RyansBooze

Victory Brewing Co. HopDevil American IPA at 6.7% ABV (US$1.99 at Total Wines & More Henderson NV, 355 ml, best before 6-Aug-2015)

Pours clear pale to medium amber with a short light tan head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, patchy lacing. (3/5) Nose is caramel, mango, pine, herbal, slightly dank. (7/10) Taste is moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium body, moderate to low carbonation, lingering slightly sticky and bitter finish. (3/5)

A malt-forward A/IPA that is heavier on the mango/tropical notes than the piney. Sort of west coast-ish, but not overly so. Not bad, but nothing stellar. (14/20)

My 177th from the 2010 Edition (167th from the 2013 edition), and 187th combining both editions.

7/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Victory Brewing Co. Golden Monkey Abbey Tripel at 6.7% ABV (US$2.99 at Total Wines & More Henderson NV, 355 ml, best before 17-Feb-2018)

Pours clear pale gold with a short white head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, no lacing. (3/5) Nose is wheat, yeast, banana, honey, cloves. (7/10) Taste is moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium body, moderate to low carbonation, spicy and mildly warming finish. (3/5)

Fairly standard abbey-style tripel, pleasantly crisp and dry. Excellent integration of the ABV, which is apparent only as a mild warming. Good, not great. (14/20)

My 178th from the 2010 Edition (168th from the 2013 edition), and 188th combining both editions.

7/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Victory Brewing Co. Prima Pils Pilsener at 5.3% ABV (US$1.99 at Total Wines & More Henderson NV, 355 ml, best before 23-Jun-2016)

Pours clear straw with one finger of fluffy white head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, no lacing. (3/5) Nose is grassy hops, grainy malt. (6/10) Taste is mild sweet, mild to moderate bitter. (7/10) Light body, moderate carbonation, crisp lightly bitter finish. (4/5)

As pilsners go, a decent example of the style, albeit somewhat more highly hopped than is typical. Which is of course the reason I consider it a decent example. Crisp, refreshing, and quite drinkable. (14/20)

My 175th from the 2010 Edition (165th from the 2013 edition), and 185th combining both editions.

7/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Stone Brewing Company Ruination 2.0 American Double / Imperial IPA  at 8.5% ABV (C$$11.49 at South Trail Co-Op, 650 ml, best before 28-Jul-2015am)

Pours clear pale amber with two fingers of rocky white head, good retention and spotty moderate lacing. (4/5) Nose is strongly hoppy pine resin, citrus, tropical fruit, caramel malt, slight dankness. (10/10) Taste is moderate sweet, intensely strong bitter. (10/10) Medium slightly oily body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering and building intensely bitter, slightly sticky finish. (5/5)

The king is dead – long live the king! This is a worthy successor to the behemoth that was Ruination. Although it’s a shade heavier in ABV (8.5% from 8.2%) it feels a little cleaner, with a little more bright citrus hoppiness, and a little less generalized tropical fruitiness. I note that in addition to the usual starts-with-C suspects, nugget, and magnum, there’s Simcoe, and I think it’s coming through as support of the tropical fruit and pine, but I’m not getting any cattiness. The Azacca also helps with the tropical fruit, and though it’s no Nelson Sauvin, it’s an interesting hop all on its own. Taste is similar to the original, with just enough clean malt sweetness to support the massive bitterness, without being intrusive. This is DIPA the way DIPA should be done – just give me some nice lacing to look at while I drink it, and it’d be perfect. (19/20)

9.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Lagunitas Brewing Company Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale American Pale Wheat Ale at 7.5% ABV (C$3.50 at South Trail Co-Op, 355 ml, bottle date 16-Dec-2014)

Pours clear pale gold with one finger of rocky white head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, moderate lacing. (4/5) Nose is floral, pine resin, wheat, citrus and stone fruit, pale malt. (9/10) Taste is moderate sweet, moderately strong bitter. (8/10) Light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

That’s a seriously drinkable – and seriously dangerous – beer. A lovely decently crisp finish encourages the next sip, and the complete lack of any hint of the 7.5% ABV provides no warning whatsoever. Nicely complex aromas and smooth wheat ale flavour. However, the smoothness of the flavour can tend to come across as a slight dulling of what used to be a bright IPA, instead of an intentional hefeweizen/kristallweizen character. I also find the body a bit too light given the complex flavour, and I’d like to see better retention and lacing. Those are, however, minor quibbles about what is in fact a damn fine beer. (18/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Lagunitas Brewing Company Olde Gnarlywine (2015) Barleywine at 10.6% ABV (C$5.78 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Pours clear medium amber with a short light beige head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, spotty lacing. (3/5) Nose is pine resin, dark boozy fruit, caramel and toffee. (8/10) Taste is moderately strong sweet, moderately strong bitter. (8/10) Medium body, moderate to low carbonation, warming and lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

An interesting barleywine. At this age, it’s still pretty strongly hoppy, but surprisingly not excessively hot, especially for a double digit plus ABV. Right now, the bitterness of the hops is just as pronounced as the toffee malt and the alcohol heat. I’m not sure if I’d call it “balanced”, as such – more like an armed détente, given the magnitude of each of these players. I’d be interested in seeing what this turns into as it ages – I might pick up one or two more to cellar. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Clown Shoes Beer Royal Standard Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy at 10% ABV (C$8.04 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, bottle date 8-Dec-2014)

Pours clear deep amber with one finger of light beige head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap, minimal lacing. (3/5) Nose is dark fruit, caramel malt, spices, tobacco, leather, earth. (7/10) Taste is moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium slightly creamy body, lively carbonation becoming soft, warming and mildly bitter finish. (3/5)

Nothing “wee” about this – is “big heavy bastard” a style (as opposed to a description of myself)? Starts off feeling a bit hot. OK, fine, a lot hot. But as the bottle progresses, things smooth out a little. The carbonation is not unpleasant, even if it’s a touch prickly on the outset, and it settles down giving a slightly creamy body. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Samuel Smith Old Brewery  Organic Chocolate Stout Sweet Stout at 5% ABV (C$5.55 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 550 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Pours clear deep brown with a fat finger of beige head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, spotty lacing. (4/5) Nose is sweet milky chocolate, strawberry, mildly nutty. (7/10) Taste is moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium body, low carbonation, creamy and bitter. (3/5)

Fairly intensely chocolate, but without being excessively sweet. Though it is sweet. And there’s a berry note – kinda strawberry – that comes across as a bit artificial. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Arrowhead Brewing Farmer’s Daughter Saison at 6.8% ABV (Gift – thanks, Doug! – 650 ml, bottle date 8-May-15)

Pours hazy pale gold with one finger of rocky white head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Nose is wheat, coriander, orange zest, mild herbal. (6/10) Taste is moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry and lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

Bit more like a wit than a saison. Sweet for a saison, and not as dry or spicy as I’d like. Pleasant enough as a thirst quencher, though. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Stone Brewing Company Spotlight Series: Drew & Steve’s Imperial Mutt Brown Ale American Brown Ale at 9% ABV (C$9.39 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Pours clear brown with a fat finger of rocky beige head diminishing gradually to a thick cap, spotty lacing. (4/5) Nose is roasty dark malt, chocolate and coffee, brown sugar and molasses. (8/10) Taste is moderate sweet, moderately strong bitter. (8/10) Medium to full body, moderate to low carbonation, building bitter and slightly boozy finish. (4/5)

Nice: a Stone interpretation of a nut brown. Much more interesting than the usual, certainly making for a much hoppier finish than is normal for the style. The extra weight and heat of an “imperial” malt bill don’t go astray, either. All things considered, this is one mutt that will hunt. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com