Month: April 2022

The Grizzly Paw Brewing Company Doctor’s Orders – American Pale Ale at 5% ABV (C$3.78 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 10-Mar-2022, reviewed 19-Mar-2022)

Appearance: clear pale gold with one fat finger of fluffy white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel, earthy greens, herbal/floral, mild pine, light citrus. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration moderate bitter finish. (3/5)

If you ask me, this name is almost as good as the many bars out there called “The Office”. The beer itself, well, it’s not bad. But, it’s what I consider old-fashioned: malt-dominant with earthy Noble-style hopping. In fact, as the pint progresses I become more and more convinced I’m getting a slight medicinal note. All in all, nothing special. (13/20)

This will be my 5,222nd unique Untappd check-in.

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Village Brewery Misheard Lyric – American IPA at 7% ABV | 34 IBU (C$4.90 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 7-Jan-2022, acquired 10-Mar-2022, reviewed 17-Mar-2022)

Appearance: slightly hazy medium gold with one fat finger of fluffy white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, caramel, cereal grains, light citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate:  medium body, moderate carbonation, sticky medium duration moderate bitter finish. (3/5)

Hey, I’m a fan of misheard lyrics, Spoonerisms, and malapropisms of all sorts, but I think this is more a case of a misheard malt bill, or maybe a misheard hop order. (Though that being said, the brewer notes say it’s hopped with Galaxy, Citra, and Mosac, so…?) In any case, it’s certainly not the NEIPA the label promises, with sweet tropical fruit and caramel dominating both the aroma and taste. (And not that it matters, but it’s barely hazy.) Just OK. (14/20)

This will be my 5,221st unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Good Robot Brewing Company Tropical Storm El Dorado IPA – American IPA at 7% ABV (C$4.90 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 7-Jan-2022, acquired 10-Mar-2022, reviewed 16-Mar-2022)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fluffy white head diminishing rapidly to a persistent cap, moderate spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: juicy tropical fruit, pome, wheat, melon. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: smooth medium body, moderate carbonation, slightly sticky medium duration moderate bitter finish. (4/5)

Brewer notes say this is a single-hop NEIPA. Lots of juicy tropical fruit and apple/pear, with just enough bitterness to keep it from becoming overly sweet. There’s also an almost tart wheat note that blends with a bit of melon on the back end. A bit better than just OK. (15/20)

This will be my 5,220th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Eighty-Eight Brewing Dial Tone – American Pale Ale at 3.8% ABV | 25 IBU (C$4.14 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 17-Feb-2022, acquired 10-Mar-2022, reviewed 16-Mar-2022)

Appearance: hazy straw with one fat finger of fluffy white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, pale crackery malt, light pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: smooth medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration bitter finish. (4/5)

“West Coast Pale Ale w/ Incognito Mosaic”. Nice easy drinking Pale, with a pleasant aroma. The name is maybe a bit on the nose, though, because the flavour is a little bit lacking – sort of like answering the phone and getting dial tone… I don’t know quite why they called it a “WC” Pale, either, because the little bit of pine is pretty far in the background. Still and all, I like it, even without the usual “for such a low ABV” qualifier. Good one for a sunny patio. (15/20)

This will be my 5,219th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Superflux Beer Company Airstream – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$5.53 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 23-Feb-2022, acquired 10-Mar-2022, reviewed 15-Mar-2022)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of loose pale ivory head diminishing rapidly to nothing, spotty stringy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: juicy topical & stone fruit, oats, citrus, melon, dank pine. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (9/10) Palate: smooth medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration bitter finish. (4/5)

Nice blend of juicy fruit notes, sweet cereal grains, and dank pine. The juicy fruit fades gradually as the dank pine becomes more pronounced, but both are nice. (16/20)

This will be my 5,218th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

S.Y.C. Brewing Co. Mana Ohana – American Pale Ale at 6% ABV (C$4.41 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 1-Feb-2022, acquired 10-Mar-2022, reviewed 14-Mar-2022)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of loose pale ivory head diminishing rapidly to nothing, no lacing. (2/5) Aroma: mild, tropical fruit, citrus, cereal grains. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly creamy body, moderate carbonation, medium duration bitter finish. (4/5)

No real negatives here, but it’s just not very interesting. Poor head development and retention make it fairly unimpressive visually. That’s followed by an aroma that’s pleasant, but milder than I like for the style, and lacking any real complexity. Flavour and palate are pretty solid, but not really enough to rescue this from its position in the middle of the pack. (14/20)

This will be my 5,217th^* unique Untappd check-in.

^* For those of you paying attention, yes, this number went down by half a dozen. It looks like Untappd might have merged some beers that I checked as unique.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Hop Butcher For The World Moored Dirigible – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$9.85 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 17-Jan-2022, acquired 10-Mar-2022, reviewed 14-Mar-2022)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of loose pale ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, spotty soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: citrus, tropical fruit, oats & cereal grains, pine. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium slightly creamy body, moderate carbonation, medium duration bitter finish. (4/5)

The label says this is hopped with Citra, Simcoe, and Eclipse. Lovely juicy aromas upon opening translate through to pleasant flavours and a balanced bitter finish. Excellent example of the style. (17/20)

This will be my 5,222nd unique Untappd check-in.

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Bent Stick Brewing Co. Better Late Than Never – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$4.50 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 18-Feb-2022, acquired 10-Mar-2022, reviewed 13-Mar-2022)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of loose pale ivory head, good retention and spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: citrus, stone & tropical fruit, cereal grains, herbal & black tea. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, medium duration lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

The label says this is hopped with Citra and Idaho 7, and the aromas track that, with fruit, citrus, and a hint of herbal or black tea. Not unpleasant, but not particularly memorable. (14/20)

This will be my 5,221st unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Village Brewery Binge Watch – American Pale Ale at 4.5% ABV | 23 IBU (C$4.75 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 9-Feb-2022, acquired 10-Mar-2022, reviewed 12-Mar-2022)

Appearance: hazy straw with one fat finger of rocky white head, good retention and spotty soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, oats and cereal grains, citrus, vinous grape, hint of pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration slightly astringent finish. (3/5)

Brewer notes say this is hopped with Enigma, Simcoe, and Nelson Sauvin. Really quite similar to the Brave Noise I just tried by Establishment: slightly more tropical fruit and undercurrents of pine and grapes, perhaps, but with the same slight astringency that I attribute to the malt bill being a bit too lean for the hopping. And that label messes with my eyes the more I look at it, so I won’t be binge watching that. (14/20)

This will be my 5,220th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Establishment Brewing Company Brave Noise – American Pale Ale at 4.5% ABV (C$4.18 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 22-Feb-2022, acquired 10-Mar-2022, reviewed 12-Mar-2022)

Appearance: hazy straw with one fat finger of rocky white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: mild, tropical fruit, citrus, cereal grains, floral. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration slightly astringent finish. (3/5)

Decent, but not one of their best. Looking back over my history with this brewer, it seems like (no great surprise) score tends to very roughly track with ABV – at least, the sub-five percent examples seem to be in the bottom of the pack, and that holds true here. Specifically, I think the grain bill is a bit too light to support the bitterness, so that even though the aroma is relatively mild, there’s a little bit of astringency on the tongue through the finish. That being said, “bottom of the pack” for this brewer is pretty solid, and I’ve never rated them less than a seven. And for what it’s worth coming from an old cis white guy, I emphatically support the cause: brewing should be inclusive regardless of what genitalia someone has or prefers. (14/20)

This will be my 5,219th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com