The Hobby Drinker Blog
Sticky* This blog is a mirror of new posts from https://theuniverseami.blogspot.com, Ceit’s original blog.
choose the bear
It’s been threatening to be summer for the past couple of days, so a NEIPA is more attractive than usual. Not that they aren’t attractive normally, but the A/C isn’t on yet. What’s this? The refrigerator is actually cold! It’s an Easter miracle! Or something. Well, from my reborn appliance comes Knuckleball, a collab from Oso and Attik, with a very summery label. They promise a surprising beer, well-populated with echoes of fruit, and coming from Oso, I am convinced.
A creamy straw color with a thick cloud of white head, and a light but tantalizing aroma. It has notes of citrus and musk, but very light ones. It’s one of those nice, juicy looking NEIPAs, an old school one, the way they should be! The flavor starts out like an Orange Julius mixed with cantaloupe, a delicate taste, almost like a reflection. A more herbal flavor starts to develop in the aftertaste, and the texture is quite thick and heavy. It’s not a smooth and silky beer, but also not overwhelming. It feels bubblier than it looks, although there was a thin ring of bubbles near the bottom of the glass when it was poured. I think it probably was colder than ideal at first, as a deeper and more rounded fruit cocktail flavor starts to develop as the beer sits. The citrus pith remains but there are now hints of pear and honey coming through. It’s less blaring orange than many NEIPAs, which might surprise and even disappoint some, but it’s a nice option, one that has some weight and complexity. Not so much a beer to pour down your throat, but one to savor and probably have a chat with a friend with.
Supplier: Lambeer
Price: €6.50
off the beach
My beer-giving friend has another gift for me: Desperados! I think I’ve had another of their products some years ago, a mix of beer and tequila. It was … fine. I’m not a big fan of tequila, or light lagers, but as something different, it is something different. This is not a tequila beer, however, this is a mojito beer! It announces rum as one of its flavorings, although at less than 6% it might not have any contact with actual rum. It also promises mint and lime aromas, if not flavors, which sounds right for the recipe.
Oh dear, so skunky! That’s what you get with a clear bottle if you let it sit around, even in a fridge I guess. It stimulates some nostalgia with its catnippy quality, memories of personable pets and warm summers. It does produce a creamy and resistant head. It has a very spicy aroma, like a caraway cracker or roll, more than a typical beer or cocktail. The taste is surprisingly sweet in the first second, but then is overwhelmed by herbal mint. I can almost feel the fuzziness of the leaves. It softens with a little time and warmth, oddly, and ends up much like a radler. If you can get over the, uh, natural aroma at the start, it’s a nice, sharp summery drink, probably a little lighter than the mojito itself, and more of a party than a simple light lager or pilsner. Oh wait, distributed by Heineken? I shouldn’t have expected anything else from the smell.
what we could wish for history
At some point I’ll have to be more careful with my receipts. For the moment it’s just a minor annoyance that I don’t have the exact price of this fruit sour from my dear good beer place, but I can be pretty sure it’s close to the other two. I’m straying from my path of darkness, but once in a while we need a little contrast to know where we like to be. It’s a good northern beer, from the Swedish Fermenterarna brewery. They know how to make some wild and tasty stuff, so I’m not too concerned about trying a sour. Also, raspberries are awesome, even in beer. There’s No Better Rhyme. Raspberry, Ginger & Lime, down the hatch.
There’s that gassy sour beer aroma! It’s also tinged with raspberry and lime, as advertised. I don’t think I get any ginger in there, although there is sort of a crackery scent hiding in the background. There was an exuberant head at first, but it vanishes within seconds, not like last week, although that head did collapse eventually too. Tangy raspberry sails in first, and the others might scurry behind it in its shadow. I manage to catch some lime trying to sneak by, but the ginger is well hidden. After I while I think it must be in the richness of the beer with a depth of flavors that fruit alone wouldn’t give you. It isn’t exactly an earthiness, but there’s a definite flooring to the taste. it also turns a little dusty after a while, lending more texture and making you take more notice. It’s one of those beers that doesn’t quite quench your thirst as you’re drinking it, one along the lines of wine and champagne. I could blame the fruit, I guess. Still, a fresh flavor and a pleasing color with a spectrum of sensations to please the whole year through.
I forgot to take the picture! Believe me, it was a raspberry sorbet
Supplier: La Buena Cerveza
Price: ~€6.50
not far from the tree
Well, following on from the recent holiday, why not sample some national cider too? Cider was a much more popular drink than beer until the 19th century, especially in the north of the country, where this can comes from. It isn’t hard to find Spanish cider, but this one has a very crafty look to it, and their stated ethos goes along with that. The cidery is named after a 6th century Breton bishop (tradition) and they limit their ingredients to Galician apples (local focus), but they also participate in scientific study to improve apple cultivation and use in an effort to be more sustainable (new ideas). There are several varieties, but I picked up the most standard as a start. Dry Cider might be the most identifiable one as a Spanish cider, but I guess I’ll have to try the others at some point to compare.
