RyansBooze

Born Brewing Co. (Born Colorado Brewing) Next Chapter – American IPA at 7.5% ABV | 24 IBU (C$4.81 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 15-Nov-2021, acquired 23-Dec-2021, reviewed 26-Dec-2021)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fat fingers of rocky white head, excellent retention and heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, cereal grains, citrus, light pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-low carbonation, slightly sticky mildly warming finish. (4/5)

Brewer notes say this is “made with Galaxy, Mosaic, and Spectrum hops” – but “Spectrum” isn’t actually a hop varietal. (It’s a liquid hop product designed for “dry”hopping in the whirlpool, and as far as I can see it’s currently available only in Citra and Mosaic. I assume they used the latter here.) The aroma starts off OK, but is never particularly bright and juicy, and seems to get a little grassy upon warming. The bigger ABV is well-integrated and shows up only as a mild warming, but ultimately it’s a bit too sweet for my preference. I’ll stick with the rating I’ve got here, but could easily have gone a point lower in aroma, taste, and palate, maybe half a point or so lower overall. (16/20)

This will be my 5,167th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Eighty-Eight Brewing Power Wheels – American IPA at 6.3% ABV | 30 IBU (C$4.50 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 23-Dec-2021, reviewed 25-Dec-2021)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fat fingers of rocky white head, excellent retention and heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: juicy tropical fruit & citrus, dank resiny pine, light cereal grains. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-low carbonation, medium duration finish. (4/5)

The label calls this a hazy IPA with Mosaic, brewer notes specify that it’s got Mosaic Incognito and Cyro Mosaic – so, sort of SMaSH-ish? In my humble opinion, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better single hop, and this is an excellent example of that: lots of bright fruit backed up with dank pine make this very enjoyable indeed. I really like this one: this brewery is generally pretty solid (in my experience, for n=18, μ=7.6 & σ=0.7) but this is definitely right up there with their best. (17/20)

This will be my 5,166th unique Untappd check-in.

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Medicine Hat Brewing Co. Year 5 Imperial West Coast IPA – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.9% ABV | 116 IBU (C$4.50 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 23-Dec-2021, reviewed 24-Dec-2021)

Appearance: clear pale amber with two fat fingers of fine pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: resiny pine, oily grapefruit, caramel, earth. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium slightly slick body, moderate carbonation, lingering building bitter boozy finish. (4/5)

A solid effort and clearly above average for my experience with this brewer (for n=11, μ=7.2 & σ=0.78). I find it seems like they do best with big, bombastic beers, and this one definitely conforms to that rule. I waffled a little on scoring aroma and taste, and could maybe have gone a point higher on either (or both), but ultimately I don’t think it’s better than the overall score I settled on. In particular, given the big bitter hops, I was hoping for a bit more dank, and the aroma turns a little earthy upon warming. Given the weight (both ABV and IBU) of this one, it’s not like you can (well, let’s say should – of course you can) drink it fast, so that’s a definite consideration. On the other hand, it’s a straight-up, old-skool WCIPA that just pretends the haze craze never happened, so mad props for that. (16/20)

This will be my 5,165th unique Untappd check-in.

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Belly Hop Brewing Catamaran Dry-Hopped Saison 4 – Saison at 5.1% ABV (C$3.91 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 2-Dec-2021, reviewed 21-Dec-2021)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale straw with one fat finger of loose white head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, minimal spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: citrus, herbal, earthy funk, tropical fruit, grass. (8/10) Taste: moderate-low sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, off-dry lightly funky spicy finish. (4/5)

Dry-hopped with Mosaic and Ekuanot. I quite like this one: the dry-hopping introduces an interesting counterpoint to the earthy, funky farmhouse notes. My only real complaint there is that the hopping seems to fade rapidly, although to be fair it does leave behind a pleasantly spicy base Saison character. I was pretty unimpressed by my previous experience with this brewery (for n=4, μ=6 & σ=1.08) but this one is actually fairly solid. (15/20)

This will be my 5,164th unique Untappd check-in.

