RyansBooze

Fernie Brewing Company Nomad Wild IPA – American IPA at 6.3% ABV | 42 IBU (C$4.27 at Collective, 473 ml, best before 7-Aug-2020, acquired 27-Feb-2020, reviewed 4-Apr-2020)

Appearance: translucent medium amber with three fingers of unruly dense ivory head, excellent retention and heavy chunky lacing. (3/5) Aroma: hay funk, stone and tropical fruits, tart wheat. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, moderate funky tart. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration funky tart finish. (4/5)

An interesting idea, with Sabro and Enigma hops on a wild yeast – and if I recall correctly, Fernie might’ve been the second brewer I ever experienced using Sabro hops, though I’ve had them quite a few times since – but not entirely surprisingly the wild yeast very much carries the day here, completely dominating with very brett-like funk and fury. A massive three fingers of dense ivory head towers over a somewhat muddy medium amber body, and funk is the name of the game when it comes to both the aroma and finish. Hints of stone and tropical fruits are interspersed throughout, and perhaps some acidulated wheat tartness, but those are frankly overshadowed by the enthusiastic wild yeast. I’d have to say this is as much a true Wild, as it is an IPA, and I approve. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Annex Ale Project King’s English Black Tea Lemon Pale Ale – English Pale Ale at 4.6% ABV (C$4.10 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 24-Mar-2020, acquired 25-Mar-2020, reviewed 4-Apr-2020)

Appearance: hazy pale amber with one finger of loose white head diminishing rapidly to nothing, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: black tea, lemon, floral. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, mild tart. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration mildly tart finish. (4/5)

Looks, smells, and tastes pretty much like unsweetened iced tea, medium heavy on the lemon just the way I like it. It’s actually very refreshing, with no hint of alcohol. There’s also pretty much no hint of beer, but what the hell, I like it anyway. Too bad it’s still winter, or it’d be a great one for a sunny deck. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Born Colorado Brewing Earl’s Ale Earl Grey Tea Pale Ale – English Pale Ale at 6% ABV | 30 IBU (C$4.50 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 10-Mar-2020, acquired 25-Mar-2020, reviewed 3-Apr-2020)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with one finger of loose white head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap and ring, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: Earl Grey tea, blueberry, vanilla, floral. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, sweetish medium duration finish. (3/5)

I guess it’s not overly sweet in an absolute sense, but the combination of blueberry and vanilla on top of a floral note makes this verge on sickly for me. Not my cup of tea, so to speak. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Medicine Hat Brewing Co. Stand Tall February Frost – White IPA at 6.3% ABV | 53 IBU (C$4.14 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 12-Feb-2020, acquired 27-Feb-2020, reviewed 3-Apr-2020)

Appearance: hazy straw with two fingers of fluffy white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: coriander, orange peel, oats, white pepper. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, moderate peppery spice. (6/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry mildly spicy finish. (3/5)

This is a tough style to get right, and all things considered this one is not bad, but it’s a bit too heavy handed on the spice. By the end of the pint, the spice has pretty much blown out everything else. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Zero Issue Brewing Invasion Coffee IPA (Issue #21) – American IPA at 5.9% ABV (C$4.85 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 25-Mar-2020, reviewed 2-Apr-2020)

Appearance: muddy opaque deep gold with two fat fingers of dense creamy pale ivory head, excellent retention and spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: coffee, resiny pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium slightly creamy body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter lightly spicy finish. (4/5)

Well… I don’t hate it. And for a coffee IPA, that’s not a bad accomplishment. Mind you, when I say it smells like coffee, it’s really a bit more like soggy grounds in the trash, than a nice freshly-brewed cup. But all in all, it’s reasonably well balanced and drinkable. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Coronado Brewing Company / Pizza Port Brewing Company South of the Pier – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$4.86 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 27-Jan-2020, acquired 25-Mar-2020, reviewed 1-Apr-2020)

Appearance: hazy straw with one fat finger of loose pale ivory head diminishing gradually to a thick cap, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: grassy & herbal, resiny pine, tropical fruit, crackery pale malt, floral. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium bitter lightly spicy finish. (4/5)

Bit disappointing, if I’m honest – I’ve heard great things about Pizza Port, and Coronado is a perennial favourite of mine. On top of that, the label reports Amarillo, Mosaic, Waimea, and Motueka hops, at least two of which are high on my list of favourites. (Amarillo and Waimea are OK, but kind of work-a-day in my opinion.) This, however, while reasonably solid and inoffensive, is a bit uninspired and falls well short of epic. I can’t say I’m getting a whole lot of Mosaic complexity or Motueka tropical fruit – or, for that matter, a lot of West Coast dankness. Ultimately it’s a middle-of-the-road AIPA without a whole lot to distinguish it in a very crowded field. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Cabin Brewing Company Summer Saturation Tropical New England Pale Ale – American Pale Ale at 5% ABV | 40 IBU (C$4.72 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 19-Mar-2020, acquired 25-Mar-2020, reviewed 1-Apr-2020)

