Month: July 2020

Köstritzer Schwarzbierbrauerei GmbH & Co. Köstritzer Schwarzbier – Schwarzbier at 4.8% ABV (C$3.59 at NLC Stavanger, 500 ml, packaged on 10-Oct-2019, acquired 9-Jul-2020, reviewed 14-Jul-2020)

Appearance: slightly hazy deep cola red with one fat finger of rocky beige head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dark roasty / ashy malt, toasted bread, hint of chocolate. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry mild bitter finish. (3/5)

Decent enough, though slightly light, maybe even tending to watery. Aromas and flavours are also mild, though inoffensive. It’s fairly refreshing, though. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Port Rexton Brewing Company Azacca NEIPA – American IPA at 5.5% ABV (C$17.00 at Port Rexton Brewing Company, 1.89 l, packaged on 12-Jul-2020, acquired 12-Jul-2020, reviewed 13-Jul-2020)

Appearance: opaque medium gold with two fingers of rocky white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, light pine, pale malt. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry mild bitter finish. (4/5)

A solid NEIPA that showcases Azacca hops fairly well. I had a canned version of this back around Xmas, and at the time found it a bit thin, with poor head development and retention. This time around, it seems slightly beefier, with better structure, but the aroma and flavour seem just slightly less pronounced. It’s close, but not quite there. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Quidi Vidi Brewing Company Rhinegold – Altbier at 5% ABV (C$3.75 at NLC Stavanger, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 9-Jul-2020, reviewed 13-Jul-2020)

Appearance: clear deep gold with one fat finger of rocky pale ivory head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel, bready malt, grass, earth. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, off-dry mild bitter finish. (4/5)

The label claims that this is their head brewer’s favourite beer he’s ever brewed. Well, that’s as may be, but if it is, I submit it’s for emotional reasons, rather than rigorous stylistic ones. What’s there is pleasant enough, I suppose, but there’s just not a whole lot going on. As is often the case, I cheerfully acknowledge I may be insufficiently sophisticated to appreciate the subtleties associated with some traditional styles (Pils is an obvious example) and perhaps that’s what’s happening here, but ultimately this just isn’t very interesting. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Quidi Vidi Brewing Company Session Lager – American Pale Lager at 3.9% ABV (C$3.66 at NLC Stavanger, 473 ml, packaged on 9-Jan-2020, acquired 9-Jul-2020, reviewed 13-Jul-2020)

Appearance: clear pale straw with one finger of fluffy white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: grainy malt, grassy, light sulphur. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (6/10) Palate: light body, moderate-lively carbonation, crisp mild bitter finish. (4/5)

“Session Lager” a.k.a. “vaguely beer-flavoured water” – which I wouldn’t necessarily have an issue with, mind you, but there’s a sulphur note that grows on warming. The obvious solution, of course, is to crush it before it warms. It’s not terrible or anything, but it wouldn’t break my heart to never have another one of these. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Robinsons Brewery Sun and Steel – Pilsner at 4.8% ABV (C$2.78 at NLC Stavanger, 330 ml, best before 31-Mar-2021, acquired 9-Jul-2020, reviewed 12-Jul-2020)

Appearance: clear bright straw with one finger of fluffy white head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: grainy malt, grassy/floral, hint of citrus. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, crisp mild bitter finish. (4/5)

There’s nothing at all wrong with this, but I can’t say I’m getting any saké at all. (Not that I’ve ever had much saké, mind you, but I think I’d recognise it if it were present.) The label says it’s “infused with saké”, but the brewer web site says it’s secondary fermented with saké yeast – which isn’t the same thing at all, now is it? That aside, it’s crisp, clean, and easy to drink. And it’s named after an Iron Maiden song, with cool artwork, so there’s that. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Robinsons Brewery Light Brigade – English Pale Ale at 4.1% ABV (C$2.78 at NLC Stavanger, 330 ml, best before 31-Dec-2020, acquired 9-Jul-2020, reviewed 11-Jul-2020)

Appearance: clear pale gold with one finger of fluffy white head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: floral/herbal/grass, bready malt, citrus, pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, medium duration lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

