Month: April 2024

Trillium Brewing Company DDH Public Garden – American Pale Ale at 7% ABV (C$15.70 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 7-Feb-2024, acquired 23-Apr-2024, reviewed 30-Apr-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of loose pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical and stone fruit, citrus, earthy and resiny pine. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium-full body, moderate carbonation, medium duration finish. (4/5)

Hopped with Mosaic and Strata, malts are American 2-Row Barley, Flaked Spelt, and C-15. Nice one: the flavour profile is exactly what you’d expect for Mosaic and Strata, with lots of juicy fruit and just enough resiny, earthy pine underneath, and the body is just big enough to support the bombastic hopping. (17/20)

This will be my 5,808th unique Untappd check-in.

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Trillium Brewing Company Double Dry Hopped Fort Point – American Pale Ale at 6.6% ABV (C$15.75 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 5-Mar-2024, acquired 23-Apr-2024, reviewed 28-Apr-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fine pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical and stone fruit, citrus, resiny pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-full body, moderate carbonation, medium duration finish. (4/5)

The brewer says this contains the same ingredients as the base (Citra and Columbus hops, malted with American 2 Row Barley, White Wheat, C-15, and Dextrin[e]) but with an additional Citra dry hop. That said, the malt bill for the base actually doesn’t include Dextrin, and I suspect they’ve added that to try and bring up the body. I mean, I’m not complaining, but the effect of the additional dry hop (and for that matter, it being month younger than the base I just had) is barely perceptible. Yes, there might be a bit more tropical fruit in there, but it’s not a night and day situation, and I noticed very little increase in body. I’d go so far as to say that would probably have to have them side by side, as opposed to in sequence, in order to really discern any significant differences. Again, I could have gone slightly higher, but probably no more than half a point overall. (And yes, I suspect I’m getting harder to impress in my old age / increased experience. Deal with it.) (16/20)

This will be my 5,806th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Trillium Brewing Company Fort Point – American Pale Ale at 6.6% ABV (C$14.95 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 2-Feb-2024, acquired 23-Apr-2024, reviewed 28-Apr-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fine pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical and stone fruit, citrus, resiny pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-full body, moderate carbonation, medium duration finish. (4/5)

Hopped with Citra and Columbus, malts are American 2 Row Barley, White Wheat, and C-15. I could potentially have gone a point higher on both aroma and flavour, but ultimately felt that although this is world-class, it’s very slightly utilitarian – as in, yes, a great daily drinker – but not next level. (16/20)

This will be my 5,805th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Trillium Brewing Company Scaled Up – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8% ABV (C$15.75 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 15-Feb-2024, acquired 23-Apr-2024, reviewed 25-Apr-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fine pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: stone fruit, dank pine resin, citrus, white grape. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium-full body, moderate carbonation, lingering mildly warming finish. (4/5)

I am indecently happy at the fact that my local beer shop was able to bring in half a dozen different Trillium offerings, four of which were new to me. (I also had a bit of a mini stroke when that four pack fell out of the back door of my truck into my driveway. Remember the baby carriage scene in The Untouchables? Think that, but with more swearing. Luckily none ruptured.) Expensive? Yes, but cheaper than a trip to New England, so on that basis  definitely worth it. Hopped with Galaxy, Mosaic, Nelson Sauvin, and Columbus, and the flavours pretty much follow that. I went back and forth on the aroma and taste scores several times before settling on what I think is a pretty reasonable assessment. (17/20)

This will be my 5,804th unique Untappd check-in.

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Irrational Brewing Company Exp. Cairn – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$5.90 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 23-Apr-2024, reviewed 25-Apr-2024)

Appearance: clear straw with one finger of loose white head, good retention and spotty soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: melon, field berries, dank pine resin. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, medium duration building bitter finish. (4/5)

“DDH Modern West Coast IPA”. I think maybe the name is supposed to be “Cairn” and the “Exp.” refers to “Experimental”? Brewer description says this is hopped with Idaho 7, Simcoe, and Simcoe Cryo, brewed with American Ale Yeast and Pilsner malt. With that profile, you’d expect it to be all hops with little or no yeast or malt character, and it pretty much is. I mean, it’s pretty decent and all, but I like a bit more dank pine in a WCIPA, even a “Modern” one. (15/20)

