Author: dpatrickryan

Collective Arts Brewing / Cloudwater Brew Co. Origin of Darkness Port Barrel Aged Imperial Stout with Vidal Icewine – Imperial Stout at 10.8% ABV (C$7.00 at Collective, 355 ml, packaged on 25-Aug-2022, acquired 6-Oct-2022, reviewed 3-Nov-2022)

Appearance: nearly solid black with one finger of fine brown head diminishing gradually to a thin cap & ring, minimal lacing. (4/5) Aroma: sweet white grapes, vanilla, port wine, oak, roast malt & chocolate, hint of cinnamon. (8/10) Taste: high sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-full slightly slick body, soft carbonation, sticky warming lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

A very different interpretation of the BA Imperial Stout style, mostly because it’s dominated on the front end by brightly sweet white grapes – to the point where, eyes closed, one might be convinced it’s an ice wine. Different, but in a “different is good” kind of way. I like it. (16/20)

This will be my 5,417th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Great Lakes Brewery / Brux House Noon Is Good – American IPA at 5.4% ABV | 25 IBU (C$4.68 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 22-Sep-2022, acquired 1-Nov-2022, reviewed 3-Nov-2022)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of rocky white head, good retention and heavy well-defined lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus zest, cereal grains, faint pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, slightly sticky medium duration slightly astringent finish. (4/5)

I’m not quite sure whether they’re saying noon is good for breakfast, noon is good for beer, or beer is good for breakfast… guess I’ll go with all three. It’s probably a bit sweeter than “moderate”, given the slightly sticky finish, but the citrus zest astringency and hop bitterness work together to keep that under control. It’s certainly dominated by the citrus zest adjuncts, making it slightly one-dimensional, but generally I quite like it. (15/20)

This will be my 5,416th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Village Brewery Comfort Food – Session IPA at 3% ABV (C$4.36 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 14-Oct-2022, acquired 1-Nov-2022, reviewed 1-Nov-2022)

Appearance: dirty hazy pale straw with one fat finger of fluffy white head, good retention and minimal spotty lacing. (2/5) Aroma: mild, melon, grass, citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, low bitter. (7/10) Palate: light body, moderate-lively carbonation, off-dry short duration finish. (4/5)

I like the idea of a hyperlocal brew made from local malt and hopped from local gardens. I just wish there were more hops. And, well, more of everything. Except for the truly unfortunate appearance, it’s not unpleasant, but there’s just not much there. I’d like to like it more than I do – but I don’t. (13/20)

This will be my 5,415th unique Untappd check-in.

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Boombox Brewing Company Ultra Deluxe – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$4.35 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 6-Oct-2022, reviewed 31-Oct-2022)

Appearance: hazy muddy deep gold with one fat finger of fine pale ivory head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: mild, citrus, pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, sweetish medium duration warming finish. (4/5)

Can’t find confirmation, but this seems to be single-hop Citra. The aroma is nice, but not as bright as I like for the style. The flavour, on the other hand, is quite pleasant, and there’s a nice resiny bitterness in the finish that I very much appreciate. I suspect this might be a fair bit better fresh on tap, but as it stand it falls a little short of world-class. (15/20)

This will be my 5,414th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

5050 Brewing Co. West Coast Haze – American IPA at 6.25% ABV (C$6.07 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 10-Jul-2022, acquired 6-Oct-2022, reviewed 31-Oct-2022)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with a short, short-lived loose white head, spotty soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: stone & orchard fruits, floral, tropical fruit, caramel. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, sweetish medium duration finish. (3/5)

Hopped with Calypso, Azacca, Mosaic, Amarillo, and El Dorado. Not really very West Coast, if you ask me – no dankness or pine to speak of, and the fruit is kind of muddled. Feels like a bit of a bandwagon NEIPA, and not particularly well executed – which, given how ubiquitous the style has become, is sort of inexcusable. (13/20)

This will be my 5,413th unique Untappd check-in.

