Category: Reviews

Huisbrouwerij De Halve Maan Straffe Hendrik Wild Tripel (2016) Tripel at 9% ABV (C$9.35 at NLC Howley Estates, 330 ml, best before 29-Jan-2021, acquired 12-Jul-2017, reviewed 16-Aug-2017)

Appearance: clear pale amber with one fat finger of fluffy ivory head,  good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: barnyard funk, pome, caramel, citrus zest, floral. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter, mild alcohol. (7/10) Palate: medium body, lively carbonation, off-dry bitter lightly warming and funky finish. (4/5)

Second of a three vintage (2017-2016-2015) vertical. I want to say this has marginally greater Brett funk going on, and slightly less pome fruit, but I’m not sure I would have caught that had I not done this one in relatively quick succession after the younger 2017 vintage. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Huisbrouwerij De Halve Maan Straffe Hendrik Wild Tripel (2017) Tripel at 9% ABV (C$9.35 at NLC Howley Estates, 330 ml, best before 16-Feb-2022, acquired 12-Jul-2017, reviewed 16-Aug-2017)

Appearance: clear pale amber with one fat finger of fluffy ivory head,  excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: pome, barnyard funk, caramel, citrus zest, floral. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter, mild alcohol. (7/10) Palate: medium body, lively carbonation, off-dry bitter lightly warming and funky finish. (4/5)

First of a three vintage (2017-2016-2015) vertical. Slightly sweeter than I typically prefer for a Tripel, but not excessively so. Apple (or other pome) is initially dominant, with a mild barnyardy funk following close behind and gaining dominance as it warms. I’m looking forward to the older vintages, as I’m hopeful that will temper the sweetness and give the Brett funk a chance to move to the forefront. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Garrison Brewing Company 20th Anniversary XXX (2017) American Double / Imperial IPA at 9% ABV | 100 IBU (C$8.61 at NLC Howley Estates, 650 ml, packaged in 2017, acquired 26-Jun-2017, reviewed 15-Aug-2017)

Appearance: clear medium amber with two fingers of rocky beige head diminishing gradually to a thick creamy cap, moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: floral, earth, caramel and toffee, grapefruit, pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter, moderate alcohol. (7/10) Palate: medium-full slick body, moderate carbonation, sweetish lingering and building bitter finish. (4/5)

The label describes this as a hybrid between an Imperial IPA and a Barleywine, and I think that’s actually a fair description. The malt character is heavy and nearly syrupy, but balanced well (and actually very slightly edged out for dominance) by the emphatic hops. However, the hops themselves tend towards floral and earth, instead of the citrus or pine one might typically expect for an American DIPA, suggesting this would actually be best described as a hybrid of American Barleywine and English Imperial IPA. Several media sites call it a “triple IPA” (which is of course a meaningless term) but Garrison’s web site doesn’t have any details at all, so I can’t find any authority beyond the “Extra Strong IPA” on the label. Classification aside, this is a surprisingly approachable beer given its near double-digit ABV and its reported triple digit IBU: the high sweetness is tempered by the high(er) bitterness, resulting in a brew that is emphatic but not overwhelming. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Small Town Brewery Not Your Father’s Root Beer (4.5%) Spice / Herb / Vegetable at 4.5% ABV (C$4.26 at NLC Stavanger, 473 ml, best before 15-Jun-2017, acquired 29-Jul-2017, reviewed 14-Aug-2017)

Appearance: clear deep brown with a short, short-lived white head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: sugary root beer, mint, cream, grainy malt. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate alcohol, mild bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium slick body, moderate carbonation, cloyingly sweet finish. (2/5)

So, this is the lower-alcohol version that I had previously passed on in favour of the 10.7% version. As with its boozy sibling, there’s a hint of beer-like grainy malt underneath the cloying sweetness and root beer extract, but up front it’s very much a sugary mess, without even the redeeming alcohol heat. Again, not actually terrible, but it’s not even close to something I’d seek out again. (11/20)

5.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Iconic Brewing Dusty Boots Hard Orange Cream Spice / Herb / Vegetable at 5.9% ABV (C$4.26 at NLC Stavanger, 473 ml, packaged on 1-Mar-2017, acquired 29-Jul-2017, reviewed 14-Aug-2017)

Appearance: opaque day-glo orange with a short-lived fizzy head, no lacing. (2/5) Aroma: intensely sweet and artificial orange juice, cream, vanilla. (5/10) Taste: high sweet, light tart, minimal bitter. (5/10) Palate: medium-light body, lively carbonation, cloyingly sweet finish. (2/5)

