Month: March 2020

Goose Island Beer Company Bourbon County Brand Stout (2019) – American Double / Imperial Stout at 15.2% ABV | 60 IBU (C$17.90 at Specs #4 North Houston, 330 ml, best before 27-Jul-2024, acquired 7-Mar-2020, reviewed 11-Mar-2020)

Appearance: clear deep brown / black with a short beige head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, minimal spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: chocolate, coffee, oak, bourbon, vanilla. (9/10) Taste: high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (9/10) Palate: full body, moderate-low carbonation, sticky lingering bitter warming finish. (4/5)

Pretty much what I was expecting: big, bombastic, sticky and hot. The carbonation, though relatively low, is still a little higher than I thought it would be, but other than that, it’s got pretty much the character you’d expect from the label. A slow sipper than opens up a bit as it warms, but never really gets very complex: sweet roasty malts and oaky bourbon dominate this, without much room left for anything else. (17/20)

My 265th from the 2010 Edition of 1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die, 255th from the 2013 Edition, 251st from the 2018 Edition, and 286th combining all three editions.

8.5/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

St. James’s Gate (Diageo) Guinness Extra Stout – Irish Dry Stout at 5.6% ABV (US$1.69 at Specs #4 North Houston, 330 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 7-Mar-2020, reviewed 11-Mar-2020)

Appearance: clear brown with a short beige head, moderate retention and minimal spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: sweet caramel and molasses, cocoa, coffee, light ash. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium creamy body, moderate-soft carbonation, slightly sticky medium bitter finish. (4/5)

Definitely a far better beer than the standard Dry Stout (Draught), even without a nitro kicker. A bit sweeter than it really needs to be, especially for the fairly restrained ABV, giving it a slightly sticky finish and almost justifying classifying it as a Foreign / Export. Slàinte! (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Parish Brewing Co. Ghost in the Machine – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.5% ABV (US$2.17 at Specs #4 North Houston, 355 ml, packaged on 8-Oct-2019, acquired 7-Mar-2020, reviewed 10-Mar-2020)

Appearance: opaque medium gold with a short, short-lived off-white head, minimal spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, pithy grapefruit, crackery pale malt, resiny pine, citrus, hint of vanilla. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium creamy body, moderate-soft carbonation, sticky lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Decent NEDIPA, pretty easy-drinking for the emphatic ABV. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Squatters Craft Beers Hop Rising Tropical Double IPA – American IPA at 9% ABV | 72 IBU (US$1.50 at Specs #4 North Houston, 355 ml, best before 12-Mar-2020, acquired 7-Mar-2020, reviewed 9-Mar-2020)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with a short, short-lived pale ivory head, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: bready caramel, tropical fruit, resiny pine, pithy grapefruit, earth. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium slightly creamy body, moderate-soft carbonation, sticky lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

Flavours and aromas are not clearly better than the base while the appearance is slightly inferior. OK for a change, and maybe just slightly easier to drink, but not as easy as a more modern NEIPA (or NEDIPA). (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Karbach Brewing Co. Hop Tongue IPA – American IPA at 7.5% ABV | 70 IBU (US$1.67 at Specs #4 North Houston, 355 ml, best before 24-Mar-2020, acquired 7-Mar-2020, reviewed 10-Mar-2020)

Appearance: clear medium gold with one finger of rocky pale ivory head, good retention, moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel, resiny pine, earth, light citrus, hint of tropical fruit. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium slightly oily body, moderate carbonation, slightly sticky building lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

Fairly old-fashioned A/IPA with heavy emphasis on malt, with pine following and a little citrus and fruit afterthought. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Squatters Craft Beers Hop Rising Double IPA – American IPA at 9% ABV | 72 IBU (US$1.50 at Specs #4 North Houston, 355 ml, best before 12-Mar-2020, acquired 7-Mar-2020, reviewed 9-Mar-2020)

Appearance: clear pale amber with one finger of rocky white head, good retention, spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: resiny pine, pithy grapefruit, bready caramel, earth. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium slightly oily body, moderate carbonation, slightly sticky building lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

Big and bombastic, with a definite edge, lacking in sophistication. But, hey, it’s 9%. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Saint Arnold Brewing Company Citrodos IPA – American IPA at 5.9% ABV | 32 IBU (US$1.49 at Specs #4 North Houston, 355 ml, packaged on 19-Dec-2019, acquired 7-Mar-2020, reviewed 9-Mar-2020)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with one finger of rocky white head, good retention, spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, tropical fruit, crackery pale malt, grass. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration finish. (4/5)

I might be a little enthusiastic with my rating here, but not by much – it’s pretty solid. Fairly bright citrus with a clean malt backbone makes for a pleasantly refreshing brew. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Saint Arnold Brewing Company Orange Show – Blond Ale at 5.3% ABV | 21 IBU (US$1.49 at Specs #4 North Houston, 355 ml, packaged on 16-Oct-2019, acquired 7-Mar-2020, reviewed 9-Mar-2020)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with a short, short-lived off-white head, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: oranges, grainy malt. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration finish. (3/5)

No negative characteristics to speak of here, other than the fact that it’s pretty mild and unremarkable. It’s perfectly fine as a thirst quencher, and in fact the amount of orange juice present makes it pretty similar to a Radler. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma  Dos Equis Mexican Pale Ale – American Pale Ale at 5.5% ABV (US$1.50 at Specs #4 North Houston, 355 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 7-Mar-2020, reviewed 8-Mar-2020)

Appearance: hazy medium amber with a short, short-lived off-white head, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: cereal grains, floral, citrus. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter, light spice. (5/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, mildly spicy finish. (3/5)

Meh. I guess they’re trying to be a bit “crafty” here, but it’s just muddled as far as I’m concerned. I think I’d rather have just a plain old Dos Equis, to be honest, but in any case this isn’t a clear improvement over that. (11/20)

5.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Blindman Brewing Super Mild – Mild Ale at 3.4% ABV | 24 IBU (C$4.72 at Collective, 568 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 27-Feb-2020, reviewed 6-Mar-2020)

Appearance: slightly hazy amber-brown with two fingers of pillowy beige head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: mild, toasted bread, nuts, caramel, light grass. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, off-dry mild bitter finish. (4/5)

Toasty bread and ever-so-mild – this is basically a breakfast beer. I’m a bit torn on how to rate this: it’s so mild that I feel like I have to mark it down, but that’s clearly by design, much like the extremely low ABV. It never comes off as watery, probably due to the unexpectedly lively (but not inappropriate) carbonation, and ultimately is a beer you can sip to enjoy, or simply guzzle to quench your thirst. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com