RyansBooze

Bellwoods Brewery Pig – American IPA at 7% ABV (C$7.95 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 16-Sep-2022, acquired 6-Oct-2022, reviewed 19-Oct-2022)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with one fat finger of rocky white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, pine, crackery malt, tropical fruit, floral, earth. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering building bitter finish. (4/5)

Brewer notes indicate Simcoe, Centennial, and Cascade. An old school WCIPA. As usual, I’m just tickled pink (!) that I can get fresh Bellwoods here in AB. That’ll do, pig. (16/20)

This will be my 5,401st unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Field House Brewing Co. Field House IPA – American IPA at 6.7% ABV | 30 IBU (C$3.85 at Collective, 355 ml, packaged on 15-Jun-2022, acquired 6-Oct-2022, reviewed 17-Oct-2022)

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

The label says this is double dry-hopped with Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe, very much explaining the bright juicy aromas upon opening the can. The label also says this is “intentionally unbalanced”, but there I beg to differ: the flavour follows the aroma, hoppy without being aggressive, fruity but not too sweet. Nice one. (16/20)

This will be my 5,400th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Origin Brewing / S.Y.C. Brewing Co. The Little Things – India Red Ale at 6.5% ABV (C$4.63 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 31-Aug-2022, acquired 6-Oct-2022, reviewed 14-Oct-2022)

Appearance: clear slightly reddish-tinged deep gold with two fingers of rocky off-white head, good retention and spotty soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: rye, biscuity malt, pine, earth. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light spice. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, off-dry medium duration slightly spicy finish. (4/5)

Not bad. I was initially a little worried, because it’s really not “red” at all – more of a slight brown tinge on the deep gold base – but the aroma is dominated by rye. Ultimately it’s got much the same flavour profile as a Red IPA, so I’m not entirely sure what “Cold” brings to the table. (15/20)

This will be my 5,399th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Black Bridge Brewery Hop Creep – American Pale Ale at 5.3% ABV (C$5.22 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 20-May-2022, acquired 6-Oct-2022, reviewed 13-Oct-2022)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fat fingers of loose fluffy pale ivory head, good retention and spotty soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, resiny pine, phenols, citrus, herbal. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, slight astringent. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration astringent finish. (3/5)

Weird one. It started off much like any number of Pales, albeit with a little astringency in the flavour and finish. But, as it warms there’s an herbal note that grows in intensity, becoming an increasingly strong Witbier-like phenolic note. It wouldn’t be out of place in e.g. a Belgian IPA, but it doesn’t feel deliberate or appropriate here. Not really working for me. (12/20)

This will be my 5,398th unique Untappd check-in.

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Russell Brewing Company Juicy Dry Hopped Pale – American Pale Ale at 5.3% ABV | 20 IBU (C$4.00 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 23-Mar-2022, acquired 6-Oct-2022, reviewed 11-Oct-2022)

Appearance: hazy particulate-laden medium gold with one finger of fluffy pale ivory head, good retention and spotty soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, cereal grains, stone fruit, hint of coconut. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet tending slightly high, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (3/5)

Brewer notes say this is hopped with Citra, Sabro, and Galaxy. I’m more or less getting the expected characteristics, but more faded and bruised than bright and juicy. Obviously far too old, might be better fresh. (13/20)

This will be my 5,397th unique Untappd check-in.

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Field House Brewing Co. Cryo Pop Mosaic DIPA – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.2% ABV (C$5.53 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 30-Aug-2022, acquired 6-Oct-2022, reviewed 9-Oct-2022)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fat fingers of rocky white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, cereal grains, citrus, hint of coconut. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet tending slightly high, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium smooth body, slightly sticky medium bitter warming finish. (3/5)

I know, I sound like a broken record, but: it’s a bit too sweet for my preference. The aroma is excellent, albeit with a bit more overripeness in the tropical fruit aroma than I prefer, but the flavour is a touch sweet. This carries through into the slightly sticky finish, which otherwise betrays the high ABV only by a mild warming. It’s decent, but just doesn’t get me excited. (15/20)

This will be my 5,396th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Cabin Brewing Company Chroma – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8% ABV (C$5.53 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 14-Sep-2022, acquired 6-Oct-2022, reviewed 8-Oct-2022)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with two fat fingers of pillow white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: grape, citrus, tropical fruit, pine, cereal grains. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly soft body, sweetish medium bitter finish. (4/5)

The label says “Hazy Citra IPA w/ Phantasm”, and three versions of Citra (regular, cryo, and extract) in addition to Phantasm powder provide pretty much exactly the brightly juicy aroma and flavour I look for in the style. It’s just a touch too sweet for my preference, which isn’t unexpected given the big ABV, but I suspect that could be balanced out by a bit more bittering in the boil. Still and all, very very good. (17/20)

This will be my 5,395th unique Untappd check-in.

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Collective Arts Brewing / Burial Beer Co. Origin of Darkness Madeira Whiskey Barrel Age Imperial Stout with Pecans & Coffee – American Double / Imperial Stout at 10.7% ABV (C$7.00 at Collective, 355 ml, packaged on 12-Sep-2022, acquired 6-Oct-2022, reviewed 7-Oct-2022)

Appearance: nearly solid black with one finger of fine brown head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: dark roast coffee, pecans, whiskey, oak. (8/10) Taste: high sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: full slightly slick body, soft carbonation, sticky warming lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

It’s hard to go wrong with a big BA stout, and this doesn’t. That said, it’s pretty much exactly what you’d expect: big and boozy (though not harsh) with the typical dark roasted and barrel notes. The pecans are a nice touch here, and work well with the basic idea. All in all, it’s good, but not great. (15/20)

This will be my 5,394th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Night Shift Brewing Fluffy – American IPA at 7% ABV (C$8.75 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 23-May-2022, acquired 6-Oct-2022, reviewed 7-Oct-2022)

Appearance: hazy pale amber with one fat finger of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dank pine, tropical fruits, citrus, bready caramel. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, mild finish. (4/5)

The label says this is hopped with Citra Cryo, Simcoe Cryo, and Idaho 7 Cryo. And yeah, it’s pretty much fluffy, with the soft body, flavour, and aroma that I like to see in the style. That said, it’s a bit light in both aroma and flavour, so I waffled a little on the scoring. Ultimately, though, I figured it was close enough to call it a solid 8/10. (16/20)

This will be my 5,393rd unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Anchorage Brewing Company Unwanted Dead – Triple IPA at 10% ABV (C$8.90 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 7-Apr-2022, reviewed 11-Apr-2022)

Appearance: opaque medium gold with one finger of fine white head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: zesty lemon, stone fruit, cereal grains. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-full body, moderate-soft carbonation, sweetish warming finish. (4/5)

That is some seriously creepy-ass, Garth Ennis Crossed level artwork – and I respect that. Brewed with Citra Incognito, DDH with Galaxy, Sabro, and Motueka. Ignoring for the moment Belgian IPAs (which aren’t really “IPAs”, right?) this is maybe the second IPA(-ish) offering I’ve ever had by this brewer (and the previous was a DIPA). In fact, that one was pretty similar, because the best comparison I can come up with here is a boozy lemon meringue pie – and the other I had was Double Pie Assassin. In my experience (for n=17, μ=7.7 & σ=0.77) Anchorage really shines with Saisons, and when they step outside their wheelhouse, you get something that might well be interesting – but probably isn’t masterful. (16/20)

This will be my 5,278th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com