I know I’m a bit of an Iron Maiden fanboy and that probably taints my reviews of their offerings, but this is actually pretty good for what it is. A purist might argue it’s neither fish nor fowl, being hopped with Chinook and Goldings hops, but I interpret it as being primarily an English-style Pale with a little bit of modern (and yes, American-style) hopping for zest and brightness. It’s not (quite) a hybrid, just a slightly modernized EPA. I don’t care what you say, I kinda like it. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Western Newfoundland Brewing Co. Beer Lake NL Honey Pilsner – Pilsner at 5% ABV (C$7.31 at NLC Stavanger, 946 ml, packaged on 24-Mar-2020, acquired 9-Jul-2020, reviewed 10-Jul-2020)

Appearance: very slightly hazy medium gold with a short, short-lived loose white head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: bready honey, herbal/grass, earth. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, medium duration mild bitter lightly spicy finish. (3/5)

Boy, that’s not much different than their Beer! Like the Can Says Blond – maybe a bit more honey, a bit less fruit, and a bit more bitter, but not radically different. Which is to say, cold, wet, beer. No more, no less. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Western Newfoundland Brewing Co. Beer! Like the Can Says – Blond Ale at 5% ABV (C$7.31 at NLC Stavanger, 946 ml, packaged on 1-May-2020, acquired 9-Jul-2020, reviewed 9-Jul-2020)

Appearance: slightly hazy medium gold with a short, short-lived loose white head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: bready honey, mild fruit, herbal/grass. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, medium duration mild bitter finish. (3/5)

Yep, that’s beer, just like the can says. Those crowlers are fun – they remind me of the old days of my work term in Ottawa when we used to get the big 1 litre cans at the depanneur next to the house. I’d be on the phone to my girlfriend and she’d ask if I had been drinking. “Nah, just one or two cans, that’s all.” Then we came back from the work term with my buddy’s Lada loaded to the tits with flats of the 1 litre cans, and there was much eye rolling and sighing. Good times!  Oh, you wanted to know about the beer itself? Yeah, it’s beer. Like the can says. Weren’t you paying attention? Bonus points for the Newfoundland flag and the merb’y (not explaining – if you have to ask, you won’t get it) logo. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brouwerij Het Anker Gouden Carolus Cuvée Van De Keizer Rood (2014) – Belgian Strong Pale Ale at 10% ABV | 17 IBU (C$13.49 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, best before 24-Jun-2017, acquired 1-Mar-2015, reviewed 7-Jul-2020)

Appearance: clear deep gold with one fat finger of rocky white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: apple, stone fruit, candi sugar, white grape, hint of banana, spices. (9/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-low bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium slightly slick body, moderate carbonation, sticky long warming slightly spicy finish. (4/5)

Dammit, I miss Belgium. This is generally classed as a BSPA, but it could just as easily be a sweet Tripel of the style sometimes encountered there. Any way you slice it, it’s slick, sweet, and lively, and betrays very little of its double-digit ABV until you start to go cross-eyed. I was convinced I had tried this before, but digging through my notes comes up empty. Thus, I apparently have no experience with a fresh baseline, but I’m guessing this has changed very little, if at all, during its six years in the bottle. I’m also of the opinion that the purported BB date is pure nonsense, because with it more than three years in the rear view mirror, this is still very drinkable indeed, exhibiting no negative effects of age at all. (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Innis & Gunn Brewing Company Irish Whiskey Cask – Stout at 6.1% ABV (C$3.65 at NLC Stavanger, 473 ml, best before 30-Apr-2021, acquired 30-Jun-2020, reviewed 6-Jul-2020)

Appearance: clear deep cola red with one finger of fine beige head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, spotty soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: chocolate, ashy roasted malt, vanilla, whiskey, stone fruit. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, lingering bitter lightly warming finish. (4/5)

I’ve been fairly unimpressed with I&G for quite a while now: admittedly it seems like they never actually shit the bed (though their ginger beer came close to that) but no more do they ever really knock one out of the park – mediocrity seems to be the name of the game. This, though, is actually pretty decent. Not great, mind you – there are too many little picky points for that. Head development and retention are frankly abysmal for the style, and the light body and almost lively carbonation seem inappropriate to the style. I’m also on the fence regarding the whiskey notes: on the one hand, it’s good that they don’t overwhelm, but on the other, a bit more bombast wouldn’t be a bad thing, either. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com