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Let's Learn Beer!

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yes, beer can

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Another holiday upon us, and I’m cheating again! It’s Beer Can Appreciation Day, but I don’t have a beer. It is hard cider, another drink that you don’t expect to find a huge amount of quality in if it’s in a can. But, if cans can be better for beer, they can be for cider too. It seems the first canned beer in the US came from New Jersey-based Krueger in 1935, but they didn’t become popular packaging until after the Second World War. Steel cans were produced in Germany in the early years of the 20th century, but again, did not catch on. Cans appeared in the UK around the same time as they did in the US, and apparently did not suffer much from lack of material once the war was over. Spain saw its first cans in the ’50s at the hand of Mahou. The benefits of cans are simple – cans are cheaper to produce, easier to recycle, cool faster, protect the beer from light better. It’s true that you don’t feel as fancy chugging from a can as sipping from a bottle, but pour a glass and take care of that problem.

I was looking for beer, of course, but just seeing a can labeled “meadery” was enough to catch my eye. Superstition Meadery has put together a delightful sounding blend of flavors for their Super Station hard cider. Let’s see if they play nicely together. The cherry has had quite an impact on the color, but it’s not as powerful in the aroma. There’s a little ginger, a little lime, and something I can only identify as out-of-doors. It’s pretty heavy feeling, not as light and refreshing as some more well-known cider names, but it doesn’t have that oversweet sensation that is also common. It is sweet, a little bit of cherry candy, but it’s held tight and doesn’t overwhelm you. It’s an interesting balance of the more summery fruits and that ginger I associate more with winter treats. It’s tasty and energizing, a good choice for those who don’t feel up to a good stout or a fruity but heavy modern IPA.

Supplier: La Mundial

Price: €10

porter day

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Baltic Porter Day was announced as January 18, so it wasn’t that big a surprise when I went to pick up something for the occasion and there was just a space on the shelves.  As you can see, I missed the 18th, but I have also seen the holiday listed as the third Saturday in January, so I’ll take this loophole.  Unfortunately, I also need to find a loophole for the Baltic part; plenty of stouts around (for next month), but not a lot of porters.  I did have a regular but spiced porter presented: BBNO 03’s 10th anniversary collaboration with Amundsen.  It looks quite complex, flavored with chocolate, orange and cinnamon.  The Holidays might be over, but this holiday looks like it has a tasty drink to go with it.

Not especially thick pouring out, but the beige head is pretty fluffy. Spicy and slightly citrusy aroma, only the barest hint of chocolate lurking. It’s very toasty, still not strong chocolate, but with just a little bit of sweetness. It’s not actually very bitter, more smoky and earthy, so a smoother beer than expected at first. Even the sweetness is subdued, so the taste is quite clean. There’s no aftertaste to speak of and the beer itself has a light and smooth feel. After settling for a few minutes a more obvious flavor of chocolate starts to come through, but the beer remains drinkable and gentle, not as thick and warming as some I would choose for the season, but still delightful.

Supplier: La Mundial

Price: €7.60

somebody’s memories

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It isn’t a beerliday yet, so just a random pick today…something a little more subdued, with less excitement about it.  Well, it’s kind of exciting to see a historical beer on the shelf, although you always have to wonder just how close an industrial remake really is.  They have sanitation and health requirements to fill, you know.  At least it’s my favorite industrial Spanish beer, Estrella Galicia.  This is their Primera Generación, supposedly a recipe developed by the first generation of beer-making Riveras, but right on the bottle they say the most important thing is the tradition of technique, not so much ingredients.  Of course technique is often a big part of recipes too.  Another reason I like this brewery is their campaign of making themselves look like the underdog beer, the one you need a special sense to really appreciate.  Like I said, it’s my favorite industrial beer, but it seems just as silly to emphasize how smallness of your clientele as it is to sniff at drinkers of smaller beers that are just like products your own larger company produces.  No, scratch that, the latter is definitely sillier.  Estrella Galicia’s Resistencia and Cerveza para la Inmensa Minoría seem more like gentle jokes in comparison.

