Month: September 2021

Matchless Brewing What Day Is It? – American IPA at 6.2% ABV (C$5.35 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 10-May-2021, acquired 3-Sep-2021, reviewed 16-Sep-2021)

Appearance: hazy/opaque medium gold with one fat finger of fine pale ivory head, good retention and spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, pine, cereal grains. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (4/5)

I might not know what day it is, but I know what time it is: beer o’clock. I’m probably not being entirely fair to this one, because it’s been in the can for a while and might well have faded. It’s still not bad, though, and definitely better than its more aggressive DIPA brother (Brave Wizard) that I had a couple of days ago. Hopped with Idaho 7, Topaz, Chinook, and El Dorado, and for the most part that’s the profile Im getting. In fact, it actually tastes a bit better than it smells, and might be pretty stonking good fresh on tap – note to self, next time I’m in Tumwater… (What? I’ve got a friend who’s in the process of moving to Vancouver. Coastal trips might start to happen, if fucking COVID ever fucks off.) (15/20)

This will be my 5,061st unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Andina Brewing Company Espesa – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8% ABV | 50 IBU (C$4.18 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 3-Sep-2021, reviewed 15-Sep-2021)

Appearance: hazy/opaque pale gold with two fat fingers of fine pillowy pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: sweet tropical fruit, citrus, pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: smooth medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, sweetish mildly warming finish. (3/5)

The brewer says they dry-hopped this with Galaxy and Waimea. I’m getting nice tropical aromas from that, but ultimately find this to be a bit too sweet, almost nectar-like. Good, but not great. (15/20)

This will be my 5,060th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Township 24 Brewery Sunset Cove Tropical IPA – American IPA at 6.5% ABV | 75 IBU (C$4.05 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 3-Sep-2021, reviewed 15-Sep-2021)

Appearance: clear pale amber with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: caramel, citrus, pine. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, building bitter finish. (3/5)

I’m not getting anything to call this a “tropical” IPA: more an old-fashioned, malt-heavy (if not quite dominant) big bitter AIPA. Nothing memorable, or indeed, all that interesting. Pretty, though. (13/20)

This will be my 5,059th unique Untappd check-in.

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Matchless Brewing Brave Wizard – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.5% ABV (C$5.80 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 10-May-2021, acquired 3-Sep-2021, reviewed 14-Sep-2021)

Appearance: slightly hazy medium gold with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel, red berries, stone fruit, pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium-full slightly slick body, moderate carbonation, sticky warming (verging on hot) edgy lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

Hopped with Bravo, Mouture, Centennial, and Amarillo. Maybe it’s just too long in the can, but it’s malt-dominant, sweet almost to the point of sickliness, and edgy in the finish. I don’t have a problem with bombastic WCDIPAs, but this just feels clumsy and unbalanced in favour of the malt. At best old-fashioned, and at worst a mediocre effort. (13/20)

This will be my 5,058th unique Untappd check-in.

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Establishment Brewing Company Brighten the Corners – American Pale Ale at 4.5% ABV (C$4.50 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 10-Aug-2021, acquired 3-Sep-2021, reviewed 13-Sep-2021)

Appearance: hazy straw with two fat fingers of rocky white head, good retention and heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: zesty citrus, tropical fruit, pale crackery malt, hints of melon & floral. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, clean short duration slightly astringent finish. (4/5)

From what I can tell, this hopped with Galaxy, Ella, Vic Secret, Citra, and Idaho. Truly impressive aroma and flavour given the very low ABV. The only real hint as to its light malt bill is the lighter-tending body and slight astringency in the finish. Ultimately, though, this is just straight up a good beer, with no “for a Session” qualifications needed. (16/20)

This will be my 5,057th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Bruery Saule – Old Ale at 16.1% ABV (C$25.09 at NLC Stavanger, 750 ml, packaged on 16-Mar-2017, acquired 30-Dec-2017, reviewed 11-Sep-2021)

Appearance: clear amber-brown with a short, short-lived head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: complex, vanilla, dark fruits, oak, bourbon, caramel, red berries. (9/10) Taste: high sweet, moderate bitter, moderate-low tart. (9/10) Palate: medium slick body, moderate carbonation, lingering warming finish. (5/5)

“Contains alcohol” Thank you, Captain Obvious, I hope so. I used to have huge respect for this brewery, along with a couple of others (I’m looking at you, Stone) but given their recent predilection towards whoring themselves out to, well, people like me, I have somewhat less. (Yes, I have a somewhat Dangerfield-ish attitude in life: to wit, I don’t get, nor expect, no respect.) With that in mind, I’ve sort of given up on trying to keep up with the marketing. But, hey, let’s see if they can still brew, shall we?

