Author: dpatrickryan

Bellwoods Brewery Jelly King Strawberry Rhubarb – Sour / Wild Ale at 5.6% ABV (C$11.38 at Collective, 500 ml, packaged on 6-Jun-2021, acquired 6-Aug-2021, reviewed 13-Aug-2021)

Appearance: hazy deep gold with two fat fingers of fine pale ivory head, good retention and minimal soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: doughy yeast, field berries, rhubarb, stone fruit, wood, hint of band-aid. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high tart, moderate sweet, low bitter. (8/10) Medium-light body, lively carbonation, off-dry short duration tart finish. (4/5)

I’ve previously said that the only variant of this I’ve had where the adjunct actually worked with the base character was the Guava. Well, this one does too – largely. There’s a hint of band-aid upon warming, but just a hint. Other than that, it’s quite pleasant, and a little reminiscent of strawberry rhubarb pie. (16/20)

This will be my 4,998th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Bomber Brewing Company Mauzy IPA – American IPA at 6% ABV | 30 IBU (C$3.91 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 6-Aug-2021, reviewed 12-Aug-2021)

Appearance: hazy straw with a massive loose white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical and stone fruits, pomes, citrus, pale malt, melon. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, dry short duration finish. (4/5)

I was initially a bit taken aback by the name of this one, since it was a word I had only ever heard as being a firmly Newfoundland term, and Bomber is about as far as you can get from The Rock while staying within the Commonwealth. But no, the label notes say this is paying homage to the “oft-foggy days in our eastern-most province”, and speaking as one who once owned a house in pretty much the foggiest region therein, I guess I must admit their usage is bang-on. Hopped with Citra and Ekuanot, and I’m getting the citrus, stone fruit, and melon you’d expect. Decent, but nothing overly exciting. (15/20)

7.5/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Burley Oak Brewing Company Hi-Deas – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8% ABV (C$11.00 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 24-Mar-2021, acquired 6-Aug-2021, reviewed 10-Aug-2021)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: mild, stone & tropical fruit, doughy caramel, citrus. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, lingering bitter mildly warming finish. (3/5)

Are Hi-Deas ones you get while drunk, and seem perfectly reasonable at the time? Well, the “let’s buy another one!” stamped on the bottom of the can might qualify as one, since it’s definitely not even close to worth the price tag. I don’t usually consider price in my rating, but there are lots of local beers that are far cheaper and far better. Secondary sources say this is hopped with Nelson, Topaz, and Wai-iti, but maybe because of age and distance what really comes though here is doughy caramel. Disappointing. (13/20)

6.5/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Boombox Brewing Company Rip and Tear – American IPA at 6% ABV (C$4.50 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 10-Jun-2021, acquired 6-Aug-2021, reviewed 10-Aug-2021)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale amber with two fingers of rocky pale ivory head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, pine, caramel, hint of tropical. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration bitter slightly spicy finish. (3/5)

Supposedly hopped with Amarillo and Since, and I’m pleased that there’s none of the off flavours that the latter can sometimes exhibit. Other than that, I don’t really have a lot to say about this one: it’s a straightforward, fairly emphatic West Coast IPA, in a style that has been becoming increasingly old-fashioned, but is now perhaps experiencing a little bit of a resurgence. (14/20)

7/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Shore Line Brewing Co. Breaker Brut IPA – American IPA at 6% ABV | 20 IBU (C$4.36 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 28-Apr-2021, acquired 6-Aug-2021, reviewed 9-Aug-2021)

Appearance: bright clear pale straw with two fingers of loose white head, good retention and moderate spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: mild, citrus zest, doughy yeast, rice, tropical fruit, floral. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, low bitter. (7/10) Palate: light body, lively carbonation, dry short duration crisp finish. (4/5)

On the one hand, there’s not a whole lot going on there: the aroma is mild, and in a lot of ways it’s like a rice lager. On the other hand, it’s clean and crisp, with a light body and lively carbonation that makes you think it’s got about half the ABV it actually does. Not as dry and vinous as other examples of the Brut IPA style I’ve had, but a pleasant summertime patio beer, and a significant improvement over their hazy IPA I had a few months ago. (15/20)

