Author: dpatrickryan

Council Brewing Co. Béatitude Passion Fruit Tart Saison Saison at 4.5% ABV (C$19.49 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, packaged on 22-Feb-2017, acquired 18-Nov-2017, reviewed 10-Apr-2018)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale straw with one fat finger loose white head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, minimal patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: doughy yeast, tropical fruit, lacto tart, lemon zest. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, minimal bitter. (8/10) Light body, lively carbonation, crisp lightly tart and funky finish. (4/5)

Standard Council Brewing comments apply here: bready, doughy yeast, tastes better than it smells, and authentically Saison-ish lower-gravity. As usual, there’s a strong family resemblance to the other variants, but this one makes the yeast seem better balanced. As a result, it manages to smell almost as good as it tastes, making it one of their best so far, and very nearly as good as the Mosaic one. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Fernie Brewing Company Three Kings Tripel at 8% ABV | 29 IBU (C$8.29 at Quarry Park Calgary Co-Op, 650 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 9-Apr-2018, reviewed 9-Apr-2018)

Appearance: slightly hazy medium gold with one fat finger of loose pale ivory head diminishing gradually to a thick persistent cap, moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: stone fruit, grainy pale malt, apple, white pepper, mild alcohol, slight phenol. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light tart. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, drying moderately warming bitter and lightly tart peppery finish. (4/5)

Yeah… the label claims this is a “Trappist Ale”, which it clearly isn’t: there are a total of eleven monasteries in the world who can use that term, and none of them are in Canada, let alone in Fernie, BC. So, I’m guessing there’s gonna be a relabel job in the future, if not a full-on recall. Pedantry aside, this is definitely Trappist-style, although tending just slightly sweet for my preference. Why, oh why, can’t everybody just agree that bone-dry Tripel is the best Tripel, and leave it at that? (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Phillips Brewing Company Mega Hertz Premium Bitter / ESB at 6.8% ABV (C$7.99 at Quarry Park Calgary Co-Op, 650 ml, best before 23-Jul-2018, acquired 9-Apr-2018, reviewed 9-Apr-2018)

Appearance: clear medium amber with two fingers of rocky light beige head, good retention and moderate clingy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dark fruit, caramel, pepper and cloves. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry moderate bitter lightly funky finish. (4/5)

An interesting take on the style, with Belgian esters and a dry lightly funky finish built on a restrained caramel malt base. Not the best example of the style I’ve ever had, but definitely solidly done. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma  Dos Equis Ambar Amber Lager/Vienna at 4.7% ABV | 25 IBU (US$3.00 at Port of Cozumel, 325 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 5-Apr-2018, reviewed 6-Apr-2018)

Appearance: clear amber with decent head retention. (3/5) Aroma: clean, caramel malt, toasted bread, grass. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter (6/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, medium duration mild bitter finish. (3/5)

For what it is, not bad at all. A clean, easy-drinking, relatively light Amber. (11/20)

My 258th from the 2010 Edition of 1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die, 248th from the 2013 edition, and 272nd combining both editions.

5.5/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Sixpoint Craft Ales Bengali American IPA at 6.6% ABV | 66 IBU (US$1.99 at Whole Foods Aventura, 355 ml, packaged on 11-Dec-2017, acquired 30-Mar-2018, reviewed 30-Mar-2018)

Appearance: clear pale amber with one finger of rocky white head, good retention and moderate clingy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: resiny pine, citrus, caramel, hint of green onion. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly oily body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering and building bitter finish. (4/5)

I don’t mind saying, I deliberately reserved this as my final beer of the evening, because I had such high hopes for it. And yes, it’s definitely the best beer I had this evening. And yet, I must confess, I somehow expected more. Don’t get me wrong, this is world class. But, it seems to suffer somewhat when compared to my recall of some of its brethren. On the other hand, when I check my notes, I see that the three who beat it fairly handily are all DIPAs – Hi-Res, Resin, and Puff – so perhaps I betray my bias for big boozy beers. Mind you, this is just slightly past the magic ninety day mark for the style, so perhaps I’m being slightly unfair on that basis as well. Apparently I’m a bit of a jerk. Anyway, good beer. Would have another. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

JDub’s Brewing Company Up Top! India Pale Ale American IPA at 6.5% ABV | 55 IBU (US$1.99 at Whole Foods Aventura, 355 ml, packaged on 2-Jan-2018, acquired 30-Mar-2018, reviewed 30-Mar-2018)

Appearance: hazy deep gold with one finger of fluffy pale ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin skim and cap, patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, resiny pine, caramel, hints of tobacco and herbs. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry moderate bitter finish. (4/5)

A fairly traditional IPA, but pretty well done. I’ve called it a moderate bitter, but it tends slightly to the high side, although not so much as the aroma might suggest.  A solid enough performer in a crowded field. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Inlet Brewing Company Monk in the Trunk American Amber / Red Ale at 5.5% ABV (US$1.99 at Whole Foods Aventura, 355 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 30-Mar-2018, reviewed 30-Mar-2018)

Appearance: clear medium amber with a short, short-lived loose ivory head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: caramel malt and candi sugar, mild dark fruit, nuts. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter and spice. (7/10) Palate: medium slightly syrupy body, moderate carbonation, lingering sticky and moderate spicy finish. (3/5)

I was expecting to taste a bit more monk than I did. Not that I’ve tasted a whole lot of monks, y’know, but it was… see… oh, skip it. In its defense, it is more Belgian than Amber – but not by a whole lot. I was also a bit disappointed upon closer reading of the label to discover that this isn’t actually a local brew, but contracted out of North Carolina. I’ve nothing against contract brewing as such, but I specifically got this because I thought it was local. Ah well, live and refuse to learn, that’s what I always say! (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Biscayne Bay Brewing Company Miami Pale Ale American Pale Ale at 5.5% ABV | 66 IBU (US$1.99 at Whole Foods Aventura, 355 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 30-Mar-2018, reviewed 30-Mar-2018)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with a short, short-lived loose white head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, light pine, pale crackery malt. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, mild bitter finish. (4/5)

I’m a little on the fence on this one. At the outset, the big tropical fruit notes in the aroma are inviting, and I’d hesitate to say it ever gets excessively sweet or cloying, but eventually it’s got a tendency to become a little… I dunno… perfumy? It’s not bad, but I don’t think I’d go looking for another. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Barrel of Monks Brewing The Wizard Witbier at 5.5% ABV (US$1.99 at Whole Foods Aventura, 355 ml, packaged on 26-Feb-2018, acquired 30-Mar-2018, reviewed 30-Mar-2018)

Appearance: opaque straw with a short, short-lived loose white head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: mild, orange peel, coriander. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter, light tart & peppery spice. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-low carbonation, lightly spicy finish. (3/5)

Not unpleasant, but definitely on the mild side. The spice isn’t overwhelming, which is good, but everything tends mild, to the point of forgettable. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Omission Brewing Co. Pale Ale American Pale Ale at 5.8% ABV | 33 IBU (US$1.99 at Whole Foods Aventura, 355 ml, packaged on 15-Dec-2017, acquired 30-Mar-2018, reviewed 30-Mar-2018)

Appearance: clear deep gold with one finger of loose white head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: muted pine resin, citrus, caramel malt, floral. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-low carbonation, mild bitter slightly sticky finish. (3/5)

Serviceable enough as a gluten-free beer, I guess, but it suffers by comparison to the real thing. Slightly bland, slightly sticky, and slightly boring. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com