Category: Reviews

Eighty-Eight Brewing Divine – American Pale Ale at 5.5% ABV (C$5.90 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 21-Oct-2025, acquired 21-Nov-2025, reviewed 24-Nov-2025)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of loose white head, medium retention and moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: stone and tropical fruit, cereal grains, citrus, light resiny pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly creamy body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (4/5)

I suppose purists would hate this, since the fruit adjunct is unmistakeable and emphatic. But, it’s not all fruit: there’s still a significant hop component present that reminds you that, yes, this is a beer and not juice. And, it doesn’t end up anything as sweet as I was worried it would. Not a bad balance, in fact, and a decent offering overall. (15/20)

This will be my 6,268th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Ale Architect Brewing Ltd. Peaks & Valleys – Blond Ale at 5.4% ABV (C$5.75 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 21-Nov-2025, reviewed 22-Nov-2025)

Appearance: hazy deep gold with two fingers of loose white head, medium retention and moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: citrus, tropical fruit. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (3/5)

“Luminosa, Vic Secret”. Note sure what a “Vermont Blonde” is supposed to be, other than an NE spin on a Blond? At any rate, it ends up being a bit middle of the road, with nothing to really get annoyed or excited at. It’ll do, I suppose. (14/20)

This will be my 6,267th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Boombox Brewing Company / Kilter Brewing Final Phantasy – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8% ABV (C$7.65 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 1-Oct-2025, acquired 13-Nov-2025, reviewed 20-Nov-2025)

Appearance: hazy deep gold with two fat fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, good retention and heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: white wine, tropical fruit, dank resiny pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, building bitter warming finish. (3/5)

The can says Nelson Sauvin pellets and cryo, Freestyle Mega Motueka, and Phantasm – but I dunno if that’s the full hop bill or not. It’s not bad, but gets a little edgy and bitter on the tongue, building through the finish and only slightly tempered by the ABV warming. I’ve got nothing against bitter beers as such, but if you’re going for hoppy and hazy, I prefer to keep that aspect under control. Yes, it’s balanced off a little by the weight, but the fact is most times I’d rather have two lighter gravity hazys than one heavier edgy one. But hey, that’s just me. (15/20)

This will be my 6,266th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Eighty-Eight Brewing Wham! – American IPA at 8% ABV (C$6.65 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 2-Oct-2025, acquired 13-Nov-2025, reviewed 18-Nov-2025)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of fine pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: pineapple, citrus, coconut, oats. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter tending slightly high. (8/10) Palate: creamy medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, medium duration finish. (4/5)

“Citra, Nelson, Galaxy, El Dorado”. I like this. It’s not quite creamsicle (though the body is slightly creamy) but there’s lots of pineapple and citrus, in addition to a little coconut. And there’s very little indication of the enthusiastic ABV, so you can happily drink these sneaky buggers until you suddenly fall over… and go Wham! (16/20)

This will be my 6,264th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Eighty-Eight Brewing Lost Boys – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$6.25 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 14-Oct-2025, acquired 13-Nov-2025, reviewed 17-Nov-2025)

Appearance: clear pale gold with one fat finger of fluffy pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: stone fruit, resiny pine, citrus zest. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration off-dry bitter finish. (4/5)

Nice WCIPA, if maybe just a touch sweet for the style. (15/20)

This will be my 6,263rd unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Establishment Brewing Company Shot In The Dark – Oatmeal Stout at 5.2% ABV (C$5.50 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 5-Nov-2025, acquired 13-Nov-2025, reviewed 17-Nov-2025)

Appearance: clear deep ruby/cola red with one fat finger of fine beige head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dark chocolate, toasted bread, mild anise, slight ash. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-full body, moderate-soft carbonation, medium duration bitter finish. (4/5)

Nice, but maybe just a bit overly roasty, verging on ashy. I expect an Oatmeal Stout to lean a little more into the caramel sweetness and richness of the oats, while this tends a little drier, a bit more like a Dry Irish Stout. Still good, if maybe just a bit below this brewer’s normal standards. (15/20)

This will be my 6,262nd unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Establishment Brewing Company Houseplants – Pilsner at 5% ABV (C$5.65 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 20-Oct-2025, acquired 13-Nov-2025, reviewed 16-Nov-2025)

Appearance: clear pale straw with one finger of fine white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: lemon zest, dank resin, grass. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, short moderate bitter finish. (4/5)

“Water Valley Saaz, Water Valley Cascade, Water Valley Chinook, YCH Cryo Fresh Simcoe” I don’t usually bother with Pilsners, but “fresh hop”, “West Coast”, and “The Establishment” are sufficient modifiers for me to consider it likely to be worthwhile. Was not disappointed, though purists might turn up their noses at it. Personally, I like the hoppy, grassy notes making it exactly what the label says. (16/20)

This will be my 6,261st unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Ale Architect Brewing Ltd. Glow Pop 4 – American Pale Ale at 4% ABV (C$5.65 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 13-Nov-2025, reviewed 15-Nov-2025)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of pillowy white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, white wine, citrus, cereal grains. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, short moderate bitter finish. (3/5)

“Double dry hopped with Luminosa and Nelson Sauvin”. That’s pretty nice, and definitely punches above its weight in the flavour profile. However, it’s slightly more bitter than I’d prefer for a light NE-style hazy. Nothing intrusive, but enough to take it slightly out of the easy breezy crushable zone. (15/20)

This will be my 6,260th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Establishment Brewing Company In The Meantime – American IPA at 6.4% ABV (C$6.25 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 30-Oct-2025, acquired 13-Nov-2025, reviewed 14-Nov-2025)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fluffy pale ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, spotty soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: citrus zest, tropical fruit, dank resin, cereal grains. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, medium duration finish. (4/5)

“Tropical Fusion, Riwaka, Motueka, Krush, Rakau Hop Kief”. As usual, an excellent offering that bears a strong family resemblance to any number of other offerings by this brewery. So, a total yawn-fest, except for being a world-class IPA. Shucks. (16/20)

This will be my 6,259th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Boombox Brewing Company Galactic Haze – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$7.65 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 2-Sep-2025, acquired 13-Nov-2025, reviewed 14-Nov-2025)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of rocky pale ivory head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dank resiny pine, citrus, tropical fruit, cereal grains. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter tending slightly high. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, slightly edgy lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

This thing smells great, with the terpenes coming through strongly on the front end. So, I had high hopes for the first sip. Which were cruelly dashed by the unexpectedly bitter taste, and even more so by the oddly edgy bitter finish. It’s not terrible, by any means, but it’s out of keeping with the hazy style and really doesn’t follow through on the promise of the aroma. (15/20)

This will be my 6,258th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com