Month: May 2017

Funky Buddha Brewery Hop Gun American IPA at 7% ABV | 80 IBU (US$2.49 at Knightly Spirits Orange Blossom Trail, 355 ml, bottle date early 2017, acquired 15-May-2017, reviewed 22-May-2017)

Appearance: hazy pale amber with one fat finger of rocky ivory head diminishing gradually to a thick creamy cap, soapy patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: grapefruit, melon, caramel, white grape must, hint of pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Couldn’t make out the entire bottling date, but it’s definitely early 2017, so it’s not very old. Aromas and taste are pleasant and inoffensive, with just a hint of the vinous white grape I associate with Nelson Sauvin, and a tempered bitterness that integrates the higher ABV well. Really reminds me of their More Moro, but without the citrus juice – and, more importantly, without that vegetal edge. Subtle? Hell, no, but it’s a solid hop bomb, emphatic without being too brutal. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Funky Buddha Brewery More Moro American IPA at 7% ABV | 80 IBU (US$3.49 at Knightly Spirits Orange Blossom Trail, 355 ml, bottle date 20-Feb-2017, acquired 15-May-2017, reviewed 22-May-2017)

Appearance: hazy pale amber with one fat finger of rocky ivory head diminishing gradually to a thick creamy cap, soapy patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: pithy grapefruit, vegetal (celery? melon rind?), caramel, orange peel. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter and slightly astringent oily finish. (4/5)

Not as good as I was expecting, if I’m honest. I mean, FB is one of the better FL breweries, and who better than FL natives to understand oranges? And yeah, there’s citrus there – grapefruit flesh on the front end, and bitter oily orange peel on the back, which makes for an interesting finish that somewhat paradoxically feels less bitter than the IBU alone might suggest. But in-between, there’s something I struggle to identify: the best I can come up with is celery or melon peel, but it’s green and vegetal in any case. Dunno – it’s fine otherwise, and maybe it’s an acquired taste, but I sure haven’t yet acquired it. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Highland Brewing Company Mandarina IPA American IPA at 5% ABV | 35 IBU (US$2.49 at Knightly Spirits Orange Blossom Trail, 355 ml, bottle date 21-Dec-2016, acquired 15-May-2017, reviewed 22-May-2017)_

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of fluffy white head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, minimal patchy lacing. (2/5) Aroma: mild, sweet malt, grassy/woody, cardboard, oranges, wheat. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light metallic. (5/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry short duration finish. (3/5)

You know how great it is when you go into something with absolutely no expectations, not having researched it, and find a hidden gem? Yeah, this isn’t one of those times… I mean, OK, it’s older than 90 days, fair enough – but not by a whole lot, and I’ve had a lot of shelf turds that were far better than this. Maybe this is a whole bunch better fresh, but this one right here is definitely nothing special. (10/20)

5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brewery Ommegang Short Sleeve Saison Saison at 4.5% ABV | 35 IBU (US$2.59 at Knightly Spirits Orange Blossom Trail, 355 ml, bottle date 12-Jan-2017, acquired 15-May-2017, reviewed 22-May-2017)

Appearance: hazy pale straw with two fingers of fluffy white head, excellent retention and moderate chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: coriander, peppercorns, doughy yeast, hint of lemon zest. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, moderate spice. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry bitter and spicy finish. (3/5)

A bit heavy-handed, like most American Saisons. The coriander and peppercorns, for example, were overemphasized. On the other hand, I did have it with lunch, so that didn’t go completely astray. It’s structurally pretty good as well, with appropriate retention and lacing, although the carbonation is a little on the low side. And, the ABV is more in keeping with what I like to see in a Saison, than I often do with American ones. A mixture of good and not so good characteristics, but not bad overall. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Sweetwater Brewing Company IPA American IPA at 6.3% ABV | 61 IBU (US$2.29 at Knightly Spirits Orange Blossom Trail, 355 ml, best before 16-Jul-2017, acquired 15-May-2017, reviewed 21-May-2017)

Appearance: clear pale amber with two fat fingers of rocky white head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: floral, caramel, citrus, pine, earth. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

A bit… well… “classic” would be a generous way of putting it, I suppose. “Old-fashioned” works too. The hop character struggles to rise above the the caramel malt, making it tend towards something like an English-style IPA. Not entirely, but enough that it feels a bit dated. Decent and solid, but not exciting at all. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Sweetwater Brewing Company Goin’ Coastal American IPA at 6.1% ABV | 50 IBU (US$2.29 at Knightly Spirits Orange Blossom Trail, 355 ml, best before 16-Jul-2017, acquired 15-May-2017, reviewed 21-May-2017)

