Author: dpatrickryan

Surly Brewing Co. Grapefruit Supreme – Sour / Wild Ale at 4.5% ABV (2023 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #3, 355 ml, best before 6-Aug-2024, acquired 14-Dec-2023, reviewed 14-Dec-2023)

Appearance: hazy straw with a short, short-lived white head, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: zesty grapefruit and lemon. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, short duration tart finish. (4/5)

All citrus, not much else – basically a Radler. Which I’m OK with. (14/20)

This will be my 5,700th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Florida Avenue Brewing Co. Passion of the Heights – American Pale Wheat Ale at 4.7% ABV (2023 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #2, 355 ml, packaged on 1-Aug-2023, acquired 14-Dec-2023, reviewed 14-Dec-2023)

Appearance: hazy pinkish deep gold with one finger of loose off-white head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: floral, citrus zest, spices. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter, light tart. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, short duration lightly tart finish. (4/5)

That’s not bad, and more importantly, fairly different from the everyday. The pinkish hue is the first clue that this isn’t normal, followed quickly by the floral (hibiscus?) notes. That floral element, along with the citrus and fruit, plays well with the underlying wheat tartness to give a pretty refreshing final product. Not bad at all. (14/20)

This will be my 5,699th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Revolution Brewing Infinity-Hero – American IPA at 7% ABV | 50 IBU (2023 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #1, 355 ml, packaged on 26-Jul-2023, acquired 14-Dec-2023, reviewed 14-Dec-2023)

Appearance: hazy deep gold with two fingers of rocky ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: sweet citrus, caramel, tropical fruit, hint of pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, sweetish medium duration bitter finish. (3/5)

Hopped with Nectaron, Strata, HBC #586, and HBC #1019. A bit too sweet in both aroma and flavour for me. (14/20)

This will be my 5,698th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Collective Arts Brewing Fuzz Face – Triple IPA at 10.2% ABV (C$5.95 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 25-Sep-2023, acquired 30-Oct-2023, reviewed 9-Dec-2023)

Appearance: slightly hazy deep gold with a short, short-lived white head, moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: bright citrus, pine, cereal grains. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium bitter warming finish. (4/5)

“Citra four different ways” – um, yes please? A seriously dangerous brightly juicy and easy-drinking TIPA. One doesn’t often encounter crushable double-digit ABV’s but this is definitely that, with the only warning being a gentle warming in the finish. I had to make a concerted effort to slow down my pace on this one. I could drink a lot of these – until I fell over, anyway… (16/20)

This will be my 5,697th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Hoyne Brewing Co. Wolf Vine Wet Hopped Pale Ale – American Pale Ale at 5.3% ABV (C$5.00 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 3-Oct-2023, acquired 30-Oct-2023, reviewed 9-Dec-2023)

Appearance: clear pale amber with two fingers of rocky pale amber head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: weedy grass, caramel, faint hints of citrus and pine. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration bitter finish. (3/5)

Hopped with Centennial and Cascade, malts are Maris Otter and Crystal. Well, another fresh-hop that completely fails to impress. There’s not a darned thing wrong with this, other than that it feels like something from twenty years ago and is completely uninteresting. It’s pretty, I’ll give it that. I was also initially amused by the indication on the label that one of the ingredients was “wolf spirit” and predisposed to give them credit for it, but this is about as lupine as the poor little coyotes that get suburbanites all worked up when they eat housecats – it takes a bigger dog to impress me. (14/20)

This will be my 5,696th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Blindman Brewing Fresh Hop – American IPA at 5.0% ABV (C$5.35 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 30-Oct-2023, reviewed 9-Dec-2023)

Appearance: clear pale gold with two fingers of rocky pale amber head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: grass, light tropical fruit, hint of cereal grains. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, sweetish lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

I mean, it’s punching above its weight, that’s for sure. That’s to say, it’s certainly hoppy, and it’s got a respectable bitter bite through the finish, making it feel like it’s a lot bigger than it is. The problem (for me at least) is that the hops are super traditional grassy, with just a hint of tropical fruit. And yeah, that’s a personal preference thing, but I’m the person doing the review, so there. And picking another personal nit, it also tastes a bit on the sweet side for my preference. So, while it’s undoubtedly good, it just doesn’t move the needle to great for me. (14/20)

This will be my 5,695th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Bellwoods Brewery Jelly King Spicy Margarita – Sour / Wild Ale at 5.6% ABV (C$8.35 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 26-Jul-2023, acquired 30-Oct-2023, reviewed 7-Dec-2023)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with a short, short-lived white head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: lime, jalapeño, salt. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, moderate spice, light bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, spicy warming finish. (4/5)

Spicy Margarita Jelly King? Sure, fuck it, why not, because nothing means anything any more, right? … is what I said before I tried it. After I tried it, my response was, “I need more of this.” Maybe not all at once, you understand, because although the heat isn’t overwhelming, it might well become so after more than one. (16/20)

This will be my 5,694th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Driftwood Brewery Sartori Harvest – American IPA at 7% ABV (C$6.95 at Collective, 473 ml, best before 27-Mar-2023, acquired 30-Oct-2023, reviewed 5-Dec-2023)

Appearance: clear deep gold with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and well-defined soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: resiny pine, light caramel, herbal, faint citrus. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Same as last year’s, but I’m not complaining. (Except for the fact that it cost 30% more than last year…) (18/20)

9/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Last Best Brewing and Distilling Radio Quest – Session IPA at 4.5% ABV (C$5.15 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 30-Oct-2023, reviewed 4-Dec-2023)

Appearance: hazy straw with two fingers of fluffy white head, good retention and spotty chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, cereal grains, light tropical fruit. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration bitter finish. (4/5)

Decent little Session, especially for the ABV. (15/20)

This will be my 5,692nd unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Bellwoods Brewery Jelly King Boysenberry & Plum – Sour / Wild Ale at 5.6% ABV (C$13.00 at Collective, 500 ml, packaged on 29-Aug-2023, acquired 30-Oct-2023, reviewed 4-Dec-2023)

Appearance: hazy purple-pink with two fingers of fine pinkish head diminishing gradually to a thin ring, spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: stone fruit, field berries, oats, hint of cream. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high tart, moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly creamy body, moderate carbonation, short tart finish. (4/5)

This is an interesting variation, and at least as good as any of the other plum variants I’ve tried. Boysenberries are one of my absolute favourite fruits, so I was probably predisposed to like this, but the blend of plum and boysenberry is doing interesting things to the base beer. I’m getting an almost lactic creamy note in addition to faint cereal grains on the front end, and through the finish it reminds me of nothing so much as damson pie. Definitely a good one. (16/20)

This will be my 5,691st unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com