Category: Reviews

Backcountry Brewing Pop Quiz Hot Shot – American IPA at 6.5% ABV | 30 IBU (C$7.45 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 7-Mar-2026, reviewed 2-Apr-2026)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with one fat finger of fine pale ivory head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: sweet citrus, pineapple, mild pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium bitter slightly sweet finish. (3/5)

“fermentation dry hopped with Citra, Idaho 7 and Eldorado and then dry hopped post fermentation with the same”. This one smells and tastes pretty good, but I’ve got to mark it down a little on appearance (which, yes, is fairly trivial, but does matter a little) and finish (which matters a whole lot more). My biggest complaint here is that the sweet aroma carries through on the palate and into the finish, making this a little stickier than the ABV justifies. I don’t dislike it, but it would be a whole lot better if it were more attenuated. (15/20)

This will be my 6,376th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Born Brewing Co. South Peak – American IPA at 5.5% ABV | 20 IBU (C$5.65 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 7-Mar-2026, reviewed 2-Apr-2026)

Appearance: slightly hazy straw with one fat finger of loose white head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: melon, berries, light pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, medium bitter off-dry finish. (4/5)

There’s nothing objectionable here, but there’s also not a whole lot else. The aroma certainly tends bright the way the label promises, but it’s also quite light. On the up side, that translates through into a fairly clean off-dry finish. A bit different than the norm, sure, but a bit too mild for my preference, even acknowledging the relatively benign ABV. (14/20)

This will be my 6,375th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Annex Ale Project / Born Brewing Co. Equal Measure – American IPA at 6% ABV (C$6.25 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 24-Feb-2026, acquired 7-Mar-2026, reviewed 2-Apr-2026)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of fluffy white head, excellent retention and moderate lacing. (5/5) Aroma: tropical & stone fruit, white grape, cereal grains, hint herbal. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium bitter finish. (4/5)

“Loaded with fresh 2025 crop Australian hops”. Well… if you say so. Neither the aroma nor the flavour speak of a plethora of hops to me. Relatively mild in both aroma and flavour, this is pleasant, but not much more than that. (15/20)

This will be my 6,374th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Eighty-Eight Brewing Feel the Noise – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$6.35 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 7-Mar-2026, reviewed 31-Mar-2026)

Appearance: clear pale gold with two fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate lacing. (5/5) Aroma: pithy citrus, tropical fruit, resiny pine, pale crackery malt. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium bitter finish. (4/5)

A fairly classically-styled WCIPA, but with more modern (ANZ?) hops giving a flavour profile a bit more complex than the standard “citrus plus cannabis”. It’s interesting, which counts for a lot, but if I’m honest I’d like a bit more presence in the aroma. However, that’s a fairly minor quibble, so I think overall it crosses the line (if only barely) into world-class territory. (16/20)

This will be my 6,373rd unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Changing Colours Brewing Project Astro Zombies – American IPA at 6% ABV (C$6.75 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 12-Feb-2026, acquired 7-Mar-2026, reviewed 28-Mar-2026)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with a short off-white head diminishing rapidly to a persistent cap, moderate lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, berries, cereal grains. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium bitter finish. (4/5)

Simcoe Cryo, Dolcita, Mosaic Cryo. It’s good, but it doesn’t quite pop. (15/20)

This will be my 6,372nd unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Backcountry Brewing DDH Widowmaker – American IPA at 6.7% ABV | 30 IBU (C$7.55 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 7-Mar-2026, reviewed 28-Mar-2026)

Appearance: hazy deep gold with one fat finger of fluffy pale ivory head, good retention and soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical & stone fruit, floral, resiny pine, oats. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-full body, moderate carbonation, medium bitter finish. (4/5)

This is apparently their flagship Widowmaker but with double the hop bill (Citra and Mosaic). Well, I haven’t yet had Widowmaker, but now I don’t much see the point – I very much doubt I’ll prefer it over this more full-throated interpretation. Nice one, a pleasant implementation of two of my favourite hops. It’s a bit too… well, everything, to be considered crushable, but it’s definitely not overwhelming, sippable and enjoyable. (16/20)

This will be my 6,371st unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Polyrhythm Brewing Double Slide – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8% ABV (C$6.40 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 7-Mar-2026, reviewed 27-Mar-2026)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with one fat finger of fine creamy white head, excellent retention and soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, resiny pine, oats. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-full slightly creamy body, moderate-soft carbonation, medium bitter mildly warming finish. (5/5)

“Dry Hops: Freestyle Motueka & Southern Cross, Mosaic”. Wow. Not so much “wow” for the flavour profile, which, don’t get me wrong, is excellent, but doesn’t quite blow my hair back in legendary fashion, but “wow” because it’s so very smooth and well-behaved for its no-nonsense gravity. A seriously dangerous pillowy smooth wrecking ball with only the mildest warming to warn you that you might find yourself in trouble fairly quickly. (17/20)

This will be my 6,370th unique Untappd check-in.

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Cabin Brewing Company Geosphere – American Pale Ale at 5.4% ABV (C$5.85 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 7-Mar-2026, reviewed 25-Mar-2026)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fine white head diminishing gradually to a thick persistent cap, moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, dank resiny pine, cereal grains. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, short duration building bitter finish. (4/5)

Bold aroma and flavour, punching above its weight and definitely not clean or crushable, but enjoyable regardless – at least for an inveterate hop head like me. (16/20)

This will be my 6,369th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Establishment Brewing Company Field of Vision – American IPA at 6.8% ABV (C$6.55 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 12-Feb-2026, acquired 7-Mar-2026, reviewed 25-Mar-2026)

Appearance: pale gold with one fat finger of fine white head, excellent retention and well-defined lacing. (5/5) Aroma: pithy citrus, dank resiny pine, cereal grains. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, building bitter mildly warming finish. (4/5)

“Mosaic, Strata, Nelson Sauvin”. Straight-up traditional WCIPA done with modern hops – what’s not to like? (16/20)

This will be my 6,368th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Superflux / Sea Change Death, From Edmonton – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$7.15 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 17-Feb-2026, acquired 7-Mar-2026, reviewed 23-Mar-2026)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one finger of loose off-white head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, minimal lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, cereal grains, white grape, hint of coconut. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, mild but building bitter finish. (4/5)

“dip-hopped with Citra Incognito, dry-hopped with Citra, Citra Cryo, Citra Spectrum, and Nelson Sauvin, then finished with Citra Prysma and Maui Nelson right before packaging”. That’s a kitchen sink of hops, not that I’m complaining. But, I guess the reason it doesn’t really come across as muddled is that most of them are Citra variants.  Good, even excellent, but not necessarily memorable. (15/20)

This will be my 6,367th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com