Month: January 2023

Evil Twin Brewing I’m In A Coconut State Of Mind – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8% ABV (C$10.95 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 17-Nov-2022, acquired 29-Dec-2022, reviewed 15-Jan-2023)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and well-defined soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: coconut, citrus, tropical fruit. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, slightly sticky medium duration warming finish. (4/5)

Hopped with Mandarina Bavaria, Sabro, and Citra, conditioned on coconut. I see where Jeppe is going with this – conceptually, it’s not a lot different than adding a citrus adjunct to emphasize those characteristics in any number of hops, except it’s coconut and Sabro. Don’t get me wrong, I quite like coconut, but I’m just not completely convinced that coconut and sweetness are the best matches for a DIPA. If that appeals to you, more power to you, but for me this isn’t a complete success. (14/20)

This will be my 5,468th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Barrier Brewing Company Money – American IPA at 7.3% ABV (C$7.75 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 18-Oct-2022, acquired 29-Dec-2022, reviewed 14-Jan-2023)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with a large fluffy pale ivory head, excellent retention and well-defined soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: dank pine resin, citrus, tropical, caramel, earth. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration bitter finish. (4/5)

Yes, it does indeed smell “stanky” as the label claims. Brewer notes call it a “Perfect example of East Coast meets West Coast IPA”, and aside from the adjective, that’s not a bad characterization. It’s dry hopped with Citra, Azacca, Centennial, and Simcoe, and accomplishes sticky-icky dankness without getting catty. Overall, I’m getting an enjoyable merging of WC-style dank and EC-style fruit, with an interesting bitter bite that I’ve really started to miss during the ongoing haze craze. And, it’s a damn sight better than the only other one of theirs I’ve had, their Jump In The Line collab DIPA with Magnify Brewing, despite being a fair bit lower in ABV. (16/20)

This will be my 5,467th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Wildeye Brewing Electric Jungle – American IPA at 5% ABV (C$5.17 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 18-Nov-2022, acquired 29-Dec-2022, reviewed 12-Jan-2023)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with two fingers of fluffy pale ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: mild, tropical fruit, cereal grains, citrus. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry thin slightly astringent finish. (3/5)

Meh. Not much going on, and a disappointing finish. Not a great introduction to a new brewery. (12/20)

This will be my 5,466th unique Untappd check-in.

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Blindman Brewing Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout Knob Creek Kentucky Bourbon Barrels – American Double / Imperial Stout at 11.6% ABV (C$8.59 at Collective, 355 ml, packaged on 30-Aug-2021, acquired 29-Dec-2022, reviewed 11-Jan-2023)

Appearance: slightly hazy deep cola red with one finger of fine beige head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, minimal spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: oak, bourbon, chocolate vanilla, coconut, stone fruit. (8/10) Taste: high sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: full slightly slick body, moderate-soft carbonation, slightly sticky lingering bitter warming finish. (4/5)

Brewer notes specify that this is a version of Ichorous even though that name, as with previous BA versions, once again appears nowhere on the labelling. Look, it’s a BA Imperial Stout – is there such a thing as a bad one? It’s pretty much what you’d expect from the style, with loads of woody bourbon and roasted malt character. Could I have identified it as Knob Creek? Prolly not. Does that matter? Nah. (16/20)

This will be my 5,465th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Modist Brewing Co. Teal Label – American IPA at 6.3% ABV (C$8.40 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 31-Aug-2023, acquired 29-Dec-2022, reviewed 11-Jan-2023)

Appearance: clear pale gold with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and well-defined soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dank resiny pine, bready caramel, citrus, catty, floral, earth. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium bitter finish. (4/5)

Brewer notes say this is brewed with Maris Otter and hopped (kettle and dry) with Columbus Cryo, Simcoe, Strata, and Citra. It’s definitely West Coast-ish, with dank resiny pine on the front end. There’s also decent complexity as it warms and unfolds, including a catty note that I’ll attribute to the Simcoe. I see where they’re trying to go with this throwback styling, and it’s not bad overall – but in my opinion it’s not as good as their modern efforts. (15/20)

