The Hobby Drinker Blog
Sticky* This blog is a mirror of new posts from https://theuniverseami.blogspot.com, Ceit’s original blog.
softly
Could the eclipse have called in the rain finally? Nah, probably not. It isn’t really raining for one thing, even though the air smelled like it yesterday morning. It’s even a little cooler than a week ago, although hardly cool enough to be comfortable on the street, despite the cloud cover. I guess I can deal with a lighter beer, just for a change. It’s Basqueland, so quality, and a session IPA, so unburdensome. I have a couple of heavier choices waiting in line, so I’m not disappointed that this is the one that I grabbed from the fridge (the good one, so cold too). The black and white sketch kind of design on the label is very busy, giving you a kind of sense of being in nature, but in a previous time. Black and white photo, like. Also, it’s full of animals, which is not something you come across in great numbers in Madrid, at least if you don’t count pigeons. There is one animal that is a common sight though, peeking from behind a tuft of long grass: the older human male. I think it is supposed to be David Attenborough, since the name of the beer is The Attenbrew. According to Basqueland’s website description, it’s a tribute. As a session beer it probably wouldn’t interfere in nature observation, so a safe choice for most naturalists.
One of those quite eager beers, ready to come flying out of the can, but no explosions. It has a bright, clean IPA aroma, and kind of a dirty lemon color. Good looking head for a minute or so, unfortunately it collapses pretty quickly. This is one of those melony ales, with a smooth and summery taste that you can’t quite distinguish in the smell. You get a bigger body from it, a rounder feel and a more refreshing sensation. It’s extremely clean drinking, with practically no aftertaste at all. The garden presentation pulls back into a bit of forest as the beer sits, with something more savory and wild. I think of New Zealand hops, but it’s an American combo. The initial fruitiness should have been remembered, but we all have memory problems these days.
Supplier: La Mundial
Price: €6.90
shining dark
Still in the thoes of summer heat, but I feel the need for something dark. A reminder of shadows and cool and damp. It’s supposed to be slightly rainy today, according to my weather app, but it certainly isn’t in my neighborhood. If only there was a good summer storm to go with my nice pastry stout, my Sweet Tooth. Scanning the shelves, I saw that Lervig star and that was pretty much it. A nice pastry stout, black as an eclipse that might be seen not too far away from here. It’s also a good quiet celebration beer, to go with some recent news. But, I think will detail that another day.
A rich and sticky looking pour, with a warm dark brown color. Dark mocha head sets nicely and gently shrinks over a minute or so. The aroma is very fitting for a pastry stout, full of vanilla, fresh muffins, syrup. I think the coconut is in there too, but I might just be anticipating it. The first sip is also a real blast of sweetness, so much that I can’t even untangle what I’m tasting. Going back, there’s a hint of cocnut and some sharpness like gingerbread, the smoothness of vanilla chasing it all down. Then a little licorice pokes its head out in the aftertaste. Sitting inside, it’s a delight and even refreshing for me. There is a certain amount of weight to it, and while smooth, it’s no breezy drink that flies by in a flash. It also doesn’t take too long for the alcohol to start leaning on you, although only lightly. But we are talking about an 11% beer, so it would be odd if that didn’t happen.
Supplier: La Mundial
Price: €6.90
nope, not sunburn
It seems like the flames of last week have died down, and now people are fanning the flames of alarm – too many desperate bastards trying to get into the country without enough money. It’s still a little too hot to enjoy a drink outside until the sun goes down, but at least marvellous technology makes it bearable inside. This is Estrella Galicia’s 1906 Red Vintage, according to their webpage a resurrection of a historical recipe. They don’t say if it’s a red lager, to go with their pilsner and helles, or ale, which would have been perfectly acceptable in a 19th century context. I’m leaning towards lager since they say it gets stored for an extended amount of time. Let’s see how it measures up.