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

AleSmith Brewing Company / Beachwood Brewing Tower of Flower – American IPA at 6.8% ABV | 40 IBU (C$5.17 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 2-Dec-2021, reviewed 19-Dec-2021)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with two fingers of rocky white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, pine, caramel, grass. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, slightly sticky medium duration lightly warming finish. (3/5)

Double dry-hopped with Galaxy, Cashmere, and Nelson. I guess this qualifies as the West Coast style that the label claims, but it tends a bit too sweet and not as dankly resinous as I like to see for that style. It also tends a little sweet for my preference, with a maltiness that might be acceptable in a DIPA, but isn’t really necessary for the relatively restrained ABV here. Calling it mediocre might be a little unfair, but only a little. (14/20)

This will be my 5,163rd unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Container Brewing Forty Footer – American IPA at 6.2% ABV (C$3.82 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 2-Dec-2021, reviewed 18-Dec-2021)

Appearance: slightly hazy medium gold with some particulate, two fat fingers of loose white head, good retention, minimal soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: pine, caramel, citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

The label says batch information on the bottom of the can, but no such luck, so no idea as to age (but the particulate is suggestive). It calls itself a West Coast IPA, and I guess I can live with that categorization. It could stand to be danker, though. Or brighter. Or, really, just about anything more, except for the bitterness, which is adequate. A bit forgettable. (14/20)

This will be my 5,162nd unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Born Colorado Brewing Cheeky Pale Ale – American Pale Ale at 6.5% ABV | 30 IBU (C$3.85 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 19-Nov-2021, acquired 2-Dec-2021, reviewed 17-Dec-2021)

Appearance: clear pink-tinged pale amber with two fingers of rocky pale pink head, excellent retention, moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: cranberry, caramel, orange peel, cereal grains, light metallic. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light metallic. (7/10) Palate: medium body, soft carbonation, sweetish mild bitter finish. (3/5)

Not bad, and at least somewhat seasonally appropriate. Marred slightly by a metallic note in the aroma and taste, and it’s a bit sweet for my preference. I don’t think I’d want more than one, but it’s not terrible. (14/20)

This will be my 5,161st unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Cabin Brewing Company Chasing Clouds – American IPA at 7% ABV (C$5.08 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 18-Nov-2021, acquired 2-Dec-2021, reviewed 16-Dec-2021)

Appearance: hazy straw with two fingers of rocky white head, excellent retention, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, resiny pine, oats, citrus, light earthy funk. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly creamy body, soft carbonation, off-dry mild bitter finish. (3/5)

Hopped with Enigma, Eclipse, El Dorado, and Idaho 7, but it’s not as juicy, fruity, or citrusy as I hoped it would be. There’s also a slight hint of something not entirely welcome in the back end, that I’m calling earthy funk. I’m also going to complain just a little about the body, which initially comes across as slightly creamy, but there’s a bit too little carbonation, so it ends up slightly flat. It’s not a miss, exactly, but it’s definitely at the lower end of my experience with this brewer (for n=21, μ=7.7 & σ=0.58). I’ve pretty much come to expect these guys to crush it, and, well, this doesn’t. (14/20)

This will be my 5,160th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Growlery Beer Company Great Whyte – Belgian IPA at 6.4% ABV (C$4.41 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 2-Dec-2021, reviewed 15-Dec-2021)

Appearance: lightly hazy pale straw with two fingers of fine white head, good retention, moderate tenacious lacing. (3/5) Aroma: coriander / clove, citrus, white pepper, spicy wheat. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, dry mild bitter lightly peppery finish. (3/5)

Fairly obvious coriander/clove on the front end, but it actually doesn’t end up dominating, so that’s good. I would have liked a bit more citrus, personally, but not bad overall. (14/20)

This will be my 5,159th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Andina Brewing Company Añoro – American IPA at 7% ABV | 40 IBU (C$4.27 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 2-Dec-2021, reviewed 14-Dec-2021)

Appearance: hazy straw with crazy blown out white head, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: melon, citrus, vinous grape, light pine, hint of white pepper. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, off-dry mild bitter finish. (3/5)

I knew it was going to be bad news when the can seal broke explosively, and sure enough, the ridiculous head rendered this thing essentially unpourable. I assumed it was infected, but in fact it smells and tastes pretty good: it’s double dry-hopped with Nelson Sauvin and Citra, and that comes through loud and clear, with no real negatives. Maybe the brew didn’t go to completion and there were still viable yeast and digestible sugars when it was canned? One I’d like to try again some time. (14/20)

This will be my 5,158th unique Untappd check-in.

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com