It comes out a goldish pink, which looks a lot like some apple skins you see in the store. It’s wildly bubbly, and unlike Magnars a little cap of foam stubbornly sits on top for a couple of minutes. There’s a touch of apple aroma and also a whiff of sulphur, reminding me of not a few fruit beers and seltzers. It definitely has an apple flavor, but it’s also raw and rooty, with a very natural touch, not overly sweet at all. It has a very champagne touch, living up to its promise of dryness. It isn’t as sharp or throat-grabbing as some other, more “traditional” Spanish ciders, but it isn’t syrupy British style either. It’s a very nice balance of fruit flavor with sweet and bitter notes. If the Dry Cider is as smooth as this, I wonder what the others will be like?
plan c(ider)
Irish craft beers have been around but never especially plentiful in this town. Lots of Irish styles, to be sure, but brought over from the isle itself? A little harder to find. With time pressures of late, I thought I could grab something simple from the supermarket, but it turns out lots of people had that idea. Plan B it is, cider. Also not a lot of choice, to be honest, just one Irish cider on the shelf, Magners. I’m sure I’ve had it at some point in the past, maybe when one of the old import stores was still open, but not for some time. Let’s see if there’s a subconscious reason, or just my overwhelming preference for darkness.
Interesting rosy, rusy gold color. A little champagney maybe. Bubbly, not no lasting head. It has that tangy sour smell that you can expect from a cider, with a touch of sweetness to it. It is very sweet and appley compared to other, more crafty, ciders, and more like apple juice than even American cider. Despite the initial bubbles I find it very smooth and easy to drink, hence the juice comparison. It has a good level of flavor, not overbearing and with a clean finish, no weird aftertaste at all. It also has a smooth texture that doesn’t quite jive with the bubbliness in the beginning, but it’s very pleasant and an encouraging drink. These characteristics could very well make Magners a danger, since you could take down pint after pint in an evening without even thinking. It isn’t a sneaky pastry stout or NEIPA, but it is at the same level of alcohol as a normal everyday beer, so that will catch up to you eventually. I think I will be satisfied with the one, just for the occasion.
posted
Well, not exactly a stout, but porters are right up there, and we know that historically they were forms of the same style. It’s a nice peaceful looking can, with a calming night scene, perhaps an Arctic landscape. Love Letter, it says, a Baltic Porter from Dos Kiwis. That scene could be somewhere on a Baltic coast, but the mountians look a little low to be New Zealand and it’s a little snowy to be Cataluña. Andorra maybe, but they only share a language, sort of. Is this beer coming a month too late? Let’s see if it is worthy of the professed live.
Super foamy, middling beige head, nice extra toasty brown brew. There’s also a breakfasty aroma, grains on the overdone but still palatable side. There’s a shot of coffee in it, but with a very natural feel. It’s not full of sweeteners and softeners that give a coffee candy aspect to a lot of stouts, and it doesn’t seem to be hiding any fruit in its depths, as I’ve come across with porters. Maybe it’s a hint of smoke from a steamship, one of those vessels bringing longed for black beers across the northern waters. It’s has a good mid-level weight, not thin or watery, but not overwhelming. It’s a relatively hefty 8%, but there isn’t an exceptionally loud note of alcohol. It’s a very drinkable beer, on its own or with some company. A good companion to a biopic about persecuted and reknowned artists, perhaps. Those are often some dark stories.
Supplier: La Buena Cerveza
Price: €5.60
ride to the rescue
No, I cannot resist that can, that fun, funny, whimsical can. Garage does have a tendency to use those kind of designs. Also, imperial stout? Fuck yeah, gimme that now! I think I have had this beer before, possibly at Bee Beer, and I have the vague memory that it was quite a treat. I seem to have lost the receipt, so I don’t know exactly how much it was, but I can make a good guess. It certainly isn’t at the level of the German Red, but real craft beers, even domestic ones, are not in that price range. It is my little luxury, and I find ways to indulge. I might cry Alfajor Tears if I couldn’t.
