Author: dpatrickryan

The Bruery Ten Lords A-Leaping Wheat Ale at 10.5% ABV (C$14.85 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 13-Dec-2017, reviewed 4-Jan-2018)

Appearance: clear deep brown with one fat finger of pillowy beige head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: orange peel, coriander, nutmeg, liquorice, ginger, toasted wheat, banana, dark fruit. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light tart. (7/10) Palate: medium body tending slightly thin, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry warming finish. (3/5)

Well, I guess that officially marks the end of Xmas for me. I usually like to keep things going (i.e. stay off work!) until Old Christmas Day (January 6 – and that story dates from 1752, if you’re interested) but for a bunch of reasons had to return to work early this year. Oh well, at least it’s a damn sight better than last year’s “12 Days” release, which was by far the worst Bruery beer I’ve ever had (and one of the worst 20 I’ve ever had, actually). It’s better than the previous year’s too, while we’re on the subject. The label claims 10 different spices, and yeah, there’s a lot of complexity in there, but it more or less boils down to “standard xmas spices”, and there’s dark fruit and banana behind that. Reminds me of a Dunkel, but it tastes and ends just a little thin. (This, mind you, despite the double digit plus ABV – which, I guess, is one for the plus column.) Ultimately I could’ve gone a bit higher or lower based on personal preferences, and it’s definitely a little busy, but a solid enough brew overall. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales La Roja (Blend 6) Sour Red/Brown at 7.2% ABV | 25 IBU (C$20.24 at Specs Main Houston, 750 ml, packaged on 6-Apr-2016, acquired 8-Mar-2017, reviewed 3-Jan-2018)

Appearance: hazy reddish deep amber with, one finger of fizzy off-white head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: vinegar, cherries, red berries, earth, light funk. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, moderate sour tart. (8/10) Palate: medium body tending slightly thin, moderate carbonation, off-dry mildly tart finish. (3/5)

I’m a little on the fence on this one. I’m hesitant to call it “unremarkable”, but at the very least it’s less than thrilling. I debated whether I had harmed it by cellaring, but given the style I didn’t think I would have, and upon tasting I’m not getting any oxidation, nor is the earthiness or funk out of control. I do, however, note a slightly more emphatic sour tartness than I would normally expect from the style, as well as a bit of thinness in the body. Ultimately, it’s a bit overwhelmed by the vinegary notes, leaving everything else much less pronounced by comparison. The label says it’s brewed “in the Flanders style”, but as a true Flanders Red (/Brown) it’s a little bit of a disappointment. (14/20)

My 253rd from the 2010 Edition of 1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die, 243rd from the 2013 edition, and 267th combining both editions.

7/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Bruery / Funky Buddha ¡Guava Libre! Fruit / Vegetable Beer at 7.5% ABV (C$13.79 at NLC Stavanger, 750 ml, packaged on 11-May-2017, acquired 30-Dec-2017, reviewed 3-Jan-2018)

Appearance: opaque deep gold with one fat finger of creamy ivory head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: guava, cream, mild vanilla. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter, light tart. (7/10) Palate: medium creamy body, soft carbonation, medium duration warming finish. (4/5)

I don’t know that I think of guava as being particularly Floridian, but I guess they’re referring more to the Cuban influence. I’m also fairly sure I’ve never had an “Imperial Cream Ale” before, so I lumped this in with the Fruit beers – which is another one of those styles that’s so broad as to be almost useless, but what’re you gonna do? In any case, this is a huge fruit smoothie with an extremely sneaky ABV that becomes apparent as an eventual mild warming. Definitely reminiscent of a pastry, with lots of guava, some cream and a hint of vanilla. Not one I’d want to drink a lot of, but an interesting change from the everyday. (And personally, I was pretty gobsmacked at Bruery showing up at the NLC, so I was gonna take it regardless!) (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company New Lang Syne Tripel at 9% ABV (C$17.30 at NLC Howley Estates, 750 ml, packaged on 28-Aug-2017, acquired 8-Nov-2017, reviewed 31-Dec-2017)

Appearance: hazy pale amber with an uncontrollable ivory head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: pale malt, white wine, pome & drupe, wood. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-high carbonation, off-dry finish. (4/5)

Woof. Uncontrollable head took forever to pour. Other than that, though it’s not a bad example of the style – decently dry, instead of sweet, and sufficiently champagne-like for the festivities. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Microbrasserie Les Trois Mousquetaires Grande Cuvée Réserve De Noël (2017) Spiced Red Lager at 10.5% ABV | 33 IBU (C$11.18 at NLC Stavanger, 750 ml, packaged on 22-Nov-2017, acquired 30-Dec-2017, reviewed 31-Dec-2017)

Appearance: clear deep amber with one finger of light tan head diminishing gradually to a thin ring, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: spicy ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, cloves, medicinal hops. (7/10) Taste: moderately strong sweet, moderate bitter, mild spice. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, mildly bitter warming finish. (4/5)

My third vintage of this, and it seems like they’ve settled on a recipe: it appears identical to the 2015 I last had, which was actually somewhat different than the 2014. The brew is characterized by emphatic but not overwhelming seasonal spices, and a very well-integrated ABV. Not something I’d want to drink frequently, but I think I’ll continue to make this an annual tradition of the season. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Bruery Share This O.C. (2017) Imperial Stout at 11% ABV (C$16.99 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, packaged on 7-Mar-2017, acquired 4-Aug-2017, reviewed 31-Dec-2017)

