Month: November 2022

Boombox Brewing Company Ultra Deluxe – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$4.35 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 6-Oct-2022, reviewed 31-Oct-2022)

Appearance: hazy muddy deep gold with one fat finger of fine pale ivory head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: mild, citrus, pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, sweetish medium duration warming finish. (4/5)

Can’t find confirmation, but this seems to be single-hop Citra. The aroma is nice, but not as bright as I like for the style. The flavour, on the other hand, is quite pleasant, and there’s a nice resiny bitterness in the finish that I very much appreciate. I suspect this might be a fair bit better fresh on tap, but as it stand it falls a little short of world-class. (15/20)

This will be my 5,414th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

5050 Brewing Co. West Coast Haze – American IPA at 6.25% ABV (C$6.07 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 10-Jul-2022, acquired 6-Oct-2022, reviewed 31-Oct-2022)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with a short, short-lived loose white head, spotty soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: stone & orchard fruits, floral, tropical fruit, caramel. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, sweetish medium duration finish. (3/5)

Hopped with Calypso, Azacca, Mosaic, Amarillo, and El Dorado. Not really very West Coast, if you ask me – no dankness or pine to speak of, and the fruit is kind of muddled. Feels like a bit of a bandwagon NEIPA, and not particularly well executed – which, given how ubiquitous the style has become, is sort of inexcusable. (13/20)

This will be my 5,413th unique Untappd check-in.

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Born Brewing Co. (Born Colorado Brewing) Swift Hours – American IPA at 6.1% ABV (C$4.41 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 27-Sep-2022, acquired 6-Oct-2022, reviewed 31-Oct-2022)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, melon, citrus, pale crackery malt, resiny pine, faint herbal. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry slightly tart finish. (4/5)

I like it. Kviek yeast is a good fit with the NEIPA style, imparting a drying, fairly attenuated finish in addition to the fruity notes on the front end. There’s also a funky herbal farmhouse note in there that tells you this is not exactly your normal day-today, which I appreciate. Another solid performer from Born. (16/20)

This will be my 5,412th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

High River Brewing Co. / Big Beaver Brewing Midway Wet Hop Pale Ale – American Pale Ale at 5% ABV (C$4.36 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 6-Oct-2022, reviewed 28-Oct-2022)

Appearance: slightly chill hazed medium gold with one finger of rocky white head, good retention and well-defined soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: herbal/grass, biscuity malt, light floral/berry. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (4/5)

Pretty decent, but a little old-fashioned in the herbal grassiness of the hop profile. Other might prefer that more traditional approach, so this largely comes down to personal preference. On the other hand, since I’m the person doing the preferring, I’m gonna go with my score being a little lower than it might have been with a more modern hop selection. (15/20)

This will be my 5,411th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com