It opens with a poof of barroom air, very typical industrial lager smell. The beer is very light colored, translucent, good looking head. It’s like a super hoppy German lager, it’s even a little peppery, which I don’t think was particularly desirable at the beginning of the last century, but who knows? It’s flavorsome, malty, a little spicy in the taste too. The flavor makes you think it’s going to be a much heavier feeling beer than it actually is. Like the color, it’s light and fluttery. The strong taste disappears quickly after the swallow, leaving no aftertaste or feel. It’s very drinkable once it’s drunk, since you can easily forget that you just had a sip. Pretty clever for getting people to keep consuming. The strong flavor and aroma might give the drinker the impression of a product that was thoroughly worked over and developed, but it’s the right kind of feel for the Spanish climate. Even in Galicia, there’s a little sun, sometimes.

the last one

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The season is officially over, but there’s still beer to be had.  I thought I would seek out a nice stout just because, but Cierzo’s Oogie Boogie Christmas Ale seemed like too much of a coincidence to ignore.  Right by the door!  They must want to clear some space for the spring stock.

Very toasty looking, and well-developed head. It has a powerful aroma, sort of fumey, like a higher alcohol drink. It’s heavy feeling too, with a touch of sweetness like Belgian Christmas beers, also an earthy, grainy floor to rest on. With the texture of eggnog and banana scent starting to be noticeable, it’s very much a seasonal beer. It’s an oddly damp day and the warmth of the beer is welcome, even if it’s a nostalgic taste by this time. The sweetness wears off and leaves you with a bready, toasted beverage, begging for a fire to be drunk in front of.

Supplier: Labirratorium

Price: €4.95

T(welve)-11

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On the eleventh day of Beermas I went and bought for me
Eleven whales blowing
10 lords a-robbing?
Nine night owls hooting
Eight maids not for cleaning
Seven avian vampire teasers
Six plans a-hatching
Five collaborations
Four miles of nowhere
Three tropical tree eggs
Two staring wings
And an icy raven looking needy

I almost pushed this one into number seven, for the swimming animal on the label, but those neck-like tubes could not be denied.  So, what to do with Mala Gissona’s Shackeltown IPA?  There’s definitely a connection to the sea; they brew their beers with the fortitude and solemnity of the old Basque whalers, or something like that.  Well, at least some sailors like to have a little music, a little wind instrument accompaniment.  Also, whales do a bit of blowing themselves.  There we go, our representation of pipes!  Less literal than some other years, but that’s the fun.

It’s a stunningly dark IPA, maybe more in line with older varieties. Very typical IPA aroma, though, bright, herbal, grabs the nose hard. The taste is juicy and modern, a very fruity kind of ale, like a fruit cocktail. There’s that citrus of course, but also a little pineapple and mango. Although the fruit feels like it should be sharp, the beer is very smooth and slides right down the throat. It’s actually very festive feeling, like a nice holiday punch. The bright and shiny IPAness of it would also make it palatable to those summer people who prefer their beer sunny and cheerful instead of dark and blankety like my best stout buddies.

T(welve)-10

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On the tenth day of Beermas I went and bought for me
10 lords a-robbing?
Nine night owls hooting
Nine night owls hooting
Eight maids not for cleaning
Seven avian vampire teasers
Six plans a-hatching
Five collaborations
Four miles of nowhere
Three tropical tree eggs
Two staring wings
And an icy raven looking needy

Oh, the things I’m willing to do for the season!  Drink a Belgian beer?  Well, alright, it does have somebody lordly on the label, so it goes with the song.  I’m also tickled that it says “Robijnrood” on one side, which I misread repeatedly as “Robinhood”.  Shows where my sympathies lie, I guess.  What it really is is a red ale, ruby red is the promise, from Brouwerij Haacht.  Charles Quint is no stranger to Belgian beers, but he also has his place in the Spanish beer world.

It does have some ruddiness to it in the glass, sort of a rusty brown color overall. Very light beige head sits firmly on top. It certainly smells Belgian, although not as sour or tangy as some. For the most part the aroma is sweet, although there’s just a touch of sour apple. In the mouth it is plainly a Belgian beer, malty, slightly sour, a real mouthful. It doesn’t have an unpleasant aftertaste, and the flavor is balanced and well under control before the swallow. It’s not a bad sipping, talking beer, with enough body to make snacks welcome but unnecessary.

T(welve)-9

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On the ninth day of Beermas I went and bought for me
Nine night owls hooting
Eight maids not for cleaning
Seven avian vampire teasers
Six plans a-hatching
Five collaborations
Four miles of nowhere
Three tropical tree eggs
Two staring wings
And an icy raven looking needy

Am I wasting a bird on dancing ladies?  Perhaps.  But damn if Night Owlers NEIPA didn’t call out to me for that night out.  It’s La Quince and Salama Brewing, another collab from the wise owl.  Can’t think of one that hasn’t turned out delicious.

