Category: Reviews

Polyrhythm Brewing Phase Shifter – American IPA at 6.4% ABV (C$5.17 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 24-Jul-2024, acquired 23-Aug-2024, reviewed 7-Sep-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fat fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, strawberry, stone fruit, pine, cereal grains. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly creamy body, soft carbonation, sweetish medium duration finish. (4/5)

Hot side hops: Mosaic Incognito, Citra Dry hops: Citra, Simcoe. Aroma and flavour pretty much follow what one might expect for the hops. Solid offering with absolutely nothing actually wrong with it, but tending just very slightly light in the aroma and thin in the body. (16/20)

This will be my 5,933rd unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Polyrhythm Brewing Tricky Sticks (Amped Up) – American IPA at 6.0% ABV (C$4.99 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 21-Aug-2024, acquired 23-Aug-2024, reviewed 6-Sep-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of loose white head, good  retention and no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: citrus, stone fruit, pine, cereal grains. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium slightly creamy body, soft carbonation, sweetish medium duration finish. (4/5)

Dry hopped with Citra, Motueka, and Motueka Hop Oil. No complaints here, no notes. This is how you do it. (17/20)

This will be my 5,932nd unique Untappd check-in.

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Microbrasserie Les Trois Mousquetaires Pale Ale Au Poivre – American Pale Ale at 5% ABV (C$4.95 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 8-Apr-2024, acquired 23-Aug-2024, reviewed 5-Sep-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, excellent  retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: black pepper, citrus, caramel, grass. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, building peppery spice. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, building peppery spicy warming finish. (4/5)

Hops: Magnum Qc, Centennial Qc, QCascade, Amarillo. (What, no QAmarillo?) Although hit’s emphatically there, the black pepper isn’t overwhelming on the nose, but it certainly builds throughout and ends up creating a spicy warming finish. (15/20)

This will be my 5,931st unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Dageraad Brewing Tous Les Jours – Saison at 3.2% ABV (C$6.35 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 8-Jun-2024, acquired 23-Aug-2024, reviewed 5-Sep-2024)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale straw with one fat finger of loose white head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: citrus zest, Belgian esters, grass, light funk. (8/10) Taste: moderate-low sweet, moderate-low bitter, light funky tart. (8/10) Palate: light body, lively carbonation, dry short crisp finish. (4/5)

“Ingredients: Malted barley, malted wheat, oats, wheat, hallertau tradition, tettnanger, saaz, brettanomyces, saccharomyces, water” That’s a nice change of pace, interesting without being aggressive (or, alternatively, light without being boring). They describe this as a table beer “that won’t interfere with work”, but that’s pretty much the definition of Saison in my book, so that’s how I’m classifying it. Fairly dry and attenuated, this disappears as soon as it’s swallowed, leaving you ready for the next sip. You could literally drink this all day long, and in fact I wouldn’t mind doing so. (16/20)

This will be my 5,930th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Blood Brothers Brewing Trilly Wonka (Devil’s Trill #36) – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8% ABV (C$9.85 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 21-Jun-2024, acquired 23-Aug-2024, reviewed 4-Sep-2024)

Appearance: hazy/opaque medium gold with one finger of fine pale ivory head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, moderate sheet lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, melon, cereal grains. (9/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium slightly creamy body, moderate-soft carbonation, warming mild bitter finish. (4/5)

“IIPA w/ Nectaron, Citra & Alora”. Fairly easy-drinking for a fairly boozy offering, lots of juicy fruit on the front end with a mild warming and moderate bitter finish. I like it. (16/20)

This will be my 5,929th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Outer Range Brewing Co. Lawn Games – American IPA at 6.7% ABV (C$7.95 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 23-Aug-2024, reviewed 3-Sep-2024)

Appearance: slightly chill hazed pale gold with two fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dank pine resin, citrus, bready caramel, grass, hint of vinous grape. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Hops: Centennial, Nelson. So, this “West Coast” is what yesterday’s “West Coast” from the very same brewery was most emphatically NOT: to wit, a West Coast. Dank resiny pine and citrus on a bready caramel foundation, with just a vinous hint from the Nelson hops. That being said, I’m not sure the Nelson adds much one way or the other, so I’m not sure I would have chosen it, but ultimately I have no complaints here. (16/20)

This will be my 5,928th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Outer Range Brewing Co. Cosmic Sauce – American IPA at 6.4% ABV (C$7.95 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 24-Jun-2024, acquired 23-Aug-2024, reviewed 3-Sep-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of rocky white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel, floral, stone fruit, hint of dank, earth. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, medium duration finish. (4/5)

Hops: Citra, Mosaic, Cascade. Come on, folks, words have meaning. Don’t they? Or have we just given up and nothing means anything any more? Because this is not in any sense a WCIPA. First and foremost, it’s hazy, not clear – which isn’t the kiss of death, but it’s sure a precursor to what’s to come. Because, aside from an arguably in-spec caramel note, the flavour profile is dominated by floral and stone (/mixed) fruit, with very little dank cannabis and even less pine. Is it a bad beer? Not at all. Is it an in-spec example of the style? Not at all. (14/20)

This will be my 5,927th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Establishment Brewing Company Catching Smoke – Grätzer / Grodziskie at 3.2% ABV (C$4.95 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 14-Aug-2024, acquired 23-Aug-2024, reviewed 3-Sep-2024)

Appearance: hazy straw with a short, short-lived white head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: smoke, floral, pale grains, grass. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, lingering bitter smoky slightly sharp finish. (4/5)

Smoke dominates here, although that’s not to say it’s strong – it’s just the strongest characteristic in a palette of fairly mild flavours. Decently refreshing, though there is a slightly sharp edge in the finish that retroactively makes the smoke seem a little like an inadvertent cigarette butt in one’s mug. Ultimately it’s not unpleasant, but it’s certainly not one of their best. (14/20)

This will be my 5,926th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Small Gods Brewing Co. De La Rose – American Pale Ale at 5% ABV (C$6.25 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 23-Aug-2024, reviewed 31-Aug-2024)

Appearance: clear pale gold with one fat finger of fine pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: citrus, tropical & stone fruit, caramel, red berries. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration bitter finish. (4/5)

Made with Barbe Rouge hops, though I’m not sure if it’s a single-hop. Another new hop to me, this one is from France, of Strisselspalt parentage. Don’t go thinking it’s Noble-like, though, because it certainly has more New World characteristics than Old: citrus and other fruits/berries pretty clearly lead the way here. Combine that with a caramel malt backbone and its clear appearance and you’ve got a beer that’s pretty much ignored the past ten years of market trends. (15/20)

This will be my 5,925th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Polyrhythm Brewing Pink Kazoo – Session IPA at 4.5% ABV (C$5.25 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 31-Jul-2024, acquired 23-Aug-2024, reviewed 31-Aug-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale straw with two fat fingers of rocky white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: mild, stone and orchard fruit, citrus, honey, cereal grains. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-soft carbonation, short duration finish. (4/5)

Hot side hop Idaho 7, dry hopped with PINK and Idaho 7. PINK (a.k.a. ID-158) is a new hop for me, from the makers of Idaho 7. I’m not sure how much of the flavour profile I’m getting here is attributable to the new hop, possibly because it’s fairly mild. (It is a Session, after all.) There does seem to be some honey/vanilla that I don’t normally associated with Idaho 7, as well as a field berry (or maybe melon) note. The final product is pleasant and easy to drink, if tending very slightly towards the sweet. (15/20)

This will be my 5,924th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com