Author: dpatrickryan

Phillips Brewing Company Test Pattern American IPA at 6.9% ABV (C$8.49 at Oak & Vine, 650 ml, best before 16-Dec-2018, acquired 29-Sep-2018, reviewed 13-Oct-2018)

Appearance: clear pale gold with two fat fingers of rocky white head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus flesh & peel, tropical fruit, melon, pale malt, hint of rice. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body tending slightly thin, moderate carbonation, off-dry slightly astringent finish. (3/5)

As usual no packaging date on this Phillips product, though there is a December BB date on the neck. It was announced early August, so I assume packaging took place very shortly before that, which would imply a (fairly odd?) five month or so BB period, and a current age of roughly sixty to ninety days. Not bad as rice beers go. It’s hard to know whether the rice character I’m getting is simply my expectation and association with macro lagers, but I’m pretty sure it’s really there, both as a hint of rice on the nose, a slight thinness in the body, and a lightly sweetish astringency in the finish. I found their anniversary releases to be pretty solid for the past couple of years, but this falls just a little short. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Dandy Brewing Company / Blood Brothers Brewing Station to Station American IPA at 5.5% ABV (C$7.99 at Oak & Vine, 650 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 29-Sep-2018, reviewed 12-Oct-2018)

Appearance: cloudy pale straw with three fingers and growing of rocky white head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: juicy & zesty citrus, tropical fruit, pale crackery malt, light pine, earth. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, dry short finish. (4/5)

I think this might be my third Brut IPA, so it’s rapidly becoming an increasingly less novel style to encounter. I’d never heard of Blood Brothers Brewing before this, but they seem to be pretty hot stuff in Tronno, so I guess we poor western hicks ought be grateful they graced us with their presence, huh? (Actually, snark aside, this is a pretty fine beer, so I suppose I really should be.) Stylistically, this invites a comparison to Brett as well as Brut, particularly with the massive out-of-control head and the dry finish. However, there’s no funk to speak of, and it’s nowhere near as astringent as Brett usually is. I thought I caught a hint of baker’s yeast when I first poured, but it disappeared quickly, leaving behind juicy fruit, clean malt, and light earthy pine. I keep waiting for the big bite in the finish, but it never comes. All in all, a very pleasant and approachable brew, aromatic and fruity while remaining light and dry. Pretty much a Brut NEIPA, in fact, and definitely worth checking out if you appreciate either of these sub-styles. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Collective Arts Brewing IPA #6 American IPA at 6.7% ABV (C$5.79 at Oak & Vine, 473 ml, packaged on 24-Aug-2018, acquired 29-Sep-2018, reviewed 11-Oct-2018)

Appearance: opaque pale gold with one fat finger of fluffy off-white head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: mild, peach & stone fruit, orange juice, hint of pine, light sulphur. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, sweetish medium duration finish. (3/5)

Not bad at the outset – peachy, even – although slightly muted and mild in character. As it warms, though, I’m getting a slight but very unwelcome sulphur edge. This thing isn’t all that old, so I don’t think it’s a matter of it having oxidized or otherwise gone off, maybe more a characteristic of the fruit puree used? This is probably my fourth or fifth encounter with Wai-Iti hops, but I can’t say I’m getting any of the typical ANZ characteristics here – again, maybe everything’s just overwhelmed by the peach puree. All in all, not one of CA’s better efforts, but OK. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Parallel 49 Advocate American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.0% ABV (C$3.50 at Okotoks Co-Op, 473 ml, packaged on 29-Mar-2018, acquired 7-Oct-2018, reviewed 10-Oct-2018)

Appearance: clear pale amber with one fat finger of fluffy ivory head, good retention and moderate chunky lacing. (5/5) Aroma: caramel & biscuity malt, pine, citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body tending slightly thick, moderate carbonation, sweetish lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

Very much an old-fashioned DIPA. And that’s pretty much all I have to say about that. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

BrewDog Indie Pale Ale English Pale Ale at 4.2% ABV | 30 IBU (C$2.99 at Oak & Vine, 500 ml, best before 5-Mar-2019, acquired 29-Sep-2018, reviewed 10-Oct-2018)

Appearance: clear pale gold with one fat finger of fluffy ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin skim and ring, moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel & biscuity malt, stewed pear & apple, faint citrus & pine. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (5/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration finish. (3/5)

A bland, lager-ish take on the English Pale Ale style – which, let’s face it, is pretty bland to start with. There’s nothing wrong with this, as such, but there’s not a lot right, making it the least impressive BrewDog offering I’ve tried, by a pretty big margin. If you ask me, it’s a bit of a waste of perfectly good Mosaic hops – though, to be fair, they couldn’t have used all that much of them. What’s worse, though, is their marketing language, portraying this as a clarion call for craft beer. You know what’s a better clarion call for craft beer? Literally every single other beer BD makes.