This will be my 5,464th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

S.Y.C. Brewing Co. Late Night Talking – Black IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$5.25 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 15-Nov-2022, acquired 29-Dec-2022, reviewed 10-Jan-2023)

Appearance: clear deep cola brown with two fat fingers of rocky light beige head, good retention and well-defined soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, pine, dark roasty malts, coffee, light cattiness. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter lightly astringent finish. (3/5)

Not bad, but not without a couple of minor defects: there’s little cattiness in the aroma (not always a flaw, but in this style I think it is) and it’s a little astringent in the finish. Neither issue is huge, but they do detract slightly from the overall experience. (15/20)

This will be my 5,463rd unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Cabin Brewing Company Something Else – American IPA at 6.1% ABV (C$5.26 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 16-Dec-2022, acquired 29-Dec-2022, reviewed 9-Jan-2023)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of rocky pale ivory head, good retention and well-defined soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: zesty citrus, stone & tropical fruit, bready malts, light pine/herbal, faint coconut. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: smooth medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration bitter finish. (4/5)

A cynic might question whether this is actually something else, or just yet another contender in a very crowded (and hazy) field. However, one thing that does distinguish it, aside from being pretty well-crafted, is the surprisingly emphatic bitter finish, uncharacteristic of the all-too-often emphatically sweet examples of the style. All in all, I’d have to say that this does indeed qualify as something else. (16/20)

This will be my 5,462nd unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Epic Brewing Chasing Ghosts – American Double / Imperial IPA at 10% ABV (C$8.90 at Collective, 473 ml, best before 6-Jan-2023, acquired 29-Dec-2022, reviewed 8-Jan-2023)

Appearance: murky hazy pale amber with one finger of loose pale ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: citrus, stone fruit, caramel. (7/10) Taste: high sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, sticky mildly warming finish. (4/5)

Not really working for me: the somewhat muddy, murky appearance is an inauspicious start, and although the aroma is decent, the flavour is just far too sweet for me. The high ABV doesn’t really temper that, though a more aggressive bitter might have. It gets a little more pleasant as it warms, especially with the warming finish mellowing things out, but it never really overcomes that excessively sweet stickiness. (14/20)

This will be my 5,461st unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Hop Valley Brewing Co. Bubble Stash – American IPA at 6.2% ABV (C$3.23 at Banff Avenue Liquor, 355 ml, packaged on 10-Nov-2022, acquired 5-Dec-2023, reviewed 7-Jan-2023)

Appearance: slightly hazy deep gold with one finger of fine pale ivory head, good retention and heavy chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, doughy caramel, dank resin, tropical fruit. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering building bitter finish. (3/5)

Label notes indicate it’s hopped with Mosaic Cryo, but I don’t think it’s a single-hop. I guess the most impressive part of this one is the fact that the brewer (“Hop Valley Brewing Co.”) is actually Creemore Springs i.e. Tenth and Blake i.e. Molson Coors. No, I didn’t know that when I bought this, and yes, they’re still on my boycott list. I was in a rush (as usual) and wanted something to drink while watching Canada win the World Juniors Gold at the cabin in Banff. It’s a fairly unremarkable AIPA with some limited West Coast character, but in all honesty, it’s probably one of the best Molson Coors products I’ve had. (14/20)

This will be my 5,460th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Superflux Beer Company Colour & Shape – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$5.31 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 25-Nov-2022, acquired 29-Dec-2022, reviewed 4-Jan-2023)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one finger of rocky pale ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: juicy tropical fruit, citrus, cereal grains, herbal/floral, dank resin. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (9/10) Palate: smooth medium body, moderate-low carbonation, medium duration lingering bitter slightly astringent finish. (4/5)

Brewer notes say this is “made with large amounts of Citra hops”, but doesn’t specify whether it’s actually a single-hop. I was initially unsure whether I liked this quite as much as the last one of theirs I had, Wonderlove. After some thought, I’ve concluded that the biggest difference here, other than this having a slightly higher ABV, is that it also has a more emphatically bitter finish, making it less of a typical “hazy” / NEIPA than you might expect. Still and all, it’s very, very good, and I’m left rating it pretty much exactly the same as the previous. (17/20)

This will be my 5,459th unique Untappd check-in.

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com