Author: dpatrickryan

Alley Kat Brewing Co. Black Gold Cascadian Dark – Black IPA at 6.0% ABV | 50 IBU (C$5.35 at Collective, 473 ml, best before 16-Jul-2023, acquired 9-Mar-2023, reviewed 10-Mar-2023)

Appearance: clear deep cola red with two fat fingers of fluffy beige head, excellent retention and moderate sheet lacing. (5/5) Aroma: toffee, toasted malts, coffee/chocolate, pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry bitter finish. (4/5)

So, did the tempest in a teapot over the trademarked “Cascadian” name just go away? I haven’t heard a peep since a flurry of articles ten years ago. Anyway, regardless of whether you call this a CDA or a Black IPA, it’s a very good example of the style, with a good balance between the toasty coffee/chocolate notes and the hoppy pine. There’s always a tendency for that dark malt and hop bitterness to overwhelm and become astringent, but this doesn’t. (16/20)

This will be my 5,512th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Irrational Brewing Company Symmetry Is Bliss – American IPA at 6% ABV (C$4.77 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 28-Feb-2023, reviewed 9-Mar-2023)

Appearance: hazy straw with two fat fingers of fluffy off-white head diminishing gradually to a thick cap, spotty soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: short-lived brightly juicy tropical fruit & citrus, cereal grains, hint of stone fruit, solvent. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (4/5)

This started off with an amazing aroma during the pour, reminiscent of Tree or Trillium. No lie, I thought this was going to be my highest-scored beer in a long, long time. However, that aroma faded pretty much in synchrony with the quickly-receding head, leaving behind a weird, solvent-like note. The label says this is brewed with 2-row, malted oats & wheat, chit malt, and Verdant yeast, hopped with Citra, Cryo Pop, and HBC-586. I dunno – I’ve reported a slightly phenolic edge in the finish on a 586-brewed beer in the past, so maybe that’s part of what’s going on here, perhaps combined with over-reliance on Cryo Pop? Either way, this tumbled a long way in my estimation as the pint warmed, ending up as an unremarkable, barely-acceptable mess. (13/20)

This will be my 5,511th unique Untappd check-in.

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

New Level Brewing Electric Reaper – American IPA at 6.2% ABV (C$4.45 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 31-Jan-2023, acquired 28-Feb-2023, reviewed 9-Mar-2023)

Appearance: slightly hazy brown-tinged pale gold with two fingers of fluffy off-white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: mild, stone & tropical fruit, cereal grains, citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (4/5)

I don’t think this is oxidized – it’s a can, after all – but the fact is the appearance is slightly brownish-tinged and the aroma is surprisingly mild. Pretty unremarkable for their “flagship”, though it is dead average for my experience with this brewery (for n=17, μ=7 & σ=0.54) so I suppose it’s fairly representative of their product. Just not exciting at all. (14/20)

This will be my 5,510th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Zero Issue Brewing Wellspring (Issue #81) – American Amber / Red Ale at 5.0% ABV (C$4.50 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 9-Mar-2023, reviewed 9-Mar-2023)

Appearance: clear deep amber with one finger of fine beige head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel, toasted bread, hint of pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, sightly sticky medium duration lightly metallic finish. (3/5)

A pretty straightforward Red, dominated by rich caramel, with mild toasted bread and a hint of pine on the back end. Marred slightly by a metallic hint in the slightly sticky finish. (14/20)

This will be my 5,509th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Anchorage Brewing Company Road Trip – American IPA at 6.4% ABV (C$7.80 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 13-Nov-2022, acquired 28-Feb-2023, reviewed 8-Mar-2023)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with a short, short-lived loose off-white head, minimal lacing. (3/5) Aroma: doughy yeast, vinous grape must, tropical fruit, citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (4/5)

