Month: June 2026

The Establishment Brewing Company Das Model – Dortmunder / Export Lager at 5.5% ABV (C$5.75 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 23-Apr-2026, acquired 23-Jun-2026, reviewed 26-Jun-2026)

Appearance: clear pale gold with one finger of fine white head, excellent retention and well-defined lacing. (5/5) Aroma: crackery malt, mineral petrichor, honey, grass, floral. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, medium duration off-dry finish. (4/5)

Well, I keep saying I don’t really understand most lager variants well enough to distinguish a really good one – but it would appear I just haven’t had enough really good ones. This is a really good one. (16/20)

This will be my 6436th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Superflux Beer Company Toroa – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$6.90 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 23-Jun-2026, reviewed 25-Jun-2026)

Appearance: hazy deep gold with one fat finger of loose white head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: cucumber, banana, melon, citrus, tropical fruit, earth. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, medium duration off-dry finish. (3/5)

Citra, Citra Cryo, Motueka, Rakau, and Nectaron. Nope. Not even. But, let’s be clear here: there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this, structurally. It’s just an utterly wrong flavour profile for the style. It’s almost savoury or umami instead of fruit, and in that sense almost reminds me of a gin and tonic with cucumber instead of lime. (Which, by the way, is a great drink – try it some time!) Congrats, Superflux, this is officially my least favourite beer you’ve ever made. (13/20)

This will be my 6435th unique Untappd check-in.

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Superflux Beer Company Raingod – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$6.95 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 23-Jun-2026, reviewed 25-Jun-2026)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with one fat finger of loose white head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: citrus, tropical fruit, cereal grains. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, medium duration off-dry finish. (3/5)

Simcoe, Citra Cryo, and Tangier hops. As far as I’m concerned, the Rain God can fuck all the way off this spring. My weather complaints aside, I’m not completely sold on this one – in particular, I find it tends slightly too light for the style, verging on thin. And, the aroma and flavour follow suit, both being just a touch less emphatic than I’d like for the style. It’s fine, but it’s not up to their “normal standard” (which I put in quotes because it’s frankly among the highest of any brewery I know: for n=25, μ=7.9 & σ=0.51). (15/20)

This will be my 6434th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Beavertown Brewery Heavy Gravity – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (£4.75 at Sainsbury’s Local, 440 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 18-Jun-2026, reviewed 18-Jun-2026)

Appearance: hazy straw with one finger of loose white head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: big sweet tropical fruit, citrus, light coconut. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, medium duration off-dry finish. (4/5)

I’m assuming the coconut is Sabro – and expect it confuses the hell out of many locals – but I enjoy it and have had it many times, so it’s not even close to being a penalty in my book. Overall, it’s a perfectly respectable effort, but there’s little to distinguish it in a very crowded field. Good, but not next level. (14/20)

This will be my 6432nd unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

BrewDog Double Hazy Jane – American Double / Imperial IPA at 7.2% ABV (C£4.40 at Sainsbury’s Local, 440 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 18-Jun-2026, reviewed 18-Jun-2026)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one finger of loose white head diminishing rapidly to nothing, minimal spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical & stone fruit, cereal grains, sweet citrus. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, shortish slightly sticky mildly warming finish. (4/5)

If I hadn’t had this back-to-back with its lower-weight sibling, I’d be inclined to think my describing them nearly identically was failure of imagination. But no, this is exactly like Hazy Jane, except 44% boozier. For exactly 44% more money. So… it’s a time saver if you want to get drunk on Hazy Jane? (15/20)

Turns out this is not a unique Untappd check-in. But I rated it pretty much exactly the same as I did three years ago at Seven Dials, so I’m at least consistently full of shit.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

BrewDog Hazy Jane – American IPA at 5.0% ABV (£3.05 at Sainsbury’s Local, 440 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 18-Jun-2026, reviewed 18-Jun-2026)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one finger of loose white head diminishing rapidly to nothing, minimal spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical & stone fruit, cereal grains, sweet citrus. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, shortish slightly sticky finish. (4/5)

On the one hand, it’s fairly generic. On the other hand, it’s pretty drinkable, with no real down sides other than the cosmetic one of zero head retention or lacing, and quite a pleasant, almost mimosa-like aroma. (15/20)

This will be my 6431st unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

BrewDog Wingman – Session IPA at 4.3% ABV (£3.05 at Sainsbury’s Local, 440 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 18-Jun-2026, reviewed 18-Jun-2026)

Appearance: clear pale straw with one finger of loose white head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, minimal lacing. (3/5) Aroma: pithy citrus, tropical fruit, pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: light body, lively carbonation, short crisp finish. (4/5)

It flirts with being too sweet, but never really gets there, and with its thin body and lively carbonation ends up being almost cider-like. Which isn’t a bad thing, I suppose, but it’s not very “IPA-ish”. It’s fine for a Session, I guess. (14/20)

This will be my 6430th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Establishment Brewing Company Elaborate Atractions – American IPA at 6.4% ABV (C$5.50 at Safeway, 473 ml, packaged on 21-May-2026, acquired 3-Jun-2026, reviewed 12-Jun-2026)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fluffy pale ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: stone fruit, citrus, berries, lactose. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium creamy body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry medium finish. (4/5)

Peacharine, Citra, Nelson Sauvin, and Rakau. Fruity and creamy without being too sweet. Very nice. (16/20)

This will be my 6426th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Establishment Brewing Company Something For Your M.I.N.D. – Pilsner at 5.0% ABV (C$5.00 at Safeway, 473 ml, packaged on 15-May-2026, acquired 3-Jun-2026, reviewed 4-Jun-2026)

Appearance: brilliantly clear pale straw with one fat finger of creamy white head, excellent retention and moderate clingy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: crackery malt, citrus, floral & grassy, hint of DMS. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium light body, moderate-high carbonation, dry crisp finish. (4/5)

Experimental hop HBC 1134. I dunno, maybe I have to drink more Pilsners and get tuned up on the style, but it’s hard for me to get excited about them unless they’re highly-hopped abominations that would cause a German brewer to have a seizure. As far as I can tell, this conforms well to the BJCP guidelines for a German Pils, which is basically the base style to the hoppier Italian style. (15/20)

This will be my 6423rd unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com