Author: dpatrickryan

Vaycay Brew Co. Hoptopus Cryo Cold IPA – Cold IPA at 6% ABV (C$4.04 at Okotoks Co-Op, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 30-Oct-2024, reviewed 30-Oct-2024)

Appearance: hazy straw with two fingers of fluffy white head, good retention and heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: stone & tropical fruit, floral, pale malt, hint of mint. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, off-dry short duration finish. (3/5)

I didn’t have particularly high hopes for this, but the four packs were on sale and there’s a Flames game tonight, so I figured, what the heck, probably good enough to have while watching them continue their losing skid… Plus, how often do you get to try a completely new adjunct? I actually don’t hate this: it’s fairly light, crisp, and easy-drinking, and there’s a different, almost mint-like note that I’m attributing to the kelp adjunct. There are worse beers to drink while watching the Flames lose. (And yes, I wrote this before the game, and yes, they lost. I could stand to be a little less right at times.) (14/20)

This will be my 5,990th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Tired Hands Brewing Company / Omnipollo Piña Colada Milkshake – American Double / Imperial IPA at 7.2% ABV (C$15.75 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 9-Oct-2024, reviewed 26-Oct-2024)

Appearance: hazy deep gold with one finger of creamy pale ivory head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: pineapple, coconut, vanilla, lactose. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, slightly sticky mildly warming finish. (4/5)

The label says “ale brewed with pineapple, coconut, vanilla and lactose” and that’s exactly what I get – no more, no less. It’s adjunct-emphatic, but not excessively sweet. I’d like more hop character, but it’s pleasant enough as-is. (16/20)

This will be my 5,989th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Establishment Brewing Company Earth, Wind, vs. Fire – Helles Lager at 4.8% ABV (C$4.50 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 24-Sep-2024, acquired 9-Oct-2024, reviewed 26-Oct-2024)

Appearance: clear straw with a short fine white head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: bready malt, honey, grass, floral, hint DMS. (7/10) Taste: moderate-low sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: light body, moderate-lively carbonation, short duration mild finish. (4/5)

One of those styles I find it really hard to grade properly, probably because my palate isn’t very sophisticated. It’s good, clean and easy to drink, but it just doesn’t excite me. I readily admit that’s as likely to be my failing as it is the brewer’s, but ultimately that’s where we are. (14/20)

This will be my 5,988th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Alley Kat Brewing Co. / Vaycay Brew Co. Road Trippin 2.0 – American Pale Ale at 4.2% ABV (C$5.08 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 29-Aug-2024, acquired 9-Oct-2024, reviewed 26-Oct-2024)

Appearance: hazy straw with two fingers of loose white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: mild, citrus zest, cereal grains, melon. (7/10) Taste: moderate-low sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: light body, moderate-lively carbonation, short duration mild finish falling off slightly watery. (3/5)

Not bad. I don’t like criticizing something that’s intended to be light, for being light, but there’s also going too far with it – and this does go just a touch too far. The aroma is milder than I’d like and I think even given the light malt bill and body this could have sustained a bit more dry hopping. Pleasant enough, refreshing and easy to drink, but verging slightly on watery. (14/20)

This will be my 5,987th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Tired Hands Brewing Company / Omnipollo Extra Vanilla Double Milkshake IPA – American Double / Imperial IPA at 9.2% ABV (C$15.65 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 10-Jul-2024, acquired 9-Oct-2024, reviewed 25-Oct-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of fine pale ivory head, good retention and heavy soapy spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, lactose, citrus, melon, cereal grains, vanilla, hint of resiny pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, slightly sticky warming finish. (4/5)

I initially thought there wasn’t much vanilla here, but it does eventually show up upon warming and retronasally through the finish. Not EXTRA Vanilla, I’d argue, but it’s there. More importantly, the sweetness is balanced, and it drinks impressively mildly given its near double-digit ABV. I’m not generally a huge fan of milkshake IPA’s, because more often than not they’re not really all that milkshake-like – but this pretty much ticks the boxes. (16/20)

This will be my 5,986th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Equilibrium Brewery Infinite Mass – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8% ABV (C$8.70 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 4-Jul-2024, acquired 9-Oct-2024, reviewed 24-Oct-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of fine pale ivory head, good retention and heavy soapy spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, stone & tropical fruit, cereal grains, dank pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration warming finish. (4/5)

Mosaic and Mosaic Incognito whirlpool, dry hop with Mosaic, Citra, Simcoe, Citra Lupomax, and Mosaic Lupomax. I’m not entirely sure about this one: there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it, so I can’t really rate it any lower than this – but it just isn’t exciting me for some reason, so I can’t really go higher. It is what it is, I guess. (16/20)

This will be my 5,985th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Tired Hands Brewing Company Eviscerated Pathway of Beauty – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.6% ABV (C$13.85 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 18-Jul-2024, acquired 9-Oct-2024, reviewed 23-Oct-2024)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with one finger of fine pale ivory head, good retention and heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, tropical fruit, oats, dank pine. (9/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: smooth medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, medium duration slightly hop burny mildly warming finish. (4/5)

The brewer says this is “an All Sweet Citra Double IPA.” The flavour profile is impressively complex for a single-hopped offering, and both objectively the best TH offering I’ve had to date, and the best bang for the buck. Still too expensive, of course, but what are ya gonna do? Life costs money, especially my life. Blowing less money on expensive booze would have damn near zero effect on my finances and might adversely affect my quality of life, so why take the risk? Next! (17/20)

This will be my 5,984th unique Untappd check-in.

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Tired Hands Brewing Company TDH Punge – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.3% ABV (C$16.65 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 25-Jul-2024, acquired 9-Oct-2024, reviewed 23-Oct-2024)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with one finger of loose pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, stone fruit, oats, mild dank pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: smooth medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, medium duration slightly hop burny mildly warming finish. (4/5)

Triple dry hopped with Motueka and Nelson Sauvin. Overripe tropical fruit dominates a cereal grain malt base with mild dank pine in the background. There’s a very slightly aggressive hop burn through the finish, with a mild warming from the ABV. I’m not trying to suggest there’s too much hopping here – what would that even be like? – but the hopping feels a little less bright and fruity and a little more heavy and bitter than I prefer to see in the style. Still very good, but not stellar. And again, like so many other TH offerings, not even close to worth the price tag when I can get just as good (or better) brewed locally for a third the price. (16/20)

This will be my 5,983rd unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Establishment Brewing Company Walking on the Moon – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.3% ABV (C$6.25 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 1-Oct-2024, acquired 9-Oct-2024, reviewed 23-Oct-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fine pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, oats, tropical fruit, light coconut. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (9/10) Palate: smooth medium body, soft carbonation, medium duration mildly warming finish. (4/5)

Hopped with “Motueka, Idaho 7, Mosaic Hyperboost”. Easy drinking hazy hop bomb. That’ll do pig, that’ll do. (17/20)

This will be my 5,982nd unique Untappd check-in.

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Establishment Brewing Company Middle Child – Amber Lager/Vienna at 4.6% ABV (C$4.90 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 7-Aug-2024, acquired 9-Oct-2024, reviewed 19-Oct-2024)

Appearance: clear medium amber with one finger of fluffy pale ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, minimal spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel, bready malt, floral. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, short duration finish. (4/5)

Look, I know that I’m a complete sucker for a hop bomb, and that my ability to appreciate anything less is probably deeply questionable. But the brewer – who, by the way, is absolutely one of my favourites in the world – said they “pumped up the hop aromatics” on this one. And I’m not criticizing this – it’s a lovely little Czech Amber. But it’s not hoppy! (15/20)

This will be my 5,981st unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com