RyansBooze

Superflux Beer Company Ohms – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$5.35 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 7-May-2021, reviewed 22-May-2021)

Appearance: hazy, nearly opaque pale gold, two fat and growing fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: bright juicy tropical & citrus, cereal grains, coconut, light pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly creamy body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium bitter finish. (4/5)

There was a rush of bright juicy aromas immediately upon cracking the can, that persisted all through the pint, accompanied by a little coconut that seems to grow upon warming. Similar to Marigold, perhaps, but with less pine emphasis. Brewer notes indicate it’s hopped with Galaxy, Vic Secret, and Citra Cryo. Good one. (16/20)

8/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Apex Predator Brewing (Bench Creek Brewing) Miyagi – India Pale Lager at 6.6% ABV | 57 IBU (C$4.63 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 13-Apr-2021, acquired 7-May-2021, reviewed 21-May-2021)

Appearance: slightly hazy deep brown with just a hint of relief around the margins, two fat fingers of rocky beige head, excellent retention and well-defined soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: roasty malts, coffee, chocolate, pine, dark fruits, citrus. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Me before tasting this: “What the hell does Mr. Miyagi have to do with a Black Lager/IPL?” Me after tasting this: “Who the hell cares?”. Slightly malt-dominant, but well-balanced regardless, with pleasant piney and citrus notes. A crane kick of flavour! (16/20)

8/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Overhop Brewing Co. HopGoddess – American IPA at 6.5% ABV | 60 IBU (C$6.07 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 16-Apr-2021, acquired 7-May-2021, reviewed 20-May-2021)

Appearance: clear deep gold with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and well-defined soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: caramel, tropical fruit, floral. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Brewer notes describe a combination of American and Australian hops, but don’t specify which. Sort of old-school in both the appearance and the malt-forward nature, which makes sense given the brewer describes it as their “classic American IPA”. Reasonably well done, and it’s certainly pretty enough, but at the end of the day there’s just too much malt emphasis for me to rank it into next-level territory as a modern AIPA. (15/20)

7.5/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Yukon Brewing Company Galaxy IPA – American IPA at 6.2% ABV (C$4.50 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 7-Apr-2021, acquired 7-May-2021, reviewed 20-May-2021)

Appearance: clear pale gold with one finger of fine white head diminishing gradually to a thin cap and ring, moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: grass, pine, tropical fruit, caramel, citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

The label doesn’t specify whether this is single-hopped with Galaxy, and I can’t find proper brewer’s notes for it. Either way it’s not one of the better implementations of the hop I’ve encountered, in that the grassy and piney notes seem to dominate over the tropical fruit and such little citrus as is present. Don’t get me wrong: it’s not bad, and I’m not getting any real negatives at all, but it’s just not a very effective showcase of Galaxy hops. I might’ve been more impressed by it a decade ago, but the state of the art moves on. (14/20)

7/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

33 Brewing Experiment Fluffy Cloud IPA – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$3.10 at Collective, 355 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 7-May-2021, reviewed 19-May-2021)

Appearance: hazy straw with a massive fluffy white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: mild, pithy grapefruit, tropical fruit, cereal grains, light resiny pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, sweetish medium duration bitter finish. (3/5)

I dunno about fluffy cloud, but it’s certainly fluffy head and then some! Not a complete success for me: although the aroma is decent, it’s mild, and the sweetness being a bit too much to really make it refreshing or crushable. Good, not great. (14/20)

7/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Collective Arts Brewing Good Monster – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.0% ABV (C$5.22 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 14-Apr-2021, acquired 7-May-2021, reviewed 17-May-2021)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with two fingers of loose off-white head, good retention and minimal spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: juicy citrus, tropical & stone fruits, pale malt, light pine. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, off-dry medium duration lingering bitter mildly warming finish. (4/5)

It might be slightly monstrous in terms of the ABV, but it drinks very easily with a light-tending body and lively carbonation. There’s just a hint of warming giving the game away – well, that, and the fact that halfway through the pint the world starts to seem a little less grim… Hopped with Mosaic, Citra, Simcoe and Amarillo, the aroma is bright and juicy, balanced far more to the fruit end of the spectrum, but underpinned by a clean malt and mild pine. Who’s a good monster? This guy! (16/20)

8/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Overhop Brewing Co. Overhop Hazy – American IPA at 6.5% ABV | 50 IBU (C$6.07 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 7-May-2021, reviewed 15-May-2021)

Appearance: hazy opaque pale gold with one finger of loose off-white head, good retention and minimal spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical & stone fruits, citrus, caramel, light pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Nice one, and far better than their SIPA I had recently. Brewer notes indicate it’s double dry-hopped with Citra, Mosaic, Zythos, Vic Secret and Ella, fermented with Conan yeast. Works for me. (16/20)

8/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

33 Acres Brewing Company 33 Acres of Ocean – American Pale Ale at 5.3% ABV (C$2.83 at Collective, 355 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 7-May-2021, reviewed 15-May-2021)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale straw with one finger of fluffy off-white head, good retention and minimal soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: floral, citrus, crackery malt, light pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration slightly astringent finish. (4/5)

Decently balanced floral and citrus, but I’d like to see more dank resiny pine in order to consider this really “West Coast” in nature. Refeshing and easy drinking, though. (15/20)

7.5/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Narrow Gauge Brewing Company Double Dry Hopped Fallen Flag – American IPA at 7.0% ABV | 55 IBU (C$10.30 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 8-Feb-2021, acquired 7-May-2021, reviewed 14-May-2021)

Appearance: hazy bright medium gold with two fingers of loose pale ivory head, good retention and minimal soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma:  juicy citrus, tropical fruit, biscuity malt, light resiny pine, hint of vanilla. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, clean off-dry medium duration slightly chalky finish. (5/5)

I was hoping this would be better than the “base” version, but you know that episode of the Simpsons with the Duff brewery tour, where they have the same pipe split three ways to fill kegs of Duff, Duff Lite, and Duff dry? Yeah, that. Except it doesn’t retain head as well. And a buck more, to boot? Son, I am disappoint. (16/20)

8/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze

Narrow Gauge Brewing Company Fallen Flag – American IPA at 7.0% ABV | 55 IBU (C$9.25 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 19-Feb-2021, acquired 7-May-2021, reviewed 14-May-2021)

Appearance: hazy bright medium gold with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma:  juicy citrus, tropical fruit, biscuity malt, light resiny pine, hint of vanilla. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, clean off-dry medium duration slightly chalky finish. (5/5)

Perhaps the ultimate “damned with faint praise” assessment: I was expecting greatness, but it’s merely very good. I can’t find proper brewer’s notes, but secondary sources say this is hopped with Citra & Mosaic, which is of course a perennial favourite blend. It’s possible that it’s getting a little elderly and that’s why the aromas and flavours don’t pop more. Despite that, it’s very easy to drink, finishing clean and more-ish. I hemmed and hawed a little on most of the scores, and could easily have rated aroma and flavour higher, or palate lower, so I’m splitting the difference a little on my final score. I’m also holding out hope that the DDH version, to follow, will rectify these issues. (17/20)

8.5/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze