As the heat grows, some people gravitate away from dark beers, preferring to match sunlight and beer shade. There’s something to be said for a sharp or bitter beer, or even a light and sweet one, but I cannot be swayed from my path of darkness. I picked up a special one too, an anniversary beer from Polish brewery NEPO. 11 years, it says. They also hint at going for a full century, and why not? The beer industry may be floundering a little these days, but it’s hardly the first time. Small breweries with good product and loyal following have survived to another boom before.
In a shadow it’s a rich black beer with an off-white head, but once in a brighter spot it takes on a warmer brown shade. The aroma hints at syrup and smoke and the flavor does not diverge from that. It’s lighter than I expected, almost effervescent. There’s an undercurrent of pastry and chocolate. It builds in body and strength, expected really, since it is something that happens with a strong beer. It still goes down easily, without leaving a slick behind or tumbling its way down the throat like a slinky. It takes quite a long time for the coconut to start coming through, I guess because it’s natural “aroma” and not a flavoring. It’s very tasty and a good cozy evening beer. I might be worried about the apparent thinness at the beginning of the can, but as it expands itself over time and warmth it starts to grow in robustness too, making it more of a formidable beverage. Here’s to 11 years, NEPO, if you make it to 100 you’ll deserve it.
Supplier: Lambeer
Price: €7.30
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