Month: February 2023

Boombox Brewing Company Wizard Mode – American IPA at 7% ABV (C$5.00 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 2-Feb-2023, acquired 7-Feb-2023, reviewed 12-Feb-2023)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dank resiny pine, tropical fruit, cereal grains, citrus, floral. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: smooth medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter slightly astringent finish. (3/5)

Can’t find any brewer’s notes but secondary sources say this is double dry hopped with Denali, El Dorado, Motueka, and Simcoe. I found the aroma to be just slightly mild here – not to the point of muted, certainly, but also not bright or juicy. I’m also not completely on-board with the slight astringency in the finish. Pleasant enough, I guess, but it stops short of great. (15/20)

This will be my 5,485th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Sierra Nevada Atomic Torpedo – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.2% ABV (C$6.07 at Collective, 568 ml, packaged on 16-Nov-2022, acquired 7-Feb-2023, reviewed 11-Feb-2023)

Appearance: clear pale amber with two fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, resiny pine, bready caramel, herbal. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter mildly warming finish. (4/5)

This represents a definite improvement over the original Torpedo, which I last had more than six years ago, and criticized for being too boringly traditional. The more emphatic flavours serve it well, by bringing the hops more to the forefront. The hop character is now ahead of the malt, despite the significantly higher ABV. I note, though, that they recently upped the ABV even further, so I’ll keep an eye out for that one to give that a try. (15/20)

This will be my 5,484th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Great Notion Brewing & Barrel House Oggy – American IPA at 7% ABV (C$7.95 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 17-Nov-2022, acquired 7-Feb-2023, reviewed 10-Feb-2023)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of loose pale ivory head, good retention and moderate loose lacing. (4/5) Aroma: brightly juicy citrus & stone fruit, cereal grains, floral. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: smooth medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration finish. (4/5)

Brewer notes say this is dry hopped with Citra and Galaxy, with Citra and Mosaic used in the whirlpool. Nice one: lots of fruity aroma, decent flavour and body, and no hint at all of the fairly respectable ABV, make this approachable and fun. Works for me! (16/20)

This will be my 5,483rd unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Superflux Beer Company Feathergreen – American IPA at 6% ABV (C$5.85 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 4-Jan-2023, acquired 7-Feb-2023, reviewed 9-Feb-2023)

Appearance: hazy straw with one fat finger of loose pale ivory head diminishing rapidly to nothing, minimal spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: brightly juicy citrus & tropical fruit, cereal grains, pine. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-soft carbonation, short duration finish falling off slightly thin. (3/5)

Brewer notes say this is “fermented with a thiolized yeast strain and dry-hopped with Simcoe and Citra Cryo.” I’m of two minds about this one: with the initial pour, there was a wave of brightly juicy fruit aroma that was seriously next level. Although it faded quickly, it still remained decent, so I’ve got to give high marks there. The flavour and finish, though, were not at the same level as the aroma, and in particular it had a tendency to fall off slightly thin, if not quite watery. Somewhat to my surprise, I’m ultimately giving this the lowest score I’ve ever given a Superflux, since in my prior experience with them (for n=10, μ=8.3 & σ=0.26) it’s really the first time they’ve even come close to letting me down in any way. And to be clear: I’m not saying this is a bad beer – far from it – but it’s not at the level I’ve come to expect from them. I guess competence is its own punishment? (15/20)

This will be my 5,482nd unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Anchorage Brewing Company Let’s Go – American IPA at 6.4% ABV (C$7.90 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 7-Feb-2023, reviewed 9-Feb-2023)

Appearance: hazy pale straw with one fat finger of loose pale ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin cap and ring, spotty soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, resiny pine, cereal grains, melon, citrus. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration bitter finish. (4/5)

“Brewed with El Dorado Incognito. Fermented with Hazy Cali Yeast. DDH with Nelson Sauvin and Strata hops.” Nice, but not quite up to the level of their Gone Forgotten, which was hands down the best AIPA of theirs I’ve had. I have to say though, that although in the past I’ve described their IPA efforts as just competent, they certainly seem to be consistently doing a better job of them these days. (16/20)