“Red” might not be the first word that comes to mind, but it’s definitely toastier than the more widespread pilsner and helles. It’s on the bubbly side, but the heady is pretty fluffy and resistant. Like the typical industrial beer, it’s not very aromatic, with just subtle shadows of beery grain, and an odd poof of pepper. Maybe some condiments drifted during lunch. Or, maybe it’s a secret ingredient of Estrella Galicia’s. The taste is more expected, a somewhat heavy slightly sweet specimen. Despite the weight, it’s a refreshing beer, one that one would enjoy from under an umbrella or a well-leaved tree. For all my sootiness about industrial beer, I do get humbled by Estrella Galicia.
elemental
Whew, exciting times! You can win a sporting event and come home to a burned-out wasteland! It seems to be one of the benefits of living in a modern city, that you don’t get evacuated from a forest fire. You can get bothered by it, of course, as huge clouds of smoke roll overhead, but I think a lot of people might feel some nostalgia with the campfire essence that surrounds you in the street. The light reflecting off the walls is red, the moon is as Halloweeniest orange you can imagine, it’s at least semi-apocalyptic. If I really believed it was the end I would have dug up the most decadent beer I could, but this is an unfortunate summer tradition. Still, I can honor the wildlife with color. It’s been some time since I’ve had a red ale, and even more an Irish red. Galway Bay might bring some cool, watery winds to blow away the last ashes, or at least I can imagine with Bay Ale.
There’s a little leakage on opening, but no geyser, and the beer pours nicely. It’s more rusty than ruby, but you can accept it in the realm of red. Nice head at first, but it’s quick to dissipate. There are ghostly hints of grain flitting up from the liquid but otherwise no strong aromas. Taking a drink opens up the bakery – grain raw and toasted floods in, with a fresh sweetness and a solemn bitterness, and just a snap of bubbles. I guess being in a real cold fridge hasn’t damaged the carbonation. There’s some dustiness to it too, which I often get from these darker ales, fitting for the atmosphere these days. A tickling of cidery flavor starts to make an appearance after some minutes on the table, adding complexity and interest, although it’s something you have to look hard for. It’s pretty standard but of quality, maybe something you wouldn’t mind pouring into your mug on your upper floor balcony to watch the world burn.
Supplier: La Mundial
Price: €4.50
not buried
Time for a sidetrack? It’s actually less oppressively hot than in previous days, but still very clearly summer if you venture out on the street. I’ve had the feeling that I ought to delve into some other styles, just for the contrast, and what do you know? Oso Brew’s Gold Helles right on the shelf. That’s a contrast if there ever was one. Oso has always been good for a lighter colored beer and a lighter beer for drinking as well, so going down the brighter path with them shouldn’t be too much of a risky bet.
As usual, the can is filled up to the top with a little bloop coming out of the tab. The beer itself looks extra light and ephimeral, with a straw gold color and abundant head, although the foam dies down very quickly. It’s a little more bubbly than might be desireable, but it might also be agitated from the fridge storage. It has a typical German aroma, with a sweet grain and bread top, wrapped up in summer meadow. The taste is also fresh and light, with notes of rounded malt and a touch of lemon. It vanishes down the throat, but after a few sips it does seem to start building up some aftertaste. That is very typically beery, lagery, heavy with harvest. Although there is a little sting of bubbles at first, the beer once settled is confidently smooth and drinkable. There is some sediment in the bottom, which clouds the last glass a bit, but doesn’t affect the smoothness or delicateness of the flavor.
Supplier: Lambeer
Price: €4.50
could switch with last week…
It’s been quite a while since I came across an American beer on the shelves. Import and shipping costs, I guess. But here we are after all this time, with a Kentucky Imperial Stout. This West Sixth Brewing has been around for a while, since 2012, but I don’t remember seeing them pop up around here before. No complaints about a stout though, whoever makes it, wherever it comes from. Snake Eyes could just make my night!
Extra dark brown, a good mocha color to the head, although the foam is a little on the light side. The aroma is malty and somewhat heavy, expected from the appearance. There are hints of gingerbread lurking, but no smoke or earthier notes. The taste is surprisingly sweet for not being a pastry or milk stout, rather a maply flavor. It could be a recipient of Kentucky’s bourbon barrel treatment, although that is not on the label. It’s an unusual sensation of taste explosion, but quick fade away, giving the beer a deceptive lightness. It’s not weighty on the tongue, but after a good amount of sipping it does start to hang around a little. It’s in double digits with ABV, so no surprise really.
Supplier: Lambeer
Price: €6.90
identified
In spite of the uncomfortable blazing of the day, I insist on seeking out stouts. They can be refreshing too, you know? They don’t have to be very alcoholic to be true to style and tasty. So I feel pretty confident in Deep Web, a so-called draught stout in a can. It is from Laugar, after all. While my experience with Laugar tends to be with much stronger barrel aged and similar strength stouts, this one is a very reasonable 5.5%. Stronger than the most widely available version of Guinness, but nothing too crazy. I wonder about the name; is it trying to say that the Deep Web is more normal than we think and we have little to fear from traveling through it? Or is there some hidden message, perhaps in the beads of the web (chin scratching emoji)?