Appearance: near opaque black with a hint of brown relief at the margins, two fingers of creamy tan head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: vanilla, cocoa, citrus zest. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: full creamy body, moderate-soft carbonation, sweetish warming finish. (4/5)

Nothing subtle about this whatsoever, but it works well. Upon decapping, there’s an initial whiff of orange zest that seems to then subside, but makes itself known later in the finish as a slightly oily bitterness. In between there’s rich cocoa nibs and velvety vanilla, which though sweet, are well balanced by the big bitterness for an even-handed overall effect. The huge ABV doesn’t play a role until the glass starts to look a little empty, at which point typing starts to become a little more challenging than it normally is. Good fun, even if I do have to share it! (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Logsdon Farmhouse Ales Szech ‘n Brett Saison at 6.5% ABV (C$18.25 at Andrew Hilton Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, best before 31-Mar-2021, acquired 22-Nov-2017, reviewed 30-Dec-2017)

Appearance: clear straw with one finger of loose white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: green chillies, lemon, pale malt, floral, light barnyardy funk. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, mild tart, light funk. (8/10) Palate: light body, moderate-lively carbonation, dry tart lightly funky and spicy finish. (4/5)

Given the name, I was expecting a boatload of spice – and, it’s there, but in a very even-handed and pleasant amount. In fact, it’s more apparent on the nose than on the tongue. The same is true for the Brett, which contributes a light barnyardy funk and a dry finish. All in all, very well-behaved. It’s a bit high-gravity for sessioning, but the dry finish and mild spice certainly invite just that. This is good stuff, and corroborates the good opinion I formed of this brewery based on two others, a Saison and a Witbier. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Bruery Rueuze (2014) Gueuze at 6% ABV (US$21.99 at Total Wines & More, Henderson NV, 750 ml, packaged on 15-Jul-2014, acquired 1-Jun-2015, reviewed 30-Dec-2017)

Appearance: clear medium gold with one finger of white head diminishing rapidly to nothing, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: lemon zest, stone fruit, vinous white grape, light woody funk. (8/10) Taste: high tart, moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: light body, lively carbonation, off-dry tart lightly funky finish. (3/5)

This is my second crack at this one – I had a 2015 vintage fairly fresh, and decided to cellar this 2014 to see if it would improve. (It didn’t.) I’m getting a little peeved with The Bruery: they’ve gone more than a little nuts releasing a torrent of new, generally high-gravity (and generally higher-priced!) beers that are a challenge to keep up with. I don’t dispute that this is among the best, if not the absolute best, American-made Gueuze I’ve ever had, but I do find it hard to accept that it needs to be three times the price of a true Belgian Gueuze in Belgium, and right about the same price as a Belgian Gueuze in North America. That, I think, is the core of my current objection to The Bruery: they seem to feel that they can continue to charge a premium for a product line that includes an awful lot of pedestrian brews. Of course, I’ve got another fifteen or so of theirs on hand, so it’s gonna take a while for me to work through my issues… (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

North Coast Brewing Company Old Stock (2013) Old Ale at 14.1% ABV | 34 IBU (US$24.59 at Specs Main Houston, 500 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 8-Mar-2017, reviewed 29-Dec-2017)

Appearance: muddy ruby brown with lots of sediment, one finger of fizzy beige head diminishing rapidly to nothing, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: port, stewed prunes, vinous wood, spices. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-full slick body, moderate-high carbonation, building warming finish. (4/5)

I was more than a little surprised by the fizziness of the head, and the concomitant prickly sustained carbonation. Although the body is medium-full and slightly slick, this higher carbonation makes it feel and drink like a much lighter beer. In keeping with that, there’s surprisingly little heat on the front end, especially given the high ABV, but it does develop a pleasant warming in the finish. Definitely has potential to be quite dangerous – or it would if anybody were likely to lay down the kind of premium this commands without knowing precisely what they’re getting themselves into! (16/20)

My 252nd from the 2010 Edition of 1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die, 242nd from the 2013 edition, and 266th combining both editions.

8/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Great Divide Brewing Company Oak Aged Yeti Russian Imperial Stout at 9.5% ABV | 75 IBU (US$10.89 at Specs Main Houston, 650 ml, packaged on 13-Sep-2016, acquired 8-Mar-2017, reviewed 28-Dec-2017)

Appearance: solid black with one fat finger of rocky brown head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: chocolate, coffee, vanilla, whiskey. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: full oily body, moderate carbonation, building bitter and warming finish. (4/5)

Big, bombastic, and boozy – just the way an RIS should be. This is my only experience with this one, so I can’t comment as to how hot this thing is when it’s first bottled, but I can say that after more than a year in the bottle, it’s still got an edge. There’s a lot of whiskey barrel showing here, which isn’t a complaint by any means, but it makes me wonder how good this would be alternating sips with a nice hopped whiskey as described in the recent article in Beer Connoisseur… Dang, I’m all out of Caskmates. But I can report firing up my palate with a little straight Jameson’s definitely woke up the whiskey flavours in this. I may need to revisit this technique during future tastings, once I’m part way through the beer and have a baseline, of course. (17/20)

My 251st from the 2010 Edition of 1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die, 241st from the 2013 edition, and 265th combining both editions.

8.5/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com