Appearance: opaque pale gold with two fat fingers of loose off-white head diminishing gradually to a thick cap, minimal spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: juicy and sweet tropical fruits, grapefruit, bready malt and oats. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly creamy body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry medium bitter lightly spicy finish. (4/5)

Looks like grapefruit juice, and doesn’t taste a whole lot different, either. Well… a bit more tropical, I suppose. Brewer notes indicate Ekuanot, Citra and Simcoe hops, but there’s none of the cattiness that I’ve found Simcoe in particular sometimes gives. Hearty flavour without excessive sweetness, on a smooth body verging on creamy. Definitely not a Pale that tastes like a watered-down IPA! If only it weren’t still full-on winter, this’d be a great one for the patio – but I’ll take it as a promise that better days are coming… assuming we avoid a full-on Zombie Apocalypse, of course… (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

S.Y.C. Brewing Co. Dankeroo West Coast IPA – American IPA at 7% ABV (C$4.45 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 22-Mar-2020, acquired 25-Mar-2020, reviewed 30-Mar-2020)

Appearance: opaque medium gold with two fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dank pine, tropical fruit, herbal, caramel, citrus. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter mildly warming finish. (4/5)

I like this a lot, especially the dank aroma and resiny bitter finish. It doesn’t taste quite as good as it smells, but that’s not to say it doesn’t taste good too! Aside from looking sort of like an NEIPA, this is very much the dank West Coast offering the label promises. Probably my favourite so far out of the maybe dozen or so I’ve had by this brewery. (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Establishment Brewing Company 9 to 5 Brut IPA with Hibiscus – American IPA at 6.4% ABV (C$4.75 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 24-Mar-2020, acquired 25-Mar-2020, reviewed 29-Mar-2020)

Appearance: crystal clear pink gold with one finger of loose pale pink head diminishing gradually to a thick cap, no lacing. (4/5) Aroma: mild, tropical fruit, floral, herbal, pale crackery malt. (7/10) Taste: moderate-low sweet, moderate-low bitter, light tart. (6/10) Palate: light body, lively carbonation, dry slightly flat finish. (3/5)

It’s hard to point to exactly what’s not working here. I guess it’s partially the very mild aroma, and partially the way the finish seem to fall flat despite the dryness and lively carbonation. On the up side, the hibiscus presence isn’t overwhelming, and there was at least some hop presence before it all kind of faded into the background. There’s nothing really wrong, but, boy, is it boring. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brouwerij Huyghe Delirium Tremens – Belgian Strong Ale at 8.7% ABV | 24.5 IBU (C$6.00 at South Trail Calgary Co-Op, 330 ml, best before 30-Aug-2017, acquired 5-Nov-2014, reviewed 25-Mar-2020)

Appearance: clear particulate-laden straw with one finger of dense white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: green apple, Belgian yeast, candi sugar, banana, cloves, white pepper. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter, light tart. (9/10) Palate: medium-light body, lively carbonation, off-dry warming finish. (4/5)

You know what annoys the piss out of me? I can’t just drink any more. Well, I can, sort of – I mean, I can kill a bottle of whiskey like nobody’s business, and I can go pick up a four or six of something to have while I’m watching the game (except thanks to COVID19 there’s no more games any more!) – but out of my collection? I can’t pull out something interesting and just drink it, oh no, I feel obligated to review it. Even something like this, that I know inside out and upside down – I mean, shit, I’ve been to the Café Delirium in Brussels, multiple times. (But I didn’t get one of those skewed glasses? D’oh! Note to self, if international travel ever becomes possible again.) Not only that, I have a couple of “proper” Delirium glasses, but they’re at home, while I’m serving out my quarantine in my office. Feckin’ hell. And yeah, fine, the name of the beer is a debilitating side effect of alcoholism, but fuckit, right? I’m not an alcoholic, because alcoholics go to meetings.

Anyway, I obviously don’t have a drinking problem, I have a collecting problem. When I crack open one of my many cellar classics like this, I feel such a sense of loss: I mean, this is almost three years past its alleged BB date, but other than a bit of particulate, it’s not been harmed at all, and if anything is a little better than it used to be. It’s still bright and lively, but has smoothed out a little over its extended cellaring. Helluva beer – warm, but not overly aggressive, and lively, yet easy-drinking. (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com