Extra full can, but no explosion. A little bit bubblier than you might want, but good dark chocolate color and a fluffy head on the darker side of beige. It falls to a light cap pretty quickly. There’s a pretty typical stout aroma, a little bit earthy and smoky. The taste is malty and thick, maintaining the notes present in the fragrance, and with a slightly green undertone. It makes me think of fresher plant-based drinks, like horchata. While the first impression is sweet, a little hint of bitter starts to build up with each sip. While not an excessively strong stout, it does leave it’s mark on you, and it has a body that lives up to Laugar’s record with me. It’s quite pleasant and flavorful, a happy standard kind of stout for a bar visit or a gathering of friends when you don’t want to be distracted by your drink.
Supplier: La Buena Cerveza
Price: €5
over the channel
The last Saturday of June and it’s not all that comfortable. It’s not roasting like it has been until this week, but it’s plenty hot for me. I guess I’ll stick with a sour for refreshment. It’s kind of a fancy sour too, Cloudwater, nobly presenting its name for inspection. Hopefully Cherry Sour Breeze will give me some cool feelings and help me relax in this wretched, wretched season.
It’s a very rusty red, lightly headed, probably what you can expect from a more natural cherry. There’s hardly any aroma at all, just the merest hint of sour fruit. It isn’t really identifiable, just a generic fruit scent. It’s fizzy on the tongue and not really sweet or sour, although it leans more to the latter. It’s kind of a cherry jam taste. Once the fizz dies down a little, it’s a smoother drink (naturally), but also slippery and shiny feeling. It’s a polished marble counter, a well-worn wooden bannister. There is some kind of woodiness to it, kind of like the old Sam Adams Cherry Wheat. Let it sit for a while and a certain amount of tangy sour comes out, like mist off a morning lake. It has an effervescence about it, very easy to drink, but the lack of candy sweet and sour gives it a maturity and solemnity that keeps your attention on it.
Supplier: Más Que Cervezas
Price: €6.83
strange weather today
Summer is still creeping up, giving warning signs along the way, and it’s another good day for a sour. Fruit sour, let’s not go too crazy. I have had Fermenterarna before, in a similar style, but this one was particulary appealing. The mix of berries, the underground comic label, it’s something that calls to you. It’s kind of an odd mix with those Scandinavian breweries; on one hand they make fantastic stouts, which seems to be fitting, but they also bring out some great fruit sours, very creative, which is a little less predictable. Let’s see how Wild Berry Shower stacks up.
Big fruit aroma, with that little bit of gassy sulfur that I’ve come to expect. Balanced out with bubble gum. It’s a slightly more solemn fruit punch color, a winey pink rather than bright red. The head starts off beautifully, mostly white with just a tinge of pink, but disappears in the blink of an eye. The taste is like a liquid Fruit Roll-Up (remember those?), although a more sour version. It’s less lambic sour than candy sour, and beyond that very clean, without a lot of aftertaste or clinging. While it’s on the tongue, there’s a battle of flavors, raspberry, currant, blackberry…what’s on the can, basically. Not being much of a blueberry fan, I can’t identify them in the mix, but I think I do get just a tiny hint of vanilla right before the whole thing disappears down the throat.
Supplier: Más Que Cervezas
Price: €6.57
no falling
There were supposed to be storms this weekend, but not thus far. There’s always tomorrow, I guess. In the meantime, I fall upon my trusted stouts. This time it’s Dos Kiwis Gravity, an luscious sounding imperial, recommended at the store as a sturdy and headturning choice.
Rich and dark, with a mocha colored and bubbly head. It dissipates quickly but leaves a thin cap behind. The aroma is heavy and boozy, with overripe bananas, a little coffee and a splat of chocolate. The taste is also overripe fruit, jelly toast, not much chocolate or coffee. The flavor gets heavier, raisiny, prickly, a mouthful that doesn’t leave you struggling, although it feels ready to throw its weight around. Cinnamon and some other wintery spices start to make an appearance with a little bit of settling. It blooms like Christmas, a hint at more tolerable days to come.
Supplier: Más Que Cervezas
Price: €8.80
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