Author: dpatrickryan

Stone Brewing Company Jindia Pale Ale American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.7% ABV | 70 IBU (US$3.59 at Specs Main Houston, 355 ml, bottle date 3-Feb-2017, best before 3-Jun-2017, acquired 8-Mar-2017, reviewed 9-Mar-2017)

Appearance: clear pale amber with one finger of rocky ivory head, good retention and patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: ginger, juniper, pine, caramel malt, citrus zest. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium slightly slick body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter and spicy finish. (4/5)

Woof… I had some trepidation regarding this one – and it was well-founded. Big ginger and juniper notes impart a heavily botanical, nearly medicinal character that mercilessly dominates over a nearly English-style base IPA. Not unpleasant, but a bit of a hot mess, and not something I’d seek out again. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Stone Brewing Company Tangerine Express IPA American IPA at 6.7% ABV | 75 IBU (US$4.99 at Specs Main Houston, 650 ml, bottle date 7-Feb-2017, acquired 8-Mar-2017, reviewed 9-Mar-2017)

Appearance: clear pale gold with one fat finger of fluffy ivory head, moderate retention and patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: grapefruit, pineapple, caramel malt, slight onion. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

In some ways I find this to be pretty similar to their Ripper APA, especially in the slight onion note at the end. Definitely a lot more citrus, though, and the pineapple also makes its presence known before the emphatic bitter finish establishes itself. Despite being bigger in every way, though, it’s a lot paler. (And just to be clear, when I say it’s a “clear” pale gold, that was the first glass. The second glass is basically extra pulp orange juice.) There’s a heck of a lot of added fruit in this, but that’s far from a criticism. Punchy big fun. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Stone Brewing Company Ripper Pale Ale American Pale Ale at 5.7% ABV | 40 IBU (US$2.49 at Specs Main Houston, 355 ml, bottle date 2-Feb-2017, acquired 8-Mar-2017, reviewed 9-Mar-2017)

Appearance: clear pale amber with two fingers of fluffy ivory head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: grapefruit, tropical fruit, resiny pine, pale malt, slight onion. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry moderate bitter finish. (3/5)

Yep, that’s a “rippin’ swell of juicy hops”, all right. Fades a little quickly, though, and finishes with just a hint of onion. The body tends a little thin as well, but reasonably within spec for the style. Easy drinking good fun. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Boston Beer Company Sam Adams Hopscape Wheat Ale at 5.5% ABV | 30 IBU (On tap at Ruby’s Diner IAH, reviewed 9-Mar-2017)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one finger of dense white head, good lacing. (3/5) Aroma: resiny pine, floral, pale malt, hint of wheat. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild-moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter and lightly spicy finish. (4/5)

Decent. Lots of hops on the nose, if not much wheat. Body is slightly thin and slightly grainy, but not bad overall. I might consider it a bit thin for an IPA, but since it’s not claiming to be an IPA, I guess that’s a bit beside the point. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Boston Beer Company Fresh as Helles Helles/Dortmunder at 5.4% ABV | 18 IBU (On tap at Pappadeaux IAH, reviewed 9-Mar-2017)

Appearance: clear pale gold with one finger of medium white head, moderate lacing. (3/5) Aroma: orange zest, lightly toasted grain, grass. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (5/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry short finish. (3/5)

A fairly straightforward Helles made slightly more interesting by the addition of orange blossoms. Easy drinking and clean, if not all that exciting. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Franconia Silver Star Bock Bock at 5.06% ABV | 21 IBU (On tap at Saltgrass Houston, reviewed 8-Mar-2017)

Appearance: clear deep amber with a short, short-lived head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: mild, caramel malt, light chocolate and grass. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (5/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-low carbonation, off-dry short finish. (3/5)

Meh. Sweet and bland. (11/20)

5.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Saint Arnold Brewing Company Pub Crawl Pale Ale American Pale Ale at 4.7% ABV | 43 IBU (US$1.16 at Spec’s, 355 ml, bottle date 23-Jan-2017, acquired 6-Mar-2017, reviewed 7-Mar-2017)

Appearance: hazy pale straw with one fat finger of fluffy white head, good retention and patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: lemon zest, crackery malt, melon, grass. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body tending slightly watery, moderate carbonation, off-dry short finish. (3/5)

Starts off extremely promising, with exactly the “bright and sessionable” character the label promises: citrusy hops lead the way over a well-behaved clean malt backbone. Somewhat unfortunately, though, those bright hops fade as rapidly as the loose white head, leaving behind a mild fruity and grassy character. It remains pleasant throughout, and it’s not my intention to damn it with faint praise, but it’s not quite as stellar as the first sips suggest. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Karbach Brewing Weekend Warrior Pale Ale American Pale Ale at 5.5% ABV | 40 IBU (US$1.16 at Spec’s, 355 ml, bottle date 23-Jan-2017, acquired 6-Mar-2017, reviewed 7-Mar-2017)

Appearance: clear pale amber with one finger of rocky ivory head, good retention and patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: toasted and caramel malt, citrus, tropical fruit, pine, grass. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-mild bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body tending slightly watery, moderate carbonation, off-dry short finish. (3/5)

Not a bad little APA, and I could forgive the tendency of the body to drop off to watery given the style, but the malt is a little forward for my preferred implementation of the style. It isn’t unbalanced as such, but it’s certainly more malt dominant than I’d like it to be. Very drinkable, though. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brasserie McAuslan Griffon Rousse American Amber/Red at 4.5% ABV | 25 IBU (C$11.50 on tap at Hurley’s Irish Pub YUL, reviewed 4-Mar-2017)

Appearance: clear reddish deep amber with a short creamy ivory head settling rapidly to a thin skim, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: caramel and toffee, toasty malt, light herbal. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium slightly slick body, moderate-soft carbonation, medium duration finish. (3/5)

Fairly outrageous pricing for a plain-Jane Irish Red, but I guess that’s par for the course when you’re stuck in an Irish pub in the high-security post-screening part of YUL. (I feel very secure. And significantly poorer.) Decent enough example of the style, malt-dominated but well-behaved, with none of the diacetyl this style can be so prone to. I have a high opinion of McAuslan, and this isn’t a let-down: to the extent it’s possible to do a good Irish Red, they’ve done it. I really find these way too sweet for my preference these days, though, which makes it hard to be impartial. A bit old-fashioned, and good(-ish) – but one’s my hard limit. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brasserie Archibald West Coast IPA (Belle Mer) American IPA at 7.1% ABV | 70 IBU (C$9.50 on tap at Archibald YUL, reviewed 4-Mar-2017)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with a short creamy white head settling rapidly to a thin skim, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: citrus, resiny pine, tropical fruit, pale malt. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Fairly typical A/IPA starts-with-C hop profile, with a hint of West Coast dank. Decently clean and balanced, with just enough pale malt backing to support the middling-high bitterness. No real complaints here, but some structural improvements would be nice – as in, I’d like better head retention to protect the carbonation and aromas, which drop off as the pint progresses. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com