The liquid is just lurking right under the tab, ready to leap up and grab you by the palate. It doesn’t, but somehow you know that it could have. It looks heavy enough to pull you down into the can and produces an impressive, dark beige head. There’s a good amount of chocolate in the aroma, not overly sweet, but not a smokey or raw baking chocolate scent either. It also comes through in the taste; first there’s a slightly medicinal, almost cola flavor, but the chocolate bubbles up quickly after. It’s an interesting mix of sweet, bitter and that special cola, surprisingly light in feel given the look. There’s a slightly dusty feel in the aftertaste, which brings out more natural flavors, almost like an horchata weirdly enough. It gets stronger over time, developing some almost sour notes as an undercurrent, and gaining a certain amount of robustness. While not a pastry stout, it gives a nod to dessert, and still has a close to classic profile. The weight is probably enviable for a Guinness, although it is not as smooth and nothing to swallow, which might be a problem for fans of that particular brew. It’s just right for me, though, my baby bear’s beer. And I’m not Goldilocks, so I don’t even have to break into somebody else’s house to get it.
Supplier: La Buena Cerveza
Price: €7.95?
knife or star
Despite rising temperatures, I deliberately seek out a stout to relax with. We’re having a discussion on love tonight, so I think I might need something to chill out. I haven’t gone looking for more Steam beer yet, but I have revisited an old favorite, La Buena Cerveza. They don’t have an overwhelming variety on the shelves, being a bar/store now, but there are quite a few nice looking stouts. Almost immediately, my gaze is drawn to Bowie, an imperial stout from Drunken Bros. The blend of deep blue and red on the label is both enticing and calming somehow. I am promised cocoa and vanilla; we’ll see how desserty this stout ends up.
A liitle jumpy, but no explosion with careful opening. It’s a sticky looking dark brown, with almost milk chocolate head. Not much aroma, which is a little disappointing, just some ghostly toast and echoes of vanilla. It’s smooth and mouth-filling, a slippery devil. Not very sweet, so not drifting into the realm of pastry stout. There are notes of dark chocolate and licorice along with a hint of raisin. Smoke and earth also start to rise with a little bit of time. Dimensions of flavor start to unfold themselves, although the texture doesn’t change much from the start. A sort of dustiness starts to form over it, but the beer still elbows its way smoothly through the mouth and heads down the throat unimpeded.
Supplier: La Buena Cerveza
Price: €7.50
ruby in the rough
The number of beer stores in Madrid has been reduced by more than half since its height, maybe eight or nine years ago. They are still around, of course, but even smaller supermarkets have more of a variety than they used to. Part of that is the swing by big breweries to more creative beers, following the lead of the craft breweries, with the obvious intention of stamping out the competition. Lidl shows off a little bit of Germanicism on its shelves, despite being no Fass, and how was I supposed to resist a German Red? The can is eye-catching in its decoration too, if you’re into that style. Steam Brew’s website seems to identify the brewery as German, “German craft beer resistance” they say. I don’t feel like sharing my Youtube data with anybody, as if I really have a choice, so I’m not watching the intro video. Maybe there is some more information on the brewery itself and not just their mythos, or maybe it’s an animated version of their website story. You can look for yourself if you’re curious. I’m going to dig into that German Red.
Very bubbly, but firm and resistant head. It’s definitely a red beer, and gives off a malty, bready aroma, befitting a German style. The taste is slightly sweet and gently honeyed. I struggle to pin a fruit on it, wavering between apples, raspberries, and pears. It’s perhaps surprisingly well-bodied for a supermarket beer, although I shouldn’t forget that bigger breweries can make heavier beers when they feel like it. Searching the website, I see this is labeled a Bockbier, which makes the weight make sense. A bit of a sour-bitter aftertaste builds up after a while, but it isn’t very bothersome, and probably with some light snack it wouldn’t even be noticeable. I might have to seek out the rest of the collection, at least to ease up on the pocket a little.
not even a bite
Without a beer in the fridge! Woe is me! I planned to make a trip to the American store in search of worthwhile pickles, so maybe there will be a new beer for me too. They tend to have a couple in the fridge. Actually, this time they weren’t in the fridge, but there were a couple of choices on the shelf. Barking Squirrel seems familiar to me, but I can’t find any opinion of mine about it. Maybe I had a different brew at some point. The day is sunny, but now with a cold wind, so something intermediate might be acceptable. Oh, who am I kidding, there’s nothing like a stout, any time, any place! Next time, next time…
Explosion! Apparently the journey was so strenuous that a couple of days in the fridge did not calm the beer. Didn’t lose too much, but there was a puddle to clean. The beer is indeed amber, but extra bubbly and with an excited but short-lived head. Some appley aroma but not much else, and in taste it is more or less the same. No apple flavor, but a sweetness, malty, soft and yet weighty. It is on the sweet side of a toasty beer, almost like a Belgian triple, but lite. It’s pretty easy to drink, leaving little aftertaste, but with just a touch of spice, giving a feeling of warmth and coziness beyond the typical amber lager. It’s not a bad beer once you get it in the glass, maybe not as quenching as a regular IPA or as fantastic as a stout (I have my prefernces, sue me).
Supplier: Taste of America
Price: €4.10
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