This will be my 5,481st unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

P.S. The label was too good not to scan in its entirety:

Superflux Beer Company Craft Beer Is Dead – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$6.00 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 23-Dec-2022, acquired 7-Feb-2023, reviewed 8-Feb-2023)

Appearance: slightly hazy straw with one fat finger of rocky white head, excellent retention and heavy chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: resiny pine, floral, tropical fruit, cereal grains. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, medium duration lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Brewer notes indicate this is hopped with Centennial, Citra, and Citra Cryo, and call it a “West Coast/California/Blonde IPA”. Sure, why not? It’s kind of old-school-ish, kind of West Coast-ish, a bit too bitter to be “crushable”, but certainly enjoyable. What it certainly isn’t, is macro, so if craft beer is dead, I’ll take this as its successor. (16/20)

This will be my 5,480th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Hub Town Brewing Fort Knox – Belgian Golden Strong Ale at 8.6% ABV | 26 IBU (C$16.70 at Hub Town Brewing, 1.89 l, fresh on tap, acquired 31-Jan-2023, reviewed 31-Jan-2023)

Appearance: slightly hazy straw with a short loose white head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap and ring, moderate soapy lacing (4/5) Aroma: Belgian esters, pomes, candi sugar. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, medium duration clean finish. (4/5)

That’s actually a pretty solid Belgian. Clean esters and orchard pomes on a sweet but not cloying candi sugar base. I’ve gotten way more drunk, in Belgium, on worse. (15/20)

This will be my 5,475th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Big Rock Brewery Nebula – American IPA at 6.4% ABV | 31 IBU (C$4.50 at Ace Liquor Okotoks, 473 ml, packaged on 2-Dec-2022, acquired 26-Jan-2023, reviewed 27-Jan-2023)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with two fat fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel, citrus, muddled fruits. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry medium bitter finish. (3/5)

The label says this is hopped with Mosaic, Amarillo, and Galaxy. (The label also says this is 31 IBU, but the web site says 25. I dunno – my tongue isn’t sufficiently calibrated to tell which is correct.) As is often the case in my experience, this established brewer seem to have a great deal of difficulty going full haze, and thinks that anything not filtered to within an inch of its life is “hazy”. This is less “hazy”, and more “vaguely muddy”. By the same token, it’s less “brightly juicy” and more “muddled stewed fruity”. I know, it’s hard to change an existing process, but you can’t call something an NEIPA just because you want some of that sweet craft beer market share. (13/20)

This will be my 5,474th unique Untappd check-in.

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Big Rock Brewery Wayfinder – Vienna Lager at 5% ABV | 18 IBU (C$3.75 at Ace Liquor Okotoks, 473 ml, packaged on 15-Dec-2023, acquired 26-Jan-2023, reviewed 26-Jan-2023)

Appearance: crystal clear pale amber with one fat finger of fine ivory head diminishing gradually to a thick cap, moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: bready toasted malt, grass, floral. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium bitter finish. (3/5)

Meh. I suppose it’s better than a macro lager, but not by a whole heckuva lot. Fairly pretty – though I’d like to see better retention and lacing – but the aroma, flavour, and finish are all fairly unremarkable. Good enough to watch the Flames lose to the Hawks, I suppose. (An outcome I completely predicted, I might add. Par for the course: you’re on a losing streak? Come to Calgary, you’re sure to win.) (13/20)

This will be my 5,474th unique Untappd check-in.

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Bruery Licuados – American Double / Imperial IPA at 9.7% ABV (C$15.90 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 27-Apr-2022, acquired 29-Dec-2022, reviewed 21-Jan-2023)

Appearance: near opaque black with one fat finger of fine beige head diminishing gradually to a thin ring, minimal lacing. (3/5) Aroma: cinnamon, bourbon, oak, banana, vanilla. (7/10) Taste: high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: full body, moderate-low carbonation, sticky bitter warming finish. (4/5)

Meh. This didn’t really impress me. I’m not suggesting it’s actually bad, but the flavour choice and balance just didn’t work for me. (Especially the banana. I get that it’s supposed to be a pastry stout, but still.) (14/20)

This will be my 5,473rd unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com