The label says this is brewed with El Dorado Incognito and thiol-boosting yeast, DDH with Strata & Nelson Sauvin. The aroma is initially dominated by doughy yeast, but after that settles down the vinous notes take over. It’s not bad, but it suffers by comparison to, for example, The Establishment’s Trick to Happy, which has the same basic concept of thiol yeast and Nelson Sauvin. Top marks for the gorily amusing cover art, though. (14/20)

This will be my 5,508th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

New Image Brewing Coriolis Effect – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$7.65 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 28-Dec-2022, acquired 28-Feb-2023, reviewed 8-Mar-2023)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fat fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: slightly mild, tropical & stone fruit, melon, cereal grains, citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: smooth medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, slightly sticky medium duration finish. (4/5)

Brewer notes seem to indicate this is hopped with Motueka and Citra, then dry-hopped with Columbus. Interesting choice: personally I’d’ve thought that Columbus and Citra in the boil with a Motueka dry-hop would be a better choice to showcase NZ hops, but what do I know? I flip-flopped a bit on scoring aroma and flavour here, and could have gone a point higher on either or both, giving up to an additional half point overall. Ultimately it’s just a bit mild on the nose, and just a bit sweet on the tongue, so I think this is the right score: just a bit short of world-class. (15/20)

This will be my 5,507th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Bent Stick Brewing Co. Swap the Hops Talus – American Pale Ale at 5% ABV (C$4.40 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 28-Feb-2023, reviewed 7-Mar-2023)

Appearance: clear pale gold with one fat finger of fluffy pale ivory head, good retention and well-defined soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, grass, mild coconut, faint tobacco. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration slightly edgy finish. (3/5)

Looks like they’ve dropped the “NEPA” approach on this and returned to an old-school Pale Ale format, this time with Talus. It’s just OK, not all that interesting. (14/20)

This will be my 5,506th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Blind Enthusiasm Brewing Company Uncharted Citra Ale – American Pale Ale at 5.4% ABV (C$4.50 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 1-Jan-2023, acquired 28-Feb-2023, reviewed 7-Mar-2023)

Appearance: slightly hazy straw with one finger of fluffy white head, good retention and well-defined soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: lemony citrus, bready malt, grass. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, dry medium bitter short duration finish. (4/5)

Not bad. Fairly clean and crisp, slightly old-school in structure and appearance. The hopping is certainly citrus (Citra) dominant, but with grassy traditional notes underpinning. All in all, it’s not one that would have been out of place ten years ago, before the haze craze. (14/20)

This will be my 5,505th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Great Notion Brewing & Barrel House Ripe – American IPA at 7% ABV (C$8.60 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 28-Feb-2023, reviewed 6-Mar-2023)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fluffy white head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: slightly muted stone & tropical fruit, citrus, cereal grains, hints of coconut and earthy pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium bitter slightly warming finish. (4/5)

Brewer notes say this is dry hopped with Citra and Citra Cryo. I wonder if this one was slightly old, but I couldn’t find a date code so I’m unsure. Roughly on par with Over Ripe, and not as good as So Wrong It’s Ripe – but I suspect it’s better when fresh. (15/20)

This will be my 5,504th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Blood Brothers Brewing Shumei – American IPA at 7% ABV (C$7.35 at Collective, 473 ml, best before 22-Nov-2022, acquired 28-Feb-2023, reviewed 6-Mar-2023)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of pillowy pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: mild, stone & orchard fruits, citrus, slightly doughy caramel, black tea. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, slightly sticky medium bitter slightly astringent finish. (3/5)

This one’s appearance is definitely its strong suit. Other than that, it’s got a largely OK albeit somewhat too-mild aroma, and a moderate sweetness (maybe tending a little high) that turns slightly astringent in the finish. This is what I consider a “life’s too short” kind of beer: there’s nothing really wrong with it, but I can’t think of a single reason to ever have it again – especially when I can get better locally-made beers for less money. (13/20)

This will be my 5,503rd unique Untappd check-in.

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com