Month: November 2024

Phillips Brewing Company Gorilla Mode Thunder Punch – American Double / Imperial IPA at 9.0% ABV (C$5.90 at Collective, 568 ml, best before 2-Apr-2025, acquired 31-Oct-2024, reviewed 8-Nov-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one finger of fine pale ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin cap and spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, cereal grains, citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, sticky mildly warming finish. (3/5)

Brewer notes say “featuring Alora, Motueka, and Eclipse hops”. Sure, why not? Overall this is pretty much what I was expecting for a brewery who in my experience (for n=59, μ=7 & σ=0.89) has raised mediocrity to an art form. That’s not to say they haven’t had some flashes of competence, but those are generally offset by some truly abysmal offerings. (To be fair, they don’t actually make the worst beer I’ve ever had… by half a point.) I’d lump these guys with e.g. Big Rock, as pseudo craft macro micro. About the only thing that distinguishes this one is that it drinks easily for the weight. I don’t hate it. I don’t love it. (14/20)

This will be my 6,001st unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Boombox Brewing Company Outlane – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$7.25 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 31-Oct-2024, reviewed 8-Nov-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of rocky pale ivory head, good retention and spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: zesty citrus, stone fruit, vinous, cereal grains, hint of grass. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, slightly sticky medium duration finish. (3/5)

Not bad but tends a little sweet through the mid and finish. (14/20)

This will be my 6,000th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Slow Hand Beer Co. Krush Pilsner – Pilsner at 5% ABV (C$6.15 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 31-Oct-2024, reviewed 7-Nov-2024)

Appearance: brightly clear straw with two fat fingers of fluffy white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical & stone fruit, pale crackery malt, hint of pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, short duration medium bitter finish. (4/5)

Not gonna lie, I was hoping for brighter hop notes here. It’s pleasant, sure, and the pilsner malt is a nice neutral background to showcase the hops, but it’s not as punchy as I would have liked. (15/20)

This will be my 5,999th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Cannery Brewing Company Fresh Hop Extra Pale Ale (2024) – American Pale Ale at 6.0% ABV | 45 IBU (C$4.90 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 7-Oct-2024, acquired 31-Oct-2024, reviewed 5-Nov-2024)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and well-defined stringy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: resiny pine, zesty citrus, pale malt. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, medium duration lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

The label says this is “brewed with freshly-picked Mosaic hops” but doesn’t actually specify that it’s single-hopped. I had this last year and wasn’t all that impressed by it, but I like this year’s quite a bit better. I’m flip-flopping a bit on the bitterness: I can’t quite decide whether it’s unbalanced or merely emphatic. Nice one, regardless. (15/20)

This will be my 5,998th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Slow Hand Beer Co. Mediterranean Pilsner – Pilsner at 5% ABV (C$6.15 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 15-Oct-2024, acquired 31-Oct-2024, reviewed 3-Nov-2024)

Appearance: slightly hazy straw with one finger of fine white head, good retention and moderate stringy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus zest, crackery malt, floral/herbal. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, dry slightly mineral finish. (4/5)

No complaints here – bright aroma and clean flavour with a dry attenuated finish. Refreshing and easy drinking. (16/20)

This will be my 5,997th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Dandy Brewing Company Two Hander – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8% ABV (C$6.15 at Collective, 568 ml, packaged on 27-Sep-2024, acquired 31-Oct-2024, reviewed 2-Nov-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, cereal grains, melon, citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body falling off slightly watery, moderate-lively carbonation, sweetish mildly warming finish. (3/5)

Meh. It’s big, sure – both in weight and in volume – but it’s not great. That’s not to say it’s not OK, but that’s as far as I’d go. The aroma isn’t as bright as I’d like, and the finish is slightly flaccid. Nope, just OK. (14/20)

This will be my 5,996th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Hutton & Smith Brewing Company Igneous IPA – American IPA at 7.2% ABV (C$8.65 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 6-Aug-2024, acquired 31-Oct-2024, reviewed 1-Nov-2024)

Appearance: clear pale gold with two fingers of fluffy white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: citrus, dank resiny pine, biscuity pale malt. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter mildly warming finish. (4/5)

Very pre-haze craze traditional, citrus and pine with a big bitter finish. Not quite unbalanced, but emphatic. Well implemented, and pretty, but just a little short of great. (15/20)

This will be my 5,995th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Blood Brothers Brewing Entheogen IPA #11 – American IPA at 6.0% ABV (C$7.35 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 24-Sep-2024, acquired 31-Oct-2024, reviewed 31-Oct-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one finger of fluffy white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dank resiny pine, juicy stone fruit, citrus, cereal grains. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, off-dry mildly warming finish. (4/5)

“with Citra, El Dorado & Simcoe”. Nice one. Hella dank resiny pine with juicy stone fruit and citrus on a clean malt background. I’m not sure it’s the “see the face of god” level the name would imply, but it’s damn good. (16/20)

This will be my 5,994th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Cannery Brewing Company Zombie Swarm – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.5% ABV | 80 IBU (C$4.90 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 26-Sep-2024, acquired 31-Oct-2024, reviewed 31-Oct-2024)

Appearance: clear pale gold with one finger of fine white head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical & stone fruit, citrus, pale malt, light pine, faint cooked vegetables. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry mildly warming finish. (4/5)

The label says this is hopped with “West Coast Cryo hops”, so based on the flavour profile I’m gonna go with, I dunno, the usual starts-with-C suspects? (I just checked, and the brewer web site says Cascade, Centennial, Columbus, Simcoe, and Amarillo, so not a bad guess on my part?) I’m going to blame the Simcoe for the slightly vegetal undernote, because I usually blame Simcoe. It’s fine, but a little muddled and lacking the bright punchiness I like to see from Cryo. Definitely an older/traditional interpretation of the style, with an emphatic bitterness, albeit one appropriate to the weight. (14/20)

This will be my 5,993rd unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Winterlong Brewing Co. Sinister Rouge – India Red Ale at 7% ABV (C$6.07 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 31-Oct-2024, reviewed 31-Oct-2024)

Appearance: clear red-tinged medium amber with two fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: caramel, resiny dank pine, citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, slightly sticky medium duration finish. (4/5)

Decent enough example of the style: malt figures prominently, but there’s enough dank resiny pine and citrus to balance things out. Not bad at all. (15/20)

This will be my 5,992nd unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com