Month: October 2022

Field House Brewing Co. Cryo Pop Mosaic DIPA – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.2% ABV (C$5.53 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 30-Aug-2022, acquired 6-Oct-2022, reviewed 9-Oct-2022)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fat fingers of rocky white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, cereal grains, citrus, hint of coconut. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet tending slightly high, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium smooth body, slightly sticky medium bitter warming finish. (3/5)

I know, I sound like a broken record, but: it’s a bit too sweet for my preference. The aroma is excellent, albeit with a bit more overripeness in the tropical fruit aroma than I prefer, but the flavour is a touch sweet. This carries through into the slightly sticky finish, which otherwise betrays the high ABV only by a mild warming. It’s decent, but just doesn’t get me excited. (15/20)

This will be my 5,396th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Cabin Brewing Company Chroma – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8% ABV (C$5.53 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 14-Sep-2022, acquired 6-Oct-2022, reviewed 8-Oct-2022)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with two fat fingers of pillow white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: grape, citrus, tropical fruit, pine, cereal grains. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly soft body, sweetish medium bitter finish. (4/5)

The label says “Hazy Citra IPA w/ Phantasm”, and three versions of Citra (regular, cryo, and extract) in addition to Phantasm powder provide pretty much exactly the brightly juicy aroma and flavour I look for in the style. It’s just a touch too sweet for my preference, which isn’t unexpected given the big ABV, but I suspect that could be balanced out by a bit more bittering in the boil. Still and all, very very good. (17/20)

This will be my 5,395th unique Untappd check-in.

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Collective Arts Brewing / Burial Beer Co. Origin of Darkness Madeira Whiskey Barrel Age Imperial Stout with Pecans & Coffee – American Double / Imperial Stout at 10.7% ABV (C$7.00 at Collective, 355 ml, packaged on 12-Sep-2022, acquired 6-Oct-2022, reviewed 7-Oct-2022)

Appearance: nearly solid black with one finger of fine brown head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: dark roast coffee, pecans, whiskey, oak. (8/10) Taste: high sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: full slightly slick body, soft carbonation, sticky warming lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

It’s hard to go wrong with a big BA stout, and this doesn’t. That said, it’s pretty much exactly what you’d expect: big and boozy (though not harsh) with the typical dark roasted and barrel notes. The pecans are a nice touch here, and work well with the basic idea. All in all, it’s good, but not great. (15/20)

This will be my 5,394th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Night Shift Brewing Fluffy – American IPA at 7% ABV (C$8.75 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 23-May-2022, acquired 6-Oct-2022, reviewed 7-Oct-2022)

Appearance: hazy pale amber with one fat finger of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dank pine, tropical fruits, citrus, bready caramel. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, mild finish. (4/5)

The label says this is hopped with Citra Cryo, Simcoe Cryo, and Idaho 7 Cryo. And yeah, it’s pretty much fluffy, with the soft body, flavour, and aroma that I like to see in the style. That said, it’s a bit light in both aroma and flavour, so I waffled a little on the scoring. Ultimately, though, I figured it was close enough to call it a solid 8/10. (16/20)

This will be my 5,393rd unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com