This will be my 5,803rd unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Strathcona Beer Company Head Banger XXIII (Galaxy) – Triple IPA at 9.2% ABV (C$6.25 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 23-Apr-2024, reviewed 23-Apr-2024)

Appearance: clear medium gold with one finger of loose white head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, minimal stringy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: white grape must, over-ripe fruit. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium slightly slick body, moderate-lively carbonation, lingering warming finish. (3/5)

That is… not good. Well, maybe I should say, “not great”. Just a sec, let me take another sip… No, no, I was right the first time. This may be the worst Galaxy single-hop effort I’ve ever tried, with muddy overripe fruit (verging on fecal) dominating. I have no idea why it’s so highly rated, other than it appears to be the 23rd (!) in the series, so maybe there’s a lot of residual good will from prior revisions. For me, though, this one is a long way down from X and XI, the only other two in the series I’ve encountered. And, OK, to be fair, after another few sips I’ve relaxed into it a bit and return to “not great” – but I can’t see rating it any higher than that no matter how many of them I drink. (12/20)

This will be my 5,802nd unique Untappd check-in.

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Establishment Brewing Company Tiny Dancer – Session IPA at 2.5% ABV (C$5.25 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 13-Feb-2024, acquired 23-Feb-2024, reviewed 23-Apr-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale straw with one fat finger of fluffy white head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, spotty stringy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: zesty citrus, melon, light grass. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: light body, lively carbonation, short duration finish. (4/5)

I have much respect for this brewery, but I had serious doubts that even they could pull off such an extremely low ABV. Well, I wasn’t entirely wrong about that, in the sense that this is definitely not one of their best products – but it can sure hold its own against any number of offerings from less accomplished brewers. (14/20)

This will be my 5,801st unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Anchorage Brewing Company Grief – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.4% ABV (C$9.95 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 7-Dec-2023, acquired 23-Feb-2024, reviewed 3-Apr-2024)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fluffy off-white head, excellent retention and spotty soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, grape must, cereal grains, light pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, medium duration finish. (4/5)

Cosmic Punch yeast, double dry hopped with Phantasm Powder and Superdelic Hops. Very approachable and mild-mannered for a pretty emphatic ABV. I could probably have gone slightly higher on the scoring, but the aroma was just slightly lacking a certain emphasis. (Probably because it’s a little elderly, and I’d be happy to try it fresher, or better yet, on tap.) (16/20)

This will be my 5,791st unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Evil Twin Brewing Ridgewood Resurrection – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8% ABV (C$11.75 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 25-Jan-2024, acquired 23-Feb-2024, reviewed 31-Mar-2024)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with one fat finger of loose pale ivory head, good retention and spotty soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, melon, cereal grains, dank pine. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, medium duration finish. (4/5)

Brewed with Nelson and double dry hopped with Citra & Nelson. Nearly identical to the Evil Twin / Monkish TIPA I had a couple of days ago, except for this one’s lack of coconut in the aroma or warming in the finish. Easy-drinking, flavourful, and dangerous. (17/20)

This will be my 5,790th unique Untappd check-in.

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Evil Twin Brewing / Monkish Brewing Co. How About One Of Your Pug-Type Beer Names? – Triple IPA at 11% ABV (C$12.35 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 25-Jan-2024, acquired 23-Feb-2024, reviewed 29-Mar-2024)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with one fat finger of loose pale ivory head, good retention and spotty soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, coconut, cereal grains, dank pine. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, slightly warming finish. (4/5)

“Double dry-hopped with Mosaic, Motueka, Galaxy.” Yes, it really has been three weeks since I’ve had a beer. Three long, LONG weeks. I’m just getting sick of being called an alcoholic, so I proved some shit. Alcoholics go to meetings, OK? I’m a drunk. Get it right. And this is a particularly good one to re-break my semi-healed hymen on. I have no notes – this is amazingly approachable for a double-digit ABV. Lovely, and I don’t care that its price tag is truly obscene, or that pugs are the epitome of what’s wrong with dog breeding. (17/20)

This will be my 5,789th unique Untappd check-in.

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com