No idea why I still have this, because when I sold my house last year I gave away almost all of my older cellar contents (Hi Norm!) but this and a few others lingered. Aaaaand, wow. That is some shit, right there. If other breweries did this, I might have done something other than IPA derivatives for the past year or two. Big oaky boozy goodness. Ok, fine, you’re as good as you say you are. I’d claim to be offended, but I’m also as good as I say I am, so we’ll call it a draw, shall we? (17/20)

This will be my 5,056th unique Untappd check-in.

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery Sparklepuff Galaxy Starfighter, Defender of the Universe – Triple IPA at 10.2% ABV | 34 IBU (C$4.81 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 12-Jul-2021, acquired 3-Sep-2021, reviewed 11-Sep-2021)

Appearance: clear particulate-laden pale gold with three fingers of loose pale yellow head, good retention, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: mild, stone fruit, citrus zest, pale malt. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium slick body, moderate carbonation, lingering warming finish. (3/5)

I’ve had this style enough times that I grudgingly capitulate to it being a style – but I still don’t like it. That’s not to say I don’t like high ABV’s, or for that matter, getting drunk: I like both very much, and reject modern attempts to demonize either. (And, for that matter, I also have to acknowledge this brewery as being one of my first introductions to the entire concept of craft beer, a debt which I can in truth never repay.) Not only that, the brewer web site specifies the hop schedule with sufficient precision that one might actually be able to reproduce it, were one so inclined: Simcoe, Idaho-7, Three Dry Hop Additions (Fermentation Days 4, 8 & 12) Simcoe, Idaho 7, Vic Secret. That being said, this really still is a bit twee – if that can be said about a street urchin who would cheerfully crack you on the head and steal your wallet. Despite its enthusiastic (and wayward urchin encouraging) ABV, the aroma is relatively restrained, which doesn’t particularly impress me. I mean, yeah, I’d have another, if only because I’m half off my ass on the first. (14/20)

This will be my 5,055th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Situation Brewing Mainly Sunny Hazy Pale Ale – American Pale Ale at 4.7% ABV | 16 IBU (C$4.05 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 13-Aug-2021, acquired 3-Sep-2021, reviewed 11-Sep-2021)

Appearance: hazy straw with two fat fingers of loose white head, good retention, moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, melon, floral, doughy yeast. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, low bitter. (7/10) Palate: light body, moderate-lively carbonation, off-dry light bitter finish. (3/5)

Doughy yeast initially led the way, but faded fairly quickly, leaving a pleasant citrus/melon blend. The body is light, tending watery, but finishes clean with no astringency. Decent enough, I suppose, but definitely feels like a Session. (14/20)

This will be my 5,054th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Citizen Brewing Company One Love Hazy ISA – Session IPA at 4.8% ABV | 15 IBU (C$4.36 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 3-Sep-2021, reviewed 11-Sep-2021)

Appearance: hazy straw with two fat fingers of loose white head, good retention, moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, mint, pale biscuity malt, light tropical fruit, hint of coconut. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, off-dry light bitter finish. (4/5)

Pleasantly hoppy aroma, with elements of some interesting ANZ-style hops, though I can’t find any brewer notes confirming precisely what’s being used here. Bright and easy drinking, with a low enough ABV to make it a true Session. (15/20)

This will be my 5,053rd unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Trolley No. 5 Brewpub Juicy 5.0 – American IPA at 7% ABV | 33 IBU (C$4.00 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 14-Jun-2021, acquired 3-Sep-2021, reviewed 10-Sep-2021)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fat growing fingers of loose off-white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: bready caramel, stone fruit, citrus, melon, coconut. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium bitter finish. (4/5)

More malty and yeasty than juicy, if you ask me. The flavour and palate are a little better than the aroma, and in particular it drinks much more easily than might be expected for its ABV. (14/20)

This will be my 5,052nd unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com