Month: June 2016

Dageraad Brewing Sri Lanka Belgian Dubbel at 7.5% ABV (C$8.95 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 28-May-2016, reviewed 8-Jun-2016)

Appearance: opaque medium amber with one finger of fluffy light beige head, good retention and moderate lacing. (3/5) Aroma: brown sugar, caramel, grainy malt, orange peel, dark fruit, spices. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, mild growing tart. (8/10) Medium body, lively to moderate carbonation, lingering and building astringent finish. (4/5)

You call it Tamarind, I call it orange peel. But whatever you call it, I have to say I like it – a lot. I didn’t, at first: it starts off seeming like a fairly boring, watery, and not very sweet Dubbel. But as things progress, it becomes clear there’s more to this than initially meets the eye (or tongue). The citric oil bitterness continues to grow and grow, eventually turning this almost astringent, yet somehow not really tart, and very refreshing. Each sip is initially greeted by brown sugar and molasses (OK, fine, “Sri Lankan kithul treacle”) but the duration of that sweetness seems to shrink with each sip, and the orange peel (OK, fine, tamarind) bitterness just continues to grow. Really interesting and lots of fun. Dageraad continues to impress, and with a brew for which I had zero expectations. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Murphy Brewing (Heineken Ireland) Murphy’s Irish Stout Dry Irish Stout at 4% ABV (On tap at St. John’s Fish Exchange, reviewed 8-Jun- 2016)

Appearance: nearly opaque black with brown margins, one finger of dense creamy beige head, excellent retention and lacing. (5/5) Aroma: toasty bready grains, faint chocolate and coffee. (7/10) Taste: low sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium body, soft carbonation, bone dry lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Quite a decent Dry Stout, for mass-market. I really appreciate the low sweetness and bone dry finish. Probably slightly better than Guinness Draught. (15/20)

My 228th from the 2010 Edition (217th from the 2013 edition), and 239th combining both editions.

7.5/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brauerei Heller-Trum / Schlenkerla Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock Rauchbier at 6.5% ABV (C$4.99 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 500 ml, best before 31-May-2016, acquired 16-Oct-2015, reviewed 7-Jun-2016)

Appearance: clear amber-brown with one finger of light beige head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: smoke, wood, hints of umame/meat/bacon, earthy. (8/10) Taste: moderate-low sweet, moderate smoke, mild bitter. (8/10) Medium-light body, soft carbonation, dry mildly smoky finish. (4/5)

Do rauchbiers actually have best before dates? Because even though this one’s is supposedly past, this is bloody good, is what this is – smooth and moderately smoky, with an almost creamy body. I don’t know whether I’m just beginning to appreciate the style, or whether this really is a particularly good example of the style, but I’m quite enjoying it either way. I’m not sure whether there’s really a umame presence there, or whether the smoke is just so very much like a really nice slab of bacon, but either way, it’s really nice. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Rough Draft Brewing Company Emboozlement Tripel at 9% ABV (C$9.50 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 28-May-2016, reviewed 7-Jun-2016)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with a thin white head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, no lacing. (2/5) Aroma: doughy yeast, apples and pears, stone fruit, pale malt. (5/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, mild bitter, light tart. (7/10) Medium-light body, moderate-high carbonation, drying bitter and warming finish. (3/5)

Meh. It’s not terrible, once you get past the yeast smell. But that initial aroma is one of bready, doughy baking yeast – like old-school homebrew. It tastes a fair bit better than it smells, and on the up side, the promised emboozlement is definitely present. On the down side, so’s the eponymous rough draft aspect. Too sweet, and just not very well put together – and for the price, there are better examples of the style out there.(11/20)

5.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale (2015) American Barleywine at 9.6% ABV (US$3.57 at Specs Main Houston, 355 ml, bottle date 11-Dec-2014, acquired 23-Jan-2016, reviewed 6-Jun-2016)

Appearance: opaque medium to deep amber with a short, short-lived ivory head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: boozy dark fruit, toffee, citrus zest, pine resin. (8/10) Taste: high sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Medium-full slightly oily body, moderate carbonation, sticky lingering bitter and warming finish. (4/5)

An extremely interesting ale. Initially, the malt and alcohol aromas overwhelm, and seem to be all there is to it, but very rapidly the huge American-style hops kick in, turning your mouth into the scene of a total battle royale. No sooner does the sweet malt invade, than it’s jumped on by the massive hops. Although it’s hugely sweet (and actually finishes a little sticky), it never gets cloying, simply because the resiny and citrus zest bitter never lets it. You know how people make pomanders by sticking cloves in an orange? Think that, except pine needles instead of cloves, then crusting the whole thing in brown sugar. (16/20)

My 227th from the 2010 Edition (216th from the 2013 edition), and 238th combining both editions.