7.5/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Alley Kat Brewing Co. Dragon Series Ekuanot Dragon – American Double / Imperial IPA at 7.5% ABV | 75+ IBU (C$4.36 at Collective, 473 ml, best before 16-Dec-2021, acquired 6-Aug-2021, reviewed 8-Aug-2021)

Appearance: clear deep gold with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head, good retention and moderate spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: green apple, citrus, pilsner malt, light pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry slightly sticky lingering building bitter finish. (3/5)

The only thing that particularly stands out is a green apple note, which I don’t particularly associate with Ekuanot hops, and don’t find particularly appropriate to the style. (Not necessarily bad, just not what I would choose.)  Overall, not a lot to say about this – middle of the range for the series, middle of the range for the style. (14/20)

7/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Burley Oak Brewing Company Citralaxy – American IPA at 7.5% ABV (C$11.00 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 25-Mar-2021, acquired 6-Aug-2021, reviewed 8-Aug-2021)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with one fat finger of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, pale malt, dank resiny pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Creamy medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry short duration medium bitter finish. (4/5)

“India Pale Ale with that lupulin powder”. Yes. I assume, given the name, that there’s Citra and Galaxy in here, but I can’t find any brewer’s notes. In any case, that’s certainly the flavour profile I’m getting. Nice weight in both the body and the ABV, supporting the emphatic hop profile. All in all, very nicely done. (16/20)

8/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Propeller Brewery Galaxy IPA – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$4.63 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 15-Jul-2021, reviewed 7-Aug-2021)

Appearance: slightly muddy hazy deep gold with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head, good retention and spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma:  tropical fruit, citrus, pale malt, stone fruit, floral. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry short duration medium bitter finish. (4/5)

I had assumed, given the name, that this was a single-hop, but the brewer web site suggests otherwise, and indicates there’s Citra and Mosaic in there as well. I’m a little bit disappointed by that, but it’s largely got the character I’d expect from Galaxy, with juicy, albeit slightly bruised, tropical fruit (pineapple) leading the way over citrus and a light stone fruit and floral. The malt is clean and unobtrusive, not overly affecting the hop expression. One of the better efforts I’ve had by this brewer in the better part of a decade, with only their London Style Porter rating higher in my experience. (15/20)

7.5/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Lost Coast Brewery Hazy IPA – American IPA at 6.7% ABV | 38 IBU (C$3.32 at Liquorville Legacy, 355 ml, packaged on 22-Jun-2021, acquired 4-Aug-2021, reviewed 7-Aug-2021)

Appearance: hazy straw with one fat finger of pillowy white head, good retention and well-defined droopy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: juicy citrus, tropical fruit, pale malt and cereal grains, herbal. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Smooth medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry short duration medium bitter finish. (4/5)

The label specifies Mosaic and Citra, with oats in the malt bill, and the aroma and flavour are pretty much exactly what you’d expect from that. Juicy citrus and tropical fruit lead the way over a clean malt with cereal grains, and just a hint of herbal in the back end. The body is smooth and medium weight, with appropriate carbonation and a short medium bitter finish that makes it easy to drink and more-ish. No complaints here. (16/20)

8/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Outcast Brewing Zilla – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$4.95 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 30-Jun-2021, acquired 15-Jul-2021, reviewed 27-Jul-2021)

Appearance: slightly hazy particulate-laden pale gold with one fat finger of fine white head, good retention and well-defined droopy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: juicy tropical fruit, citrus, resiny pine, pale malt. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering building bitter finish. (4/5)

I understand this is not so much a collaboration, as a recipe share from Rebellion. It so happens I actually had the original, at the brewery in Regina, just over three years ago. This isn’t as pretty as the original, but I think it’s got a slightly more emphatic resiny bitterness, which I enjoy. In my opinion, that gives it a slight edge over the original, but I’m also a bit of a fan of Mr. Schnarr, so that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. (15/20)

7.5/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze