Author: dpatrickryan

Great Notion Brewing & Barrel House Aura – American IPA at 7.2% ABV (C$8.95 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 2-Jul-2021, reviewed 4-Jul-2021)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of rocky white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: juicy tropical fruit, citrus, oats & cereal grains, green vegetal. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, slightly sweet mildly spicy finish. (4/5)

A new brewer for me, but apparently popular in certain circles. Not sure if the ape tripping balls on shrooms has any relevance? I can’t find brewers notes – their web site is down? – but secondary sources say it’s hopped with Citra, Columbus, and Cascade, which makes sense. I’m getting just a hint of “green” vegetal (sort of like sweet green bell peppers) behind juicy tropical fruit, citrus, and oats & cereal grain malts. The sweetness sort of matches the juicy aroma, but I find it a little excessive, especially through the slightly sticky finish. Ends up being merely good, not great. (15/20)

7.5/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Overhop Brewing Co. Mad Manu – Blond Ale at 5.2% ABV | 22 IBU (C$6.07 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 2-Jul-2021, reviewed 3-Jul-2021)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with two fingers of rocky white head, excellent retention and well-defined soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: grass, stewed fruits, caramel. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, low bitter. (7/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry mild bitter finish. (3/5)

This is apparently a single-hop with Belma, which I think is a new one on me. Hard to tell what my opinion is based on this so far, to be honest. Brewer notes say notes of orange, melon, and strawberry, but I’m getting grass dominance backed up by muddled stewed fruit. It’s OK, but that’s about as far as I’d go. (13/20)

6.5/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Steel & Oak Brewing Co. Shiny Things – American IPA at 6% ABV (C$4.50 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 18-May-2021, acquired 2-Jul-2021, reviewed 3-Jul-2021)

Appearance: hazy pale straw with one fat finger of fine white head, good retention and spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: oily citrus zest, melon, pale crackery malt, mild pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry mild bitter finish. (4/5)

Brewer notes say this is hopped with Huell Melon, Mandarina Bavaria, and Hallertau Blanc, with Pilsner malt and oats as the malt bill. In the past, I’ve been less than impressed with two of those, accusing them of failing to live up to their names. This time, though, they really deliver, with a pleasant combination of citrus zest and melon. Clean malt and light pine round out a very nice overall profile. I haven’t had a lot by this brewer, but this is by far the best (for n=7, μ=6.4 & σ=1.03). (16/20)

8/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Category 12 Brewing Mango Hazy IPA – American IPA at 6.5% ABV | 25 IBU (C$4.81 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 15-Jun-2021, acquired 2-Jul-2021, reviewed 3-Jul-2021)

Appearance: opaque orange-tinged pale gold with two fingers of loose yellowish head diminishing rapidly to nothing, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: mango, tropical fruit, pine, citrus, herbal. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, slightly sticky short finish. (4/5)

Brewer notes list Centennial, El Dorado, and Azacca on American Ale yeast, as well as mango puree. (I guess the malts play as little a role here from the brewing perspective, as they do from the tasting perspective.) Smells and looks like mango juice upon pouring, but there’s still emphatic hop notes present once you get up close and personal, and particularly through the finish. The body is also surprisingly light and not at all the thick juice- or nectar-like consistency you might expect from the appearance, buoyed aloft by a fairly lively but not inappropriate carbonation. I’m starting to conclude that mango might very well be the absolute best adjunct for working with modern American (or ANZ) hop notes, instead of overwhelming them. All in all, this is a pretty solid effort. (15/20)

7.5/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Bent Stick Brewing Co. / Fallentimber Meadery Lawyers Guns & Honey – Braggot at 8.5% ABV (C$5.08 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 10-Jun-2021, reviewed 2-Jul-2021)

Appearance: hazy straw with two fingers of fluffy white head diminishing rapidly to a thick cap, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: wet hay funk, white wine, honey. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Medium-light body, lively carbonation, slightly sticky short finish. (3/5)

Brewer notes say this is “aggressively dryhopped with Nelson Sauvin, Enigma, and friendship”. I generally like Braggots, but I have issues with this one. I guess I have to acknowledge the wine notes I’d expect from the ANZ hopping, but there’s a wet hay funk dominating it, and I’m not sure why that would be the case: as far as I can tell, it’s not brewed with Brett, for example.  I’m tempted to conclude this is infected, or at least has some honey-derived stuff interacting in unexpected ways. Either way, it’s not really working for me. (13/20)

