Author: dpatrickryan

Driftwood Brewery Black Stone Porter English Porter at 6% ABV (C$6.75 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, reviewed 14-Jan-2016)

Appearance: nearly sold black with clear brown margins, one finger of dense beige head, excellent retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: coffee, chocolate, dark roasty malt, tart red berries, light lactic. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter, very light tart. (7/10) Palate: medium-full body, moderate carbonation, off-dry finish. (4/5)

Nice. Smooth and chocolatey, dark and rich. Nice dark roast flavours, while staying pleasantly mild – a solid implementation from a solid brewer. In the background, I’m getting a near-lactic smoothness along with an almost raspberry-like tart – which, considering they’re pretty much opposites, is no mean feat. Can’t go (too badly) wrong with Driftwood in my experience, and this is another solid performer, if not quite world-class like Fat Tug, Pilsner Doehnel, or Naughty Hildegard. (Even if it doesn’t make me want to spank a nun. Aw, hell, who’m I kidding? I still want to spank a nun.) (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Category 12 Brewing Unsanctioned Saison Saison at 6.9% ABV (C$8.25 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, reviewed 14-Jan-2016)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with one fat finger of pure white fluffy head, excellent retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: yeast, pale malt, orange peel, cloves, earthy. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (5/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry finish. (3/5)

Pretty simple, and frankly boring, saison. Sweetish, with no funk to speak of. Can’t say I’m liking this one a whole heckuva lot. I mean, sure, it’s better than a macro lager, but what isn’t? (11/20)

5.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Alley Kat Brewing Co. Unity Brew Premium Bitter / ESB at 5.4% ABV (C$6.79 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, reviewed 14-Jan-2016)

Appearance: clear pale amber with a short ivory head, good retention and moderate lacing. (3/5) Aroma: caramel malt, grassy, metallic, bready. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-low carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

Fairly typical ESB, without much to recommend it. A bit metallic on the nose and in the finish. OK, but don’t knock yourself out trying to find one. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Nelson Brewing Company Bent Pole American IPA at 6% ABV (C$7.75 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, best before 10-Apr-2016, reviewed 13-Jan-2016)

Appearance: clear pale amber with two fingers of fluffy ivory head, excellent retention and good lacing. (4/5) Aroma: pine, citrus, caramel malt. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter and very slightly catty finish. (3/5)

Decent enough A/IPA. A little clumsy, and not as clean as I’d like to see it, but pleasant enough. I’d like to see more definition in the hops – crisper and brighter would make me happier. I’m also noticing a hint of cattiness in the finish that I think is coming from the Simcoe. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Tofino Brewing Co. Tuff Session Ale American Pale Ale at 5% ABV (C$8.50 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, reviewed 13-Jan-2016)

Appearance: clear medium amber with two fingers of growing rocky light beige head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel, nutty, toast, apples. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-low bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, short duration finish. (3/5)

Not bad, but not what I was expecting at all. More like an ESB, really, than an APA. Certainly darker and maltier than I prefer APA’s. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Türk Tuborg A.Ş. Tuborg Gold Pale Lager at 5.5% ABV (C$4.37 at Quarry Park Calgary Co-Op, 500 ml, bottle date 16-Jul-2015, best before 16-Jul-2016, reviewed 13-Jan-2016)

Appearance: clear pale straw with one finger of fluffy off-white head, moderate retention and patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: grainy malt, weedy grassy hops, wet cardboard. (4/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (4/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry sweet and sticky finish. (2/5)

A Turkish-brewed license of a Danish Beer? What could possibly go wrong? Yeah, it’s piss, but I was thirsty and it was literally the only thing in my work fridge that wasn’t 9% or 750ml – or both – and I have to drive. It quenched my thirst. If you find yourself needing it for the same reason, do yourself a favour and don’t let it warm up. Drink it fast and it’s not too bad. Well… OK, it is, but at least it’s over with faster. (And hey! Yet another beer with “Premium” on the label that, well, isn’t. This is fast becoming a truism.) (8/20)

4/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Mill Street Brewery Tankenstein American IPA at 5% ABV (On tap at Mill Street Brewpub YYZ, reviewed 12-Jan-2016)

Appearance: clear pale amber with one finger of fluffy ivory head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel, resiny pine, citrus, grainy malt. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry slightly sweet and sticky finish. (3/5)

Not terrible, but a fairly pedestrian malty A/IPA. There’s lots of hop character going on, but for me it feels like it’s, if not actually drowned out by the malt, at least fighting the malt for dominance. Bit of an odd duck, in that all the elements are there, but they just don’t seem to come together effectively, and it doesn’t feel all that well-balanced. I waffled on scoring the aroma and flavour components for this one, and if anything I’m being somewhat generous here – in a bad mood, I could potentially drop the total score by a half to a full point. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

HaandBryggeriet Dark Force Russian Imperial Stout at 9% ABV (US$12.99 at Total Wines & More, Henderson NV, 500 ml, Batch 538 (2013?), reviewed 11-Jan-2016)

Appearance: solid unrelieved black with one finger of dense beige head, excellent retention and patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: boozy dark fruits, wheat malt, coffee and cocoa, tobacco and leather, dark fruit. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter, mild smoke. (8/10) Palate: full body, lively carbonation, off-dry mildly boozy finish. (4/5)

With surprisingly lively carbonation and initial smokiness on the tongue, this beast tastes very little like it smells. As it warms, it opens up, providing an impressive depth of complexity in aroma and flavour. But, come on: “Double, Extreme, Imperial” Wheat Stout? Department of Redundancy Department much? I mean, yes, either of those appellations could reasonably be applied – but all three are gilding the lily just a bit. Big, sure, but quite drinkable. I don’t think I’ve ever had a wheat stout before, let alone a Double (Extreme, Imperial) one, but if this is normal for the style, damn. Paired with Belgian chocolate, double damn and then some. (16/20)

My 212th from the 2010 Edition (201st from the 2013 edition), and 223rd combining both editions.

8/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Boulevard Brewing Co. Smokestack Series Saison-Brett (2015) Saison at 8.5% ABV (C$19.23 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, bottle date 4-Feb-2015, best before 1-Feb-2017, reviewed 11-Jan-2016)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of rocky off-white head, excellent retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: complex, earthy funk, citrus zest, straw, stone fruit, vinous. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, mild bitter, mild spice. (9/10) Palate: medium body, lively carbonation, off-dry funky finish. (5/5)

Like saisons? Like brett? You owe it to yourself to find and try this. Really nicely done, with a nigh-on perfect balance of dry nearly vinous saison and funky brett characters. I’d love to try this after a couple of years of cellaring, to really give the brett time to get going, but it’s really, really good with just under a year on it. (18/20)

My 211th from the 2010 Edition (200th from the 2013 edition), and 222nd combining both editions.

9/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brewsters Brewing Company Hawaiian Coconut Porter American Porter at 5% ABV (C$5.79 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, bottle date 1-Aug-2015, reviewed 10-Jan-2016)

Appearance: clear deep brown with ruby highlights, one finger of fluffy beige head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: sweet caramel, roasty notes, dried fruit, building coconut. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium-full body, soft carbonation, lingering sweetish finish. (3/5)

I initially thought there was no coconut at all in this, but as the pint progressed and warmed up, a mild presence became apparent. I think I’d be happier with a bit more emphasis on the coconut, to to distinguish it a little more from a standard light sweet American-style porter. That might also make the sweetness more appropriate – as it stands I find it somewhat too sweet, particularly the lingering sweet finish, which becomes a little mouth-coating and cloying towards the end. (12/20)

6/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com