Skip to content

Let's Learn Beer!

Facebook Twitter Instagram

Let's Learn Beer!

Twitter Youtube Instagram Facebook

Let's Learn Beer!

Twitter Youtube Instagram Facebook

Let's Learn Beer!

Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube

The Hobby Drinker Blog

winter woolly

  • by

The big day has arrived, and in spite of my own control over the situation, I did not keep a special stout for the last day. I guess I’m feeling comfortable with pulling bottles and cans out of the fridge as they come. And anyway, this is a special Christmas beer, so you can’t say it’s not fitting. Winterbinkske makes me think there’s a lot going on in that bottle, the whole experience of the end of the year in one cold drink. It also makes me think there’s going to be a lot of herbs and spices. The brewery Kerkom sounds like they have quite an interest in doing things a little differently from everybody else, but still top quality.

It is an extra dark Belgian beer, with extra fluffy head, and a surprisingly low amount of aroma. It’s toasty and charcoaly, but only hints. The taste is much bigger, with a good mix of licorice, plum and apple. It feels heavy, with a smooth body that does not go by unnoticed. A kind of woodiness grows with time, giving even more power and roughness to the beer, although the flavor doesn’t change much. It has a touch of something foresty and wild, but it’s much more delicate than you might expect from most craft beers. It gives you a handmade sensation, but from a very skilled maker. Not a stout, but good enough for Christmas, no question.

Supplier: La Mundial
Price: €4

dark as the new moon

  • by

Ever since being denied on International Baltic Porter Day I’ve been on the lookout for them when I go beer shopping. It seems like they used to be a little easier to find. Well, I have had a few recently, and now I have an Imperial Baltic Porter, which has to be a step beyond. The can has a minimalist but artistic look, with a shining full moon over a desert. What could that have to do with porter? Well, this one comes from Polish brewery Moon Lark and contains Ugandan vanilla. Actually, I don’t know if Uganda has US Southwestern-like desert landscapes…I’m shamefully ignorant of African geography. I’m pretty sure it’s not supposed to be Ceylon (or Sri Lanka), but maybe Poland has some rugged terrain that reminds one of Arizona. Eh, probably not. Must be somebody’s dreamscape.

It pours out very calmly, little fizz or head, and kind of a red highlight to the blackness. Although it’s not overpowering, there is definitely vanilla aroma there, perhaps a little more subtle than, say, Vanilla Coke. The taste is a lovely mix of luxurious sweetness, vanilla, cocoa, the smooth feeling of a high quality hard candy. I don’t get cinnamon right away, but it starts to come out after a couple of sips. The texture is interesting; like I said, it’s glassy like a good candy, but obviously liquid, with a syrupy, mouth-coating feel. It definitely is a fancy beer, with a fancy feel and nothing but deliciousness about it. Maybe it isn’t specifically Christmas-y, but it’s a gift that anybody would love to find in their stocking.

Supplier: Más Que Cervezas
Price: €6.26

no milk this year then?

  • by

Closing in on the end and I let one more unblack beer into the line-up. It is officially a Christmas beer, though, so still legal! It is in fact an “Xceptional Xmas Beer” according to the label, and Santa certainly seems to be ready to enjoy the season with his new tree…oh wait, that’s a hop flower. So Tiny Claus or Giant Hop or getting ready to celebrate the season. I’m not sure if the name, Père Noël, means the beer is from Santa or for Santa. Could well be both, I guess. The brewery De Ranke is a relatively recent addition to Belgium’s beer landscape, but by all accounts it is a worthy follower of tradition as well as handling a good amount of innovation.

It has a look very much like other Belgian Christmas beers, light colored but not transparent. Quite a well-formed head too. The aroma does not offer much in the way of hops, being more of a lager type of scent – grain, meadow, maybe a little honey. The hops make their appearance in the first sip, with a deep and smooth bitterness. Some of the malt still finds its way to the top, but it’s swimming through a sea of Hallertau. There’s a similarity to some classic IPAs in the taste but to lagers in the feel. It’s clean and easy to drink but still weighty. There’s a good amount of alcohol, but not excessive when compared to some other seasonal beers, or some of the stouts I deliberately sought out. Maybe the fluffiness of the head gives it a connection to snow, but somehow there’s a feeling of winteriness and fireside coziness that makes you think there might be footsteps on the roof any minute. Well, it’s probably your upstairs neighbor, but if you’re in a good enough mood it doesn’t really matter.

