Author: dpatrickryan

Imperial City Brew House Milkshake IPA – American IPA at 6% ABV | 36 IBU (C$4.09 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 2-Mar-2021, acquired 23-Apr-2021, reviewed 3-May-2021)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: sweet mango, vanilla, coconut. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium slightly creamy body, moderate carbonation, medium duration finish. (3/5)

Surprisingly good for what it is. I mean, yeah, it’s gonna cause purists to have seizures, but it’s actually not excessively sweet despite the aroma. I’m not sure I’d call this an IPA… or hell, a beer… but it’s not bad at all for a ridiculous abomination of a style! (14/20)

7/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

2 Crows Brewing Starflight – Saison at 4.4% ABV | 28 IBU (C$5.89 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 16-Dec-2020, acquired 23-Apr-2021, reviewed 2-May-2021)

Appearance: hazy straw with one fat finger of foamy white head diminishing rapidly to nothing , no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: oak, stone fruit, barnyard funk, floral, phenols. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate funky tart, low bitter. (7/10) Palate: light body, enthusiastic carbonation, dry funky tart finish. (3/5)

The label says “FUNKY PRICKLY DRY” and that’s a fair assessment. The worst you can say about this one is that it’s not pretty. Well, that and the taste isn’t quite as good as the aroma. Don’t get me wrong, I like a nice horseblankety funk as much as the next guy, but there’s a little phenol edge on the back end that reminds me of plastic solvent. It’s not strong, but it’s there, particularly on the tongue, and it drags down the scores for taste and palate. (14/20)

7/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Superflux Beer Company Easy Tiger – American Pale Ale at 4.5% ABV (C$4.90 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 23-Apr-2021, reviewed 2-May-2021)

Appearance: opaque straw with one fat finger of loose off-white head, good retention and minimal spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: juicy and pithy grapefruit, wheat malt, light resiny pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light tart. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, lively carbonation, off-dry medium bitter lightly tart finish. (4/5)

Very nice – lots of aroma and flavour despite the lighter body and ABV, to the point where no qualifiers are needed and this could stand on its own against bigger beers. Bright pithy juice dominates, but there’s a little dank pine on the back end, especially as the pint warms. All in all, a very pleasant lunch beer. (16/20)

8/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Belching Beaver Brewery No Worries – American IPA at 6.2% ABV | 45 IBU (C$4.45 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 1-Apr-2021, acquired 23-Apr-2021, reviewed 1-May-2021)

Appearance: clear pale gold with one fat finger of white head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: citrus, mixed fruits, cereal grains, grass, pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, sweetish medium bitter finish. (3/5)

Brewer notes say hopped with Strata, Galaxy, Mosaic, Citra, and Amarillo, but none of the expected characteristics are particularly well-defined. Nothing special and probably one of the least interesting BB brews I’ve ever had. (13/20)

6.5/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Zero Issue Brewing Midgard West Coast IPA (Issue #43) – American IPA at 8.1% ABV (C$4.81 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 23-Apr-2021, reviewed 1-May-2021)

Appearance: hazy pale amber with two fingers of rocky ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin cap and ring, well-defined droopy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel, zesty grapefruit, resiny pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-full slightly sticky body, moderate carbonation, sweetish lingering building bitter finish. (3/5)

Straight up old skool malt-forward WCDIPA, short on subtlety and long on bombast. (14/20)

7/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Marda Loop Brewing Co. The Big Juice – American IPA at 5.8% ABV (C$4.18 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 24-Mar-2021, acquired 23-Apr-2021, reviewed 30-Apr-2021)

Appearance: slightly hazy medium gold with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head, good retention and well-defined soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: pineapple/tropical, apple/pome, citrus, caramel, grass, light pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, sweetish medium duration finish. (3/5)

Not bad, but sweeter than I’d prefer. The fruit aroma is decent, but translates through to a somewhat sweet mid and a slightly sticky finish, preventing it from being as clean and refreshing as I’d like. Ultimately it’s juicy, but not brightly so. (14/20)

7/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Dageraad Brewing Field Theory – Saison at 4.2% ABV (C$4.45 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 24-Feb-2021, acquired 23-Apr-2021, reviewed 29-Apr-2021)

Appearance: hazy pale straw with a massive fluffy white head, excellent retention and moderate stringy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: floral, herbal, white pepper, cereal grains, lemon zest. (8/10) Taste: moderate-low sweet, low bitter, light tart. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, dry clean finish. (4/5)

Hard to go wrong with Dageraad, particularly in their many Saisons, and this is exactly how I like to see a Saison done: dry, light, and refreshing, with a low ABV. Brewer notes indicate this is malted with barley and triticale, the latter contributing nicely to the cereal grain character. There is just enough peppery phenol character to make things interesting, and zesty lemon to cleanse the palate, resulting in a refreshingly dry and short finish. Great thirst quencher with lunch. (16/20)

8/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Rogue Ales Collossal Claude – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.2% ABV | 75 IBU (C$5.89 at Collective, 568 ml, packaged on 31-Dec-2020, acquired 23-Apr-2021, reviewed 28-Apr-2021)

Appearance: crystal clear medium gold with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate stringy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: citrus, resiny pine, tropical fruit, caramel, cannabis. (8/10) Taste: high sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-full slightly slick body, moderate carbonation, sticky sweet lingering and building bitter finish. (4/5)

Hopped with the usual starts-with-C suspects (Cascade, Chinook, and Citra) as well as Strata, giving a nice blend of citrus, pine, and the old sticky-icky. I’ve been in the Haze Craze for so long now that I’d almost started to forget how much I love a good WCIPA, but this is just the bombastic beast to remind me of just how much fun old skool can be. It’s not perfect – in particular the big bitterness doesn’t completely offset the big sticky sweet malt, which would frankly make it hard for me to have more than one – but it’s a whole lot of fun. And who doesn’t love a proper-sized pint? (16/20)

8/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Fernie Brewing Company Inverted West Coast IPA – American IPA at 5.5% ABV (C$4.50 at Collective, 473 ml, best before 5-Nov-2021, acquired 23-Apr-2021, reviewed 27-Apr-2021)

Appearance: clear pale gold with two fat fingers of loose pale ivory head, good retention and moderate stringy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: zesty grapefruit, rosewater, tropical fruit, crackery malt, resiny pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, crisp lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Hopped with Talus and Mosaic. I initially thought this was my first experience with the former, but discovered it was previously known as Experimental Hop HBC 692, so I had encountered at least once. However, that time it was one of a blend of several hops, and here it’s one of only two, so I think I’m getting a clearer picture of what that hop entails. The most interesting aspect seems to be a Turkish Delight-like rosewater note, which doesn’t come across as perfumy or cloying, but instead works well with the other fruit and resiny pine notes. Good stuff, refreshing and easy to drink. (16/20)

8/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Last Best Brewing (/ Banff Ave / Campio / Jasper / Field & Forge) First Call Blood Orange IPA – American IPA at 5.4% ABV (C$4.50 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 5-Apr-2021, acquired 23-Apr-2021, reviewed 27-Apr-2021)

Appearance:  hazy pale gold with two fingers of loose white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus juice & zest, bready caramel, earthy pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (4/5)

I really got a full dose of the blood orange when I slurped a little foam off the top, and accidentally inhaled it: emphatic oily citrus peel made me half cough up a lung. I’m not entirely sure if that’s the reason I got very little other than citrus, or because that really does completely dominate. In any case, it’s certainly pleasant and approachable, if not overly complex. (15/20)

7.5/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze