Author: dpatrickryan

YellowBelly Brewery Patrick’s Pale Ale American Pale Ale at 6.4% ABV (On tap at YellowBelly, reviewed 10-Mar-2016)

Appearance: clear pale gold with one fat finger of creamy white head, excellent retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, tropical fruit, pale malt, floral. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium slightly creamy body, moderate carbonation, light bitter finish. (3/5)

A very mild APA, extremely drinkable. Despite it being all-Cascade hops, it doesn’t have much sharpness, and certainly none of the cattiness that can sometimes be associated with that hop. It’s actually slightly creamy on tap, so I’m interested to see whether the bottle is the same. I’m definitely liking YB’s latest offerings! (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Crazy Beard Brewing Dusty Boots Hard Root Beer Spice / Herb / Vegetable at 5.9% ABV (C$3.07 at NLC Stavanger, 355 ml, no bottle date or best before, reviewed 10-Mar-2016)

Appearance: clear deep amber with one fat finger of loose fluffy eggshell head, good retention and patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: root beer and vanilla, sweet malts, slight alcohol. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-low bitter, light acid. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, sticky sweet finish. (3/5)

Well, on the one hand, it tastes like root beer. On the other hand, it tastes like root beer. If you weren’t told it was “hard”, it’s entirely possible you wouldn’t realize it – at least, not until you were part or most of the way through the bottle, and got a (very) little warming. If you like sweet sodas, particularly root beer, you’ll probably like this. Personally, I found it very sweet and sticky, which though not unexpected or out of spec for the style, makes it something that I would drink only sparingly. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Side Launch Brewing Side Launch Dark Lager Dunkel at 5.3% ABV (C$3.01 at NLC Stavanger, 473 ml, no bottle date or best before, reviewed 9-Mar-2016)

Appearance: clear amber-brown with one finger of fluffy ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin ring, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: caramel, roasty notes, grassy, bready, light fruit. (7/10) Taste: moderate-low sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: light body, moderate carbonation, dry lightly bitter finish. (3/5)

A drinkable dunkel. I’ve certainly had worse lagers! Although it initially smells predominantly of caramel and bready malts, the sweetness remains quite restrained and decently balanced. Despite the colour, it’s light-bodied, perhaps even tending to the watery, but that’s not really a negative for the style. I’d call this a straightforward thirst quencher, and one could certainly session it were one so inclined. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Wold Top Brewery Angler’s Reward Pale Ale English Pale Ale at 4% ABV (C$4.93 at NLC Stavanger, 500 ml, no bottle date or best before, reviewed 28-Feb-2016)

Appearance: clear medium gold with a short eggshell head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: grassy, herbal/dank, honey, light stone fruit. (6/10) Taste: moderate-low sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: light body, moderate-low carbonation, dry bitter finish. (3/5)

I might be rating this slightly low, actually. It’s certainly quite drinkable, and the low sweetness and dry finish make it definitely more-ish. On the whole, the hops are fairly typical for English ales, with the Goldings dominating, but the Cascade certainly comes through a the back, giving it a little dank-ish West Coast flourish. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Village Brewery Friend Dandy Baltic Porter Baltic Porter at 10% ABV (C$9.12 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, reviewed 24-Feb-2016)

Appearance: nearly solid black with brown highlights, one finger of dense beige head, excellent retention and lacing. (5/5) Aroma: muted, dark fruit, roasty malt, liquorice. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: full creamy body, soft carbonation, lingering bitter and boozy finish. (3/5)

Quite aside from the merits of this beer, Village epitomizes some of the finest characteristics of craft brewers: they’re big on community, and they’re big on cooperation. Not only is this a collaboration with one of the newer local breweries, but I’ve also been told the proceeds are in aid of Dandy getting a new fermenter. What do you think the odds are of ABInBevShitBeer helping MolsonCoorsShittierBeer raise capital for a project? (OK, maybe a bad example, since they’re actually pretty chummy – but only because it suits them to drive towards cornering the market.) Anyway, it’s a decent, if slightly hot, implementation of the style. The flavours aren’t complicated, and the aroma is slightly muted, but overall it’s not bad. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Wild Rose Brewery Rare Belgian Style Pale Ale (2016) Belgian Pale Ale at 5.5% ABV (C$6.99 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, bottle date 15-Jan-2016, reviewed 24-Feb-2016)