8/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Innis & Gunn Brewing Company White Oak Wheat Kristallweizen at 6.4% ABV (C$3.46 at NLC Stavanger, 330 ml, best before 1-Mar-2017, acquired 4-Jun-2016, reviewed 6-Jun-2016)

Appearance: clear pale to medium gold with one finger of fluffy white head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: Earl Grey tea, orange peel, caramel, wheat malt. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, mild bitter. (6/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, short duration mildly bitter finish. (3/5)

So, yeah, I broke my I&G moratorium. I figured, three bucks for a single, what the hell. And, y’know, it’s not terrible. But they never are, are they? They’re just never all that great. This, for example, as a supposed wheat beer features almost no wheat character at all. It’s sweet, almost cloying, and fairly heavily oaked – just like everything else I&G do. Points for consistency, I guess, but it would be nice to have something that actually adhered to the style, instead of a vague nod in that direction. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Garrison Brewing Company Klingon Warnog Roggen Roggenbier at 5.5% ABV (C$6.27 at NLC Stavanger, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 4-Jun-2016, reviewed 6-Jun-2016)

Appearance: clear medium to deep amber with one finger of medium-dense light beige head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: caramel/toffee, dark fruit, banana, clove, light rye. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, mild bitter. (6/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, short duration mildly bitter and slightly spicy/tart finish. (3/5)

Dunno what makes this Klingon – there’s no bite, and no smoke. Next thing you’ll be telling me it’s not even made with the blood of my enemies! OK, cheesy marketing ploys aside, this is a pretty mediocre Roggen: there’s very little rye in this at all, coming through late and mild. On the front end, it’s somewhat too sweet for my preference, and overall it just seems like a mishmash of unrelated flavours. Easy-drinking, but just not very exciting. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Boulevard Brewing Co. Love Child No 6 American Wild Ale at 9.2% ABV (US$20.99 at Specs Main Houston, 750 ml, best before 1-Oct-2017, acquired 23-Jan-2016, reviewed 5-Jun-2016)

Appearance: opaque pale to medium amber with a short-lived fizzy white head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: sour cherries, oak, leather. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high tart, moderate sweet, mild bitter. (7/10) Medium-light body, lively carbonation, off-dry tart finish. (4/5)

Not bad – definitely comes across more with true wild flavours, than kettle-soured lactic. But it’s a bit sharp, and a bit muddled, and really quite a bit not worth the price of admission. I mean, seriously, for that price I can get Cantillon domestically – and this ain’t Cantillon. For half the price, I’d consider it again, but it really doesn’t belong in such rarefied atmosphere. Don’t get me wrong, it’s pretty good on the front end: the aromas are decent, and the initial mouth feel and flavours are good. Unfortunately, it falls down a little on the finish, ending abruptly and a little astringent. Good, not great. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck Kasteel Cuvee du Chateau (2015) Abt / Quadrupel at 11% ABV (C$9.57 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, best before 20-May-2020, acquired 5-Nov-2015, reviewed 4-Jun-2016)

Appearance: clear deep ruby with one finger of fizzy light beige head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dark dried fruit, caramel/toffee, bready yeast, leather, spices. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter, light tart. (7/10) Medium-light body, lively carbonation, lingering boozy finish. (4/5)

I wasn’t completely convinced by this one at first. I think my ultimate objection is that the body really seems too thin and light for the flavours and the very high ABV, and that’s not really helped a lot by the lively carbonation that remains throughout. Don’t get me wrong: it’s quite pleasant as it is, and the high ABV, though present, is never overwhelming or intrusive, but I can’t help feeling like it would have been more appropriate had the body been a bit heavier, and the carbonation a bit softer. On the other hand, it’s very Belgian in flavour, and drinking it transports me back to the little side streets of Brugge, or off Grand-Place in Brussels. The flavours open as it warms, making it enjoyable to sip and linger over. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Creemore Springs Hop & Weizen Hefeweizen at 4.7% ABV _(C$3.57 at NLC Stavanger, 473 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 4-Jun-2016, reviewed 4-Jun-2016)_

Appearance: translucent pale gold with one finger of loose white head, good retention and patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: banana, yeasty wheat, bubblegum, citrus, tropical fruit, cloves. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter, light spice. (7/10) Medium-light body, lively carbonation, off-dry short duration slightly spicy finish. (3/5)

Somewhat more Weizen than West Coast – though, truth be told, there’s not really an overabundance of either. (And, given that it’s a whopping 5 degrees above freezing here today – in June! – perhaps I’d be better off with a porter or stout!) Fact is, it’s a fairly pleasant hefe, easy to drink, and surprisingly good for a Molson product. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com