Month: July 2024

Zero Issue Brewing Fury – American IPA at 6% ABV (C$5.15 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 28-May-2024, acquired 10-Jul-2024, reviewed 17-Jul-2024)

Appearance: hazy deep gold with one finger of fluffy white head,  good retention and spotty soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: stone fruit, citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate tart, moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lightly tart & metallic medium duration finish. (3/5)

Bit of a one trick pony, almost completely dominated by the apricot adjunct. I mean, I like apricot, so that’s not really a negative per se, but a little more complexity wouldn’t go astray. There’s also a slightly metallic tinge through the finish that makes one think the apricots were canned… perhaps by Wardaddy in his Sherman tank around 1945 or so… (Yes, I know it’s supposed to be Furiosa-inspired, so that joke doesn’t actually work. Shhh. And did they stop doing issue numbers?) (14/20)

This will be my 5,879th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Camp Beer Co. Piña Colada Campsicle – American IPA at 5.6% ABV (C$6.65 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 17-Jun-2024, acquired 10-Jul-2024, reviewed 17-Jul-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fat growing fingers of fluffy ivory head,  good retention and spotty soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: pineapple, coconut, citrus, vanilla, lactose. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter, light tart. (7/10) Palate: medium slightly thick body, moderate-soft carbonation, medium duration finish. (4/5)

I always find Milkshake IPAs to be a bit hit or miss, in that they’re usually too sweet. And this one is sweet, make no mistake. But, it’s a sweetness that feels authentic – at least, as authentic as adjuncts can be. The pineapple purée dominates pretty much all the way through to the finish, although some hop character starts to come out as it warms. I can’t find any brewer’s notes, but secondary sources indicate Sabro hops, which makes a lot of sense given the coconut adjunct. Ultimately I do like this, but I don’t think I’d want more than one. (15/20)

This will be my 5,878th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Cabin Brewing Company Daybreak – Black IPA at 7.1% ABV (C$4.95 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 27-Mar-2024, acquired 10-Jul-2024, reviewed 17-Jul-2024)

Appearance: clear deep cola red with two fat growing fingers of fluffy beige head,  excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: coffee, toasted bread, resiny pine, citrus. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, dry bitter finish. (4/5)

Nice example of the style. It’s not quite light, and not quite bright, but it’s damn close to both, especially given its fairly imposing appearance. Quite drinkable for the style and the high-tending ABV. I like it. (16/20)

This will be my 5,877th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Evil Twin Brewing I Thought Of A Cool Name For This Double IPA – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8% ABV (C$12.50 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 9-May-2024, acquired 10-Jul-2024, reviewed 16-Jul-2024)

Appearance: hazy deep gold with one fat finger of creamy pale ivory head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dank resiny pine, citrus, tropical fruit. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: slightly slick medium-full body, moderate-soft carbonation, lingering building bitter finish. (4/5)

“Double dry-hopped with Citra, Nelson, Riwaka” As is usual for Jeppe, stupid name and stupid price. Good, though: bombastic huge hops on a slightly thick body. (16/20)

This will be my 5,876th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Offshoot Beer Co. Tropical Escape – American IPA at 7.1% ABV (C$6.65 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 23-May-2024, acquired 10-Jul-2024, reviewed 16-Jul-2024)

Appearance: clear pale gold with two fat fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: mild, tropical fruit, grass, pale malt, citrus. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration bitter finish. (4/5)

“Simcoe, Mosaic, Cryo Pop, El Dorado, and Citra hops”. And as far as I can tell, just about everything on the label is wrong: I get very little of the dank piney notes that I associate with WCIPAs, and any coconut and pineapple adjunct was added with a very miserly hand. I’d go so far as to say that it’s actually less tropical (and for that matter less west coast-ish) than the base Escape, based on my notes from a few years ago. I don’t see age being the issue here, since it’s not even two months in the can, so I’m just gonna go with The Bruery disappointing me yet again. (Yes, they’ve done some awesome beers. They’ve also done some awesomely bad ones. They might actually have the largest standard deviation across the entirety of my records.) (14/20)

This will be my 5,875th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Born Colorado Brewing Park Pass 002 – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$4.72 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 18-Jun-2024, acquired 10-Jul-2024, reviewed 16-Jul-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fat fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: melon, tropical & stone fruit, cereal grains, citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: smooth medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (4/5)

Dry-hopped with HBC 638, which I think is another new hop for me. Melon plays a significant role here, which I suppose isn’t a dealbreaker for me, but sure isn’t a positive. It feels to me like, even when it’s sweet, it’s got vegetal tones. That being said, it’s well executed, and I suppose some folks might like it a lot more than I did. (15/20)

This will be my 5,874th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Coronado Brewing Company Big Weekend – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.8% ABV (C$6.25 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 15-May-2024, acquired 10-Jul-2024, reviewed 15-Jul-2024)

Appearance: slightly hazy straw with one finger of loose white head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap, spotty soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: stone & tropical fruit, caramel, pine. (7/10) Taste: high sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Palate: slightly slick medium-full body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter mildly warming finish. (3/5)

Meh. Coronado can be hit and miss, and this one’s a little bit of both. Maybe slightly below average for them, not really all that interesting. (14/20)

This will be my 5,873rd unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Camp Beer Co. X-Perimental 05 – American IPA at 6.7% ABV (C$6.65 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 27-May-2024, acquired 10-Jul-2024, reviewed 15-Jul-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fluffy pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: melon, citrus zest, tropical fruit, caramel. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light tart. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, sweetish medium bitter finish. (3/5)

The label says this is “brewed with a focus on Alora hops, then complemented by Huell Melon, El Dorado, and Citra hops”. It’s my first encounter with Alora hops, although the melon character isn’t exactly new, because of course Huell Melon is a thing. And that said, I’m not a huge fan of that melon flavour, though I like the citrus edge. It’s also a bit sweeter than I’d like, especially through the finish. I suppose it’s well executed, but not my preferred flavour profile. (14/20)

This will be my 5,872nd unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Eighty-Eight Brewing Launch Code – American IPA at 6.7% ABV (C$5.35 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 28-Jun-2024, acquired 10-Jul-2024, reviewed 14-Jul-2024)

Appearance: clear straw with one finger of fine white head, good retention and spotty soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, floral, pine, bready malt, citrus, light resin. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium bitter finish with a hint of astringency. (4/5)

Ella, Simcoe, Strata, and Idaho 7 hops. Not bad, but ultimately it comes across as just a little thin, both in flavour and body – particularly through the finish, where it starts to verge on astringent. Not a fail by any means (nor would I expect one from this brewery) but a bit average, for this brewer at least. (15/20)

This will be my 5,871st unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Steamworks Brewing Company Experimental Hazy IPA – American IPA at 7% ABV | 40 IBU (C$5.31 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 9-May-2024, acquired 10-Jul-2024, reviewed 14-Jul-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fine white head, excellent retention and spotty soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: stone fruit, coconut, citrus, tropical fruit, cereal grains. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium bitter finish. (4/5)

The labels says this one is “focused on” HBC1019, and “backed up by” HBC586, Simcoe, and Nectaron. A check of my record indicates I’ve seen that combination of 586 and 1019 multiple times so far this year, so although it’s new, it’s not really ground-breaking. It’s also not the first time I’ve picked up on coconut being present with 1019 (and no e.g. Sabro to explain it) so I think that for me at least that’s how this one seems to occasionally present. Dunno if this is actually deserving of the score, or whether I just really REALLY needed a beer (nobody can fight with you quite like someone who’s been fighting with you for 35 years), but either way I quite enjoyed it. (16/20)

This will be my 5,870th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com