Author: dpatrickryan

Tree House Brewing Company Julius American IPA at 6.8% ABV (Trade – thanks Norm!, 473 ml, packaged on 19-Nov-2018, acquired 21-Dec-2018, reviewed 26-Dec-2018)

Appearance: opaque pale gold with one fat finger of rocky off-white head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical & stone fruits, citrus, caramel. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (9/10) Medium slightly creamy body, moderate carbonation, off-dry moderate bitter finish. (4/5)

I should’ve tried this years ago, because now I feel like I’m doing it a bit of a disservice. Not that I’d do anything as crazy as suggest it isn’t extremely good, but because I have now seen so much of its influence in other beers (being as it is a bit of an archetype of the style) that it now feels just the slightest bit derivative. I’m going to stick with the same ranking as I gave AAAlterrr Ego!, but the fact is, the former is probably just the slightest bit preferable. (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Tree House Brewing Company AAAlterrr Ego! American IPA at 6.8% ABV (Trade – thanks Norm!, 473 ml, packaged on 20-Nov-2018, acquired 21-Dec-2018, reviewed 26-Dec-2018)

Appearance: opaque pale gold with one fat finger of rocky off-white head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: juicy citrus, dank pine, tropical & stone fruits, caramel. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (9/10) Medium slightly creamy body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry moderate bitter finish. (4/5)

Definitely among the best I’ve had by Tree House. It verges on a pure NE-style, but with an emphatic bitter in the finish. On the one hand, I wish I’d tried the base Alter Ego previously for comparison, but on the other the brewer notes make it sound like this is actually a far superior beer. Really good stuff and big thanks to Norm for the special delivery! (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Railway City Brewing Co. Dead Elephant English IPA at 6.5% ABV | 66 IBU (C$3.35 at Gift – Rod H, 473 ml, packaged on 17-Oct-2018, acquired 20-Dec-2018, reviewed 25-Dec-2018)

Appearance: clear deep gold with one fat finger of loose white head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: caramel, floral, stone fruit, earth, citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry moderate bitter finish. (3/5)

I don’t think this one knows whether it’s fish or fowl: the aroma is very malt-intensive English, but the bitterness is far beyond that normally associated with the E/IPA style and well into territory more commonly associated with the New World. Oh, and they can’t make up their mind about the bitterness for this thing: their own web site says 46 IBU, but the can says 66 IBU. Personally, I think the can is right, but it’s just another layer of confusion to add to the mix. And no, not in an “adds to the air of mystery” sense – it’s just pretty muddled and meh-tastic overall. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Prince Edward Island Brewing Company Gahan Snow Bird Juicy IPA American IPA at 6% ABV (C$3.83 at NLC Stavanger, 473 ml, packaged on 12-Sep-2018, acquired 20-Dec-2018, reviewed 25-Dec-2018)

Appearance: opaque pale gold with one fat finger of fluffy off-white head, good retention and spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, caramel. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry mild bitter finish. (4/5)

A surprisingly competent rendition of the style. I’d like to see brighter citrus on both the nose and the tongue, but given it was packaged in September, it might well have faded. Pretty serviceable as-is, but I’d like to try it fresher. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Railyard Brewing Nitro Stout American Stout at 5.5% ABV (2018 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #24, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 30-Nov-2018, reviewed 24-Dec-2018)

Appearance: clear deep brown with lighter relief around the margins, one finger of fine beige head diminishing gradually to a thick cap, spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: chocolate, coffee, molasses, nuts, ash, anise. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium-full slightly creamy body, soft carbonation, dry medium duration bitter finish. (4/5)

And so this year’s calendar comes to a close, with a selection that is at least somewhat seasonally-appropriate. Given the “Nitro” moniker, I was expecting a creamier body, as well as better head development and retention, but I guess the absence of a widget limits how effective the nitro can be. I’m guessing it’s a lot better on a nitro tap, but it’s not bad as it stands. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Trillium Brewing Company El Dorado Cutting Tiles American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.5% ABV (Trade – thanks Norm!, 473 ml, packaged on 15-Nov-2018, acquired 21-Dec-2018, reviewed 23-Dec-2018)

