Month: August 2017

Freigeist Bierkultur Berliner Scheisse Berliner Weisse at 5% ABV (C$6.39 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 330 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 4-Aug-2017, reviewed 8-Aug-2017)

Appearance: murky deep amber with a short, short-lived light beige head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: doughy yeast, faint strawberry, grass, earth. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter, light tart. (4/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, short duration lightly tart finish. (3/5)

Not that I claim to speak German, but doesn’t “Berliner Scheisse” (or, at least “Scheiße”) mean “Berliner Shit”? And, truth be told, that’s uncomfortably accurate in this case. Possibly oxidized, this was ugly and mediocre at best, really quite unimpressive, and I drain poured most of it. (10/20)

5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Scuttlebutt Brewing Company Jalapeno Tripel 7 Tripel at 9% ABV | 23 IBU (C$9.49 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, packaged on 1-May-2017, acquired 4-Aug-2017, reviewed 7-Aug-2017)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale amber with two fingers of fluffy white head, good retention and spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: green jalapeño, grainy pale malt, hint of fruit and floral. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, moderate spicy heat. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry warming and spicy finish. (3/5)

I was pretty leery about getting this in the first place, and I cringed when the first jalapeño aroma hit after uncapping. Ignoring for the moment that particular elephant in the room, the first sip told me this is a sweet Tripel, which is really not what I was hoping for. (As far as I’m concerned, the dryer the better when it comes to Tripels.) So, fair to say, this thing started off with two strikes against it. But then, it kind of held its own. The really surprising thing about this beer is the disconnect between the aroma and flavour: the nose is utterly dominated by green jalapeño, but there’s relatively little lingering heat on the tongue. That’s not to say none, mind you, but it’s reasonably well balanced, and plays well with the ABV warming to give a pleasant finish overall. It’s still too sweet, but ends up being a surprisingly approachable sipper. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Steel & Oak Brewing Co. Coorinna Saison at 4.8% ABV | 21 IBU (C$8.49 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, packaged on 20-Jun-2017, acquired 4-Aug-2017, reviewed 7-Aug-2017)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with three fingers (and growing) of rocky white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: pepper, white grape must, crackery malt, floral, hay. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild tart, low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, lively to moderate carbonation, sweetish mildly tart, spicy, and funky finish. (3/5)

Not bad, but a touch too sweet for my preference, though others may disagree. I don’t think I’ve ever had Tasmanian Pepperberries before, so I’m not entirely sure what (beyond the obvious pepper notes) they’re contributing here – if you had told me they used black peppercorns, I might’ve believed it, except for the fact that there’s no building spicy heat in the finish. They also don’t specify what NZ hops are used here, but it might very well be Nelson Sauvin, given the white wine vinous notes. Overall it makes for a pleasant and fruity Saison, albeit one that I find just slightly too sweet. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Freigeist Bierkultur Köpenickiade Vineyard Peach Berliner Weisse at 3.5% ABV (C$5.89 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 330 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 4-Aug-2017, reviewed 7-Aug-2017)

Appearance: opaque pale gold with one finger of fizzy white head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, no lacing. (2/5) Aroma: doughy yeast, stone fruit, light brine. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild tart, low bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry mildly tart finish. (3/5)

Starts off dominated by doughy, bready yeast, with mild stone fruit fairly far behind. The taste is similar, with restrained tartness. Nothing bright, crisp, or refreshing about this, and I find it a fairly disappointing example of the style. (11/20)

5.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brasserie du Bocq Blanche de Namur Witbier at 4.5% ABV | 11 IBU (C$4.49 at Oak & Vine, 500 ml, best before 2-May-2018, acquired 31-Jul-2017, reviewed 7-Aug-2017)

Appearance: opaque pale straw with one fat finger of fluffy white head settling gradually to a thick creamy persistent cap, spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus zest, coriander, wheat. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild peppery spice, low bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry mildly spicy finish. (4/5)

A pleasant Witbier, particularly in the aroma, which is dominated by zesty citrus peel and coriander. Somewhat surprisingly, this doesn’t seem to translate through to the flavour, which is actually quite a bit milder than the aroma would lead one to expect. In fact, it’s mild nearly to the point of boring, although some peppery spice does linger and build in the finish. I’ve seen suggestions that this is brewed with liquorice, but I’m not getting any of that at all. Overall, a very approachable and easy-drinking example of the style. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Gigantic Brewing Company Whole in the Head (#10) American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.5% ABV | 85 IBU (C$11.99 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, best before 29-Oct-2017, acquired 4-Aug-2017, reviewed 6-Aug-2017)

Appearance: hazy pale amber with two fingers of rocky ivory head, excellent retention and heavy, soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: citrus, grainy caramel, resiny pine, tropical fruit. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium slightly oily body, moderate carbonation, off-dry mildly warming finish. (4/5)

