Month: December 2025

Bent Stick Brewing Co. Eleven Fifty-Nine PM (Rum Barrel Aged) – American Double / Imperial Stout at 11.9% ABV (C$11.38 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 1-Jan-2025, acquired 1-Dec-2025, reviewed 15-Dec-2025)

Appearance: black with short fine beige head, good retention and moderate stringy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: rum, chocolate/coffee, vanilla, wood. (8/10) Taste: high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: full slightly slick body, moderate-soft carbonation, sweet lingering bitter warming finish. (4/5)

Collective Advent #6. Well, it’s about time: a solid performer, well-implemented, and seasonally-appropriate. (And yes, when I say “black”, I mean it’s jet black, impenetrable by my flashlight. Fairly rare.) No notes. (16/20)

This will be my 6,295th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Two Pillars Brewing Grandma’s Secret Recipe Sugar Cookie Tripel – Tripel at 7.2% ABV (C$11.38 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 1-Dec-2025, reviewed 15-Dec-2025)

Appearance: clear deep gold with a fizzy short-lived head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: caramel, ginger, light Belgian esters. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, sweet mildly warming finish. (3/5)

Collective Advent #5. Really not an impressive interpretation. (13/20)

This will be my 6,294th unique Untappd check-in.

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Privatbrauerei Eichbaum Steam Brew Imperial Stout – Imperial Stout at 7.5% ABV (0.89€ at Lidl Polch, 473 ml, packaged on 9-Jul-2025, best before 9-Jul-2026, acquired 8-Dec-2025, reviewed 10-Dec-2025)

Appearance: clear deep cola red with one finger of loose beige head diminishing gradually to nothing, spotty soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: anise, sweet caramel, light cocoa/coffee. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium-full body, moderate-soft carbonation, lingering bitter finish finish. (3/5)

This may well be one of the saddest “Imperial Stout” offerings I’ve ever had, which is probably why the label notes focus on its appearance. On the other hand, it was 0.89€, so in all honesty, I wouldn’t mind buying it again. (12/20)

This will be my 6,288th unique Untappd check-in.

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Privatbrauerei Eichbaum Steam Brew Imperial IPA – American Double / Imperial IPA at 7.8% ABV (0.89€ at Lidl Polch, 473 ml, packaged on 22-Sep-2025, best before 22-Sep-2026, acquired 8-Dec-2025, reviewed 10-Dec-2025)

Appearance: hazy pale amber with one fat finger of fluffy pale ivory head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, caramel, mild stone fruit, light grass. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter finish finish. (3/5)

Hopped with Yellow Sub (new to me?) and Mosaic. I mean, it’s a bit ham-fisted, and characteristic of the ongoing struggle German brewers have with high gravity and/or anything other than Noble hops, but it’s not terrible. (And, yeah, it’s barely “high gravity” or “Imperial”, but I guess it qualifies.) Ultimately, though, it’s worth every (Euro) cent of the 0.89€ purchase price. (14/20)

This will be my 6,287th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Karlsberg Brauerei Urpils – Pilsner at 4.8% ABV | 35 IBU (0.99€ at Lidl Polch, 473 ml, packaged on 1-Aug-2025, acquired 8-Dec-2025, reviewed 9-Dec-2025)

Appearance: clear straw with one fat finger of fluffy white head, good retention and minimal lacing. (4/5) Aroma: grass, crackery malt, herbal, citrus. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, short finish. (3/5)

Pretty typical German Pils, but with a little more of a bitter edge through the finish than is normal. It’s still very much a mass-market offering, mind you, but I don’t dislike it. (13/20)

This will be my 6,285th unique Untappd check-in.

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Born Brewing Co. (Born Colorado Brewing) Warming Hut – Winter Warmer at 7.7% ABV (C$11.38 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 20-Nov-2025, acquired 1-Dec-2025, reviewed 4-Dec-2025)

Appearance: clear brown with one fat finger of pillowy beige head, excellent retention and well-defined soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: spices, sweet caramel, hint of chocolate and molasses. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-full body, moderate carbonation, slightly sweetish mildly warming bitter finish. (3/5)

Collective Advent #4. Looks pretty and smells nice, but the initial sweetness drops off rapidly to a somewhat uncharacteristically bitter and edgy finish. I’m sure I just described any number of ex-girlfriends or spouses, but it’s this beer too. (14/20)

This will be my 6,279th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Smithers Brewing Co. Di Moda – Pilsner at 5.3% ABV (C$11.38 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 1-Dec-2025, reviewed 3-Dec-2025)

Appearance: clear pale gold with one fat finger of fine white head, good retention and minimal spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: bready malt, citrus, grass. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, drying crisp slightly spicy finish. (4/5)

Collective Advent #3. Yeah, I’m a little choked to see a Pils as one of the offerings in the expensive curated calendar. That being said, this is quite a good Pils. I was a bit unimpressed with the aroma, but the flavour is quite nice, bright and almost tangy, with a pleasant crisp and spicy finish. (15/20)

This will be my 6,278th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Superflux Beer Company YCH Krush CryoFresh – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$11.38 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 31-Oct-2025, acquired 1-Dec-2025, reviewed 3-Dec-2025)

Appearance: hazy deep gold with two fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, good retention and minimal spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, dank pine, cereal grains. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly creamy body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (4/5)

Collective Advent #2. Definitely my kind of beer, with lots of fruit character yet restrained sweetness. (16/20)

This will be my 6,277th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Annex Ale Project Ego Death – American Double / Imperial Stout at 8.9% ABV (C$11.38 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 4-Nov-2025, acquired 1-Dec-2025, reviewed 3-Dec-2025)

Appearance: clear deep cola red with a short fine beige head diminishing gradually to nothing, no lacing. (4/5) Aroma: coffee, cacao, anise, ash. (7/10) Taste: high sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: full slick body, moderate-soft carbonation, sticky sweet lingering warming bitter finish. (4/5)

Collective Advent #1. Starts off with a big, boozy, bombastic bang. And, it’s fine, y’know? I’ve had my share – fine, more than my share – of Imperial Stouts, and it’s a style that’s easy to rate fairly highly: after all, who doesn’t like boozy chocolate? Problem is, I’ve had enough exposure to the style that shock and awe doesn’t work on me. And behind the shock and awe, this one has a few (admittedly minor) defects: primarily the excessively roasty character, giving a burnt, ashy note on the nose and a lingering sharpness through the finish that one might normally associate with a lighter gravity beer punching above its weight. Don’t get me wrong, this is good – but it’s not great. (15/20)

This will be my 6,276th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Tool Shed Brewing Company Hop Frolic – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$5.75 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 11-Oct-2025, acquired 21-Nov-2025, reviewed 2-Dec-2025)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fine pale ivory head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, light resiny pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium  body, moderate carbonation, sweetish medium duration finish. (3/5)

The label suggests this is done with fresh Yakima Chief hops, but doesn’t specify the varietals. I’m guessing the usual starts-with-C suspects, but in any case this is probably the hoppiest beer I’ve ever had from Tool Shed. I found it just a touch too sweet, and that carried through the finish. A bit more attenuation would make this much more more-ish to my palate. (15/20)

This will be my 6,275th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com