Appearance: slightly hazy deep gold with one finger of rocky white head that retains well, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: sweet pineapple, citrus, pale crackery malt, floral. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry short bitter finish. (4/5)

I  know people like to slag fruit IPAs, but dammit, I like this. The fruity pineapple leads the way, but is backed up by both citrusy hops and a clean malt backbone. As the sweetness fades, a pleasantly bitter finish reveals and invites the next sip. Very crushable. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Sweetwater Brewing Company 420 Extra Pale Ale American Pale Ale at 5.7% ABV | 41 IBU (US$2.29 at Knightly Spirits Orange Blossom Trail, 355 ml, best before 12-Jul-2017, acquired 15-May-2017, reviewed 21-May-2017)

Appearance: slightly hazy medium gold with one finger of rocky white head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap, moderate lacing. (3/5) Aroma: sweet citrus, grass, pale crackery malt, floral. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, lively to moderate carbonation, off-dry short duration finish. (3/5)

Mild hoppy aromas, not too sweet, and a reasonably crisp and clean finish. It doesn’t do anything wrong, but it’s also not very interesting – and certainly not very “West Coast / dank” as suggested by the label. Pleasant enough for what it is, and a decent thirst quencher with a spicy lunch. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Coppertail Brewing Co. Unholy Tripel at 9.5% ABV (US$2.49 at Knightly Spirits Orange Blossom Trail, 355 ml, best before 28-Aug-2017, acquired 15-May-2017, reviewed 20-May-2017)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with one fat finger of rocky white head diminishing gradually to a creamy dense cap, moderate chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: doughy yeast, coriander, candi sugar, banana, apples and pears, citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, mild peppery spice. (7/10) Palate: medium slightly slick body, moderate carbonation, sweetish moderately spicy finish. (3/5)

So, I was thinking (yeah, I know, first mistake): pale, clean, dry, highly attenuated… those characteristics definitely aren’t my bag when it comes to IPAs, but they sure as hell are when it comes to Tripels. So, precisely the characteristics that made me so dismissive of their Free Dive and Hyperbolic IPAs, should be exactly in keeping with what I’d like to see here, right? Well… maybe. I mean, there’s some of that. But it leads out with a doughy yeast, and carries through with a little more sweetness than I’d like, and finishes with a spicy coriander that to some extent balances the slightly heavy-handed and slick alcohol, but mostly just overwhelms everything that came before. It’s not bad, y’know?, but I was hoping for more. It’s very possible I haven’t had a better American Tripel, and it’s actually better than some Belgians I’ve had – but I’ve certainly had many better examples of the style, whether Belgian, French, or, yes, Canadian. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Coppertail Brewing Co. Hyperbolic American IPA at 8% ABV (US$2.29 at Knightly Spirits Orange Blossom Trail, 355 ml, best before 20-Jun-2017, acquired 15-May-2017, reviewed 20-May-2017)

Appearance: slightly hazy medium gold with one fat finger of fluffy white head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: vinous white grape must, lightly dank pine, pale crackery malt, citrus, floral. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body tending slightly thin, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

Yeah, I’m getting the Vic’s Secret here – the white wine vinous notes I find fairly typical of ANZ hops are coming through in the forefront. It’s pleasant overall, and I guess given the relatively high ABV, the fact that there’s no heat at all is pretty impressive. On the other hand, it might not be not quite as mild and thin as their Free Dive, but it’s not exactly emphatic, either. Similar to Free Dive, I find this to be so light so as to verge on, well… boring. Sorry, but there it is. In fact, I’d go so far as to suggest it’s an unintentionally accurate name: Good? Sure. Great? Nuh-uh. Would suggesting it’s great be hyperbolic? Bingo. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Coppertail Brewing Co. Free Dive American IPA at 5.9% ABV | 65 IBU (US$2.49 at Knightly Spirits Orange Blossom Trail, 355 ml, best before 9-Jun-2017, acquired 15-May-2017, reviewed 20-May-2017)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fluffy white head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: mild, citrus, pine, pale crackery malt, floral. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body tending thin, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

Really light and mild on the outset, with a moderately high bitter finish that for me comes across as a bit thin and unbalanced given the very light character of the malt. I’m not quite sure what they were going for here, but you certainly don’t get the “huge hits of citrus and pine aromas” the label promises. The wateriness of the body just isn’t supporting the hop profile, and it ends up being a bit sharp. There are no off notes, and it’s not offensive by any means, but it’s not something you need to go out of your way for either. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com