Month: October 2021

Brasserie du Bois Blanc Germain Alt IPA – English IPA at 5.8% ABV (C$5.67 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 24-Sep-2021, acquired 19-Oct-2021, reviewed 31-Oct-2021)

Appearance: clear pale amber with two fingers of rocky ivory head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: grass, citrus, caramel, pine. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (3/5)

Meh. A boring, malty, English-style IPA. Although I’ve drunk many beers in hotels, I think this is probably my first hotel-branded beer – and it’s about as characterless as a hotel room. (12/20)

This will be my 5,105th unique Untappd check-in.

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Township 24 Brewery Hijacked Kayak – American IPA at 5.7% ABV (C$4.55 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 19-Oct-2021, reviewed 29-Oct-2021)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with one fat finger of rocky white head, good retention and spotty soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: grass, stone fruit, melon, citrus, mint. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (3/5)

The label says this is hopped with Ariana, Calista, and Meridian. Calista (Callista?) are a new one on me. Yakima Valley Hops says it’s new in 2019, with a mild alpha and stone fruit, grapefruit, and raspberries, and that it “shines in delicate styles like pilsners”. Meanwhile, Meridian is typically associated with saisons and wits. In other words, the hop selection doesn’t seem all that on-point for NE-style “hazy” IPAs, and that’s pretty much consistent with my take on this one: it really isn’t all that IPA-like (or all that hazy, for that matter), and is actually almost pilsner-like. There are no real off notes here, but it’s definitely not very interesting. (13/20)

This will be my 5,104th unique Untappd check-in.

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

42 North Brewing Company Borderland – American IPA at 6.8% ABV (C$6.95 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 19-Oct-2021, reviewed 27-Oct-2021)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of rocky white head, excellent retention and heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: stone fruit, melon, citrus, resiny pine, toffee. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: smooth medium body, moderate carbonation, slightly sweet lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

Brewer notes say this is hopped with Citra, Amarillo, Mosaic, Simcoe, & Summit. I’m not sure why that’s giving me a stone fruit aspect front and centre, but citrus is much further in the background than I would have expected. Malts are not emphatic, but what there is tends to a bit darker, more toffee than caramel. (14/20)

This will be my 5,103rd unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Driftwood Brewery It’ll Be Fine Southern Hemispehre IPA – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$4.65 at Collective, 473 ml, best before 25-Feb-2022, acquired 19-Oct-2021, reviewed 27-Oct-2021)

Appearance: slightly hazy straw with two fingers of fluffy white head, good retention and spotty soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: stone fruit, citrus, cereal grains, tropical fruit, black pepper, earthy pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (4/5)

The labels says they used Galaxy and Moutere hops for this one, and the brewer’s notes also indicates Summit. It’s not quite as exciting as I like to see for ANZ hops. On the other hand, it’s actually pretty reminiscent of some of the other core releases by this brewer – which isn’t a criticism, by any means. Good, but not quite the juice bomb I was hoping for. (15/20)

This will be my 5,102nd unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Sea Change Brewing Co. Tiger Bomb – American Double / Imperial IPA at 7.8% ABV (C$5.17 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 19-Oct-2021, reviewed 26-Oct-2021)

Appearance: slightly hazy straw with two fingers of fluffy white head, excellent retention and well-defined droopy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: juicy citrus, tropical fruit, cereal grains, hint of pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly creamy body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (4/5)

Brewer’s notes say it’s double dry hopped with Citra, Vic Secret, BRU-1, and Azacca hops. Aroma and flavour are fairly typical of the new hazy style, with relatively restrained bitterness in a fairly enthusiastic ABV. That’s not to say it’s typical overall – it’s actually done pretty well, and is a better example of the style than most. (16/20)

This will be my 5,101st unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Common Roots Brewing Company Good Fortune – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$7.35 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 25-Aug-2021, acquired 19-Oct-2021, reviewed 24-Oct-2021)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fat fingers of fluffy near-white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: juicy tropical fruit, citrus, pale malt, stone fruit, hint of pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly creamy body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry short duration finish. (4/5)

Brewer’s notes call this a “modern IPA”, using Galaxy, Amarillo, and El Dorado hops. And yeah, this is a good example of the modern soft juicy style – lots of aroma and flavour, with very little bitterness. Works for me! (16/20)

This will be my 5,100th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Common Roots Brewing Company Citra Session India Pale Ale – Session IPA at 5% ABV (C$6.60 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 30-Aug-2021, acquired 19-Oct-2021, reviewed 22-Oct-2021)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of pillowy white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: zesty citrus, pale malt, tropical fruit, light pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate-low sweet, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-soft carbonation, dry short duration finish. (4/5)

Nice. Brightly juicy citrus dominates over clean pale malt, with hints of tropical fruit and pine underneath. This is all about the Citra, which is just how I like it. Flavourful despite the lower ABV, easy drinking, crisp, and refreshing. (16/20)

This will be my 5,099th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Situation Brewing Clean Bite – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.2% ABV | 60 IBU (C$4.50 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 5-Oct-2021, acquired 19-Oct-2021, reviewed 21-Oct-2021)

Appearance: clear pale amber with two fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus zest, caramel, earth, pine resin. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium slightly slick body, moderate carbonation, sweetish building lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

The can says it’s hopped with “mounds of Sabro and Mosaic”, but I’m just getting a typical starts-with-C citrus fighting for dominance with sweet caramel, and earthy pine coming up the rear. I might actually have scored it higher had there been no indication of the hops used, but this is actually a little disappointing. (14/20)

This will be my 5,098th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Annex Ale Project Each + Every – American Pale Ale at 5% ABV (C$4.65 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 12-Oct-2021, acquired 19-Oct-2021, reviewed 21-Oct-2021)

Appearance: hazy/muddy pale gold with one fat finger of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: mild, citrus, biscuity malt, melon, earth. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry short duration finish. (4/5)

The aroma is pleasantly citrusy, with biscuity malt and hints of earthy Noble hops, but I’d like it to be a bit brighter. The taste is perhaps a little better, with a nicely restrained fruity sweetness balanced against a mild bitterness, leading into a clean off-dry finish. All in all, mild and inoffensive, but perhaps a little too much so. (14/20)

This will be my 5,097th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Rebellion Brewing Co. Solo Crush – Session IPA at 4.5% ABV (C$4.95 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 28-Sep-2021, acquired 19-Oct-2021, reviewed 20-Oct-2021)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of pillowy white head, excellent retention and heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: zesty citrus, dank pine resins, pale malt. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry short duration finish. (4/5)

Nice. This does an excellent job as an exploration of a single hop – in this case, Chinook. The aroma is initially a dry oily citrus zest, but gradually gives way to a dank resiny pine, almost with tobacco / leather undertones. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I find it interesting and refreshing. (16/20)

This will be my 5,096th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com