Beerfection

Tag: Wood Brothers Brewing Co

  • Evolution D.T.C | Wood Brothers Brewing Co.

    Evolution D.T.C | Wood Brothers Brewing Co.

    Score: 71/100 – Average

    From a 473ml can served cool at 7 degrees Celsius into a TeKu glass. Canned on 2022-06-09 – making this over 4 weeks old. I got the can from a friend who sourced it directly from the brewery.

    Another Wood Brothers review – fingers crossed this one stands out as their Double Dream Vol.02 was surprisingly average.

    Appearance 4/6

    The beer pours an opaque gold with 2.5cm of puffy, thin-ish, off-white head which dissipates into a partial film within 1+ minutes. Poor lacing with fair head retention. Good but not great.

    Aroma 18/24

    Medium-strong intensity with good balance. The aroma is pungent, dank, and citrus-forward.

    Pronounced dankness with vegetal tones and moderate cannabis character along with prominent sweet oranges. Notable pine and a mild anise spiciness. Ample tropical fruit mostly reminiscent of ripe mango as well as mild grassiness.

    The dry nose is a bit yeasty with nuanced fruit and a hint of water crackers. Quite complex yet not complete.

    Flavour 26/40

    Strong intensity with good balance and pronounced perceived bitterness.

    The intense palate opens up with salted citrus and big tropical fruit (mango) sweetness along with mild woodiness and spice (anise) making way for a sharp center with notes of anise, pine, lime juice, mango, grass, minerals, and low cereal grain.

    The medium-length finish is strong and bitter with notes of citrus rind, salt, pine, grass, and a spicy edge. This is rough.

    Mouthfeel 8/10

    Full body with moderate carbonation. The mouthfeel is quite thick with good creaminess and a slight crispness. Restrained alcohol warming and an off-dry finish. Medium-low hop-derived astringency with mild harshness on the palate. Good but not great.

    Overall 15/20

    Wood Brothers Brewing’s Evolution D.T.C is an average hazy DIPA.

    The appearance is lacking in the foam characteristics with thin-ish structure and so so retention. Any clarity would improve the looks but unfortunately it’s not really part of the style. Aroma-wise the beer has some intriguing layers and moderate off-kilter vibes but it doesn’t captivate my senses. I wish there was just a bit more oomph for the nose. On the palate, the flavour amps up but without restraint; flirting with harshness. Finally, the mouthfeel has pleasant creamy weight to it, but noticeable hop burn chimes in and hinders the drinkability while leaving the palate saturated and unprepared for another sip.

    I really want to like this, but at this price point I want an exceptional beer and unfortunately Evolution D.T.C doesn’t fit that bill. Maybe this is all due to a month in can… maybe not.

    I suppose this a reminder for myself that I’m just not onboard with the trendy IPAs as I often find them harsh, overdone, and lacking in value. I need to check myself before stocking up on them. Having said that, I know there are some truly exceptional brews to be had within the style. And truthfully, they’re incredibly difficult to find.

    OMG, read another breview!
  • Double Dream Vol.2 | Wood Brothers Brewing Co.

    Double Dream Vol.2 | Wood Brothers Brewing Co.

    Score: 62/100 – Not Recommended

    From a 473ml can served cool at 7 degrees Celsius into a TeKu glass. Canned on 2022-06-02 – making this just over 4 weeks old. I received the can from a friend who got it directly from the brewery.

    This might be my first official Wood Brothers review even though I’ve enjoyed their beers before. I’m excited to add these guys to the ongoing breview list.

    Appearance 2/6

    The beer pours a murky, opaque, greenish-orange with 1cm of frothy, light tan head which dissipates into a partial film within 1+ minutes. Great lacing with fair head retention. At least there are no chunks!

    Aroma 12/24

    Medium intensity with good balance. The aroma is fruit-forward and rather muted.

    Notes of pungent tropical fruit and citrus (lime + grapefruit) with a hint of grass and noticeable alcohol. A touch of melon and mild cereal grain at the back. I guess there’s some woodsy (pine) tones as well.

    The dry nose is light and citrusy with mild graininess at the back. I’m surprised how little character leaps out of the glass.

    Flavour 28/40

    Strong intensity with decent balance and pronounced perceived bitterness.

    The intense palate opens up with loads of citrus, a dash of salt, and noticeable alcohol. The center remains citrusy (lime + grapefruit + tangerines), somewhat woody (pine), and boozy while adding low tones of tropical fruit and mild supportive grain.

    The long finish is strong and bitter-ish with notes of grapefruit zest, pine, low lime, alcohol, and mild cereal grain.

    Mouthfeel 8/10

    Full body with moderate carbonation. The mouthfeel is thick and creamy with restrained alcohol warming and a medium-dry finish. Low hop-derived astringency with no actual harshness on the palate.

    Overall 12/20

    Wood Brothers Brewing Co’s Double Dream Vol.02 is an average hazy DIPA.

    First of all, the appearance is unappealing; the beer is murky, lacking in foam, and has an ugly green shade to it. The aroma fails to live up to expectations with surprisingly restrained character. Every now and then I come by a brew that forces me to stop trusting my senses. I have to go and smell a whole bunch of other things just to make sure something didn’t happen to my sense of smell. After pillows, candles, hands, lipbalm, lime water, and armpits, I decided that my smell is fine, it’s the beer that’s lacking. Unfortunately, the palate is not a whole lot better… it’s kind of rustic, limited in depth, and showing the alcohol too much. At least the mouthfeel is good – even if it doesn’t get full marks due to finishing slightly sweet and having a bit of edgy astringency to it.

    Honestly, I’m very surprised how flat this beer falls. Just the other day I had an outstanding IPA from Wood Brothers with a May date on it. It’s hard to say what happened here, but it seems like the beer simply didn’t stand up against age. It’s worth noting that typically I wouldn’t write about a hoppy beer after a month from canning but I thought this time could be different.

    Nevertheless, this doesn’t change much about the way I feel for these talented brewers. Wood Brothers remains a relevant voice in the Canadian craft beer scene and I’m looking forward to my next pint by them.

    OMG, read another breview!