RyansBooze

Offshoot Beer Co. Tropical Escape – American IPA at 7.1% ABV (C$6.65 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 23-May-2024, acquired 10-Jul-2024, reviewed 16-Jul-2024)

Appearance: clear pale gold with two fat fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: mild, tropical fruit, grass, pale malt, citrus. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration bitter finish. (4/5)

“Simcoe, Mosaic, Cryo Pop, El Dorado, and Citra hops”. And as far as I can tell, just about everything on the label is wrong: I get very little of the dank piney notes that I associate with WCIPAs, and any coconut and pineapple adjunct was added with a very miserly hand. I’d go so far as to say that it’s actually less tropical (and for that matter less west coast-ish) than the base Escape, based on my notes from a few years ago. I don’t see age being the issue here, since it’s not even two months in the can, so I’m just gonna go with The Bruery disappointing me yet again. (Yes, they’ve done some awesome beers. They’ve also done some awesomely bad ones. They might actually have the largest standard deviation across the entirety of my records.) (14/20)

This will be my 5,875th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Born Colorado Brewing Park Pass 002 – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$4.72 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 18-Jun-2024, acquired 10-Jul-2024, reviewed 16-Jul-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fat fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: melon, tropical & stone fruit, cereal grains, citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: smooth medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (4/5)

Dry-hopped with HBC 638, which I think is another new hop for me. Melon plays a significant role here, which I suppose isn’t a dealbreaker for me, but sure isn’t a positive. It feels to me like, even when it’s sweet, it’s got vegetal tones. That being said, it’s well executed, and I suppose some folks might like it a lot more than I did. (15/20)

This will be my 5,874th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Coronado Brewing Company Big Weekend – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.8% ABV (C$6.25 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 15-May-2024, acquired 10-Jul-2024, reviewed 15-Jul-2024)

Appearance: slightly hazy straw with one finger of loose white head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap, spotty soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: stone & tropical fruit, caramel, pine. (7/10) Taste: high sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Palate: slightly slick medium-full body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter mildly warming finish. (3/5)

Meh. Coronado can be hit and miss, and this one’s a little bit of both. Maybe slightly below average for them, not really all that interesting. (14/20)

This will be my 5,873rd unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Camp Beer Co. X-Perimental 05 – American IPA at 6.7% ABV (C$6.65 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 27-May-2024, acquired 10-Jul-2024, reviewed 15-Jul-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fluffy pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: melon, citrus zest, tropical fruit, caramel. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light tart. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, sweetish medium bitter finish. (3/5)

The label says this is “brewed with a focus on Alora hops, then complemented by Huell Melon, El Dorado, and Citra hops”. It’s my first encounter with Alora hops, although the melon character isn’t exactly new, because of course Huell Melon is a thing. And that said, I’m not a huge fan of that melon flavour, though I like the citrus edge. It’s also a bit sweeter than I’d like, especially through the finish. I suppose it’s well executed, but not my preferred flavour profile. (14/20)

This will be my 5,872nd unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Eighty-Eight Brewing Launch Code – American IPA at 6.7% ABV (C$5.35 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 28-Jun-2024, acquired 10-Jul-2024, reviewed 14-Jul-2024)

Appearance: clear straw with one finger of fine white head, good retention and spotty soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, floral, pine, bready malt, citrus, light resin. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium bitter finish with a hint of astringency. (4/5)

Ella, Simcoe, Strata, and Idaho 7 hops. Not bad, but ultimately it comes across as just a little thin, both in flavour and body – particularly through the finish, where it starts to verge on astringent. Not a fail by any means (nor would I expect one from this brewery) but a bit average, for this brewer at least. (15/20)

This will be my 5,871st unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Steamworks Brewing Company Experimental Hazy IPA – American IPA at 7% ABV | 40 IBU (C$5.31 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 9-May-2024, acquired 10-Jul-2024, reviewed 14-Jul-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fine white head, excellent retention and spotty soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: stone fruit, coconut, citrus, tropical fruit, cereal grains. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium bitter finish. (4/5)

The labels says this one is “focused on” HBC1019, and “backed up by” HBC586, Simcoe, and Nectaron. A check of my record indicates I’ve seen that combination of 586 and 1019 multiple times so far this year, so although it’s new, it’s not really ground-breaking. It’s also not the first time I’ve picked up on coconut being present with 1019 (and no e.g. Sabro to explain it) so I think that for me at least that’s how this one seems to occasionally present. Dunno if this is actually deserving of the score, or whether I just really REALLY needed a beer (nobody can fight with you quite like someone who’s been fighting with you for 35 years), but either way I quite enjoyed it. (16/20)

This will be my 5,870th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Blindman Brewing West Coast Double IPA – American IPA at 8.1% ABV | 65 IBU (C$6.30 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 3-Jun-2024, acquired 10-Jul-2024, reviewed 12-Jul-2024)

Appearance: clear pale amber with one fat finger of fine pale ivory head, excellent retention and well-defined soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: resiny pine, citrus, caramel. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, building bitter mildly warming finish. (4/5)

Old-school verging on old-fashioned – it wouldn’t have felt out of place during the early oughts – but masterfully executed. To the extent I have any criticisms at all here, they’re very nit-picky: primarily I think it could have been a bit bombastic, but as it is it’s very much a crushable DIPA, oxymoronic as that may seem. Very much an example of why I love WCDIPAs. (16/20)

This will be my 5,867th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Cabin Brewing Company / Born Brewing Co. Super Cutie – American Pale Ale at 5.5% ABV (C$5.13 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 5-Jun-2024, acquired 10-Jul-2024, reviewed 12-Jul-2024)

Appearance: hazy particulate-laden light pink with one fat finger of loose pale pink head, good retention and spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: raspberry, tropical fruit, wheat / cereal grains. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light tart. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, lightly tart short duration finish. (4/5)

I mean, what with all the particulate it’s not what I’d call cute, let alone super cute. That aside, the raspberry is actually fairly restrained and doesn’t completely dominate the flavour profile. Appearances aside, I like this. (15/20)

This will be my 5,866th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Establishment Brewing Company Mass Appeal – American Pale Ale at 4.8% ABV (C$4.95 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 26-Jun-2024, acquired 10-Jul-2024, reviewed 11-Jul-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale straw with one finger of fine white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: coconut, tropical fruit, citrus, white grape must, cereal grains. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry short duration finish. (4/5)

The aroma is maybe just slightly mild, but for the weight I’ll give it a pass, especially given the nicely layered complexity it exhibits. Overall it’s easy-drinking, with an off-dry finish verging on short, and an almost tart edge. As usual, The Establishment does not fail to deliver. (16/20)

This will be my 5,865th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Anchorage Brewing Company The Trickster – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.4% ABV (C$11.65 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 28-May-2024, reviewed 14-Jun-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of pillowy white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: stone & tropical fruit, citrus, cereal grains. (7/10) Taste: high sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium slightly slick body, moderate carbonation, building bitter warming finish. (3/5)

I’m starting to sound like a broken record on the last few I’ve reviewed, but: this really didn’t impress me. I don’t know if it’s just age, but there really wasn’t much depth of flavour going on here. Not up to their usual standards. (13/20)

This will be my 5,862nd unique Untappd check-in.

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com