Author: dpatrickryan

Île Sauvage Brewing Azacca Dry-Hopped Pale Ale – American Pale Ale at 5.8% ABV (C$4.90 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 1-Oct-2021, reviewed 5-Oct-2021)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with a massive unruly loose pale amber head, good retention and heavy soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: citrus zest, herbal & wild funk, bready yeast, stone fruit. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter, light funky tart. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, dry mild bitter slightly astringent finish. (4/5)

Definite indications of Wild / Kveik brewing here, starting with the unruly head rendering this nearly unpourable, and carrying through into the aroma and slightly astringent finish. Not being told this was a kveik, I initially thought there was some sort of Brett-like infection going on. Then I dug a little, and re-evaluated. Still, the overall structure feels a bit haphazard, rather than having a clear focus – bottom line, if it’s going to be a Wild or a Kviek, then roll with that, instead of calling it an Azacca dry-hopped Pale. I mean, yes, fine, it’s not wrong, but maybe use “wild” or “kveik” on the label to give the drinker a heads up? Not bad overall, but lacking focus. (14/20)

This will be my 5,076th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

S.Y.C. Brewing Co. Check-In – Session IPA at 4.5% ABV (C$4.09 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 8-Sep-2021, acquired 1-Oct-2021, reviewed 4-Oct-2021)

Appearance: hazy straw with one fat finger of fluffy white head, good retention and heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: bright zesty citrus, stone fruit, pale malt. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, off-dry mild bitter finish. (4/5)

Dry-hopped with Galaxy and Citra. I usually find S.Y.C. to be excellent (or better) but one area in particular where I’ve found them lacking is with their Sessions, which have been sub-par in my experience. (I found Mu to be too lean, verging on astringent, and I just didn’t like the wild hop flavours of Afternoon Hoot.) This time, though, they nail it, with a bright, refreshing Session that needs no apologies or qualifiers despite its training wheels ABV. (16/20)

This will be my 5,075th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Fremont Brewing Lush IPA – American IPA at 7.0% ABV | 80 IBU (C$4.81 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 9-Aug-2021, acquired 1-Oct-2021, reviewed 3-Oct-2021)

Appearance: clear pale gold with three fingers of fluffy off-white head, good retention and heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: melon, tropical fruit, toasted biscuity malt, citrus, floral, grass. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, slightly sticky moderate bitter finish. (4/5)

Brewer notes say this is hopped with Citra, Mosaic, and Citra Cryo. Rather than the bright and juicy citrus notes I hope to see with those hops, though, I’m getting melon leading the way, with a toasted biscuit note not far behind. Not unpleasant, certainly, but not where I’d like the balance to be. (15/20)

This will be my 5,074th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Blindman Brewing Wet & Dry Hop – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.8% ABV (C$4.81 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 23-Sep-2021, acquired 1-Oct-2021, reviewed 1-Oct-2021)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with two fat fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: zesty citrus, resiny pine, cereal grains, leafy greens. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, slightly sticky lingering bitter warming finish. (4/5)

Well, the label’s useless: it rambles about hopping, but doesn’t specify the hop varietals, and give the IBU as “???”. Minor annoyances aside, this is nice: citrus and pine leading over top of clean slightly sweet cereal grains, with hints of leafy greens on the back end. The finish is slightly sweet and sticky, with a solid bitter and mild warming. The ABV isn’t entirely absent, but the warming is mild and pleasant. This is another one in what appears to me to be a return to more traditional (i.e. non-NE, non-hazy) types of beers, which for me is particularly appropriate for DIPAs. Nice effort from a solid brewery. (16/20)

This will be my 5,073rd unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Lighthouse Brewing Co. Numbskull (Rotator #7) – American Double / Imperial IPA at 9.1% ABV | 70 IBU (C$8.85 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 28-Jul-2021, acquired 3-Sep-2021, reviewed 30-Sep-2021)

Appearance: slightly hazy deep gold with three fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, resiny pine, caramel. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-full body, moderate carbonation, emphatic lingering building bitter finish. (4/5)