Appearance: clear pale amber with two growing fingers of dense fluffy ivory head, excellent retention and lacing. (5/5) Aroma: bready yeast, apple, stone fruit, floral and herbal, pine, spice. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter, light funk. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, moderate bitter and lightly funky finish. (4/5)

Definitely a good-looking beer, with a nice dense head, good retention and lacing. Interesting complexity on the nose and the tongue, with characteristic Belgian yeast flavours. Pretty impressive to see something like this coming from a local brewery! (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Dead Frog Brewery Nutty Uncle Peanut Butter Stout Milk / Sweet Stout at 6.1% ABV (C$4.99 at Quarry Park Calgary Co-Op, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, reviewed 23-Feb-2016)

Appearance: nearly solid black with brown highlights around the margins, one finger of dense beige head, excellent retention and good lacing. (4/5) Aroma: peanut butter, milk chocolate, roasty malts. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: full creamy body, moderate carbonation, short duration moderate bitter finish. (4/5)

A pleasant stout, and the peanut butter really comes out as it warms. And hey, I like peanut butter as much as the next guy. I’m also fairly impressed with the restrained sweetness – although it smells rich, it doesn’t taste cloying. I’ve indicated moderate bitter here, but it’s as much from the roasted malt as the hops, which really don’t seem to factor into the aromas or the taste. All in all, it might be a bit on par with coming out as liking junk food, but it’s not bad. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Harviestoun Ola Dubh Special Reserve 16 Wood-Aged Beer at 8% ABV (C$7.69 at Okotoks Co-Op, 330 ml, bottle date 1-Aug-2012, best before 1-Dec-2015, reviewed 23-Feb-2016)

Appearance: nearly solid black with only the merest hint of brown around the margins, short beige head, poor retention and no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: whiskey, baker’s chocolate, liquorice, vanilla, oak. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light alcohol. (7/10) Palate: full slightly oily body, moderate-low carbonation, off-dry lightly boozy finish. (4/5)

Somewhat to my surprise, I half think this really did have a best before – because this is so mild that the only conclusion I can draw is that it’s faded in the bottle. On the up side, it’s extremely mild and easy drinking, with a very mild whiskey character. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Wild Rose Brewery Cowbell Wild/Sour at 4.5% ABV (On tap at Craft Beer Market Calgary, reviewed 23-Feb-2016)

Appearance: cloudy pale straw with a short, short-lived white head, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: muted, citrus, vomit (sorry!), light brine. (5/10) Taste: moderate-low sweet, low to non-existent bitter, moderate tart. (5/10) Palate: light watery body, soft carbonation, dry short finish. (3/5)

Cow bell? Cow pie, more like! OK, I’m being unfair – slightly. The mere fact that this exists is something of a minor miracle, but it’s probably also proof that not just everyone should attempt a sour. I hate to slag a local brewery, but ultimately this is a bit of a muddled mess. Still better than a macro lager, though – obviously. (11/20)

5.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Four Winds IPA American IPA at 7% ABV (On tap at Craft Beer Market Calgary, reviewed 23-Feb-2016)

Appearance: cloudy pale amber with two fingers of rocky ivory head, excellent retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, floral, pale and caramel malt, resiny pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body tending a little to the watery, moderate-low carbonation, lingering and building bitter finish. (4/5)

Just slightly disappointing. The aromas promise a punchy bright citrus and pine assault, but on the tongue the malt seems to gain traction quickly, and comes through as more caramel than pale. (Reminiscent of those malty DIPA’s I love to dismiss.) It’s particularly odd, because the finish is also moderately aggressive bitter, so it’s only in the middle where it really fails to deliver. The slightly watery body and slightly low carbonation aren’t particularly helping, either. And yes, I realize I’m damning this with faint praise, but speaking from last Friday’s experience before the Flames game, I can assure you that this is not the case, and that it’s possible to enjoy quite a few of these in succession, with friends. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com