Supplier: La Mundial
Price: €3.60

route 666

  • by

I was told, or warned, about this beer – El Demonio! It’s one of those fancy innovative stouts, but this time with chipotle instead of cinnamon or maple syrup. I’ve had chipotle stouts before, but usually they have some chocolate in there too. It looks like Sanfrutos has gone for more of a desert experience than a dessert one.

The beer looks robust and sticky, but doesn’t produce a lot of head. It does have a strong, smoky aroma, almost in the realm of rauchbiers, but with a spicy twist to it too. The chipotle attacks right away, snapping at tongue and palate, but it doesn’t go overboard. The background flavor is difficult to pick out, there’s a little smoke and savoriness, sort of meaty, but the pepper is what stands out. It has a certain amount of staying power, leaving a prickly trail for minutes after swallowing. It’s a little bit demanding, not the kind of beer you drink mindlessly while paying attention to other things. Oh, you can pay attention to other things, but you won’t be able to forget about this little devil of a beer.

Supplier: Más Que Cervezas
Price: €4.20

eternal depths

  • by

Life can be a complicated thing. You think a decision is simple, but then you realize there are many factors at play. This applies not only to your own decisions, but understanding the decisions that others make. There are reasons within reasons within reasons, everything fitting together like a finely made toy. Another thing that fits together finely is a well-made beer, and Basqueland is a brewery that has a history of making beers well. To be honest, I have come across more ales than stouts from them, but everything is top of the line and a delight to have in the glass. I don’t suppose Matryoshka is going to be any different.

It’s weirdly slow-pouring, but sits nicely in the glass, without an abundance of head. There’s a slightly green plant-y aroma, like freshly pulled carrots or zucchinis. It smells a lot like a standard well-made beer, with a nod to the earth that produced the ingredients. While other stouts have had enticing scents and more subdued flavors, this one goes the other way. The taste is full and earthy, hinting at bitter but sticking with slightly savory. It’s a pretty classic Russian Imperial Stout, heavy and slightly bristly, but pleasing in the end.

Supplier: Más Que Cervezas
Price: €5.65

breakfast in the dark

  • by

Still on the lookout for smooth and soothing stouts, dark like the depths of night. Who’s going to make one better than a northern brewery, Scandinavian maybe, or Baltic? It’s been some time since I’ve sat down with a Pohjala, and maybe it’s about time to get reacquainted. This looks like one of the more special ones with it’s umlauted name – French Toast Bänger. It’s an imperial stout, not pastry, but it features maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon. The color scheme on the label makes me think more of cocktails like Tequila Sunrise, but I guess it could also be reminiscent of bonfires and hearths, perfect for sitting around with a good stout that has a way of keeping the fun going.

It lets off a warm fancy breakfast aroma, cinnamony and syrupy. It might be a little heavy on the sweet side, with no bacon or hashbrowns to balance it out, but on chillier nights you might prefer something with a little more calories to burn. It’s not quite as sweet as expected, but it is smooth and milky. Banana surfaces in the taste. So it is like a deluxe pancake, with bananas, whipped cream, maybe a light dusting of cinnamon or cocoa powder. It has the robust body that I expect from northern stouts, and Pohjala has always been a good example. Although it doesn’t really get sweeter, it does seem to take on some stickiness as you go farther down in the glass. It’s not unpleasant but it might keep you a little less talkative than normal. For some people that might be a good idea; for some others it just means we enjoy the beer and our own thoughts in our heads.

Supplier: La Buena Pinta
Price: €7.70

another heavyweight

  • by

Coincidentally, there’s another Jumbo in the list, Mumbo Jumbo India Stout to be precise. This is a hopped stout, with Chinook, calling itself a classic stout with a hoppy punch. I wonder if this is going to be something of a black IPA. While it’s enjoyable to wallow in the depths of a pastry or barrel aged stout, there’s something about a hoppy beer that clears your head and lets the world in. The clash of expectations with the dark beer and the hop brightness also promotes focus. It’s not quite freezing cold, although the days get dark early at this time, and the spice of a hoppy beer can be like sitting next to a cozy fireplace. Of course, that’s also true of an extra flavorful stout. Well, let’s see how Mumbo Jumbo measures up.