The label describes a “heavy backbone of Vienna and Pale malts”, and “an onslaught of Columbus, Simcoe, and Azacca” – but before that, it describes “lacking logic, caution, or restraint”. This version has a slightly different malt bill than the version I had six years ago (no Caramel malt in this version) and a different hop profile (this one has Simcoe instead of Centennial). Despite the different malt bill, it seems structurally pretty similar, albeit with a slightly different aroma and flavour profile. (15/20)

This will be my 5,072nd unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Port Brewing Co. Mongo – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8% ABV (C$8.85 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 3-Sep-2021, reviewed 28-Sep-2021)

Appearance: clear medium gold with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: sweet citrus, resiny pine, caramel. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: smooth medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering building bitter finish. (4/5)

The label says this is hopped with Centennial, Columbus, Simcoe, and Cascade, so it’s hardly surprising that this comes across as a big old traditional West Coast-style DIPA. Excellent example of the style, with restrained sweetness and emphatic bitterness. Too bad Mongo only pawn in game of life… (16/20)

This will be my 5,071st unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Almanac Beer Co. Loud! Hazy IPA – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.0% ABV (C$7.85 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 13-Jul-2021, acquired 3-Sep-2021, reviewed 27-Sep-2021)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of loose white head, good retention and spotty droopy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: doughy yeast, tropical fruit, citrus, cereal grains, pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: smooth slightly creamy medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration bitter finish. (4/5)

The label says this is “obnoxiously dry-hopped” with Mosaic, Cashmere, and Simcoe. It also says “DANK • TROPICAL • SMOOTH”, which is definitely my idea of a good time. And, it’s not bad – but it doesn’t quite cash the cheque it wrote with those descriptions. The aroma, while not exactly mild, is certainly not as bombastic as I’d hoped for, and there’s at least initially a doughy yeast note not unlike a lot of Council beers (or, less generously, cheap home-brew) rather than the promised dankitude. On the other hand, it drinks very easily for its relatively high ABV, so it’s got that going for it. (14/20)

This will be my 5,070th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Church Street Brewing Company Brewcifer – American Double / Imperial IPA at 9% ABV (C$8.75 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 3-Sep-2021, reviewed 24-Sep-2021)

Appearance: hazy nearly opaque pale gold with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: pine, tropical fruit, sweet citrus, cereal grains. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: smooth slightly creamy medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, medium duration bitter finish. (4/5)

The label says Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy, and Falconer’s Flight, “almost entirely whirlpool and dry hop additions” – yes, please! But, it doesn’t quite deliver on that promise. Maybe it’s just a little faded, but as it is it could stand to be brighter in aroma, and a little less sweet dominated in taste. I could maybe have gone slightly higher on my rating here, but I’m disinclined to give them benefit of the doubt on an undated can. (15/20)

This will be my 5,069th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Blindman Brewing / Field House Brewing Co. West Coast IPA – American IPA at 7.0% ABV | 60 IBU (C$10.95 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 25-Aug-2021, acquired 3-Sep-2021, reviewed 23-Sep-2021)

Appearance: clear pale amber with three fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus zest, resiny pine, caramel. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration bitter finish. (4/5)

The label calls this an old-school West Coast IPA, and I’m inclined to agree, even if it doesn’t have quite the level of dank-ass dankitude sticky-icky nugs I prefer in that style. It’s an interesting counterpoint, if not quite polar opposite, to the much newer style Cold IPA I previously had from this collaboration. I could perhaps have gone a little bit lower on the scoring for aroma and taste, but ultimately it’s a solid example of the style, with no flaws to speak of. (16/20)

This will be my 5,068th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Aslin Beer Co. / Front Royal Brewing Co. Extra Extra Extra – Triple IPA at 11% ABV (C$10.95 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 3-Sep-2021, reviewed 21-Sep-2021)

Appearance: clear pale gold with three fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: red berries, floral, tropical fruit, citrus. (7/10) Taste: high sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium slightly slick body, moderate carbonation, sweet building bitter warming finish. (4/5)

Not exactly subtle, but it certainly doesn’t drink as hot as some other double-digit beasts I’ve had in the past. It’s got an interesting aroma, dominated by red berries (or maybe vinous grapes?) but no real warning of the big dose of jolly juice that’s on the way. Not sure I’d want another one, but it’s not without its charms. (15/20)

This will be my 5,067th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com