Sundance Wine Market, 750 ml, no bottle date or best before, reviewed 18-Jan-2016)

Appearance: nearly opaque brown with deep amber highlights, one finger of fine light beige head, good retention and minimal lacing. (3/5) Aroma: dark cherries, chocolate, candi sugar, orange peel. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter, light tart. (6/10) Palate: medium-full body, moderate carbonation, bittersweet finish. (3/5)

Not bad, and surprisingly easy-drinking for a high ABV. Reasonable Belg-ish strong dark. The cherries are forward, but not to the extent the label promises. Think, mildly boozy chocolate-covered cherries. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com