Month: December 2020

Persephone Brewing Company Harvest Haze IPA – American IPA at 7.5% ABV | 28 IBU (C$4.41 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 9-Dec-2020, reviewed 29-Dec-2020)

Appearance: muddy deep gold with one finger of rocky off-white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (2/5) Aroma: red berries, citrus, resiny pine, honey, grass. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration finish. (4/5)

I’ve had about a baker’s dozen or so from these guys, and they always tend to do very well indeed. That might be in no small part because, as Canadians of a certain age will understand, I always and forever will associate this brewery with a grinning Greek. (We miss you, Bruno!) And look, I’m not one to complain about a little haze (or even a lot!), or a few chunks of particulate, but having an earthworm slither into your glass is just a little off-putting. As well, this one’s quite a bit more “muddy” than “hazy”. Yes, it might be too long in the can, but, you guessed it: no packaging date. So, you get scored as you sit, and first impressions are a bitch. Even so, it’s not terrible, but it’s not great, and well into the lower quartile for this brewery. Ah, well, such is life – they can’t all be winners, right? And it really is impressively smooth and easy to drink for a high(er) ABV, with quite low bitterness in the finish. But, damn, it’s ugly. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Burley Oak Brewing Company Sequioa Sap – American IPA at 7% ABV (C$10.75 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 20-Oct-2020, acquired 9-Dec-2020, reviewed 29-Dec-2020)

Appearance: opaque pale gold with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, tropical fruit, resiny pine, pale biscuity malt, hint of floral. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium soft body, moderate carbonation, medium duration finish. (4/5)

I can’t find any proper brewer’s notes, but secondary sources indicate heavy doses of Citra and I believe it. Juicy citrus and tropical fruit dominate, brought to heel only slightly by a lingering resiny pine note. Smells a lot sweeter than it tastes, actually, (thankfully!) and finishes with a relatively clean slightly spicy bitter – all of which came as a surprise, given the name. I was expecting turpentine, or heavy West Coast tendencies at the very least, but this is a clean, fruity, and easy-to-drink NEIPA. Probably nowhere near worth the price tag, but I suppose someone’s got to pay for its trip from Maryland. (Ok, fine, maybe given its origin the NEIPA character isn’t all that surprising.) (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Boiling Oar Brewing Company Pale Ale – American Pale Ale at 5.2% ABV (C$3.85 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 9-Dec-2020, reviewed 28-Dec-2020)

Appearance: clear pale amber with three fingers of dense off-white head, excellent retention and heavy chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: stewed fruit, caramel, grass, vegetal. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration slightly sticky finish. (3/5)

A very straightforwardly old-fashioned APA, with strong English tendencies. I have to be careful here, I suppose, not to mark it down too much for what is very much personal preference in malt/hop balance (and for that matter, malt and hops selection). Although it’s more “Noble/English” than “American” (modern American, in any case), it’s relatively clean with no serious defects. That being said, though, the mixed/stewed fruit starts to tend a little vegetal as the pint progresses. It’s never problematic, but it’s definitely a stylistic choice that has largely gone out of favour – and, I would argue for good reason, since it’s fairly boring. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Bearded Iris Brewing Co. Wavelength – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.3% ABV (C$8.75 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 10-Nov-2020, acquired 9-Dec-2020, reviewed 26-Dec-2020)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with three growing fingers of fluffy white head, excellent retention and heavy chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: sweet tropical fruit, citrus, pale malt, resiny pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly sticky body, moderate carbonation, medium duration slightly sticky warming finish. (3/5)

Hopped with Vic Secret, Citra, and El Dorado. Pleasant aromas, but the taste is certainly as sweet as the tropical top notes suggested. That carries through into the finish, which is slightly sticky. The relatively high ABV is fairly well hidden, and manifests only as a slight warming towards the end of the pint. Good, but slightly short of great. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Bearded Iris Brewing Co. Ever Clever Double Dry Hopped – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.5% ABV (C$8.75 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 5-Nov-2020, acquired 9-Dec-2020, reviewed 25-Dec-2020)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two growing fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: juicy tropical fruit, citrus, pale malt, vanilla. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium slightly sticky body, moderate carbonation, medium duration slightly sticky finish. (3/5)

