Month: July 2019

Evil Corporation Brewing P&L Profit and Loss Pale Ale American Pale Ale at 5% ABV (C$4.32 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 29-May-2019, acquired 16-Jul-2019, reviewed 17-Jul-2019)

Appearance: slightly chill-hazed pale amber with two fat fingers of rocky white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: grass, caramel, pine, floral, citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, medium duration slightly sweet finish. (3/5)

A sudden cloud ended up making my exposure a bit more dramatic than usual, but given the brewery name, I decided to roll with it. (On the topic of the brewer, the can says “A brewery like no other where the dollar rules as much as the mighty hop.” You think that’s like no other, huh? I think AB InBev / SABMiller might have an opinion there…) Says it’s hopped with Magnum, Perle, and Cascade, but I’m not getting much Cascade-y citrus there. In fact, there’s a lot of macro adjunct lager aroma going on, with grass and caramel dominating the aroma, and a slight sweetness in the finish. Decently done overall, and somewhat better than their Initial Public Offering IPA, but definitely old-fashioned. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Collective Arts Brewing Collective Project/ IPA No. 10 Session IPA at 3.2% ABV (C$4.14 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 4-Jun-2019, acquired 16-Jul-2019, reviewed 17-Jul-2019)

Appearance: opaque straw with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head diminishing gradually to a thick persistent cap, spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: juicy citrus and stone fruit, pale malt, pine, light vanilla. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, short clean finish. (4/5)

Impressive juicy aroma and flavour for such a very light malt bill. The body tends a bit thin, but not precisely watery, presumably borne aloft by the moderate to lively carbonation. Bright and juicy without being excessively sweet, and refreshing. Definitely one could literally drink all day long on a sunny patio! (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Zero Issue Brewing Construct IPA (Issue #16) American IPA at 6.1% ABV (C$3.92 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 16-Jul-2019, reviewed 16-Jul-2019)

Appearance: near-opaque pale gold with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: mild, stone fruit, pale malt, citrus, dank pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, moderate bitter slightly tart finish. (4/5)

Not bad, but I was slightly disappointed by the mildness of the aroma. It’s a pleasant enough blend, but I’d like a bit more emphasis. Good overall, though. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Amager Bryghus / Surly Brewing Todd the Axeman American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$7.34 at Collective, 330 ml, best before 1-Nov-2019, acquired 14-Jun-2019, reviewed 16-Jul-2019)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one finger of fine white head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap and ring, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: dank pine, tropical fruit, pale malt, citrus. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, mildly warming lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

The only real complaint here is a pretty minor one: the appearance could use work. I don’t mind the haze, but better head retention and lacing would be nice. Aside from that, this is a very nicely rendered West Coast IPA, with big dank pine and tropical fruit leading the way over clean malt and mild citrus. Yeah, I’ve been flirting pretty hard with NEIPAs lately, but I keep coming home to dank West Coast IPAs – definitely my kind of beer. (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Bannerman Brewing Co. Dream Time American Double / Imperial IPA at 8% ABV (C$10.99 at Bannerman Brewing Co., 945 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 10-Jul-2019, reviewed 10-Jul-2019)

Appearance: opaque deep gold with one fat finger of fine pale ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin cap and ring, moderate stringy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: juicy citrus, pale malt, vanilla, stone and tropical fruit, pine & grass. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light tart. (9/10) Palate: medium slightly sticky body, moderate-soft carbonation, medium duration mildly warming slightly tart finish. (4/5)

Nice – these guys are clearly killing it. Earlier today they had on offer a very nice Lager and an even nicer APA, and now this DIPA raises the bar yet again. Very similar to the APA, but with the lactose vanilla being somewhat more pronounced. Despite that and the fruit character, the sweetness is never excessive. Easy drinking despite the high ABV – a couple of these and it really would be dreamtime! (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Bannerman Brewing Co. Thirst Trap American Pale Ale at 5.5% ABV (C$8.99 at Bannerman Brewing Co., 945 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 10-Jul-2019, reviewed 10-Jul-2019)

Appearance: opaque deep gold with one fat finger of fine pale ivory head, good retention and moderate stringy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: juicy stone and tropical fruit, citrus, pale malt, vanilla, hints of pine & grass. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter, light tart. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, medium duration mild bitter slightly tart finish. (4/5)

