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IPA

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)-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)-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.

T(welve)-5

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On the fifth day of Beermas I went and bought for me
Five collaborations

Four miles of nowhere

Three tropical tree eggs

Two staring wings

And an icy raven looking needy

What do I get for number five this year, another golden ale?  Can I get away with any blond beer on color alone?  Actually, Península comes to the rescue with Entre Amigos and its friendly circles on the can.  Not only is it an invitation to potential drinkers, it’s a collaboration beer, with Sparkle, only deepening the ties.  It’s a hazy IPA, so a style that several friends of mine would be happy to share a can of.  Later I found out there were more than one iterations of Entre Amigos, with different partners.  Makes sense, and now I’m wondering if I can track more down…

For an IPA, it has a surprisingly ruddy color, even being a hazy. Quite opaque too. The aroma is perky and sharp, with a very modern feel to it. The taste is no surprise based on that: a little spice, caraway, snappy, not very citrusy but there’s some light summery fruit in there. In the mouth it makes itself unignorable, but once swallowed it disappears cleanly, so really a very nice drink. I might prefer it on a warmer day, on a sunny street, but then again I drink inside whenever I can.

T(welve)-4

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

Four miles of nowhere

Three tropical tree eggs

Two staring wings

And an icy raven looking needy

Ok, this one is pretty close to the song, although the birds aren’t seen actually calling.  And there are only two, but the other two are just out of frame I’m sure.  And they are birds!  Probably calling their friends a long way off, in that desolate landscape.  Gekko Brew’s The Other End of Nowhere looks like it should be some dark beer, for a depressing sipping session, but it’s a NEIPA, so at least visually it ought to be pretty cheerful.  Some of those NEIPAs are a little abrasive though, and so strong they might leave you in a place you have to memory of going to.  This one is a pretty standard 6.5%, so I don’t think we’ll go that far.  If by chance we do, I guess there will be some calling involved.

This is one of those very juicy looking NEIPAs, with its cheery gold color and light cap of lacy foam. It has kind of a zesty aroma, orangey but with a little something extra. Caraway or some other spice maybe. The juice is echoed in the taste, although the beer is a slender and healthy feeling one, not an overwhelming mouthfeel, very light in body. It kind of evokes the hopelessness of the label, a sensation of being in complete solitude without even a beer to weigh you down.

T(welve)-1

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

An icy raven looking needy

It’s the first day and I have to decide between bird or fruit.  In some ways it’s the easiest one to find something to represent it.  There’s something about a wintery old raven that makes you think of some solitary place, the loneliest number if you will.  Even the name of this IPA, Hold Me Tighter, brings up feelings of isolation.  Somehow I thought Wylie had a more jovial and social image, but I’m not complaining.

Minor explosion on opening, the beer is eager to escape and better existence outside its can. It’s a very pale IPA, sort of lemony, It’s very heady, with a bright white and fluffy cloud perched on a sea of dirty lemonade. Even the aroma evokes summery lemonade more than beer, with a lemon candy scent that just tickles the nose. The taste comes as a bit of a shock, wielding a much more bitter punch than you expect. It isn’t actually that bitter, but from the aroma you don’t quite prepare for it. It’s also pretty clean and even a little dry, leaning towards a wine sensation rather than juicy, sticky modern IPA. Left standing a while, more spicy notes start to come out in the smell, but the flavor doesn’t pick up much in the way of spice. It’s the sort of beer you wouldn’t mind having with you on a break from doing work in your orchard. Of pear trees, of course. Where a crow or even a partridge could find a place.

mysterious

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Alright then, let’s have another pale ale, or more precisely, RIPA.  I guess that isn’t a real repeat for this calendar.  The label looks so familiar, I have the sensation that I have done Jack the RIPA before, but it doesn’t come up.  Maybe I only thought about it in the store and then grabbed a stout instead.  Anyway, it is Guineu, so trustworthy brewers, and it’s a dark idea even if the beer is on the lighter side.  I could have chosen it for a Hallowe’en special.

It’s darker orange than plenty of normal IPAs, a little more along the lines of an imperial. There’s a very bouncy citrus aroma from this one. As for taste, it’s extra bitter rather than extra orangey, but it’s that pleasant IPA style. It’s a deep, rounded bottom kind of flavor, making me think of grapefruit without the actual taste of it. After it settles down a little there is more citrus on the tongue, but the overall effect is still very bitter-hoppy.

howl

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I look askance at Rauxa at first; I just had a stunning imperial stout and now I just get a regular IPA?  OK, it’s Guineu and it’s been specially picked, but not even imperial, DDH, some other sparkly attraction?  The label, while subdued, gives a hint of wildness and some secret that it will be worth your while to find out.

Slightly cloudy, but sunny color, and a stunning puffy head. Another whipped cream topping, almost like a float. It’s not very aromatic, but the taste comes out like a jack-in-the-box, surprising in its sharp bitterness and power of lasting flavor. There’s a tingle of mandarin, but it’s almost a doubly bitter IPA compared to a lot of modern American style examples. A little something starts to develop over time that seems like window cleaner to me. It might be a nod to the pine essence of certain hops. The beer has an oddly smooth feel, but with a scratchy coating, kind of like a crumbly hard candy filled with liquidy gel. And all of it a big bad IPA wolf. No, wait, it’s a fox. Big bad IPA fox.

a call back

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There are plenty of breweries on the box and I think they all make plenty of beers.  But, it isn’t too surprising to find a couple that I already know in there, if they were quality products.  La Quince does pretty reliable when it comes to that, and I have in fact had their Llipa! IPA before.  It was even in last year’s beer calendar!  Worse performances have had encores, I would guess.

Looking just like I remember, bright and shiny golden color and perfect head, at least for a little while. The sharp pine aroma is immediate and summery. A whole medley of flavors rolls out on the tongue, from melon to peach to minty pine. The hops are quite strong and forestal, not so much on the tropical side. The beer is not overly bitter, however, balancing its components well. Although it has a very noticeable presence in the mouth it is more of a summer beer, in my opinion. It goes with warm sidewalks and strolling people, not so much scarves and jackets. There is a lightness to it that just shouts sunlight. I guess a lot of people do look for an extra point of brightness while they grump about winter evenings, though, even if they enjoy the Christmas season.

answering somebody’s prayers

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In this holy season it only makes sense to have some kind of blessed beverage.  Of course, if I were demanding something of a deity I would have other things in mind.  For most people, though, I suppose La Quince’s God Save The Session IPA would be a gift from heaven.

It looks somewhat watered down, very light, clear straw color, but abundant and snowy head. The aroma is also quite pleasant and nicely noticeable. Typical IPA, very bright and citrusy, with only the barest hint of dark fuzz underneath. The flavor is a little flat at first, kind of metallic. But, then notes of bitter hops start to poke out and a little chaser of orange follows. Like other session IPAs, it feels very light and leaves little trace once it’s gone down. It isn’t a surprising beer or an exceptionally creative one, but it is solid and does the job beautifully.

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