Rather opaque, sort of lemonade cocktail look, very fleeting head. It’s not terribly fruity or spicy in aroma, with just a whiff of bitter hops and a tail end of bread. The flavor is also subdued, but with a more typical NEIPA bent, that layer of sweet orange juice. It doesn’t quite get to bitter, although there is a less sugary part, more mealy or pithy. Something in the aftertaste comes across as sharp, acidic, but it is also very temporary, like the head.

T(welve)-8

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On the eighth day of Beermas I went and bought for me
Eight maids not for cleaning
Seven avian vampire teasers
Six plans a-hatching
Five collaborations
Four miles of nowhere
Three tropical tree eggs
Two staring wings
And an icy raven looking needy

I complain about all those birds, but the other gifts aren’t all that easy to match up either.  This year the maids a-milking was one of the harder ones, for some reason nothing stood out that was maidenly or milky.  Finally, there’s a good stout that has a good picture on it.  It’s a little more like a sexy maid than a milkmaid, although I don’t think she’s quite that either.  More like somebody who’s going to be doing some milking of a slightly different kind.  Hopefully, in a nice warm room.  It’s from Estonia, a brewery called Pühaste, so I think this Dekadents ought to be formulated for warm indoor spaces, no matter what’s going on outside.

Pouring out, it’s lighter than expected, although the dark brown color is pretty strong once the glass is full. The aroma is a lot fuller than the coloring, sticky, syrupy, heavy chocolate and toast. The first impression of the taste is similar, but quickly followed by a blast of licorice, wrapped up in a return of toasty, burny sensation. It’s a heavy, melted milkshake of a beer, extra thick. It doesn’t have excessive sweetness, with just that pop of mediciny licorice. It’s not hard to get down at all, although the full texture does not encourage chugging.

T(twelve)-7

On the seventh day of Beermas I went and bought for me

Seven avian vampire teasers

Six plans a-hatching

Five collaborations

Four miles of nowhere

Three tropical tree eggs

Two staring wings

And an icy raven looking needy

Half the days over and we are almost done with the birds.  This is the last one, those elegant white bastards.  There’s no bird on the can really, but there is the impression of a swan neck winding its way across the front, reflecting the colors of a volcanic sunset.  Caravelle’s Peachy Keen Wit also sounds artistic and sophisticated, ready for a flowing chat about things that matter in life.

This is a summery straw colored beer, very clear, especially in comparison with those hazies. The very subtle aroma has more to do with sours and that gassiness than wheat beers and their grain and spice. It also smells a little soapy. The taste is light and clean, not sour or astringent. It’s a little fizzy and there’s a hint of peach floating around, so it’s a little more like flavored mineral water than straight beer. Actually not too bad to finish off the night with, it’s refreshing and thirst quenching, without weighing you down for the trip home.

T(welve)-6

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On the sixth day of Beermas I went and bought for me

Six plans a-hatching

Five collaborations

Four miles of nowhere

Three tropical tree eggs

Two staring wings

And an icy raven looking needy

This was one of the bird suggestions, grabbing at straws a little bit.  It is a bird, for sure, not one that’s in the song I think, but maybe I can make do…in fact, I’m sure I can make do.  Look at that face!  That bird has a plan.  We might even say he’s hatching something.  A plan like an egg, right?  Right?  It’s not that much of a stretch!  This might be the first can of Cosa Nostra I’ve picked up, although I remember them from the Vallecas beer fair.  Then it was a porter, and now it’s a Double Hazy IPA, a little backwards some might think.  But, Brufol might have some tricks up its feathery sleeve.

Extra juicy looking, with very fine bubbled head, very much like a fresh-squeezed orange juice. Similar aroma, maybe a little bit lighter. The feel is also very juicy, thick and mouth-filling. It feels like it wants to get to sweet, but can’t quite make it out of bitter, although it isn’t fair to call it a bitter beer either. It’s weighty and pleasant to drink, without disappearing into the ether, but there’s no over-reliance on acidity or citrus, so it’s really well balanced. I’m hoping the plan was to make a perfectly drinkable hazy because that’s what was achieved.

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