Big fruity aroma and flavour dominated by fuzzy peach candy, but with a little juicy citrus and vanilla backing, and the merest hints of some greener notes of pine and grass. Big creamsicle flavour for an APA, and lovely to sip on while BBQing some sausages! (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Firestone Walker Brewing Company Stickee Monkee 2016 Vintage #3 Abt / Quadrupel at 11.6% ABV | 35 IBU (C$28.81 at Oak & Vine, 650 ml, packaged on 18-Apr-2016, acquired 26-Apr-2017, reviewed 9-Jul-2019)

Appearance: clear ruby brown with one finger of fluffy light beige head diminishing gradually to a thin ring, minimal lacing. (4/5) Aroma: coconut, oak, vanilla, molasses, tobacco, hints of stone and dark dried fruits. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium slightly slick body, moderate-high carbonation, slightly sticky warming lingering mild bitter finish. (5/5)

Despite being a different recipe than the 2017 vintage I had immediately before – the lower ABV and higher IBUs made that abundantly apparent – the use of the same yeast and similar barrel ageing has resulted in a strong family resemblance. It’s even less stickee than its younger brother, in no small part driven by its significantly higher carbonation on a slightly lighter body, but shares much of the same aroma and flavour. The sweetness and rich flavours work better with the thicker body and softer carbonation of the younger vintage, in my opinion, but this is still excellent, and highly enjoyable. (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Firestone Walker Brewing Company Stickee Monkee 2017 Vintage #4 Abt / Quadrupel at 12.5% ABV | 26 IBU (US$11.75 at Beer Thirty Bottle Shop & Pour House, 355 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 21-Jun-2017, reviewed 9-Jul-2019)

Appearance: clear ruby brown with one finger of fluffy light beige head diminishing gradually to a thin ring, minimal lacing. (4/5) Aroma: coconut, oak, vanilla, molasses, tobacco, hints of stone and dark dried fruits. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, low bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium slightly slick body, moderate-soft carbonation, slightly sticky warming lingering mild bitter finish. (5/5)

I know that beer styles in general tend to be a bit fuzzy, and “Quads” have a particularly wide range of possible characteristics, but one could just as easily have called this an American Strong, or a BSDA, or who knows what else. What matters here is that it’s got a lovely rich aroma that turns into an even better dessert-like flavour that is nonetheless not excessively sweet. Not quite as stickee as one might expect given the name, in fact, but still a bit so. There’s a distinct warming in the finish, but nowhere near as emphatic as the firmly-into-double-digit-territory ABV might suggest, and it stays smooth from the first sip to the final finish. Considering how good this is, I’m super excited that the next one on my rotation is the vintage from the previous year, with another full year of cellaring under its belt! (18/20)

9/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Apex Predator Brewing (Bench Creek Brewing) Whiskey Gap English Strong Ale at 10.5% ABV (C$6.93 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 22-Apr-2019, acquired 8-May-2019, reviewed 4-Jul-2019)

Appearance: clear ruby brown with one fat finger of fluffy light beige head diminishing gradually to a thin ring, moderate stringy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: sweet caramel, bourbon, red grape must, molasses, vanilla, slight metallic upon warming. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly slick body, moderate-lively carbonation, sticky lingering bitter warm (tending hot) finish. (3/5)

A bit underwhelming, if I’m honest. The aroma doesn’t strike me as particularly harmonious, with the red wine notes playing less than nicely with the bourbon. Maybe the intent here was for the sharpness of one to temper the heat of the other, but it just seems like they’ve ended up with both. Not only that, but the vinous notes start to become somewhat metallic upon warming. As well, the body, already surprisingly light for the style, exhibits a thinning slickness from the high alcohol content that’s only emphasized by the unexpectedly high carbonation. Nothing here is really objectionable, but it somehow ends up being less than the sum of its parts, and is OK at best. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

S.Y.C. Brewing Co Fjord NEIPA American IPA at 6% ABV (C$4.41 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 5-Jun-2019, acquired 14-Jun-2019, reviewed 3-Jul-2019)

Appearance: opaque medium gold with two fingers of rocky off-white head, good retention and moderate stringy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical and stone fruit, citrus, pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body falling off slightly watery, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry medium duration bitter finish. (3/5)

Not surprisingly, the “Fjord” name refers to the Norwegian farmhouse yeast used to brew this, which I guess makes this a Kviek (though they don’t use that term anywhere). I like the hop selection as well, especially the Mosaic and Vic Secret, though I’m not opposed to Bru-1. The carbonation seems a bit low, resulting in it falling off a bit watery towards the end, and the appearance is slightly more “muddy” than “hazy”, but otherwise a pretty decent pint. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com