There’s a very vegetal aroma with the pop of the tab, a little bit floral but not fruity. It has a more savory character than even a black IPA might. The beer itself is a good dark color with just an off-white head. Once in the glass it gives off many more spiced wafts of scent. There’s grainy bread, maybe rye, caraway, a little bit of catnip sharpness and muskiness. The taste is very toasty but also with a good garnishing of hops. It has a warmth that many black IPAs did not quite reach, with their shining citrus hops taking center stage, so it does deserve the title of India stout.

Supplier: La Buena Pinta
Price: €5.50

choice memory

  • by

If you’re not in the mood for something specific, just a general category, it can be hard to choose. You get FOMO or even buyer’s remorse, thinking there could have been something better if you had just paid a little more attention or were willing to throw down that extra euro. Stout and porter might not be such a broad category. Besides, it’s hard to find bad ones out there. So really, La Pirata’s Hard Decision wasn’t much of one at all, especially since this is a trusted brewery. Sadly, their taproom in Madrid closed earlier this year, after having filled the spot once held by Irreale. Change is always afoot.

Heavy looking, befitting the label, thin but resistant head of dark beige foam on top, slightly rum/whisky aroma. I’m guessing that’s the oatmeal, really. The taste is slow to slide out and the first sensation is the smooth texture that many oatmeal stouts have. A kind of syrupy bitterness builds up from mid- to aftertaste, with a touch of smoky licorice to boot. It might just be something an elephant would enjoy, when it’s time to relax after a day of being gawked at in the zoo. I recently saw the David Attenborough documentary of Jumbo, and he was given not just beer but also whisky to help him travel calmly. So Victorian. Also Victorian and beyond are the attitudes towards social needs, both of animals and people. Just suck it up and do your job, whether it was a job you chose or not. Anyway, big fan of stouts are not, this is a beer that’s worth a try as something smooth and not overwhelming, although with a hint of its power shining through. Pick it up, it shouldn’t be a hard decision.

Supplier: La Buena Pinta
Price: €4.50

don’t get washed away

  • by

There are some very interesting labels on a can of craft beer, artistic, surreal, eye-catching to say the least. When choosing for Beermas you have to throw a little imagination at it, but Calenbeer only has to be pleasing. The mechanical fish on Althaia’s Batiscafo has an odd connection to the current weather and the season, being a toy that somebody might hope to see under the tree in the not too distant future. Of course it’s an imperial stout, souped up with cocoa and toffee, maybe to weigh down that fish in the depths of the ocean.

It’s a thinner looking beer than some recent ones, fine head of tiny, tiny bubbles, dark chocolatey color. The sweeter ingredients are very forward in the aroma, with a sugary high note and a rich caramelly base. The flavor has more of a jungle essence than I expected. It’s very leafy and green, and actually quite easy to drink. It doesn’t have an overwhelming amount of body although there is a certain amount of bulk to the aftertaste. Like a jaguar, it’s lying in wait for you to stop paying attention. The greenness makes me think of horchata, which isn’t quite the drink you reach for in December, but it does offer a light balance that might make it a good drink with some heavier desserts of the season.

Supplier: Labirratorium
Price: €6.50

measured by minutes

  • by

Back to my stouts again, and now with a design that is also after my own heart. Matter Of Time was tucked away on a lower shelf, but the will of the universe was such that I patiently scanned until I saw it. I have Espiga in my mind as more of a traditional beer maker, but with Resident Culture they have put out this pastry imperial stout. There might be deviations from the path, there might be unexpected obstacles, but everything that has to come comes in its own time.

It’s one of those rich, thick looking stouts, generating a pretty good head without going overbroad. It has a strong chocolate aroma, pudding rather than cacao powder, promising a heavy but enjoyable mouthful. Indeed, the chocolate comes through in a powerful way, although there is plenty of stouty toast to lay foundations for it. It’s like the most gourmet Nutella sandwich. Even the breadiness has something extra, with notes of sunflower seed and a good dollop of banana. The mix makes it seem more like an afternoon beer, a busy drink that bounces off a snack (or two), more than a calm and quiet evening sipper.

Supplier: Labirratorium
Price: €5.75

en_USEnglish
es_ESSpanish en_USEnglish