Appearance: opaque pale amber with one fat finger of creamy pale ivory head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: citrus, floral, tropical fruit, herbal, biscuity pale malt. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (9/10) Medium-full body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry sticky warming finish. (4/5)

Another opaque juice bomb, complete with swirling milky layers. (Is this called “Cutting Tiles” because it looks like the water after you use a wet tile saw?) All El Dorado hops, with wildflower honey providing an additional flavour layer. I keep wanting to say there’s a Creamsicle note here, but I think that’s more a function of what I see, than what I smell or taste. Definitely interesting, but just as definitely experimental, and not as polished as some of their others. Or, maybe it’s a reflection of their “new normal” given their ongoing transition, making them victims of their own success? (Oh, what a terrible fate, to be a craft beer rock star!) Good shit. Not sure it’s great. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Trillium Brewing Company Double Dry Hopped Congress Street American IPA at 7.2% ABV (Trade – thanks Norm!, 473 ml, packaged on 19-Nov-2018, acquired 21-Dec-2018, reviewed 23-Dec-2018)

Appearance: opaque pale amber with one fat finger of creamy pale ivory head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: mango, resiny and slightly dank pine, juicy oranges, stone fruit, biscuity pale malt. (10/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (9/10) Medium-full body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry slightly sticky and mildly warming finish. (4/5)

A little bit older than the non-DDH version of this I had a couple of years ago (thanks to Norm for that one as well!) but definitely just as good – which makes me think, had I gotten this one at ten days old the way I did its predecessor, would it have been even better? The original is a love letter to Australian Galaxy hops, and this dials it up even further. Retains its lovely mouth feel, and just the right amount of gentle warming in the finish. Very well-balanced and just a lovely beer all-round, and once again huge thanks to Norm for this gem! (18/20)

9/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Lawson’s Finest Liquids Sip of Sunshine American IPA at 8% ABV (Trade – thanks Norm!, 473 ml, packaged on 9-Nov-2018, acquired 21-Dec-2018, reviewed 23-Dec-2018)

Appearance: hazy pale amber with one fat finger of rocky white head diminishing to a thin cap, minimal lacing. (3/5) Aroma: bright citrus, dank pine, tropical fruit, floral. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (5/5)

I’ve been wanting to try this one for a while, so getting it by special delivery (thanks Norm!) was a bit of an early Xmas gift for me! It did not disappoint: despite being a little bit older – it’s been around for what, four years now? – it’s still very current, with big bright citrus aroma upon opening, but retaining that old-school lingering bitterness. Pretty great stuff. (18/20)

9/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Troubled Monk Brewery Open Road American Brown Ale at 5.5% ABV (2018 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #23, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 30-Nov-2018, reviewed 22-Dec-2018)

Appearance: clear amber-brown with a short beige head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: roasty malts, coffee, chocolate, grassy, nutty, mild dark fruit and liquorice. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, hoppy medium finish. (3/5)

Nicely hoppy Brown Ale that nonetheless still has all the roasted malt character you’d expect from a brown, or even a porter or stout. Lighter body keeps the dark roasty malt from become oppressive, and hops keep things on the bright side. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Port Rexton Brewing Company Salted Sour Pale Ale Sour / Wild Ale at 4.6% ABV (C$7.83 at Port Rexton Brewing Company, 950 ml, packaged on 20-Dec-2018, acquired 20-Dec-2018, reviewed 22-Dec-2018)

Appearance: opaque pale straw with one finger of creamy white head, good retention and spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: lemon zest, lactic, wheat. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, medium duration lightly tart briny finish. (4/5)

Pretty typical kettle sour, albeit with a bit of Gose-like brine. I wasn’t very impressed to start with, but it sort of grew on me – and that certainly wasn’t due to its minimal ABV. OK, if not exciting. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com