Month: December 2021

Container Brewing Forty Footer – American IPA at 6.2% ABV (C$3.82 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 2-Dec-2021, reviewed 18-Dec-2021)

Appearance: slightly hazy medium gold with some particulate, two fat fingers of loose white head, good retention, minimal soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: pine, caramel, citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

The label says batch information on the bottom of the can, but no such luck, so no idea as to age (but the particulate is suggestive). It calls itself a West Coast IPA, and I guess I can live with that categorization. It could stand to be danker, though. Or brighter. Or, really, just about anything more, except for the bitterness, which is adequate. A bit forgettable. (14/20)

This will be my 5,162nd unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Born Colorado Brewing Cheeky Pale Ale – American Pale Ale at 6.5% ABV | 30 IBU (C$3.85 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 19-Nov-2021, acquired 2-Dec-2021, reviewed 17-Dec-2021)

Appearance: clear pink-tinged pale amber with two fingers of rocky pale pink head, excellent retention, moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: cranberry, caramel, orange peel, cereal grains, light metallic. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light metallic. (7/10) Palate: medium body, soft carbonation, sweetish mild bitter finish. (3/5)

Not bad, and at least somewhat seasonally appropriate. Marred slightly by a metallic note in the aroma and taste, and it’s a bit sweet for my preference. I don’t think I’d want more than one, but it’s not terrible. (14/20)

This will be my 5,161st unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Cabin Brewing Company Chasing Clouds – American IPA at 7% ABV (C$5.08 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 18-Nov-2021, acquired 2-Dec-2021, reviewed 16-Dec-2021)

Appearance: hazy straw with two fingers of rocky white head, excellent retention, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, resiny pine, oats, citrus, light earthy funk. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly creamy body, soft carbonation, off-dry mild bitter finish. (3/5)

Hopped with Enigma, Eclipse, El Dorado, and Idaho 7, but it’s not as juicy, fruity, or citrusy as I hoped it would be. There’s also a slight hint of something not entirely welcome in the back end, that I’m calling earthy funk. I’m also going to complain just a little about the body, which initially comes across as slightly creamy, but there’s a bit too little carbonation, so it ends up slightly flat. It’s not a miss, exactly, but it’s definitely at the lower end of my experience with this brewer (for n=21, μ=7.7 & σ=0.58). I’ve pretty much come to expect these guys to crush it, and, well, this doesn’t. (14/20)

This will be my 5,160th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Growlery Beer Company Great Whyte – Belgian IPA at 6.4% ABV (C$4.41 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 2-Dec-2021, reviewed 15-Dec-2021)

Appearance: lightly hazy pale straw with two fingers of fine white head, good retention, moderate tenacious lacing. (3/5) Aroma: coriander / clove, citrus, white pepper, spicy wheat. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, dry mild bitter lightly peppery finish. (3/5)

Fairly obvious coriander/clove on the front end, but it actually doesn’t end up dominating, so that’s good. I would have liked a bit more citrus, personally, but not bad overall. (14/20)

This will be my 5,159th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Andina Brewing Company Añoro – American IPA at 7% ABV | 40 IBU (C$4.27 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 2-Dec-2021, reviewed 14-Dec-2021)

Appearance: hazy straw with crazy blown out white head, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: melon, citrus, vinous grape, light pine, hint of white pepper. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, off-dry mild bitter finish. (3/5)

I knew it was going to be bad news when the can seal broke explosively, and sure enough, the ridiculous head rendered this thing essentially unpourable. I assumed it was infected, but in fact it smells and tastes pretty good: it’s double dry-hopped with Nelson Sauvin and Citra, and that comes through loud and clear, with no real negatives. Maybe the brew didn’t go to completion and there were still viable yeast and digestible sugars when it was canned? One I’d like to try again some time. (14/20)

This will be my 5,158th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Revival Brewcade Conceptual Continuity – American Pale Ale at 5.5% ABV (C$4.09 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 2-Dec-2021, reviewed 13-Dec-2021)

Appearance: slightly hazy deep gold with two fat fingers of fluffy pale ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: resiny pine, caramel, oily citrus. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

The label says Amarillo, Zappa, and Exp 07270 hops. The web site description drops the Amarillo, and another description claimed 100% Zappa. So much for “continuity” I guess? I mean, it’s not terrible, and I presume they’re going for a throwback / WC style here, but in my opinion if you’re going down that road, you’d better nail it to distinguish yourself from a very crowded field. Which this doesn’t. (13/20)

This will be my 5,157th unique Untappd check-in.

