RyansBooze

Irrational Brewing Company Exp. Opacity 11 – American IPA at 6% ABV (C$5.31 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 7-May-2024, reviewed 30-May-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of rocky white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: juicy tropical fruit, orange juice, cereal grains, floral. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, medium duration clean finish. (4/5)

“New Zelda Hazy IPA w/ Riwaka”, malted with Pilsner, Malted Oats, Flaked Oats, Chit Malt, and Malted Wheat. I think this might be the first Riwaka single-hop I’ve had, and I have to say, it’s really working for me. Juicy tropical fruit and orange juice, without being sickly sweet, and a short finish that verges on dry. I haven’t had many by this brewery, but this ties with their Turbidity as the best thing of theirs I’ve had. (16/20)

This will be my 5,834th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Rebellion Brewing Co. Astro Comet – American Pale Ale at 4.5% ABV (C$4.81 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 20-Mar-2024, acquired 7-May-2024, reviewed 22-May-2024)

Appearance: clear straw with one fat finger of rocky pale ivory head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, spotty soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: melon, citrus, grass. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, short clean finish. (4/5)

Single-hopped with SK-grown Comet hops, making it very much your grandfather’s hop profile. To be fair, though, this is reasonably well done, with a clean flavour profile and crisp finish. (14/20)

This will be my 5,833rd unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Cabin Brewing Company Yardarm – Session IPA at 4.4% ABV (C$4.89 at Ace Liquor Okotoks, 473 ml, packaged on 25-Apr-2024, acquired 18-May-2024, reviewed 22-May-2024)

Appearance: slightly hazy straw with two fingers of rocky pale ivory head diminishing gradually to a thick persistent cap, spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: mild, citrus, grass, hint of tropical fruit. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, short clean finish. (4/5)

Hopped with Simcoe, Centennial, and HBC 586. It’s not bad, but it’s pretty near the bottom for this brewery. It’s got nowhere near the usual intense hoppiness they usually accomplish, and comes perilously close to needing the dreaded “for a Session” qualifier. (14/20)

This will be my 5,832nd unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Hop Butcher For The World Lord Octopus – American Double/Imperial IPA at 7.5% ABV (C$10.25 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 7-May-2024, reviewed 21-May-2024)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with one fat finger of rocky pale ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: overripe tropical & stone fruit, floral, caramel, citrus, vegetal. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-full body, moderate-soft carbonation, short clean finish. (4/5)

Hopped with Mosaic and Mosaic Cryo. A bit thick and overdone, with fruit notes that come across as overripe and floral, with vegetal hints. It’s hard to put my finger on precisely how this falls short, but it’s just not a complete success for me, and leaves me wondering if Mosaic single-hop might be prone to this issue. A quick search suggests I’ve encountered similar overripeness in at least one other single-hop Mosaic (Field House’s Cryo Pop Mosaic DIPA) but also a couple better (Collective Arts’ Mosaic Four Ways and Eighty-Eight’s Power Wheels) so I’m not sure. (15/20)

This will be my 5,832nd unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Tool Shed Brewing Company Golden Hour – American Pale Ale at 5.5% ABV (C$4.72 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 7-May-2024, reviewed 21-May-2024)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with two fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical & stone fruit, citrus, cereal grains. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light tart. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, short clean finish. (4/5)

Started off quite juicy, to the point where I initially wondered if there was a fruit juice adjunct. There was an initial intense pineapple note that I quite liked, and that continued retronasally throughout. Ultimately, though, it just ended up being a little bit thin, coming across a little bit like a watered-down IPA. Good, but not great. (15/20)

This will be my 5,831st unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Refined Fool Brewing Co. Snakebite City – American IPA at 7.5% ABV (C$5.26 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 19-Mar-2024, acquired 7-May-2024, reviewed 18-May-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale amber with one fat finger of creamy pale ivory head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: strawberry/kiwi, tropical fruit, melon, light vegetal. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light tart. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, short clean finish. (4/5)

I don’t know if I’ve ever had a prickly pear, so although that’s presumably the adjunct origin of the fruit juice aromas I’m getting, I can’t directly speak to it. All I can say is, it’s bright, tart, and flavourful, and reminds me of strawberry and/or kiwi with tropical and melon notes with a little not-unpleasantly vegetal underpinning reminiscent of melon rind. Despite the intense fruit character, it’s not overly sweet, and finishes pretty short and clean. Don’t get me wrong: there’s absolutely nothing sophisticated or complex here beyond the fruit adjunct, but it’s a heckuva lotta fun. (15/20)

This will be my 5,830th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Hop Butcher For The World Wooden Alley – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$10.95 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 7-May-2024, reviewed 18-May-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fat fingers of rocky white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: stone & tropical fruits, citrus.  (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, medium bitter mildly warming finish. (4/5)

Hopped with Mosaic, El Dorado, and Riwaka. Can’t say I’m particularly thrilled by this one – lots of reviews call it “dank” but for me tends to be a bit more “bruised”. Not a lot, and it’s certainly not offensive, but it stops it from being a complete success for me. (15/20)

This will be my 5,829th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Refined Fool Brewing Co. Todd Is An Absolute Beauty – American Pale Ale at 5% ABV (C$4.72 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 5-Apr-2024, acquired 7-May-2024, reviewed 17-May-2024)

Appearance: hazy straw with two fat fingers of growing fluffy white head, excellent retention and moderate chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, floral, cereal grains, citrus.  (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: smooth medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, medium bitter mildly warming finish. (4/5)

Wait, I thought Todd was an Axe Man? Different Todd, maybe… Brewed with Ekuanot and Talus, dry hopped with Idaho Gem. I might be somewhat enthusiastic in my scoring here since it could probably pop a little more, but there’s really nothing negative to say here. (16/20)

This will be my 5,828th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Hop Butcher For The World Riwakamania VIII – American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$10.90 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 7-May-2024, reviewed 17-May-2024)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fat fingers of growing fine pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, dank pine, citrus, cereal grains and caramel, earth. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: smooth medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, medium bitter mildly warming finish. (4/5)

Hopped with Motueka and Riwaka. Juicy tropical fruit decently balanced against dank pine and citrus, on a caramel-tending malt base. I often prefer this style when the malt doesn’t really make itself known, but in this case there’s a nice mellowness imparted by the caramel, that fits well with the mild warming without detracting from the hop notes. Very nice. (16/20)

This will be my 5,827th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Born Brewing Co. (Born Colorado Brewing) Lap Six Anniversary Hazy IPA – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.0% ABV (C$4.95 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 7-May-2024, reviewed 16-May-2024)

Appearance: slightly hazy straw with two fat fingers of growing fluffy white head, excellent retention and moderate chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: slightly mild, tropical fruit, melon, hint of cannabis. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, lively carbonation, medium bitter mildly warming finish. (4/5)

Light and easy-drinking, probably too much so for the style. That is, both the aroma and flavour were surprisingly light, and the malt bill could probably have supported a more bombastic approach. It’s fine, but not next level. (15/20)

This will be my 5,826th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com