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Born Brewing Co. (Born Colorado Brewing) Swift Hours – American IPA at 6.1% ABV (C$4.41 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 27-Sep-2022, acquired 6-Oct-2022, reviewed 31-Oct-2022)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, melon, citrus, pale crackery malt, resiny pine, faint herbal. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry slightly tart finish. (4/5)

I like it. Kviek yeast is a good fit with the NEIPA style, imparting a drying, fairly attenuated finish in addition to the fruity notes on the front end. There’s also a funky herbal farmhouse note in there that tells you this is not exactly your normal day-today, which I appreciate. Another solid performer from Born. (16/20)

This will be my 5,412th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

High River Brewing Co. / Big Beaver Brewing Midway Wet Hop Pale Ale – American Pale Ale at 5% ABV (C$4.36 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 6-Oct-2022, reviewed 28-Oct-2022)

Appearance: slightly chill hazed medium gold with one finger of rocky white head, good retention and well-defined soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: herbal/grass, biscuity malt, light floral/berry. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (4/5)

Pretty decent, but a little old-fashioned in the herbal grassiness of the hop profile. Other might prefer that more traditional approach, so this largely comes down to personal preference. On the other hand, since I’m the person doing the preferring, I’m gonna go with my score being a little lower than it might have been with a more modern hop selection. (15/20)

This will be my 5,411th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Thin Man Brewery Trial By Wombat – American IPA at 7% ABV (C$8.75 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 27-Jun-2022, acquired 6-Oct-2022, reviewed 26-Oct-2022)_

Appearance: hazy straw with one fat finger of rocky pale ivory head, good retention and spotty soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: stone & tropical fruits, citrus, biscuity malt, light floral and berry. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration slightly sharp finish. (3/5)

Damn, that’s a face only a mother could love… Hopped with Galaxy. I’m detecting a little sharpness around the edges here, possibly a reflection of this being a single hop – I’ve found Galaxy can get away with that at times, but it might be a bit harvest specific. This one isn’t an unqualified success, but it’s solid. Except for the creepy wombat face. (15/20)

This will be my 5,410th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Bellwoods Brewery Cat Lady – American IPA at 7.1% ABV (C$7.95 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 20-Sep-2022, acquired 6-Oct-2022, reviewed 25-Oct-2022)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one finger of fine white head, good retention and well-defined soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: stone & tropical fruits, pine, cereal grains. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry slightly sharp finish. (3/5)

Double dry-hopped, but I’m not clear whether it’s with Citra and Columbus, or Summit and Simcoe. Presumably the latter, especially Simcoe, would be more likely to give a catty note – but I’m not getting much if any of that, so…? Apparently this is supposed to be a complement to Roman Candle, but if that’s the case I prefer the original. (15/20)

This will be my 5,409th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Establishment Brewing Company Hello Euphoria – American IPA at 6.6% ABV (C$4.81 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 27-Sep-2022, acquired 6-Oct-2022, reviewed 25-Oct-2022)

Appearance: hazy straw with two fingers of rocky pale ivory head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, pine, cereal grains, stone fruit, hint of cannabinoids. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry short duration finish. (4/5)

Brewer notes say this is hopped with experimental HBC 630 and Citra. HBC 630 looks to be a new one for me, but Yakima says it’s “complex and fruity, with Sweet Fruits and Berries like Raspberry and Cherry, along with sweet candy-like esters and lactones giving creamy notes of peach and banana.”) Can’t say I’m getting much of any of that, except perhaps what I’m calling a stone fruit note. Not that I’m complaining, far from it. I mean, one might suggest that “euphoria” is a bit of a reach, but it’s certainly a feel-good one. Maybe a little better than Sky Rocket III or VI, say, but not quite as good as II, IV, or V – but come on, that’s splitting hairs over exactly how great this is. (17/20)

This will be my 5,408th unique Untappd check-in.

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com