Author: dpatrickryan

Eighty-Eight Brewing Days of Thunder – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$6.25 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 30-May-2025, acquired 5-Jun-2025, reviewed 13-Jun-2025)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fine off-white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, dank resin, citrus, oats. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly creamy body, moderate-soft carbonation, medium duration finish. (4/5)

Apparently hopped with Citra, El Dorado, and Mosaic. Tropical fruit leads and sustains, with milder citrus and dank resin throughout on a clean cereal grain base. Works for me! (16/20)

This will be my 6,125th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Cabin Brewing Company Retro Saturation – American Pale Ale at 6% ABV (C$5.85 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 27-Mar-2025, acquired 5-Jun-2025, reviewed 13-Jun-2025)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fine off-white head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, caramel, citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, sweetish medium duration finish. (3/5)

Supposedly a blend, conceptually if not literally, of Retrospectrum and Super Saturation. I mean, maybe? Far as I can tell, I only had the former once, more than six years ago, but the latter is an occasional go-to for me, and I see some resemblance there. In my opinion, however, this one is not well served by the maltier presence, and ends up feeling a bit too sweet and sticky, especially for the fairly middling weight. Doesn’t particularly work for me. (13/20)

This will be my 6,124th unique Untappd check-in.

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Cabin Brewing Company Pinwheel – Session IPA at 4.5% ABV (C$5.55 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 5-Jun-2025, reviewed 13-Jun-2025)

Appearance: hazy straw with one fat finger of fine off-white head, excellent retention and chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: zesty citrus, pale malt, hint of coconut. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, low bitter. (7/10) Palate: light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry short thin finish. (3/5)

Hopped with Sabro and Cryoboosted CGX Amarillo. I will now proceed to damn it with faint praise: it’s not bad… for a Session. Thinness is the name of the game here, through flavour and body, culminating in an almost tart, almost sharp finish. And, the other dreaded description: it’s not bad… for what it is. (14/20)

This will be my 6,123rd unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Eighty-Eight Brewing Go-Go – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.1% ABV (C$6.50 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 5-Jun-2025, reviewed 11-Jun-2025)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fine off-white head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap, moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: sugary stone fruit, citrus, tropical fruit. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-full slightly creamy body, moderate-low carbonation, sweetish mildly warming finish. (4/5)

I don’t dislike it, but it’s too sweet: fuzzy peach candy, instead of actual peaches. That sweetness carries through into the finish, and is only slightly offset by the mild warming. (15/20)

This will be my 6,122nd unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Cabin Brewing Company Tropicoco – American IPA at 6% ABV (C$5.65 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 28-May-2025, acquired 5-Jun-2025, reviewed 11-Jun-2025)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fine off-white head diminishing gradually to a thick persistent cap, moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: coconut, tropical fruit, citrus, cereal grains. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-low carbonation, medium duration off-dry finish. (4/5)

Hopped with Krush, Citra, and Sabro, and with huge amounts of coconut adjunct, this is a ridiculous abomination. I love it. (16/20)

This will be my 6,121st unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Establishment Brewing Company High Visceral – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.2% ABV (C$6.14 at Okotoks Co-Op, 473 ml, packaged on 21-Apr-2025, acquired 9-Jun-2025, reviewed 9-Jun-2025)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fine off-white head diminishing gradually to a thick persistent cap, moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, cereal grains, dank resin, hint of coconut. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-low carbonation, medium duration mildly warming finish. (4/5)

A new offering from these guys is generally a “yes please” from me. A new white label DIPA, on the other hand, is “not just yes, but HELLS yes!”. Hopped with Citra, Motueka, Citra HyperBoost. A definite win in my book – smooth and balanced, pretty easy drinking for the weight, with just a mild warming about halfway through the pint that warns you to check yourself ‘fore you wreck yourself. (17/20)

This will be my 6,120th unique Untappd check-in.

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Four Winds Brewing Co. Blue Dream – American IPA at 6% ABV | 50 IBU (C$6.35 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 2-Feb-2025, acquired 5-Jun-2025, reviewed 7-Jun-2025)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one finger of fine off-white head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, minimal spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, dank resin. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-low carbonation, medium duration slightly edgy finish. (4/5)

Supposedly reminiscent of the cannabis strain of the same name, not that I’d know. A pleasant mix of tropical fruit, citrus, and earthy dank resin, drinks a lot easier than the 50 IBU might suggest. Very similar to the also-cannabis-named Purple Haze, but not quite as good and slightly sharper through the finish. Possibly because it’s been in the can for too long – not sure I’d’a bought this if I had been able to decipher the date in the store. (15/20)

This will be my 6,119th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Four Winds Brewing Co. Purple Haze – American IPA at 6% ABV | 50 IBU (C$6.35 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 16-Apr-2025, acquired 5-Jun-2025, reviewed 7-Jun-2025)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fine off-white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, dank resin, melon. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-low carbonation, medium duration slightly tart finish. (4/5)

Supposedly reminiscent of the cannabis strain of the same name, not that I’d know. A pleasant mix of tropical fruit, citrus, and earthy dank resin, drinks a lot easier than the 50 IBU might suggest. (16/20)

This will be my 6,118th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Driftwood Brewery Juicy IPA – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$5.15 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 30-Apr-2025, acquired 5-Jun-2025, reviewed 5-Jun-2025)

Appearance: clear pale gold with a short, short-lived head, moderate spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: citrus, berries, tropical fruit, pale malt. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-low carbonation, medium duration mildly warming finish. (4/5)

Juicy? Yeah, I suppose, if only somewhat. Definitely reminds me of Raised By Wolves, which is absolutely not a bad thing considering that’s one of my go-to four-packs for a hockey game. Not particularly memorable, but maybe a little better than the sum of its parts, which I guess counts for something. (14/20)

This will be my 6,117th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Analog Brewing High Score Haze – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$5.75 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 5-Jun-2025, reviewed 5-Jun-2025)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with a short, short-lived head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: melon, citrus, catty. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, medium duration finish. (3/5)

Hopped with Mackinac, Mosaic, Callista, and Tonatiuh. Two new-to-me hops. Not even a little impressed. (12/20)

This will be my 6,116th unique Untappd check-in.

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com