Month: August 2025

Microbrasserie 4 Origines Andromède – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$5.90 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 20-May-2025, acquired 15-Aug-2025, reviewed 29-Aug-2025)

Appearance: murky hazy pale amber with one fat finger of loose pale ivory head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, caramel, resiny pine. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

Meh. The muddy appearance is foreshadowing for the muddled aroma. Not impressive. (13/20)

This will be my 6,184th unique Untappd check-in.

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Long Bay Brewery Wasted Day – American IPA at 6% ABV | 50 IBU (C$6.00 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 25-May-2025, acquired 15-Aug-2025, reviewed 29-Aug-2025)

Appearance: slightly hazy straw with two fingers of fine white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: stone fruit, citrus, cereal grains, mild dank pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, sweetish lingering finish. (3/5)

It’s fine, but it’s just not wowing me. The fruit is a little anemic, and the finish tends a little sweet as it lingers. (14/20)

This will be my 6,183rd unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Long Bay Brewery Ruckus – American IPA at 7% ABV | 60 IBU (C$6.00 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 23-Jul-2025, acquired 15-Aug-2025, reviewed 26-Aug-2025)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with one finger of fine pale ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin ring, moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, cereal grains, light pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

Dry hopped with Mosaic and Citra. Not bad, but tastes and finishes just a little bitter for the nominal NE style. The aroma, which starts quite pleasant, also fades a little as the pint progresses. On the other hand, it’s actually pretty approachable for its relatively high ABV, so I guess it’s fairly decently balanced. It almost escapes from the middle of the pack, but not quite. (15/20)

This will be my 6,182nd unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Bent Stick / Polyrhythm Oom-Pa-Pa Blue Dream Hazy IPA – American IPA at 6.8% ABV (C$6.00 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 15-Aug-2025, reviewed 25-Aug-2025)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one finger of fine white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: slightly mild, resiny pine, stone & tropical fruit, berries, cereal grains. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, sweetish slightly sharp finish. (3/5)

I generally find Bent Stick to be reasonable but unremarkable, while Polyrhythm is almost without exception world-class. This unfortunately tends more to Bent Stick’s standards, than to Polyrhythm’s. The aroma’s not as bright and punchy as I’d like, while on the tongue it’s simultaneously a little sweet and a little sharp through the finish. These aren’t fatal flaws, but they’re enough to kick it down into “merely good” territory for me. (14/20)

This will be my 6,181st unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Superflux Beer Company Another Year. Whoop De Doo. – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$6.90 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 29-Jul-2025, acquired 15-Aug-2025, reviewed 21-Aug-2025)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fine pale ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, tropical fruit, cereal grains, light coconut. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (4/5)

Nectaron, Motueka, NZ cascade, and Citra hops. I’m not sure why Superflux is negging their own product, but I like this: lots of fruit on the front end, but restrained sweetness through an off-dry finish. (17/20)

This will be my 6,179th unique Untappd check-in.

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Cabin Brewing Company Sunnyspectrum – American Pale Ale at 5.2% ABV (C$5.90 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 7-Aug-2025, acquired 15-Aug-2025, reviewed 20-Aug-2025)

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

Citra, Centennial, Simcoe, and Mosaic hops. Works for me: there’s enough resiny pine to add character and a lingering bitter, but it’s balanced very well by the citrus and stone fruit. It’s never too sweet, and the pine gains ground throughout so that it ends much more West Coast-ish than it starts, but it’s also never overwhelmingly bitter. (16/20)

This will be my 6,177th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Polyrhythm Brewing Green Room – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$5.75 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 15-Aug-2025, reviewed 17-Aug-2025)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with one finger of fine white head diminishing gradually to a thick persistent cap, moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dank pine, stone fruit, citrus. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, medium duration lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Hot side hops Simcoe, Cryo Columbus, Motueka Amplifire; dry hops Amarillo, Cryo Columbus, Centennial. Works for me: not a full-on assault of dank pine, but rather a balanced combination of pine and stone fruit. Not that there’s anything wrong with the occasional dank beast, but this is more approachable, and certainly more sessionable. (16/20)

This will be my 6,175th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Establishment Brewing Company / Main Street Brewing Surfer Rosa – Pilsner at 4.8% ABV (C$5.75 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 5-Aug-2025, acquired 15-Aug-2025, reviewed 15-Aug-2025)

Appearance: clear pale straw with one finger of loose white head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, pale malt, faint pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, lively carbonation, short crisp finish. (4/5)

Not sure what makes this a “West Coast” Pilsner – I mean, there’s a hint of pine, sure, but it’s pretty much dominated by tropical fruit and citrus. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this, but I could probably have scored it lower in pretty much every category if I were in a bad mood. But I’m not, so, it’s fine – but no better than that. (15/20)

This will be my 6,174th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Establishment Brewing Company Gold Past Life – Czech Pilsner at 3.8% ABV (C$4.85 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 11-Mar-2025, acquired 15-Aug-2025, reviewed 15-Aug-2025)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with one finger of fine white head diminishing gradually to a persistent cap, moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: bready malt, floral, light minerality. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, off-dry short finish. (4/5)

Lots of flavour but clean and easy drinking, with absolutely no suggestion of the quite low ABV. I can totally see spending a long afternoon on a sunny patio drinking these. (16/20)

This will be my 6,173rd unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Establishment Brewing Company Take A Slice Orange Wheat Wild Ale (Wild Things 013) – American Wild Ale at 6.0% ABV (C$4.90 at Collective, 355 ml, packaged on 20-Dec-2024, acquired 24-Jul-2025, reviewed 4-Aug-2025)

Appearance: hazy straw with a short, short-lived loose white head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: horseblankety funk, herbs & pine needles, citrus zest. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, moderate-low bitter. (9/10) Palate: light attenuated body, lively carbonation, dry tart finish. (4/5)

It’s sometimes hard to tease out “well executed” from “I love this style”. Is there anything else to say? If you like the style, you’ll like this. If you don’t, you won’t. And if you’re unfamiliar with the style, you may be bewildered or even angered by it. (17/20)

This will be my 6,173rd unique Untappd check-in.

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com