RyansBooze

Almanac Beer Co. Saison Dolores Saison at 6.8% ABV (US$7.99 at Total Wines & More, Henderson NV, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Appearance: clear pale gold with one finger of rocky white head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dusty hay and barnyard funk, apples, floral, bready yeast, stone fruit, honey, white pepper. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, mild tart. (8/10) Palate: medium to light body, lively to moderate carbonation, lightly funky and gently warming finish. (4/5)

A bit funky and dusty on the nose, some apples and pears on the tongue, and a little surprising heat in the finish rounds it out nicely. A pleasantly rustic interpretation of what’s fast becoming one of my favourite styles, even if it is a bit heavy in the body and ABV for what was originally supposed to be a light thirst quencher for the farmhands! (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Village Brewery Grand Father West Coast IPA American IPA at 7.2% ABV (C$10.50 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, bottle date 21-Jun-2015)

Appearance: clear pale amber with a fat finger of rocky ivory head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: strong pine resin, light tropical fruit, caramel malt. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderately strong bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering building bitter and gently warming finish. (4/5)

The bottle blurb says this is Village’s 1000th ale, created for Father’s Day 2015. I have to say, it’s a fitting brew. Big but not overwhelming, well-balanced yet hop forward, with a mild nice West Coast dankness and a gentle warming. I’m not quite sure how this isn’t a double, but either way it’s one of the better IPA’s to come out of Calgary. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Molson Coors Canada Rickard’s Blonde Pilsener at 5.0% ABV (C$3.64 at NLC Stavanger, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before)

Appearance: clear straw with one finger of tight white head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: grainy biscuity malt, mild citrus and pepper. (4/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (4/10) Palate: light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry slightly peppery finish. (3/5)

Bog standard pale euro lager/pils. Decently crisp and drinkable when cold, pretty enough for the style. OK, maybe slightly better than bog standard. But only slightly. (9/20)

5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Central City Brewers + Distillers Red Racer IPA for Autism American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$3.98 at NLC Stavanger, 473 ml, packaging date 9-Apr-2015)

Appearance: clear pale amber with one fat finger of loose light tan head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: pine resin, citrus, caramel malt. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderately strong bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry building bitter and slightly peppery finish. (4/5)

Solid A/IPA and definitely worth trying, especially if you can find it fresh. My can was three months old, and still good, but I’d lay money on it being brighter and better when new. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

SHS Drinks Dead Crow Bourbon Beer Pale Lager at 5.5% ABV (C$3.64 at NLC Stavanger, 330 ml, best before 15-May-2017)

Appearance: clear straw with one finger of white head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, patchy lacing. (2/5) Aroma: candi sugar, mild apple, faint whiskey. (4/10) Taste: strong sweet, not much else. (3/10) Palate: light slick body, moderate carbonation, sticky brown apple and slightly boozy finish. (2/5)

Cloying sickly sweet with only the faintest of whiskey notes – like drinking a crap cider next to a guy who’s having a shot of bourbon. Sink pour. (6/20)

3.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Pike Brewing Company India Pale Ale American IPA at 6.3% ABV (C$6.99 at South Trail Calgary Co-Op, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Appearance: clear pale amber with a fat finger of light tan head, good retention and moderate patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: pine, caramel/toffee malt, light citrus, light diacetyl. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderately strong bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium slightly oily body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

A fairly pedestrian A/IPA. Yes, it’s bitter, and there’s a fairly good balance between the mildly dark malt and the slightly dank bitterness. But the hops don’t have a lot of character other than bitterness – no real brightness or pop. It definitely tastes every inch the 60 IBU the bottle claims – but it isn’t very interesting in the process. (12/20)

My 190th from the 2010 Edition (178th from the 2013 edition), and 200th combining both editions.

6/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Phillips Brewing Company Elsinore Pale Lager at 5.0% ABV (C$2.00 at South Trail Calgary Co-Op, 341 ml, best before 31-Jul-2015)

Appearance: crystal clear pale straw, short white head diminishing rapidly to a ring, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: grassy, faint floral and citrus, pale malt. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (5/10) Palate: light body, lively to moderate carbonation, crisp finish. (3/5)

Take off, eh! What mind-controlling chemicals were Phillips on when they decided to make a Coors light? A mouse in the bottle would’ve been interesting, at least… (Google “Strange Brew” and “Elsinore” if you don’t get any of that.) So anyway, yeah, Coors Light. It’s fine, I was thirsty and it only cost me $2, so why not? Fine, it’s a good Coors Light, with no cheap adjunct flavours. (10/20)

5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

LaCotta Cottina Birra Chiara Belgian Pale Ale at 4.8% ABV (C$2.00 at South Trail Calgary Co-Op, 330 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Appearance: slightly hazy (with big chunky sediment) straw, two fingers of fluffy white head, good retention and spotty lacing. (2/5) Aroma: grassy, herbal, pale malt. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (5/10) Palate: medium light body, lively to moderate carbonation, crisp finish. (3/5)

Dunno what the hell this is. RateBeer says it’s a Pilsener, but La Cotta’s web site says it’s top-fermented, so it can’t be. Beer Advocate says it’s a Belgian Pale, but that’s on the strength of one review. And Untappd says it’s a weizenbock. Looks kinda lager-ish, but it has loads of chunky sediment. Smells like a pils, tastes like a very light Belgian Pale. Hybrids like this make my OCD hurt. On the up side, it’s crisp and refreshing, and it’s not light-struck despite the crappy green bottle. (10/20)

5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Laughing Dog Brewing De Achste Hond (Peach) Sour/Wild Ale at 7.0% ABV (C$9.95 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, bottle date 8-Jun-2015)

Appearance: clear pale amber with minimal short-lived head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: short-lived sour peach, apricot, black tea. (7/10) Taste: moderately strong sweet, moderate tart, very mild bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium light body, moderate to low carbonation, crisp finish. (3/5)

Starts off extremely promising with an intensely sour peach nose – that unfortunately then just disappears. Ends up tasting like a mildly tart peach iced tea. Kinda disappointed. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Logsdon Farmhouse Ales Kili Wit Witbier at 5.5% ABV (C$7.10 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 500 ml, best before 1-Oct-2015)

Appearance: slightly hazy extremely pale straw with one finger of white head diminishing rapidly to a thick cap, moderate spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dry yeasty funk, green apple, citrus, coriander. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light funky tart. (8/10) Palate: light body, moderate carbonation, crisp finish. (4/5)

What the heck is that? Nothing like other wits I’ve had – not creamy, not white (at least not with a careful pour, trying to avoid the characteristic Logsdon gusher – but the last inch turned it white), lots of tart. Rather more like a wild or lambic than anything else, to be honest. Bright, crisp, and tart. Really nice and only slightly less interesting than the Logsdon Seizoen. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com