Month: December 2025

For future reference, here’s my summary of the 25 offerings from this year’s Advent Calendar by Collective in Calgary.

1: Annex Ale Project Ego Death American Double / Imperial Stout at 8.9% ABV: 7.5/10
2: Superflux Beer Company YCH Krush CryoFresh American IPA at 6.5% ABV: 8/10
3: Smithers Brewing Co. Di Moda Pilsner at 5.3% ABV: 7.5/10
4: Born Brewing Co. (Born Colorado Brewing) Warming Hut Winter Warmer at 7.7% ABV: 7/10
5: Two Pillars Brewing Grandma’s Secret Recipe Sugar Cookie Tripel Tripel at 7.2% ABV: 6.5/10
6: Bent Stick Brewing Co. Eleven Fifty-Nine PM American Double / Imperial Stout at 11.9% ABV: 8/10
7: Fierce Beer Ltd. Maple Pancake American Pale Ale at 6.5% ABV: 8/10
8: Small Gods Brewing Co. Uncommon Grounds Bock at 6.2% ABV: 6/10
9: 2 Crows Brewing Return to Innocence Blended Saison at 6.3% ABV: 7/10
10: Irrational Brewing Company Ethereal 24 Pilsner at 4.8% ABV: 7/10
11: Refined Fool Brewing Co. Bobhouse Banger Peanut Butter Porter American Porter at 6% ABV: 7/10
12: Burdock Brewing Cabo (2023) American Wild Ale at 7.9% ABV: 8/10
13: Ale Architect Brewing Ltd. Joy Wave 3 American IPA at 7.8% ABV: 7.5/10
14: Blind Enthusiasm Brewing Company Un Petit Peu American Wild Ale at 7.9% ABV: 8.5/10
15: Dageraad Brewing Rainshine Blond Ale at 6% ABV: 7.5/10
16: Village Brewery Monk American Porter at 6.2% ABV: 6/10
17: The Red Hart Brewing Co. Modern Day Warrior American Brown Ale at 6% ABV: 7/10
18: Blood Brothers Brewing Everything Goes Away “You Should Open A Brewery” Triple IPA at 10% ABV: 8/10
19: Town Square Brewing Barrel Aged Buffalo Trace Bourbon Whiskey Variant 4 Rye Beer at 5.8% ABV: 8/10
20: Whitetooth Brewing Company Equinox Strawberry Rhubarb Sour Sour / Wild Ale at 4.3% ABV: 6.5/10
21: Bellwoods Brewery A Stout With Coffee (Sam James Coffee Bar) American Stout at 5% ABV: 7.5/10
22: Camp Beer Co. Bounty Chocolate Coconut Dark Lager Dark Lager at 4.2% ABV: 6.5/10
23: Changing Colours Brewing Project The Beautiful People American IPA at 7.5% ABV: 8/10
24: Sheepdog Brewing Island Time Pilsner at 5.2% ABV: 7.5/10
25: The Bruery Bakery: Rocky Road Brownie (2025) American Double / Imperial Stout at 9.5% ABV: 8/10

Overall, the average score was 7.36/10, which I think might be the strongest showing for any Advent calendar I’ve ever had. Whether it was worth the price is entirely another question…

The Bruery Bakery: Rocky Road Brownie (2025) – American Double / Imperial Stout at 9.5% ABV (C$11.38 at Collective, 375 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 1-Dec-2025, reviewed 23-Dec-2025)

Appearance: nearly opaque clear brown with one finger of fine dark tan head, good retention and moderate chunky lacing. (5/5) Aroma: chocolate, marshmallow, walnuts, vanilla. (8/10) Taste: high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: full slightly slick body, moderate-soft carbonation, lingering sticky warming finish. (4/5)

Collective Advent #25. I’ve complained about some of the choices for this calendar, especially after yet another Pilsner, but all is forgiven. I’m not quite as excited by The Bruery as I once was – they kind of jumped the shark a little in my opinion – but they still hold a special spot for me. And this is very much a seasonally-appropriate offering, even if it is an over-the-top sticky beast that, especially after a big dinner, takes a long time to sip. (16/20)

This will be my 6,313th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Sheepdog Brewing Island Time – Pilsner at 5.2% ABV (C$11.38 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 1-Dec-2025, reviewed 23-Dec-2025)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with two fingers of rocky white head, excellent retention and heavy chunky lacing. (5/5) Aroma: sweet apple, mineral, floral, grass. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, short crisp finish. (4/5)

Collective Advent #24. It’s another Pilsner. (15/20)

This will be my 6,312th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Changing Colours Brewing Project The Beautiful People – American IPA at 7.5% ABV | 25 IBU (C$11.38 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 11-Nov-2025, acquired 1-Dec-2025, reviewed 23-Dec-2025)

Appearance: hazy deep gold with two fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, excellent retention and spotty soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: bright citrus, stone & tropical fruit, light dank pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly creamy body, moderate-soft carbonation, medium duration mildly warming finish. (4/5)