Almost but not quite an old skool DIPA, where the malt dominates. Here, the malt is emphatic, but not dominant. Actually, I wonder if the original 2012 brew might represent the moment in time when that particular corner was turned? Sounds about right for the hop-forward revolution. (While we’re on the topic, I’m loving these re-releases of stuff that pre-dates my craft beer enlightenment. There was zero chance I could’ve gotten my hands on one of these in 2012, let alone appreciated it. Sometimes the universe seems to work in my favour…) The best aspect of this is probably the ABV integration: this thing does not feel as heavy as the 8.5% would suggest, and drinks quite easily. I’d like more definition and brighter hop presence on the nose, but overall this thing is still bangin’. (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Phillips Brewing Company Wildcard Brett IPA American IPA at 7% ABV (C$8.25 at Andrew Hilton Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, best before 18-Nov-2017, acquired 3-Aug-2017, reviewed 6-Aug-2017)

Appearance: clear medium gold with two fingers of rocky white head diminishing gradually to a thick persistent cap, minimal lacing. (3/5) Aroma: citrus, grainy pale malt, weeds and grass, pome fruit, light wet hay funk, hint of banana. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light peppery spice. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lightly spicy finish. (3/5)

Hello? Brett? Are you there? Huh… guess not. Maybe I should buy another and cellar it for a year or so, just to see if one or the other of the six (really?) strains decides to take hold? OK, to be fair, I guess there is a fair degree of complexity on the nose – but it’s all so very mild that’s it’s difficult to resolve. All the knobs are at 2 or 3, even the ones I prefer the ones to be up in the 9 to 11 range. Oh, Phillips – I wish I knew how to quit you… (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Village Brewery Senator White IPA at 6% ABV | 50 IBU (C$7.79 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 4-Aug-2017, reviewed 6-Aug-2017)

Appearance: slightly hazy medium gold with two fingers (and growing) of rocky white head, excellent retention and patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: stone fruit, grainy malt, pome fruit, citrus, cloves/coriander & white pepper. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light peppery spice. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lightly spicy finish. (3/5)

Pretty clear for a “White” IPA – it’s barely hazy, despite the fact that I inverted the bottle making sure any lees went into suspension. (Spoiler alert: there were none.) As far as character, well, I just don’t know. I consider “White IPA” and “Belgian IPA” to be basically synonymous, but this doesn’t really deliver regardless of which appellation you prefer. It’s got the spice, fair enough – but not much in the way of hops. And, I’m sorry, but hops are kind of a prerequisite for pretty much any IPA derivative. I’m getting stone and pome fruit, presumably from the yeast, a grainy malt, and an admittedly fairly even-handed dash of spice – but the hops are way behind, with only a mild nonspecific citrus presence. Dunno. It’s OK, and pleasant, but I’m not sure it’s what the label claims. (And, oh, hey, pointless personal anecdote: I used to lease office space in the penthouse of the Burns Building, so there’s my personal connection to the namesake…) (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Prairie Artisan Ales ‘Merica Saison at 7.5% ABV | 35 IBU (US$3.99 at Knightly Spirits Orange Blossom Trail, 355 ml, packaged on 15-Aug-2016, acquired 15-May-2017, reviewed 6-Aug-2017)

Appearance: brilliantly clear pale straw with one fat finger of fluffy white head, excellent retention and heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: white grape must, dry hay, citrus zest, pome fruit, barnyardy funk. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter, mild funk. (6/10) Palate: medium slightly slick body, lively carbonation, slightly cloying and boozy finish. (3/5)

This starts out looking and smelling fantastic: because I reserved the lees, the initial pour was brilliantly clear, and the aroma was a great combination of Nelson Sauvin vinous notes and brettanomyces hay and funk. (This is a SMASH Saison, with Bohemian Pilsner malt and Nelson Sauvin hops.) Unfortunately, in my opinion, things went a little sideways with the first sip, which was a bit too sweet and alcoholic for the style. This carried through into the finish, which ended up being slightly cloying and slick, and definitely not the way I like to see this style play out. Hmm… looks good, smells good, has questionable taste – haven’t I been here before quite recently in a review? (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Evil Twin Brewing Mission Gose Gose at 4% ABV (C$5.99 at Oak & Vine, 355 ml, packaged on 3-Jan-2017, acquired 31-Jul-2017, reviewed 6-Aug-2017)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fluffy white head, excellent retention and patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: lemon zest, pale malt, eucalyptus oil, light brine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, low bitter. (8/10) Palate: light body, lively carbonation, dry crisp tart slightly salty finish. (4/5)

Pleasantly refreshing thirst quencher – think lightly alcoholic and carbonated Gatorade. A nice example of a style that I quite enjoy. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com