Author: dpatrickryan

Outcast Brewing J’Adore les Houblons – American IPA at 6.1% ABV (C$5.45 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 26-Feb-2021, acquired 3-Mar-2021, reviewed 4-Mar-2021)

Appearance: opaque pale gold with one finger of fine off-white head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: pithy grapefruit, stone fruit, bready malt, hint of field berries. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry medium bitter finish. (4/5)

The can fell out of my truck and took a pretty good knock, so perhaps that’s why the carbonation is on the low side. I think this is my first experience with Barbe Rouge hops, a new variety from Alsace, and presumably the reason for the French name. (Side note: I used to have a barbe rouge, but it’s a barbe blanche these days…) I’m not really getting a lot of the berry flavours apparently attributed to that varietal, but I’m also getting none of the coconut I usually find with Sabro, so I’m not too sure what’s happening there. On the other hand, it’s flavourful and easy to drink, so I’m not gonna complain. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Definitive Brewing Company Lens – Triple IPA at 10.3% ABV (C$9.95 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 15-Jan-2021, acquired 10-Feb-2021, reviewed 3-Mar-2021)

Appearance: nearly opaque deep gold with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head, good retention and heavy chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: juicy pineapple and other tropical fruits, citrus, vanilla, cream, cereal grains, light resiny pine. (9/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium-full slightly creamy body, moderate-soft carbonation, lingering and building bitter warming finish. (4/5)

If this is a Lens, it’s one from a pair of beer goggles! I guess I’m going to have to start to accept “TIPA” as a designation – and, more specifically, “TDH TIPA”. This “Triple Dry Hopped Triple IPA” is actually relatively easy drinking given its massive… well… everything. The juice-like appearance and aroma are followed by a nectar-like sweetness and thicker body, appropriately balanced by an emphatic building bitterness that (barely) prevents it from being a boozy creamsicle. It grows on me the more of it I drink (big surprise, given the double-digit ABV!) and is right up there with the best efforts I’ve had from this brewery to date. Heck, it’s almost worth the near-double-digit price tag! (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Annex Ale Project Rinse Cycle – American Pale Ale at 4.5% ABV (C$3.78 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 15-Jan-2021, acquired 10-Feb-2021, reviewed 1-Mar-2021)

Appearance: slightly hazy straw with two fat fingers of rocky white head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap and ring, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: yeasty funk, bruised apples, melon, citrus. (3/10) Taste: moderate sweet, low bitter. (3/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration slightly tart funky finish. (2/5)

Not my deal – and actually, if I’m being brutally honest, a “rinse cycle” is what I need after that. Not the first time this brewery has had an emphatic failure in my experience, but this easily takes the cake as the worst. I’m not completely certain it was infected, but it might well have been, so maybe it was better new, or other batches are better. In any case, I actually couldn’t work up my nerve to try any more than a couple of sips, and sink poured most of it. (8/20)

4/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Snake Lake Brewing Company Drink Easy Lo-Cal SIPA – Session IPA at 3.9% ABV | 10 IBU (C$3.85 at Collective, 355 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 10-Feb-2021, reviewed 1-Mar-2021)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fat fingers of rocky white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, pale malt. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration slightly tart finish. (3/5)

This one definitely has a light body, but I wouldn’t necessarily call it watery, and it’s quite refreshing and just as easy to drink as the name promises. On the other hand, it might be pleasant enough on the front end, but there’s a little something in the finish that isn’t really working for me – I hesitate to call it astringency, but it’s definitely got a little edge. Not bad overall, even without making allowances for its super light strength. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Born Colorado Brewing Myopia – American IPA at 8% ABV | 68 IBU (C$4.27 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 28-Jan-2021, acquired 10-Feb-2021, reviewed 27-Feb-2021)

Appearance: clear straw with a short loose white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: coconut, citrus, pale malt, resiny pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Hopped with Sabro and Magnum, and that’s exactly what I get, with surprisingly emphatic coconut over citrus and pine. (Which, to be honest, might not actually be to everybody’s liking.) The bitterness is definitely on the high side, but it’s still pretty drinkable, and not sharp or unbalanced. I’m not unhappy with it, on the whole. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Definitive Brewing Company Fallstreak – American IPA at 7.4% ABV (C$9.80 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 31-Dec-2020, acquired 10-Feb-2021, reviewed 27-Feb-2021)

Appearance: hazily opaque pale gold with two fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: juicy citrus, tropical fruits, bready malt, resiny pine. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium soft body, moderate carbonation, off-dry moderate bitter finish. (4/5)

Juicy appearance, aroma, and taste. Very pleasant, lots of fun. Probably the best one I’ve had by this brewery. (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Definitive Brewing Company Behind the Light – American IPA at 7.4% ABV (C$9.80 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 10-Feb-2021, reviewed 25-Feb-2021)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruits, melon, citrus, pale cereal malts, resiny pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, building & lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Double dry hopped with Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe, giving a nice complexity in the aroma and flavour. Pretty similar to Cellar Echoes, which is hardly a surprise given the hop similarities, but a bit better looking. Good one. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Definitive Brewing Company Cellar Echoes – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.2% ABV (C$9.95 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 10-Feb-2021, reviewed 24-Feb-2021)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of fine pale ivory head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap & ring, sparse soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: stone & tropical fruits, pale cereal malts, melon & berries, resiny pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, building & lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Secondary sources say this is a DDH DIPA brewed with Mosaic, Simcoe, Mosaic Cryo, and Simcoe Cryo. It’s my first from this brewery, so it was a bit of a blank slate – though, the fact that they’re Maine-based certainly excited a set of expectations. And, fact is, this one didn’t completely meet those expectations, particularly not given the price point. I mean, yeah, I personally don’t really care how much a given example costs, but when you’re at least twice the cost of a baseline local one, there’s a certain minimum standard I think you should meet. This… isn’t world-class. It’s good, but not great. And “definitive”? No, sorry. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Captain Lawrence Brewing Company Interstellar Fog – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.5% ABV (C$9.85 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 1-Dec-2020, acquired 10-Feb-2021, reviewed 24-Feb-2021)

Appearance: hazy straw with two fingers of loose pale ivory head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: juicy citrus, stone fruit, pale cereal malts, tropical fruit, light earthy pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter slightly astringent finish. (4/5)

Dry hopped with Galaxy, Zeus, and Mosaic. For lack of a better term, I find this a little “edgy”, in the sense that the flavours don’t seem to be melding the way I’d like to see. In particular, there’s a little astringent edge in the finish that slightly interferes with its drinkability. Good, but that’s about as far as I’d go with it. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Zero Issue Brewing Observatory IPA (Issue #37) – American IPA at 6.0% ABV (C$4.41 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 10-Feb-2021, reviewed 23-Feb-2021)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with two fingers of pillowy pale ivory head, excellent retention and chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: mild, tropical & stone fruit, pale cereal malts, citrus, chocolate, hint of pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter slightly spicy finish. (4/5)

No date on the can, but it was announced just under two weeks ago on the social-media-that-must-not-be-named, so it can’t be old. That same post claims they used “experimental hops” but doesn’t specify which ones. The chocolate/coffee is definitely an interesting touch, but it doesn’t really move this to the next level (though it might be the reason for the lingering bitter finish). It’s decent enough, but not really wowing me. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com