Hopped with Centennial, Mosaic, Motueka, and Simcoe. Tropical fruit flavours dominate over what is frankly a bit muddled and sweet for my preference. As seems to be the usual, I find this brewer good, but maybe a little overrated and overpriced. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Cabin Brewing Company Table Ghost – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$4.68 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 26-Nov-2020, acquired 9-Dec-2020, reviewed 24-Dec-2020)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of rocky white head, excellent retention and heavy chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, pale malt, mild dank resiny pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium slightly sticky body, moderate carbonation, medium duration slightly sticky finish. (3/5)

I’m not sure about the intent behind the name, since it’s probably a touch high in ABV to be characterized as a Table Beer. (Turns out the brewer web site has the explanation: they decided the brewery was haunted and exorcised the ghost, which was then trapped in the wood grain of a table. Obvious, really, dunno why I didn’t think of that.) The label says hopped with Strata (I assume single) which I’ve previously noted has marketing notes of “passion fruit + strawberry + grapefruit + wafting cannabis”. This has a bit less of the old sticky-icky than other implementations I’ve had in the past. It’s also a bit on the sweet side for my preference. Not one of their best, if I’m honest, but that’s less a complaint about this particular beer, and more a reflection of the consistently high standard I’ve come to expect from this brewer. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Winterlong Brewing Co. Weekend Warrior – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$5.04 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 9-Dec-2020, reviewed 23-Dec-2020)

Appearance: clear straw with two fingers of loose white head, good retention and spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, floral, pine, pale malt. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, building bitter lightly warming slightly astringent finish. (3/5)

Nice one. I initially characterized the pine as light, but it definitely gains in strength as the pint progresses, making it almost West Coast in flavour and balance. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Burley Oak Brewing Company Distorted Treelines – Triple IPA at 9.5% ABV (C$11.85 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 24-Oct-2020, acquired 9-Dec-2020, reviewed 22-Dec-2020)

Appearance: opaque deep gold with one fat finger of rocky pale ivory head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim and ring, spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, melon, sweaty funk, light resiny pine. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium creamy body, moderate-low carbonation, moderate bitter lightly warming finish. (3/5)

My first from this brewer. It’s OK, and maybe it’s just personal preference, but there’s a sweaty funk that I don’t entirely appreciate. On the other hand, the very high ABV barely plays at all. (And yes, I know “Triple IPA” isn’t really a style, but enough folks are making these that I broke down and added the style a while ago.) (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Nickel Brook Brewing Co. Metalhead Double IPA – American Double / Imperial IPA at 9% ABV | 85 IBU (C$4.63 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 27-Oct-2020, acquired 9-Dec-2020, reviewed 22-Dec-2020)

Appearance: clear pale gold with two fat fingers of rocky white head, good retention and heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, tropical fruit, berries, bready malt, light pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, building bitter mildly warming finish. (4/5)

Brewer notes say this is hopped with Citra, Simcoe and Ekuanot. It’s got a decent balance of hoppy notes reminiscent of the old school of bombastic DIPAs, except with a bit less pine and paler malt. Solid, and drinks less aggressive than the ABV would suggest. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Bearded Iris Brewing Co. Homestyle – American IPA at 6% ABV (C$8.75 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 11-Nov-2020, acquired 9-Dec-2020, reviewed 22-Dec-2020)

Appearance: lightly hazy pale gold with two fingers of loose pale ivory head diminishing rapidly to a thick persistent cap, minimal spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: juicy citrus, stone fruit, tropical fruit, oats and cereal grains, light pine, hint of vanilla. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration moderate bitter finish. (4/5)

Brewer notes only specify Mosaic hops, so I’m not sure whether or not this is single-hopped. Certainly, the hop profile is such that it might well be. Very nice, juicy and hoppy, with a clean oaty cereal malt and a hint of pine and vanilla. Bit expensive for what it is, though. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com