Month: December 2017

Wold Top Brewery Ditto Doppel Bock Doppelbock at 7% ABV (2017 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #16, 330 ml, best before 31-Dec-2018, acquired 20-Nov-2017, reviewed 16-Dec-2017)

Appearance: clear amber-brown with a short, short-lived light beige head, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: toffee, dark dried fruit, apple. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium slightly watery body, moderate carbonation, off-dry mildly warming finish. (3/5)

All about the malt. Which is seasonally appropriate, I suppose, but verging on painfully boring. Plus, the body is slightly watery for such a malt-driven experience. Not one I’d go looking for again. (12/20)

6/10 #craftbeeradvent2017 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Crazy Mountain Brewing Company 2017 Bridge Street Holiday Ale Spice / Herb / Vegetable at 6.5% ABV | 22 IBU (2017 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #15, 355 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 20-Nov-2017, reviewed 16-Dec-2017)

Appearance: clear pale amber with one finger of rocky ivory head, excellent retention and clingy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: “winter” spices, caramel, maple syrup, slight metallic. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (5/10) Palate: medium body tending slightly thin, moderate carbonation, off-dry spicy and very mildly astringent finish. (2/5)

It’s a really pretty beer, but unfortunately that’s by far its strongest characteristic.  The aroma is utterly dominated by “winter spices” (ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, maybe? or allspice?) but there’s a metallic edge that’s a little off-putting. The body is a little too thin for the spice load, and that metallic note translates through on the tongue, resulting in a slightly astringent finish. On the up side, there’s a decent maple syrup note, but it’s pretty well attenuated and doesn’t come across as sweet or cloying. Fairly meh-tastic, overall. (12/20)

6/10 #craftbeeradvent2017 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Powell Street Craft Brewery Right Kind of Crazy American Double / Imperial IPA at 9% ABV | 87 IBU (C$7.40 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 13-Dec-2017, reviewed 14-Dec-2017)

Appearance: clear pale gold with one fat finger of rocky white head diminishing gradually to a persistent cap, soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, caramel, pine, melon, floral. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, drying lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Really nicely balanced on the nose, to the point where it’s not clear whether citrus, pine, caramel, or melon are in the lead. I might not be sufficiently arrogant to call it the “right” kind of crazy, but Powell Street? you’re _my_ kind of crazy. (But, word to the wise? I’m pretty sure “Westcoast” isn’t a real word.) You’ve got A/IPAs dialled in – except for NE/IPAs, which, if I’m honest, I’d love to see you get right, but you really, really haven’t. And, sure, some of your other stuff is OK, like your Belgian, Session, and White IPAs, but the less said about your Saisons and Sours, the better – let’s play to our strengths, huh? (And hey, look at that! IBU = 10 x ABV again! I’m telling you, the Reinheitsgebitter should totally be a thing!) (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Powell Street Craft Brewery Hop Hash American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.5% ABV | 75 IBU (C$7.40 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 13-Dec-2017, reviewed 14-Dec-2017)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fat fingers (and growing) of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and sticky, soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dank resin, citrus, tropical fruit, caramel. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, drying lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Oh hells, yes – that’s some good fun right there! Appears to be another Idaho 7 single-hop, but made with lupulin hash, which makes for a significantly different profile than the Idaho 7 single-hop Sapphire Dragon I had last night – and damn if it’s not dank as hell, just as one might expect from something called “hash.” …or so I understand. Not that I’d know, of course. (ahem) Anyhoo, yeah, great beer! (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

White Pony Microbirrificio Dark Signs Abt / Quadrupel at 11.9% ABV | 35 IBU (2017 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #14, 330 ml, packaged on 1-Feb-2017, best before 25-Sep-2022, acquired 20-Nov-2017, reviewed 14-Dec-2017)

Appearance: clear amber-brown with one finger of fluffy beige head diminishing rapidly to a thin persistent cap, moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: toffee, boozy dried fruit, doughy yeast, chocolate. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly slick body, moderate carbonation, medium duration warming finish. (4/5)

Starts off with a big hit of dark toffee and boozy fruit, with some bread and chocolate following. The only reason I didn’t rate the aroma higher is the way it fades. Flavour follows the aroma, with a surprisingly mild alcohol presence – it certainly doesn’t drink like a double-digit ABV. It’s a solid effort, that lacks only a little depth and complexity to push it to the next level. Nice and seasonally appropriate, though. (16/20)

8/10 #craftbeeradvent2017 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Alley Kat Brewing Co. Sapphire Dragon American Double / Imperial IPA at 7.5% ABV | 75+ IBU (C$6.36 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 13-Dec-2017, reviewed 13-Dec-2017)