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

S.Y.C. Brewing Co. Bacchanalia Sauvignon Blanc IPA – Belgian IPA at 6.0% ABV (C$4.90 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 10-Nov-2021, acquired 2-Dec-2021, reviewed 12-Dec-2021)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale straw with two fat fingers of loose white head, good retention, moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: vinous grape, citrus, gooseberry, light earthy funk. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter, light tart. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, short duration mildly tart finish. (4/5)

I probably wouldn’t have come up with “gooseberry” on my own, but having seen it on the label, I’m inclined to agree. Light, crisp, and refreshing, and drinks easier than the moderate ABV would suggest. I’ll go with the “Belgian IPA” classification since the brewer indicates they’ve used Belgian yeast, but it’s really almost a hybrid. Pretty decent overall, and different, which generally goes a long way with me. (16/20)

This will be my 5,156th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

T&R Theakston Old Peculier – Old Ale at 5.6% ABV (C$4.00 at Collective, 440 ml, packaged on 15-Jul-2021, best before 31-Jul-2022, acquired 2-Dec-2021, reviewed 11-Dec-2021)

Appearance: clear amber brown with one finger of loose light beige head diminishing rapidly to nothing, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: toasted bread, caramel, red fruit, earth. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, medium duration mild bitter finish. (4/5)

More malt than hops, with toasted bread and caramel leading the way over dried fruit or red berries. Decent enough, especially considering the relatively low ABV. (14/20)

My 269th from the 2010 Edition of 1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die, 258th from the 2013 Edition, 254th from the 2018 Edition, and 290th combining all three editions.

This will be my 5,155th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Container Brewing Origin NEIPA – American IPA at 6.4% ABV (C$3.82 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 2-Jun-2021, acquired 2-Dec-2021, reviewed 10-Dec-2021)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head, good retention, moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, tropical fruit, cereal grains, resiny pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, medium duration slightly spicy finish. (4/5)

Nice one. I’ve never encountered this brewery before, but this is a nice first experience. Despite the age, this is still bright, fruity and juicy, with a nice underpinning of resiny pine. Might be one to try fresher, but pretty fine just as it is. (16/20)

This will be my 5,154th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

BeerMKR Chubby Stout – American Stout at 7.3% ABV | 64 IBU (Initial Setup 16-Nov-2021, Pitch & Hop 17-Nov-2021, Transfer & Carb 27-Nov-2021, Reviewed 9-Dec-2021)

Appearance: hazy brown with one fat finger of fine beige head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: toasted bread, dark chocolate & coffee, nuts, red berries. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, slightly sticky medium finish. (4/5)

My third batch from the BeerMKR machine, and my first with my new kegging transfer setup. This one is a very straightforward American Stout: the malt bill was 1000g 2-row, 200g flaked oats, 100g caramel-120, 100g caramunich 3, 100g roasted barley, 100g chocolate malt, 100g Munich; and the hops were 6g CTZ-30 and 6g CTZ-60 “steam” hops, 6g Cascade “dry” hop. I like to think that I’ve done enough tastings that I’m not deluding myself how good my own product is. The fact is, with a little better clarifying, carbing, and head retention, I’d consider this good enough to stand proudly next to almost anything. This is actually good enough that I’m unhappy I lost so much figuring out my keg transfer setup, and will almost certainly do this one again. (Possibly with some modifications like dry hopping or adjuncts – chocolate and coconut, anybody?) (15/20)

This will be my 5,153rd unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com