Category: Reviews

Brouwerij Oud Beersel Oude Kriek (Vieille) Fruit Lambic at 6.5% ABV (Via trade, 375 ml, best before 12-Dec-2032)

Pours clear ruby red with one finger of frothy pink head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, minimal lacing. (4/5) Nose is dry funk, light vinegar, sour cherries, some mineral and woody oak. (8/10) Taste is moderate sweet, mild bitter, moderate tart. (8/10) Light to medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry tart finish. (4/5)

A really nice kriek – lots of pleasant fruit, but not to the extent that it overwhelms the underlying lambic character. Tart but not aggressively so, with a touch of dry brett funk. I like this. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Garrison Brewing Company Black I.P.A. Black IPA at 6.2% ABV ($5.97 at Dominion Stavanger, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Pours clear amber-brown with a three fingers of loose light beige head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, moderate lacing. (4/5) Nose is pine and tropical fruit, dark roasty malts, mild chocolate and coffee, some flowery and herbal hops. (6/10) Taste is mild sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering and building bitter finish. (4/5)

Not bad, but a bit muddled. The dark roasty malt flavours overbalance the hoppiness somewhat for my taste – I’d like to see brighter hops and a bit less of the dark roast. A decent enough brew, for all that. (12/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Ballast Point Brewing Company Victory at Sea Imperial / Strong Porter at 10.0% ABV ($10.52 at Specs Main Branch, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Pours semi-opaque amber-brown with two fingers of loose tan head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, heavy lacing. (4/5) Nose is strong milky coffee, vanilla, mild cocoa. (9/10) Taste is moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (9/10) Full creamy body, moderate carbonation, slightly sticky astringent coffee finish. (4/5)

Very nicely balanced sweet strong milky coffee with mild vanilla. Were it not for the carbonation, you might be able to convince somebody in a blind taste test they were drinking iced café au lait. Yes, it really is dominated by the coffee to that extent – and that’s not even close to being a criticism. The huge alcohol is nearly non-existent, except for a distinct tendency for the room to get a little wobbly towards the end of the bomber. (18/20)

My 135th from the 2013 Edition (new to that edition), and 150th combining both editions.

9/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Mikkeller / Three Floyds Blå Spøg Else Blueberry Bluebic Lambic at 7.7% ABV $34.50 at Sherbrooke Liquor, 750 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Pours clear reddish purple with a short pinkish head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, no lacing. (4/5) Nose is vinegar, sour cherry and blueberry, woody, funky. (8/10) Taste is moderate sweet, mild bitter, moderately strong sour. (8/10) Medium body, prickly carbonation, very dry tart finish. (5/5)

That’s a heckuva sour. Loads of fruit (yes, blueberries) and vinous notes, mild funky, with a super dry mouth puckering finish following a mouthwatering aroma. Really good, but stupidly expensive. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Big Rock Brewery Barrel Aged Edition: Bourbon American Strong Ale at 11.0% ABV ($6.49 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Pours clear medium amber with one finger of dense off-white head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, moderate lacing. (4/5) Nose is boozy bourbon, caramel and toffee malt, oak, coconut. (6/10) Taste is moderate sweet, mild bitter, boozy edge. (5/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, boozy finish. (3/5)

Coconut. Seriously? Gotta be the first time I’ve ever gotten that in a beer. Very similar to the cognac, with only a slightly different – yet every bit as aggressive – boozy edge. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Big Rock Brewery Barrel Aged Edition: Cognac American Strong Ale at 10.6% ABV ($6.49 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Pours clear medium amber with one finger of dense off-white head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, moderate lacing. (4/5) Nose is boozy cognac, caramel malt, mild bready yeast. (6/10) Taste is moderate sweet, mild bitter, boozy edge. (5/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, boozy finish. (3/5)

Well, once again, I gotta give credit to Big Rock for trying something outside their norm – but this is really a bit of a beast. The barrel notes completely overwhelm everything else, giving it a boozy edge that’s every bit of the ABV and then some. This isn’t so much a cognac-aged beer, as a depth charge made with Traditional and Courvoisier. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Phillips Brewing Company Polaris Milk Stout at 5.5% ABV ($6.49 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Pours clear brown with one fat finger of dense tan head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, minimal spotty lacing. (3/5) Nose is roasty malts, mild coffee and cocoa, lactose, very slight smoke. (6/10) Taste is mild sweet, moderate bitter, mild ashy smoke, faint sour. (6/10) Medium body tending to watery, moderate to low carbonation, off dry bitter finish. (3/5)

Not really working for me. The body is definitely too thin and watery for the style, and there’s an ashy smokey tinge that I’m not hot on. There’s a hint of sour that initially got my hopes up, but ultimately it feels more accidental than interesting – maybe a little lacto, in addition to the lactose. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Garrison Brewing Company Martello Stout English Stout at 4.2% ABV ($2.50 at NLC Howley Estates, 341 ml, bottle date 5-Nov-2014)

Pours clear brown with one fat finger of loose tan head, good retention and spotty lacing. (3/5) Nose is muted, roasty malts, cocoa, oats, slight smoke. (6/10) Taste is mild sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Medium body tending to watery, moderate to low carbonation, off dry bitter finish. (3/5)

Not terrible, but not great, either. The body could be a little fuller, and the smokiness comes across a little less “smoked malt” and a little more “cigarette butt in your beer”, and the finish tends a little to the astringent. Not their best. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales Madrugada Obscura Dark Dawn Stout American Double / Imperial Stout at 8.1% ABV ($12.82 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, bottle date 15-Jan-2014)

Pours clear dark brown (nearly black) with one fat finger of medium tan head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Nose is complex, vinous dark fruit, coffee, chocolate, earthy funk. (8/10) Taste is mild sweet, moderate tart, faint bitter. (8/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, drying tart finish. (4/5)

Well, first and foremost: calling this a “stout” is pretty misleading. It’s most definitely a sour, albeit a dark one with coffee and chocolate tones. That’s not to say it’s aggressively sour, because it isn’t (although it does open up and get a little more emphatic as it warms). And it is goo-ood. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Royal Unibrew Faxe 10% Strong Pale Lager at 10% ABV ($4.06 at Dominion Stavanger, 500 ml, packaged on 24-Sep-2014 best before 25-Dec-2015)

Pours clear straw with one finger of rocky white head, excellent retention and lacing. (4/5) Nose is rotten apples, faint floral, solvent-like alcohol. (2/10) Taste is moderate sweet, mild bitter. (2/10) Light body, moderate carbonation, lingering (not in a good way) finish. (3/5)

Really quite amazingly vile. But it’s 10% ABV vile, and I’ve just done a 15 hour day on the job, so there’s that… And it really seriously is a very good-looking beer. That tastes like liquid hate. And fermented sweat socks. (3/20)

3/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com