Appearance: clear pale amber with two fat fingers (and growing) of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and sticky, soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: citrus, bready caramel, pine, black tea. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Yup, Alley Kat is managing to continue their Dragon Series. (I think they’re going to need the big box of Crayolas for colour name inspiration pretty soon. I know for a fact they’re offering beer for ideas at this point.) This one is single-hopped with Idaho 7, and what’s even better than a new beer? Why, a new hop, of course! OK, OK, it’s not new new, but it’s new-ish. And at 12%+ alpha acid, it’s my kind of beast. (And hey, look at that: IBU = 10 x ABV. I think we need to make it a rule going forward, that all beers have to obey this rule – or at least all Pales. It’s like the Reinheitsgebot, but for bittering. So… the Reinheitsgebitter?) It’s an interesting hop, exhibiting a wide complexity including citrus, pine, and black tea character. It’s not a slam-dunk like Mosaic or Nelson Sauvin, but it gets the job done: I think this might be the best of the roughly ten Dragons I’ve tried. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Double Mountain Brewery and Taproom / Fort George Brewery and Public House A River Runs Through It Hop Shake IPA American IPA at 6.3% ABV | 75 IBU (C$7.42 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 500 ml, packaged on 14-Aug-2017, acquired 13-Dec-2017, reviewed 13-Dec-2017)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with a massive and growing rocky ivory head, excellent retention and heavy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: citrus, pale malt, tropical fruit, melon, lactose. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium creamy body, moderate carbonation, slightly sweet finish. (3/5)

OK, at the risk of sounding a little badly-informed, what the *hell* is an “earthy forest addition”, regardless of whether or not it’s “balanced with lactose”? Pine needles and ice cream? I’m not at all convinced that it’s necessary to “balance” hops with lactose in any case, to be honest. Perhaps when you’re dealing with the astringent tendencies of a roasty dark porter or stout, but why deliberately blunt an IPA’s clear sharp bitter? Not bad, but ultimately misguided, I think. (And yes, I get that it’s supposed to be an IPA milkshake, and/or a variation on the NEIPA theme. It isn’t.) (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery The Duck-Rabbit Wee Heavy Scotch Style Ale Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy at 8% ABV (2017 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #13, 355 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 20-Nov-2017, reviewed 13-Dec-2017)

Appearance: clear medium amber with a short, short-lived fizzy beige head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: toffee, dark dried fruit, bread, wood. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly slick body, moderate carbonation, medium duration warming finish. (4/5)

It’s a bad sign when you sigh in response to seeing what style the beer is, right? All right, let’s do this. I guess. If I have to. (sigh)

OK, so it’s not terrible. Kinda grows on you after a bit. I guess the 8% ABV helps in that regard. Complexity becomes apparent as it warms and grows, and I kept finding new things and raising my scores. Ultimately, not bad at all. (15/20)

7.5/10 #craftbeeradvent2017 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Parallel 49 Toques of Hazzard American Double / Imperial IPA at 9.2% ABV | 76 IBU (C$7.29 at Quarry Park Calgary Co-Op, 650 ml, packaged on 18-Oct-2017, acquired 12-Dec-2017, reviewed 12-Dec-2017)

Appearance: clear medium gold with two fat fingers of rocky ivory head, excellent retention and soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: pine, wheat, white wine, citrus, tropical fruit, mint?. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium slightly slick body, moderate carbonation, off-dry slightly boozy finish. (4/5)

I’m actually more than a little surprised that a Google image search comes up empty for Zambonis with a General Lee / Dukes of Hazzard paint job. I’d’ve expected there to be at least one bored arena owner in the hinterlands of Saskatchewan with nothing but time on his hands until spring thaw, a serious drinking problem, and Georgia-style chromosomal deficiencies, but apparently not. Anyway, casual racism aside, this is a slightly odd DIPA. It alleges to be an “Imperial White IPA”, but morphological quibbles aside (there’s no such style) there’s a deeper objection: it’s not “white”, but clear, with no lees to speak of. On the up side, the aroma is pleasingly complex, with a wide variety of characteristics becoming apparent as the pint progresses. Those aren’t, however, entirely what one might expect (mint? really?). The taste tends to follow the aroma, with a high but balanced bitterness on the tongue, and a surprisingly restrained alcohol presence. Overall, it’s not bad at all. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Blindman Brewing Triphammer Robust Porter American Porter at 6.5% ABV | 25 IBU (C$4.50 at The Brewer’s Apprentice, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 22-Oct-2017, reviewed 12-Dec-2017)

Appearance: near opaque black with brown relief at the margins, one fat finger of fluffy beige head, good retention and moderate stringy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: roasty malts, coffee & chocolate, toffee, hint of liquorice & smoke. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body tending slightly thin, moderate carbonation, dry finish. (4/5)

I guess it’s “robust”… ish… for the style. And, don’t get me wrong, it’s by no means the worst example for the style I’ve had – in fact, it’s near the top. (Well, sort of: my records show a 10-way tie for first place at 8/10 for American Porters, though other style variants – Imperials and Baltics, for example – do quite a bit better.) It’s just slightly thin, and slightly mild, and slightly boring. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com