TL;DR: It’s shite. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brasserie McAuslan St-Ambroise Barrel Collection Blonde Barleywine (2017) Barley Wine at 10.1% ABV (C$12.96 at NLC Howley Estates, 750 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 8-Nov-2017, reviewed 3-Oct-2018)

Appearance: clear deep gold with one fat finger of fluffy ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin skim and ring, spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel and toffee, bourbon, vanilla. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration mildly warming finish. (4/5)

Fairly simple, but I don’t mean that as a criticism. Rich (but not cloying) caramel/toffee is completely dominant, with mild bourbon and vanilla in the background. The body is relatively light for the style, as is the carbonation, and there’s very little alcohol presence, except as a gentle warming. Solid, if not precisely exciting. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Boulevard Brewing Co. Smokestack Series Bourbon Barrel Quad Abt / Quadrupel at 11.8% ABV | 26 IBU (C$18.99 at Quarry Park Calgary Co-Op, 750 ml, packaged on 27-Aug-2014, best before 1-Aug-2016, acquired 20-Apr-2015, reviewed 2-Oct-2018)

Appearance: clear brown with one fat finger of fluffy ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin skim and ring, spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel and toffee, cherries, nuts, bourbon, vanilla. (9/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly oily body, moderate carbonation, medium duration mildly warming finish. (4/5)

This thing’s over four years old, so I figured it was either time to drink it, or enrol it in school. I understand it’s loosely based on _The Sixth Glass_, a slightly younger version of which I had a few months ago, and the similarities are definitely apparent. Like its progenitor, this has a tempered sweetness and low presence for its high ABV. There’s definitely some bourbon barrel notes added into the mix, but I’m also clearly getting the cherries they use to replace the angel’s share. All in all, a pleasantly complex sipper. (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Firestone Walker Brewing Company Parabola (2017 Vintage, No. 008) Russian Imperial Stout at 14.5% ABV | 69 IBU (C$18.75 Trade – thanks, Norm!, 355 ml, packaged on 16-Jan-2017, acquired 16-Jun-2018, reviewed 1-Oct-2018)

Appearance: clear deep brown with one finger of beige head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, minimal spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: boozy bourbon, chocolate, coffee, vanilla. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: full slick body, moderate carbonation, sticky lingering bitter warming finish. (4/5)

Still big and hot almost two years after bottling, and I’m not sure any amount of cellaring will change that. Definite slow sipper, verging on harsh but not quite brutal. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Firestone Walker Brewing Company Luponic Distortion #10 American IPA at 5.9% ABV | 59 IBU (C$3.73 at Oak & Vine, 355 ml, packaged on 8-Jun-2018, acquired 29-Sep-2018, reviewed 29-Sep-2018)

Appearance: clear straw with one fat finger of fluffy white head, moderate retention and patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: stone fruit, citrus, floral, crackery pale malt, light dank. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry mildly bitter finish. (4/5)

Yeah, OK, that’s me slightly behind the times – the last one of this series I had (could find) was “004”. Not that there’s a lot of variation in each release, of course – they’re all variations on the same base malt bill. Which isn’t a criticism, since each allows a slightly different hop profile to be explored. I just wish they wouldn’t be so coy about what hops are used: for this one, their web site says “The lead hops in No. 10 include cultivars from the Pacific Northwest, Germany and Australia”. That and a buck’ll buy you a cup of coffee. Anyway, it’s easy drinking, decently dry, and finishes clean. At this point, I might not be expecting any surprises from the series, but I’ll certainly continue to sample them. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Deschutes Brewery Fresh Haze American IPA at 6.5% ABV | 45 IBU (C$3.50 at Oak & Vine, 355 ml, best before 29-Dec-2018, acquired 29-Sep-2018, reviewed 29-Sep-2018)

Appearance: slightly hazy deep gold with two fingers of loose off-white head dropping rapidly to a thin skim, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: orange juice, grainy caramel, citrus peel, tropical fruit. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium bitter finish. (4/5)

If you’re gonna jump on a bandwagon, at least land on the wagon, not somewhere in the general vicinity of the wagon and then post a “mission accomplished!” banner. Yeah, OK, it’s more juice and less pine than Fresh Squeezed, but that’s not necessarily a good thing. Sure, it’s a decent beer – it’s not like Deschutes does anything badly – but it’s not very exciting. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com