Month: August 2024

Blind Enthusiasm Brewing Company Butcher – American Pale Ale at 5.6% ABV (C$5.00 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 12-Jul-2024, acquired 2-Aug-2024, reviewed 2-Aug-2024)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with one finger of fluffy pale amber head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: field berries, tropical fruit, caramel, diacetyl. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium bitter slightly sharp finish. (3/5)

Starts off promising, with a pleasant field berry and tropical fruit top note. However, as the pint warms, a diacetyl note starts to become apparent, continuing through the finish as a green vegetal sharpness. Not really doing it for me. (13/20)

This will be my 5,897th unique Untappd check-in.

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Banished Brewing Ltd. Dock – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.5% ABV (C$7.35 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 18-Jul-2024, reviewed 26-Jul-2024)

Appearance: hazy deep gold with one finger of creamy pale amber head, good retention and well-defined soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma:  citrus, caramel, resiny pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: creamy medium-full body, moderate-soft carbonation, bitter warming finish. (4/5)

Think Arrogant Bastard as a hazy. (16/20)

This will be my 5,896th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Establishment Brewing Company Moonshake – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$6.00 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 15-Jul-2024, acquired 18-Jul-2024, reviewed 26-Jul-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale straw with a short loose off-white head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, spotty soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, resiny pine, cereal grains. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (9/10) Palate: smooth medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, short duration clean finish. (4/5)

Big fruit and pine on a soft body – what’s not to like? (16/20)

This will be my 5,895th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Small Gods Brewing Co. Big Happiness – American Pale Ale at 5.0% ABV (C$6.30 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 18-Jul-2024, reviewed 26-Jul-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale straw with a short, short-lived loose off-white head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: mild, stone & tropical fruit, citrus, faint resiny pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Palate: light body, moderate carbonation, short duration lightly tart finish. (4/5)

Adjuncts are passion fruit, mango, and sweet orange peel. Hopped with HBC586, El Dorado, Mosaic, and Sabro. I mean… I don’t not like this? It’s a bit of a kitchen sink, almost completely overwhelmed by adjuncts – but that just makes it seem a bit more Radler-like, and what hop character there is, works well with the actual fruit. The closer I get to finishing the pint, the more I wouldn’t mind having another one, so there’s that. Still and all, bigger hoppiness would give me bigger happiness. (15/20)

This will be my 5,894th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Polyrhythm Brewing Centerfield – American IPA at 5.5% ABV (C$4.81 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 3-Jun-2024, acquired 18-Jul-2024, reviewed 22-Jul-2024)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with one finger of fluffy pale ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: caramel, pine, floral, stone fruit. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium building bitter finish. (4/5)

“Hot Side hops: Centennial, Bravo, ADHA-1624 Dry hops: Citra, Chinook.” This appears to be my first experience with ADHA-1624, and I can’t find anything too special here to attribute to it: this isn’t a particularly dank or piney WCIPA. I suppose I should have expected this for the very next offering after describing this brewery as my best ever, but this one is just OK – nothing too special. I’m also going to take them to task for the American (wrong) spelling. (14/20)

This will be my 5,893rd unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Evil Twin Brewing / The Armory Armory Ale (2024) – American Pale Ale at 5.5% ABV (C$8.75 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 18-Jul-2024, reviewed 22-Jul-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of fluffy white head, good retention and spotty soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: coconut, tropical & stone fruit, cereal grains. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: smooth medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry medium duration lightly bitter finish. (4/5)

“Brewed and double dry-hopped with Cashmere, Citra, Simcoe.” Big coconut leads the way on this one. Overall it’s pretty flavourful for “just” a Pale, quite enjoyable. (16/20)

This will be my 5,892nd unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com