Month: March 2021

Belching Beaver Brewery Fall of Troy – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.8% ABV (C$6.35 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 8-Dec-2020, acquired 3-Mar-2021, reviewed 15-Mar-2021)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with one fat finger of loose white head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: sweet orange creamsicle, hint of piney hops. (9/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly creamy body, moderate carbonation, sweetish warming bitter finish. (4/5)

All I can say is, Troy, feel free to fail like that all day long. It’s not without its flaws – in particular, I was initially going to say that despite the emphatically sweet creamy aroma it wasn’t excessively sweet on the tongue, but actually, by the end of the pint, the sweetness does catch up. That’s offset to some degree by the bitterness, but it’s still a bit too sweet regardless. Still and all, it’s a fun one. (16/20)

8/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Superflux Beer Company Mañana – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$5.90 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 3-Mar-2021, reviewed 13-Mar-2021)

Appearance: hazy straw with one finger of loose white head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap and ring, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, dank resiny pine, cereal grains, pomes. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium slightly creamy body, moderate carbonation, medium duration bitter lightly dank finish. (4/5)

Hopped with Mosaic and Vic Secret, so you might expect it to be fairly similar to Marigold… and in that regard, you might be right. There’s a strong family resemblance here, with probably the biggest variation being the somewhat more aggressive bitterness, and an accompanying warmer finish. I waffled on describing an astringency there as well, but to the extent there’s any, it’s mild and inoffensive. There are some very slight variations in the aroma too, but to be honest I’d probably want them side-by-side in order to really pick them out with any degree of confidence. And of course, it would be terrible to be forced to do that! Oh, no, Brer Fox, don’t throw me into that briar patch! (17/20)

8.5/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Born Colorado Brewing IPA #001 Sabro SMASH – American IPA at 5.5% ABV | 12 IBU (C$4.75 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 12-Feb-2021, acquired 3-Mar-2021, reviewed 13-Mar-2021)

Appearance: hazy straw with two fat fingers of pillowy white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: melon, tropical fruit, citrus, dank resiny pine, pale malt, coconut. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter, hint of tart. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, short duration mildly bitter lightly tart finish. (4/5)

Not the first SMASH I’ve had with Sabro, but perhaps the best, even though there’s very little of the coconut I’ve come to expect (and enjoy) with this hop. A pleasantly fruity aroma with restrained sweetness and very little bitterness make this very easy to drink. Similarly, the low (-ish) ABV mean you can enjoy a few of these if you so desire. I don’t generally get all that excited about malts in general, or Maris Otter in particular, but this is clean. All in all, a very solid effort. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Superflux Beer Company Marigold – American Pale Ale at 5.5% ABV (C$5.55 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 3-Mar-2021, reviewed 12-Mar-2021)

Appearance: hazy straw with one finger of loose white head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap and ring, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical & stone fruits, citrus, dank resiny pine, white grape, cereal grains, floral. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, short duration medium bitter lightly dank finish. (4/5)

Well, that’s just lovely. Secondary sources say it’s hopped with Mosaic and Nelson [Sauvin?] so, yes please. The aroma is a nice fruit salad blend, with a little extra edge of dank resiny pine. Works for me, big time. (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Bent Stick Brewing Co. Swap the Hops HPA 016 – American Pale Ale at 5% ABV (C$4.55 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 3-Mar-2021, reviewed 11-Mar-2021)

Appearance: lightly hazy straw with two fingers of fluffy white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, resiny pine, caramel, grass. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, short duration medium bitter finish. (4/5)