Collective Advent #23. “Triple Dry Hopped with Citra, Mosaic Cryo then boosted with Riwaka Subzero Hop Kief for maximum depth and saturation.”  Hell yeah. Nice balance of bright fruit on the nose, restrained sweet on the tongue, and just enough warming through the finish to remind you that this in fact beer. (16/20)

This will be my 6,311th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Camp Beer Co. Bounty Chocolate Coconut Dark Lager – Dark Lager at 4.2% ABV (C$11.38 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 1-Dec-2025, reviewed 22-Dec-2025)

Appearance: nearly opaque clear brown with a short beige head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, minimal spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: mild, chocolate, toasted malt. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, medium-short duration finish. (3/5)

Collective Advent #22. Yes, I know it’s only 4%, so I didn’t expect very much bombast, but it’s light and thin even so. And I’m deeply disappointed by the complete absence of the alleged coconut. I’m not saying there has to be coconut present, unless you claim it on the label, in which case, yeah, there does! (13/20)

This will be my 6,310th unique Untappd check-in.

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Bellwoods Brewery A Stout With Coffee (Sam James Coffee Bar) – American Stout at 5.0% ABV (C$11.38 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 22-Sep-2025, acquired 1-Dec-2025, reviewed 22-Dec-2025)

Appearance: nearly opaque clear brown with a short beige head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, minimal spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: coffee, chocolate, hint of berries. (9/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-full body, moderate carbonation, slightly sticky medium duration finish. (3/5)

Collective Advent #21. Yes, I was hoping there would be a Bellwoods in the calendar, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed by it being a Stout. Imaginative (not) naming aside, it is what it says on the label, and coffee very much dominates. It’s impressive how much flavour and body it exhibits for such a low ABV, but it’s also a bit too sweet for my preference. (15/20)

This will be my 6,309th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Whitetooth Brewing Company Equinox Strawberry Rhubarb Sour – Sour / Wild Ale at 4.3% ABV (C$11.38 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 12-Sep-2025, acquired 1-Dec-2025, reviewed 22-Dec-2025)

Appearance: murky pale amber with a short ivory head that retains poorly, minimal spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: lactic sour, field berries. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, moderate-low bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, short moderate tart finish. (4/5)

Collective Advent #20. The advent calendar continues to feature some odd choices. What, precisely, does a low-gravity kettle sour have to do with advent? Anyway, it is what it is: little to no complexity, except what’s provided by the fruit adjunct. Meh. (13/20)

This will be my 6,308th unique Untappd check-in.

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Town Square Brewing Barrel Aged Buffalo Trace Bourbon Whiskey Variant 4 – Rye Beer at 5.8% ABV (C$11.38 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 1-Dec-2025, reviewed 22-Dec-2025)

Appearance: clear deep cola with two fingers of fluffy beige head, good retention and moderate stringy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: big whiskey and barrel notes, dried fruit, chocolate and roasty malts. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, sweetish medium duration finish. (4/5)

Collective Advent #19. What in the hell even is this? It looks and smells like a double digit BA Stout, but tastes much lighter, finishing lively and mild. I’m actually pretty impressed that they’ve managed to pack so much flavour into something that’s neither sickly sweet nor unmanageably boozy hot. (16/20)

This will be my 6,307th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Blood Brothers Brewing Everything Goes Away “You Should Open A Brewery” – Triple IPA at 10% ABV (C$11.38 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 10-Oct-2025, acquired 1-Dec-2025, reviewed 21-Dec-2025)

Appearance: murky pale amber with one fat finger of fine pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: big peach/stone fruit, hint of dank. (8/10) Taste: high sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-full body, moderate-soft carbonation, lingering warming finish. (4/5)

Collective Advent #18. “w/ Nectaron, Tropical Fusion, & 1019”. I’ve had one other of the EGA series, Things Will Go Wrong, which was similarly bombastic, but by contrast had a little more complexity, and in particular a bit more resiny pine to balance out the sweet fruit character. This one seems to be a bit more single-note, with a whole lot of peach (though not really, because it’s all hop-derived, and not adjunct, but my point stands) but not a whole lot else. Still pretty great. (16/20)

This will be my 6,306th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Red Hart Brewing Co. Modern Day Warrior – American Brown Ale at 6% ABV (C$11.38 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 1-Dec-2025, reviewed 21-Dec-2025)

Appearance: clear brown with one finger of fine beige head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: toasted bread, dark fruit, honey, faint nuts. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, medium duration slightly edgy finish. (3/5)

Collective Advent #17. Can’t decide whether to penalize the label for blatant Rush ripoff, or award for Rush homage, so we’ll leave it neutral. A fairly pleasant Brown, all about the malt on the front end and unfortunately lacking any real hop presence. It’s fairly clean through the mid, but tends just a touch edgy for the style through the finish. Not one to excite. (14/20)

This will be my 6,305th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com