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Ecliptic Brewing Cosmos Coconut & Vanilla Hazy IPA (2020 Edition) – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.0% ABV

Ecliptic Brewing Cosmos Coconut & Vanilla Hazy IPA (2020 Edition) – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.0% ABV (C$9.31 at Collective, 500 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 5-Nov-2020, reviewed 10-Nov-2020)

Appearance: slightly hazy medium gold with two fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: coconut, vanilla, oranges, tropical fruit, boozy malts. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium creamy body, moderate-soft carbonation, sweetish lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

A fairly milkshake-y IPA, and slightly too sweet for my preference. That’s offset to a large extent by the pronounced bitterness, which largely but not completely saves this. The slight booziness is also not unpleasant, nor is it out of place given the elevated ABV. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Stronghold Brewing Co. IPA Toucans – American IPA at 6.3% ABV

Stronghold Brewing Co. IPA Toucans – American IPA at 6.3% ABV (C$4.00 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 5-Nov-2020, reviewed 9-Nov-2020)

Appearance: clear deep gold with two fingers of rocky pale ivory head and some end of the can solids, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical & stone fruit, caramel, citrus, herbal, melon. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, sweetish lingering bitter slightly astringent finish. (3/5)

A pretty basic AIPA without a whole lot to recommend it. The brewer describes it as a West Coast IPA, but I’m not getting much along those lines. Despite the emphatic hoppy bite, the hops are muddled and poorly defined, and actually barely beat out the caramel malt bill. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Offshoot Beer Co. Retreat – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.6% ABV | 50 IBU

Offshoot Beer Co. Retreat – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.6% ABV | 50 IBU (C$6.57 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 16-Sep-2020, acquired 5-Nov-2020, reviewed 8-Nov-2020)

Appearance: opaque pale amber with two fingers of rocky pale ivory head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical & stone fruit, citrus, caramel, melon, berries, coconut. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body tending slightly thick, moderate carbonation, warming lingering building bitter finish. (4/5)

Hopped with Mosaic, Cashmere, and El Dorado; malts are 2-Row and Flaked Oats – and that’s exactly what it smells and tastes like. The only thing that list doesn’t necessarily tell you is that it’s also got a boozy edge, but that’s hardly surprising given the beefy ABV, nor is it unwelcome. A bit too bombastic to be really refreshing, perhaps, but quite enjoyable regardless. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Town Square Brewing Anniversary Limited (Year 3 IPA) – American IPA at 6.5% ABV

Town Square Brewing Anniversary Limited (Year 3 IPA) – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$4.45 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 5-Nov-2020, reviewed 8-Nov-2020)

Appearance: hazy deep gold with two fingers of rocky pale ivory head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: pithy grapefruit, resiny pine, herbal, tropical fruit, pale biscuity malt. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering building bitter finish. (4/5)

I can’t find any brewer notes, but secondary sources say it’s hopped with Mosaic, Vic Secret, and Cascade, and that certainly fits with the flavour profile I’m getting. Definitely more emphatically bitter than normal for the hazy IPA style, but it’s well-balanced, and not excessive or unwelcome. Solid and pleasing. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Blacks Brewery KPA Kinsale Pale Ale – American Pale Ale at 5% ABV | 60 IBU

Blacks Brewery KPA Kinsale Pale Ale – American Pale Ale at 5% ABV | 60 IBU (C$4.50 at Collective, 330 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 5-Nov-2020, reviewed 7-Nov-2020)

Appearance: slightly hazy straw with a large rocky white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: grass, biscuity malt, citrus, faint tropical fruit. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

Hopped with Centennial, Cascade, and Citra, but grass dominates over citrus, while any tropical fruit falls far behind. Not bad, and I’d probably have liked it whole lot five or ten years ago, but now it just feels old-fashioned while not being quite good enough to rescue itself from that characterization. On the other hand, there are absolutely no negatives here. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Rainhard Brewing Weekend Warrior – American IPA at 5% ABV

Rainhard Brewing Weekend Warrior – American IPA at 5% ABV (C$5.40 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 17-Sep-2020, acquired 5-Nov-2020, reviewed 6-Nov-2020)

Appearance: hazy straw with two fat fingers of fluffy white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, clean pale malt, hint of pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry moderate bitter finish. (4/5)

Hopped with Idaho 7, Centennial, and Citra. Straightforward crushable hazy. It’s certainly not unique, but it’s clean and nice. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Offshoot Beer Co. Escape West Coast IPA – American IPA at 7.1% ABV | 50 IBU

Offshoot Beer Co. Escape West Coast IPA – American IPA at 7.1% ABV | 50 IBU (C$5.53 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 14-Sep-2020, acquired 30-Oct-2020, reviewed 4-Nov-2020)

Appearance: clear medium gold with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: oily grapefruit, resiny pine, tropical fruit, clean pale malt. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry moderate bitter finish. (4/5)

Hopped with Mosaic, Strata, Simcoe, and Amarillo, this is a pretty straightforward WC/IPA (except for a little tropical fruit that might be argued to be a bit out of spec). Still and all, it’s solid and enjoyable, though truth be told I’d expect no less from this cadet arm of The Bruery. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Offshoot Beer Co. Relax Hazy IPA – American IPA at 6.8% ABV | 50 IBU

Offshoot Beer Co. Relax Hazy IPA – American IPA at 6.8% ABV | 50 IBU (C$5.53 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 3-Sep-2020, acquired 30-Oct-2020, reviewed 4-Nov-2020)

Appearance: hazy straw with two fingers of fluffy off-white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: juicy grapefruit and citrus, tropical fruit, resiny pine, pale crackery malt, hint of coconut. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry moderate bitter finish. (4/5)

Brewer notes report Citra, Amarillo, Centennial, and Simcoe, with London 3 yeast. This is my first exposure to this offshoot of The Bruery, and in fact I was unaware of the connection when I bought it. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen them attempt an IPA before, but it’s a solid effort. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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O.T. Brewing Company One Hundred and Eighty – English Pale Ale at 4.6% ABV

O.T. Brewing Company One Hundred and Eighty – English Pale Ale at 4.6% ABV (C$4.05 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 30-Sep-2020, acquired 30-Oct-2020, reviewed 4-Nov-2020)

Appearance: slightly hazy deep gold with two fingers of fluffy off-white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: toasty malts, grass, herbal & floral. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-full body, moderate carbonation, sweetish moderate bitter finish. (4/5)

Not bad, but I think the label art is the best part. English-style, and decently balanced, but not all that exciting. Certainly not as exciting as a few darts in the skull! (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Ska Brewing Company The Modus Mandarina – American IPA at 6.8% ABV | 65 IBU

Ska Brewing Company The Modus Mandarina – American IPA at 6.8% ABV | 65 IBU (C$5.35 at Collective, 355 ml, best before 15-Feb-2021, acquired 30-Oct-2020, reviewed 3-Nov-2020)

Appearance: clear pale amber with one finger of fine pale ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, spotty soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: oily & zesty citrus, caramel, light floral. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-full body, moderate carbonation, sweetish moderate bitter finish. (4/5)

Take Modus Hoperandi, add orange peel. That’s neither a compliment nor a complaint, you decide if that works for you. Personally, I’m pretty middle-of-the road on it: there are no real negatives, but I find it a bit malty and old-fashioned. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com