I like the original idea behind this one: keep the same base recipe, and just swap out the hops. (Though, apparently they shook things up as of this one, changing up the base recipe to a supposed NEPA style – but I can’t say mine was more than just a little hazy.) In any case, it’s certainly better than the first version of it I had, more than 4 years ago, which just said “hops will vary”. It’s still guilty of one of my major beefs, though: no packaging date. (A check of their socials suggests it’s got to be newer than January 28, since that’s when they first canned it.) The HPA 016 hops are new to me, but as is usually the case for ANZ hops, I think I might be a fan. All in all, it probably ties for the best of theirs I’ve had to date. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Warehouse Brewing Company Bay 8 Rye ISA – Session IPA at 4% ABV | 35 IBU (C$4.40 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 24-Jul-2020, acquired 3-Mar-2021, reviewed 10-Mar-2021)

Appearance: lightly hazy deep gold with a two fingers of loose pale amber head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap and ring, spotty soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: spicy rye, citrus, caramel, grass. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, bitter, and spice. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium bitter and spicy finish. (4/5)

I was really concerned about that packaging date, but I didn’t notice it until after I bought it. And, actually, this seems to have held up surprisingly well despite the low ABV. What’s more, I’m actually not able to find any other examples of a Rye ISA in my notes, so I guess bonus points for originality? I can see this not being to everybody’s preference, given the fairly emphatic rye spice on the nose and tongue, but I actually like rye (especially since becoming a sourdough fiend) so this works pretty well for me. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Growlery Beer Company Peggy – American Pale Ale at 5% ABV (C$4.55 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 3-Mar-2021, reviewed 9-Mar-2021)

Appearance: clear pale amber with two fingers of loose pale amber head, good retention and spotty soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: citrus, caramel, floral, grass. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium bitter finish. (4/5)

Inoffensive, but a bit old-fashioned, with citrus barely leading the way over caramel and grass. I can’t find any brewer notes, but secondary sources say it’s hopped with Cascade, which seems right. Clean and straightforward. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Coronado Brewing Company Leisure Lagoon – American Pale Ale at 5.5% ABV (C$5.35 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 28-Dec-2020, acquired 3-Mar-2021, reviewed 8-Mar-2021)

Appearance: hazy straw with a two fingers of loose off-white head, good retention and minimal spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: oily citrus, tropical fruit, floral, bready malt, earthy pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium bitter lightly spicy finish. (4/5)

I was a bit worried about this one given the fact that it’s been more than two months in the can, but it’s actually quite pleasant. (So of course now I’m wondering if it’s actually better than “quite pleasant” when new…) I guess it’s pretty much what they describe, having elements of both East and West Coast styles, though I’d appreciate a little more emphatic resiny dankness. On the other hand, there are no real faults here, other than the somewhat lacklustre appearance, and it’s definitely the kind of thing I could enjoy while floating in a lagoon. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Coronado Brewing Company Bigger Boat – American IPA at 7.0% ABV (C$5.80 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 26-Jan-2021, acquired 3-Mar-2021, reviewed 7-Mar-2021)

Appearance: hazy pinkish-purple with a short, short-lived off-white head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: raspberry & field berries, vanilla, cream, light citrus. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, tart, and bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium bitter mildly tart finish. (4/5)

The appearance is pretty much exactly what I would have expected given the adjuncts, with the berry colour and the short-lived head. On the other hand, the aroma and flavour is also exactly what you’d expect from the adjuncts, with pleasant berries, vanilla, and cream. Although it doesn’t actually call itself a milkshake IPA, it’s probably one of the best examples of the style I’ve had. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Beaver River Brew Co. Ale Series Volume 1 Citrus Haze – American IPA at 6.7% ABV (C$5.10 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 8-Feb-2021, acquired 3-Mar-2021, reviewed 6-Mar-2021)

Appearance: hazy pale amber with two fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: mild, stone fruit, bready caramel, citrus, faint resiny pine. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering building bitter finish. (3/5)

I mean, it’s not bad or anything, but it’s pretty basic and at least 10 years out of date. The name might have been almost accurate a decade ago, or to someone who’s never had an NEIPA, but is almost a joke today.  The hop balance is more English than American, and relatively mild on the nose, but builds on the tongue. A bit of an old-fashioned hop bomb. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com