Month: October 2020

Hopworks Urban Brewery Ferocious Citrus Blood Orange – American IPA at 6.2% ABV | 40 IBU (C$4.36 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 6-Oct-2020, acquired 30-Oct-2020, reviewed 31-Oct-2020)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with one fat finger of loose white head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: orange juice, caramel, light pine, oats. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter, light tart. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, sweetish building bitter mildly bitter finish. (4/5)

Juice dominated – as in, real orange juice – on the front end, with a building lingering hop bitter in the finish. Not bad, but there’s really not much more to it than the blood orange juice. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Blindman Brewing Oaked Brett Saison – Saison at 6.6% ABV | 30 IBU (C$10.75 at Collective, 500 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 16-Oct-2020, reviewed 27-Oct-2020)

Appearance: hazy straw with one fat finger of rocky white head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: citrus, green apple, vinous grape, mild funk, light oak. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light funky tart. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, lively carbonation, off-dry moderate bitter lightly funky finish. (4/5)

A nicely behaved Saison, if slightly high in ABV for the style. I have to say, though, that neither of the two elements named on the label really feature all that strongly in the flavour profile. Yes, there are both barnyardy funk and toasted oak hints in the aroma, but they’re not much more than that. This is actually dominated by fruit including lemony citrus and vinous grape, but that’s not necessarily a negative. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Dageraad Brewing De Witte – Witbier at 5.2% ABV (C$4.85 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 11-Sep-2020, acquired 16-Oct-2020, reviewed 27-Oct-2020)

Appearance: hazy heavily particulate-laden straw with two fat fingers of rocky white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, tropical fruit, wheat, light funk. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light tart. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, off-dry moderate bitter lightly tart finish. (4/5)

The tartness of the passionfruit adjunct works handiness hand with that of the wheat, and both complement the dry hopped Citra notes. Really refreshing. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Godspeed Brewery Nana – Saison at 5.2% ABV (C$6.16 at Collective, 355 ml, packaged on 14-Aug-2020, acquired 16-Oct-2020, reviewed 26-Oct-2020)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with two fat fingers of rocky white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus zest, chili pepper, ginger, black pepper, light funk. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, moderate spice. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, off-dry moderate lingering spicy finish. (4/5)

Shichimi (Japanese 7 spice) typically contains red chili pepper, Japanese pepper, roasted orange peel, black & white sesame seed, hemp seed, ginger, nori, and poppy seed. It figures fairly prominently here, but not excessively, and blends well with a lemony zest and light funk. The spice balance is good, sufficiently present to make a contribution to the overall profile, but not so much that it builds to overwhelming levels by the time the pint is done. Interesting, and would make an interesting complement to spicy food, but not one you’d necessarily want to drink several of. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Central Waters Brewing Co. Rift IPA – American IPA at 6.75% ABV | 50 IBU (C$4.72 at Collective, 355 ml, packaged on 3-Sep-2020, acquired 16-Oct-2020, reviewed 24-Oct-2020)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with a large rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, resiny pine, bready caramel, tropical fruit. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, sweetish lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Brewer notes say hopped with Centennial, Simcoe, and Citra, and that’s pretty much what the aroma delivers: predominantly citrus and resiny pine on a bready caramel base, with a bit of tropical fruit in the background. There’s some West Coast influence here, and the final result is old school without feeling boring. Solid and enjoyable. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

E9 Brewery Vertigo – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$5.26 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 16-Oct-2020, reviewed 23-Oct-2020)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, herbal, resiny pine, vinous grapes, coconut. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry slightly sharp medium duration finish. (4/5)

Brewer notes say hopped with Sabro and Nelson Sauvin, and I get the expected coconut and vinous notes, but they’re behind a resiny pine and herbal presence that I wouldn’t necessarily associate with those hops. Good stuff, but slightly edgy. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brasserie Dunham Lingua Ignota NEIPA – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$5.98 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 4-Sep-2020, acquired 16-Oct-2020, reviewed 22-Oct-2020)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: juicy citrus, tropical fruit, resiny pine, bread caramel. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (4/5)

There are some beers that you know are going to be good the instant you crack them open, and this is one such: there’s an immediate bright pungently hoppy aroma that speaks volumes to what you’re about to experience. Nothing unknown here; this is a language that speaks to me very clearly. I can’t find any brewer’s notes for this one, but secondary sources say it’s hopped with Citra, Simcoe, and Mosaic, and I believe it. Maybe it’s just because the end of yet another ridiculous week is now in sight, but I’m liking this a whole bunch. (Or not – it is Dunham, after all, and these guys don’t know how to make a bad beer.) (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

E9 Brewery Ghostwalker – American IPA at 6.4% ABV (C$5.26 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 16-Oct-2020, reviewed 20-Oct-2020)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fat fingers of rocky white head, excellent retention and heavy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, tropical fruit, crackery pale malt, light pine / herbal. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration slightly vegetal finish. (3/5)

Juicy aroma doesn’t quite follow through into the taste. In particular, there’s a slightly green and vegetal note in the finish that suggests overextraction. Feels slightly harsh, but not unpleasant overall. Falls a bit short of their best, but it’s by no means their worst. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Kind Brewing Belgian Wit – Witbier at 4.7% ABV (C$4.15 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 16-Oct-2020, reviewed 19-Oct-2020)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with one fat finger of dense white head, good retention and minimal soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: mild, wheat, banana, light Belgian esters. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, off-dry short duration finish. (4/5)

Easy drinking with a light-tending body and lively carbonation. Mild flavours, with little or no spice presence. I might be scoring this a little high, in the sense that it’s not all that exciting, but there are certainly no off notes here to force it lower. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Hopworks Urban Brewery VIPA (Vancouver IPA) – American IPA at 7.0% ABV | 60 IBU (C$5.00 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 2-Sep-2020, acquired 16-Oct-2020, reviewed 18-Oct-2020)

Appearance: clear pale gold with two fingers of loose white head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, spotty soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, caramel, faint resiny pine. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, off-dry emphatic bitter finish. (4/5)

Drinks pretty easily for a fairly high ABV, but that’s probably the strongest thing it’s got going for it: otherwise, it’s a pretty middle-of-the-road AIPA. The brewer calls it old school, and I suppose that’s not actually wrong, but it is a fairly generous description. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com