Tastes like a Creamsicle. If you consider that to be a good thing, you’ll like this. Personally, I don’t know what the hell I was thinking. It’s not beer, that’s for sure. Yes, I drank the whole thing – but I had regrets afterwards: way too sweet for any normal human being. (9/20)

4.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Independent Breweries Ltd. NZ Pure Lager American Pale Lager at 4.7% ABV (C$2.95 at NLC Stavanger, 440 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 10-Aug-2017, reviewed 14-Aug-2017)

Appearance: clear straw with one fat finger of fluffy white head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: crackery malt, grass, light citrus, corn syrup. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (4/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (2/5)

Starts off seeming slightly more promising than the average run-of-the-mill lager, but eventually a sweet adjunct-like flavour starts to manifest. I guess if you believe the label it’s not actually corn (or, even worse, rice) but it certainly seems like it. Not even the fact that I was thirsty was enough to rescue this from the doldrums of mediocrity. (9/20)

4.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brasserie du Bocq Gauloise Brune Belgian Strong Dark Ale at 8.1% ABV (C$5.49 at Oak & Vine, 330 ml, best before 14-Jun-2018, acquired 31-Jul-2017, reviewed 8-Aug-2017)

Appearance: clear amber-brown with two fingers of fluffy beige head, excellent retention and soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: caramel & toffee, dark dried fruit, cocoa, red berries, bready yeast, light booze. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light tart. (7/10) Palate: medium body, lively to moderate carbonation, lingering bitter and mildly boozy finish. (3/5)

Nice BSDA, with balanced dark fruit, roasted malt, and even-handed booziness. Not particularly memorable, perhaps, but mild and pleasant, and that’s got to count for something, doesn’t it? Perhaps it’s just slightly too middle-of-the-road, and would benefit from a bit more emphasis, but all in all, I enjoyed it. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brasserie du Bocq Triple Moine Tripel at 7.3% ABV | 25 IBU (C$5.49 at Oak & Vine, 330 ml, best before 20-Jun-2018, acquired 31-Jul-2017, reviewed 8-Aug-2017)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with three fingers (and growing) of fluffy white head, excellent retention and soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: grainy pale malt, candi sugar, apples, Belgian yeast esters, alcohol. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light tart. (6/10) Palate: medium-light body, lively to moderate carbonation, sweetish crisp lightly tart finish. (3/5)

Decent enough Tripel, though tending slightly sweet for my preference. Rather similar to Duvel, actually, albeit not as clean, crisp, or dry, and with more emphasis on apple, and rather less on citrus. The apple, in particular, feels a bit unbalanced, and the booziness just a little edgy. Wouldn’t say no to another, mind you. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Freigeist Bierkultur Berliner Scheisse Berliner Weisse at 5% ABV (C$6.39 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 330 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 4-Aug-2017, reviewed 8-Aug-2017)

Appearance: murky deep amber with a short, short-lived light beige head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: doughy yeast, faint strawberry, grass, earth. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter, light tart. (4/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, short duration lightly tart finish. (3/5)

Not that I claim to speak German, but doesn’t “Berliner Scheisse” (or, at least “Scheiße”) mean “Berliner Shit”? And, truth be told, that’s uncomfortably accurate in this case. Possibly oxidized, this was ugly and mediocre at best, really quite unimpressive, and I drain poured most of it. (10/20)

5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Scuttlebutt Brewing Company Jalapeno Tripel 7 Tripel at 9% ABV | 23 IBU (C$9.49 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, packaged on 1-May-2017, acquired 4-Aug-2017, reviewed 7-Aug-2017)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale amber with two fingers of fluffy white head, good retention and spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: green jalapeño, grainy pale malt, hint of fruit and floral. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, moderate spicy heat. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry warming and spicy finish. (3/5)

I was pretty leery about getting this in the first place, and I cringed when the first jalapeño aroma hit after uncapping. Ignoring for the moment that particular elephant in the room, the first sip told me this is a sweet Tripel, which is really not what I was hoping for. (As far as I’m concerned, the dryer the better when it comes to Tripels.) So, fair to say, this thing started off with two strikes against it. But then, it kind of held its own. The really surprising thing about this beer is the disconnect between the aroma and flavour: the nose is utterly dominated by green jalapeño, but there’s relatively little lingering heat on the tongue. That’s not to say none, mind you, but it’s reasonably well balanced, and plays well with the ABV warming to give a pleasant finish overall. It’s still too sweet, but ends up being a surprisingly approachable sipper. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com