Category: Reviews

Goose Island Beer Company Sofie Saison at 6.5% ABV (C$8.49 at South Trail Calgary Co-Op, 765 ml, bottle date 25-Jun-2014)

Appearance: hazy pale straw with one finger of loose white head, good retention and patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: apple and stone fruit, lemon zest, white pepper and clove, light tropical fruit. (8/10) Taste: mild sweet, moderate bitter, mild peppery spice, mild tart. (8/10) Palate: light body, lively to moderate carbonation, off-dry short duration finish. (5/5)

A solid saison marred only slightly by a hint of brown apple in the flavour. The head and lacing could stand to be a little prettier, too. Still a very good example of the style, though! (18/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille IV Saison Saison at 6.5% ABV (€8.95 at de Biertempel Brussels, 750 ml, best before 31-Dec-2018)

Appearance: clear to hazy pale gold with one finger of pillowy white head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: earthy, citrus, Brett funk, some stone fruit. (8/10) Taste: very mild sweet, moderate bitter, mild tart and funk. (9/10) Palate: light body, moderate to lively carbonation, bone dry crisp finish. (5/5)

Very nicely done Saison – not sweet at all, but pleasantly fruity, with a crisp dry finish. Very much to style, and a pleasant thirst quencher while working in the yard. I like this a whole bunch. (18/20)

My 198th from the 2010 Edition (186th from the 2013 edition), and 208th combining both editions.

9/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Garrison Brewing Company / Phillips Brewing / Flying Monkeys / Trou du Diable Coast to Coastless Imperial ESB Premium Bitter / ESB at 7.6% ABV (C$6.98 at NLC Stavanger, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Appearance: clear pale to medium amber with two fingers of rocky ivory head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: biscuity malt, indeterminate fruit, toffee, mild citrus, faint wood. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderately strong bitter, very light peppery spice. (7/10) Palate: medium slightly oily body, lively to moderate carbonation, bitter short duration finish. (4/5)

Well, damn. I’m not generally a fan of ESB’s, since I usually find them malty and boring. Well, at 50IBU and 7.6% ABV, this is neither. A nice change of pace from “normal” ESB’s. (Garrison capped edition) (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Stone Brewing Company Stochasticity Project Hifi+Lofi Mixtape American Strong Ale at 8.8% ABV (US$7.99 at Total Wines & More, Henderson NV, 650 ml, bottle date 3-May-2015)

Appearance: clear pale amber with two fingers of rocky ivory head, good retention and spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: muted, floral, wood, leather, caramel/toffee. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderately strong bitter, mild tart. (5/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, bitter and moderate duration finish. (3/5)

A strange beer, and not in an entirely good way. The aroma is curiously weak and the flavour unremarkable. The intense bitter finish is interesting, but it seems unbalanced, or at least unsupported by anything else going on. Gets a little more interesting as it warms, but it’s a little bit of “too little, too late”. Definitely not one of Stone’s stronger offerings. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Dageraad Brewing Amber Belgian Strong Dark Ale at 6.0% ABV (C$7.79 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits  650 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Appearance: clear pale amber with two fingers of rocky ivory head, good retention and spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: grassy, stone fruit, caramel. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, short duration finish. (4/5)

Nicely hoppy amber, with a pleasant supporting caramel malt. Not getting a whole lot of Belgian influence (other than the hop-forward aspect, of course). Solid performer, from a brewery that I’m growing steadily more impressed with. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Yukon Brewing Company Belgian Gothic Saison at 4.7% ABV (C$7.50 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Appearance: hazy pale to medium gold with one fat finger of loose white head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: coriander, wheat, banana, citrus, black pepper. (6/10) Taste: mild sweet, mild bitter, light spicy pepper, very light tart. (7/10) Palate: light to medium body, moderate carbonation, dry crisp finish. (4/5)

TWO nice days? In a ROW? This calls for a beer! And for once, I get to enjoy an actual summer-style beer in actual summer-like conditions! Not a great summer-style beer, granted, but not bad: decently dry, not too sweet, and an appropriately low ABV make this an in-spec saison. It’s not funky or complex enough to merit a higher ranking, but it’s certainly a solid drinkable example of the style. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Yellow Belly Brewery Deep South American IPA at 6.0% ABV (On tap at Yellow Belly Brewery)

Appearance: pale amber with one finger of creamy white head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, pale malt. (7/10) Taste: mild to moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry clean finish. (4/5)

Quite a nice A/IPA, with Mosaic tropical fruitiness coming through strong and clear on the nose and the tongue. Worth the side trip downtown for a quick pint! (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brouwerij Malheur Malheur 10 Belgian Strong Pale Ale at 10% ABV (€2.50 at de Biertempel Brussels, 330 ml, best before 16-Apr-2017)

Appearance: pale to hazy medium gold with two fingers of loose white head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical and stone fruits, mildly spicy Belgian yeast, candi sugar. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium dry mildly warming finish. (4/5)

A nicely done Belgian Strong – sweet without being syrupy, decently crisp and dry, with a very well-integrated ABV that comes through only as a mild warming. (15/20)

My 197th from the 2010 Edition (185th from the 2013 edition), and 207th combining both editions.

7.5/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Muskoka Brewery Moonlight Kettle Summer Saison Saison at 7.3% ABV (C$9.95 at Sundance Wine Market, 750 ml, best before 28-Aug-2015)

Appearance: hazy pale to medium amber with one finger of loose light tan head diminishing rapidly to nothing, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, Belgian yeast, cloves and spices, citrus, pale malt, light pepper. (7/10) Taste: mild sweet, mild bitter, mild tart, light spicy pepper. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry warming finish. (4/5)

Not a bad implementation of the style, albeit a bit heavier and boozier than tradition would dictate. And yes, I realize my tasting notes make it sound like a kitchen sink of aromas and tastes – which it is – but it’s not bad for all that. That said, I’d prefer lighter (body and ABV), crisper and dryer as a summer beer. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brasseurs du Monde / Le Picoleur Houblonnière American Pale Ale at 5.2% ABV (C$5.00 at Epicerie J.A. Moisan, 500 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Appearance: slightly hazy medium gold with one finger of loose white head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: pithy citrus, pine, floral, pale malt. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderately strong bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body tending slightly to the watery, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Not bad at all! More like an A/IPA than an APA, perhaps, but as I’ve observed on more than one occasion, the finer points of the distinction between those two styles continues to elude me. Sufficed to say this thing has lots of fragrant hop aroma, backed up by a decent but not overwhelming bitterness on the tongue, and in particular on the finish. A bit simplistic, perhaps, but ultimately it’s clean and pleasant. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com