6.5/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Banded Peak Brewery Ride On – American Pale Lager at 5.2% ABV | 30 IBU (C$4.24 at Liquorville Legacy, 473 ml, packaged on 25-May-2021, acquired 30-Jun-2021, reviewed 2-Jul-2021)

Appearance: slightly hazy straw with two fingers of fluffy white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: grass, cereal grains, herbal, light citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, crisp short finish. (4/5)

I’m probably being a bit generous in the rating here, but it’s just such a clean interpretation of a classic. This very much is your father’s lager, but done right. Definitely very reminiscent of the beer garden at the Stampede. (15/20)

7.5/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Annex Ale Project Idle Hands – Pilsner at 5.3% ABV (C$3.85 at Liquorville Legacy, 473 ml, packaged on 17-May-2021, acquired 30-Jun-2021, reviewed 1-Jul-2021)

Appearance: slightly hazy straw with one fat finger of fluffy white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: grass, citrus, biscuity pale malt, herbal/floral. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Light body, moderate carbonation, crisp short duration finish. (4/5)

Brewer notes say this is hopped with Cascade, Galena, Mosaic, and Saaz. Although Italian Pilsners are traditionally highly hopped, only one of those four is going to give you the traditional effect. Not that I’m complaining: for me, the citrus and floral notes are a welcome addition to the straight-up grassy notes that so often dominate Pilsners. This is clean and refreshing, not too sweet despite the added fruit notes, and definitely welcome in our current record hot temperatures. (15/20)

7.5/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Microbrasserie Les Trois Mousquetaires IPA Blanche – White IPA at 6% ABV | 48 IBU (C$4.72 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 14-Apr-2021, acquired 10-Jun-2021, reviewed 29-Jun-2021)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of fluffy white head diminishing gradually to a thin ring, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: wheat and cereal grains, stewed fruits, herbal, tropical fruit, citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (6/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration bitter finish. (4/5)

The label says this is brewed with Mosaic, Sultana, and Centennial, but I’m not getting a lot of the bright citrus or juicy tropical fruits I like to see from that selection. (And I still think “Sultana” is a stupid name for a hop.) I oscillate between what dominates here: the wheaty cereal grains, a muddled mixture of stewed fruit, or herbal notes. Any way you slice it, it’s not really a traditional White IPA, nor is it a case of letting the American hops shine. Ultimately, there are no real negatives, but it’s just not very interesting. (14/20)

7/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Bellwoods Brewery Jelly King Raspberry & Meyer Lemon – Sour / Wild Ale at 5.6% ABV (C$14.25 at Collective, 500 ml, packaged on 31-Mar-2021, acquired 10-Jun-2021, reviewed 27-Jun-2021)

Appearance: hazy pink with two fingers of loose pale pink head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, minimal lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tart raspberry, lemon. (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 think the only variant of this I’ve had where the adjunct actually works with the base character is the Guava. With pretty much every other one, the adjunct becomes the central focus. In most cases, that’s been a little bit of a detraction for me, and I’ve generally preferred the original. And, that’s the case again here, but perhaps not to the extent I was worried it would be: I was thinking that the combination of raspberry and Meyer lemon would result in overwhelming tartness, but it’s merely emphatic. However, fruit does completely dominate the aroma, rendering any underlying hop character undetectable, to its detriment. (16/20)

8/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Medicine Hat Brewing Co. / Valley Brewing Reaper of Death 2.0 Double NEIPA – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.8% ABV | 34 IBU (C$4.85 at Liquorville Legacy, 473 ml, packaged on 1-Jun-2021, acquired 25-Jun-2021, reviewed 27-Jun-2021)

Appearance: hazy straw with two fingers of loose off-white head diminishing gradually to a persistent cap, moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, cereal grains, resiny pine, coconut. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter warming finish. (4/5)

Label notes say this is hopped with Azacca, Eclipse, El Dorado, Idaho 7, Sabro Cryo, and Pink Boots Hop. That’s a bit more complex than the first version of this I had, just over a year ago, which listed only Azacca, Idaho 7, and Sabro Cryo. (This is also the first time I’ve encountered the concept of Pink Boots hops, but apparently there’ve been four such blends to date, with the current one consisting of Cashmere, Ahtanum, Citra, Loral, ​and Sabro.) I really don’t feel like the added complexity is helping here. Specifically, I thought the first one was heavily Idaho 7 dominated, making it some holy shit dank-ass dankitude. This one has got a lot more tropical fruit, and maybe even a little Sabro coconut, cutting the dank and making it feel sweeter. (15/20)

7.5/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze