Month: July 2016

Rough Draft Brewing Company Grapefruit Weekday IPA Session IPA at 4.8% ABV (C$9.49 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 23-May-2016, reviewed 24-May-2016)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of growing fluffy white head, excellent retention and patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: piney resin, caramel malt, light floral and tropical fruit. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, short duration moderately bitter finish. (4/5)

Very similar to the grapefruit version I reviewed previously, which is to say a very nice session IPA, that actually opens and improves upon warming. The grapefruit version didn’t come across as thin or watered-down, but this does, if only just a little. It still works well as a low ABV implementation of American IPAs, but the grapefruit really helped, and its absence is definitely noticeable. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

New Belgium Brewing Company Hoppy Blonde Blond Ale at 5.7% ABV (C$3.25 at Quarry Park Calgary Co-Op, 355 ml, best before 10-Jul-2016, acquired 18-Jul-2016, reviewed 18-Jul-2016)

Appearance: clear deep gold with two fingers of fluffy white head, good retention and good lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, pine, tropical fruit, grass, pale malt, mild herbal. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, crisp bitter finish. (3/5)

A nice, pleasantly hoppy blonde ale. Not “dank”, as such, but definitely piney and citrusy, with additional grassy and herbal hop character. I’d call it more of an APA than a Blond, but whatever you call it, the hops are leading – and that’s all that really matters, isn’t it? (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Rogue Ales Voodoo Doughnut Mango Astronaut Ale Fruit / Vegetable Beer at 5.5% ABV (C$16.99 at Quarry Park Calgary Co-Op, 750 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 18-Jul-2016, reviewed 18-Jul-2016)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale amber with one fat finger of rocky white head, good retention and moderate lacing. (3/5) Aroma: sweet and somewhat artificial mango, stone fruit, pineapple and tropical fruit. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter, mild tart. (6/10) Medium slightly syrupy body, moderate carbonation, mildly sweet slightly astringent finish. (3/5)

Umm… it didn’t suck as badly as I expected it to? Yeah, OK, the “mango” smells like sugary artificial crap, but it actually doesn’t taste as sweet as it smells. It actually finished, if not “dry”, at least a bit astringent. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Nøgne Ø (Hansa Borg) _Sunturnbrew_ Smoked Beer at 11% ABV _(C$11.29 at Okotoks Co-Op, 500 ml, bottle date 1-Dec-2012, best before 1-Dec-2022, acquired 24-Jul-2014, reviewed 14-Jul-2016)_

Appearance: clear amber-brown with a short creamy light tan head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap, soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: smoke, dark dried fruit, toffee, light peat. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light tart. (8/10) Medium-full slightly slick body, moderate carbonation, off dry slightly astringent smoky and warming finish. (4/5)

Interesting depth and complexity to this one, with restrained smokiness on top of a sweet fruity barleywine base, with a light rye tartness coming out in late in the finish. The ABV is almost non-existent in the flavours, but manifests as a definite warming relative early in the glass. Not subtle, as such, but definitely restrained and polite. A lingering sipper for sure. (16/20)

8/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Council Brewing Co. Béatitude Mosaic Dry-Hopped Tart Saison Saison at 4.5% ABV (C$19.99 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 1-Jul-2016, reviewed 14-Jul-2016)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale straw with a short, short-lived fizzy white head diminishing rapidly to nothing, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: doughy yeast, tart lemon, horseblankety funk. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, minimal bitter. (9/10) Medium-light body, lively carbonation, crisp lightly tart and funky finish. (4/5)

Again, I might argue slightly with their choice in yeast here: the bready, doughy note is definitely like baker’s yeast, which in turn makes me think of low-quality old-school homebrew. That particular personal preference aside, wow, this is a great Saison! Lovely citrusy tart borne aloft by lively carbonation, light and refreshing without a big alcohol hit. This is exactly what I’d want to have while working a long, hot day in the fields as a saisonnier. Even better than their mango version, and a great showcase for Mosaic hops. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Unibroue Trois Pistoles (2014) Belgian Strong Dark Ale at 9% ABV (C$8.99 at South Trail Calgary Co-Op, 750 ml, bottle date 29-Nov-2014, acquired 26-Apr-2015, reviewed 14-Jul-2016)

Appearance: clear amber-brown with two fingers of light tan head, good retention, spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dark vinous fruit, figs, brown sugar, some Belgian yeast. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (9/10) Medium-full body, lively carbonation, off dry and mildly warming finish. (4/5)

Well, damn. I just re-read my old notes, and realized I meant to keep this down in the cellar for longer: the last vintage of this I reviewed (a 2012) was just over two years old when I reviewed it, and this was a touch younger than that. Guess I need to go hunting for a dusty one on a shelf somewhere, or try again in about 3 years… or more… No significant variations that I can discern by comparison to my notes, unless perhaps a slightly lighter body and slightly higher carbonation in this version. I wonder of that might be attributable to the larger corked and caged bottle holding pressure a bit better than the small capped bottle I previously tried? Regardless, any way you slice it, this remains a world-class BSDA. (17/20)

8.5/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Council Brewing Co. Béatitude Mango Tart Saison Saison at 4.5% ABV (C$19.99 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, bottle date 16-Feb-2016, acquired 1-Jul-2016, reviewed 14-Jul-2016)

Appearance: opaque pale gold with a short, short-lived fizzy white head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, minimal patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: doughy yeast, horseblankety funk, mango and lemon. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild tart, minimal bitter. (8/10) Medium body, lively carbonation, crisp lightly tart and funky finish. (4/5)

I might argue slightly with their choice in yeast here: I’m getting a bready, doughy note that reminds me of nothing so much as baker’s yeast. Though, in reading the bottle notes, I guess the doughy aspect is exactly what they were aiming for, so, well done, I guess? They say they’re using a Saison yeast in a no-boil process, but something like a champagne yeast might be an alternative. I still think it tastes better than it smells, but that’s just personal preference. Overall, very well done – and I really find that lower-gravity Saisons like this feel more authentic than their boozier brethren. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Unibroue Éphémère Bleuet Fruit / Vegetable Beer at 5.5% ABV (C$6.99 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, bottle date 31-Mar-2016, acquired 26-Jun-2016, reviewed 13-Jul-2016)

Appearance: slightly hazy reddish pale amber with two fingers of pillowy light violet head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: slightly artificial or medicinal blueberry, sweet wheat malt. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild tart, minimal bitter. (6/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, crisp lightly tart and slightly medicinal finish. (3/5)

Pretty similar to the Canneberge and Cerise, both in terms of flavour (not very impressive and not entirely authentic fruit) and overall experience (just plain not very impressive). This is the fourth of the Éphémère series I’ve tried, and I have to say, the more ephemeral these are, the better. With the exception of the Pomme, which is passable, they really don’t compare to the much more solid Belgian-style offerings where Unibroue really shines. It improves slightly with the second glass, with the lees swirled in the final half inch and poured over the head like a hefeweizen (it is a wheat beer, after all) but that’s pretty much a case of too little, too late. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brauerei Heller-Trum / Schlenkerla Aecht Schlenkerla Fastenbier Rauchbier at 5.5% ABV (C$4.43 at NLC Stavanger, 500 ml, best before 31-Dec-2016, acquired 9-Jul-2016, reviewed 12-Jul-2016)

Appearance: hazy medium amber with one finger of creamy ivory head, excellent retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: hardwood smoke, caramel malt, savoury meat. (8/10) Taste: moderate smoke, moderate sweet, mild bitter. (8/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry smoky finish. (4/5)

Mmm… Bacon-y! A very pleasant, easy-drinking Rauchbier, with strong but not overwhelming smokiness. I’m really starting to appreciate Rauchbiers in general and the Aecht Schlenkerla lineup more specifically, and this is quite a nice example. The smokiness in particular is very well implemented, and comes across more as bacon curing (i.e. hardwood) than campfire (i.e. softwood). In fact, this might be an excellent place for neophytes to begin exploring Rauchbiers, given the overall quite mellow character. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Sleeman Brewing & Malting Co. Railside Session Ale Session IPA at 4.2% ABV (C$3.10 at NLC Stavanger, 473 ml, bottle date 19-Apr-2016, acquired 19-Jun-2016, reviewed 12-Jul-2016)

Appearance: clear medium gold with two fingers of rocky off-white head, good retention and patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: grainy malt, grass, honey. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (5/10) Medium-light body, lively carbonation, off-dry slightly metallic finish. (3/5)

Well, it’s a pretty-looking beer. And it’s not actually terrible. Yeah, that’s about all I’ve got. I mean, it pretty much smells and tastes like every other Sleeman product. Which, I guess, isn’t the worst possible outcome for a Session Ale – at least it doesn’t taste watered-down. (10/20)

5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com