Saltar al contenido

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

review

have a prize

  • por

The World Cup is right around the corner, and while I don’t really care about that, I see from some advertising that Victoria Malaga is a sponsor of the Spanish national team.  Not a beer I know, so why not give it a try?  The spectators in Qatar aren’t likely to have a chance.  A quick look into the history of the brewery reveals a strong German connection, German brewmasters being brought in at the company’s beginnings and a happy German tourist being a memorable mascot mid-century.  Although the beer is named for the patron of Malaga, Our Lady of Victory, it does seem appropriate to sponsor a sports team.  Wishful thinking and all that.

As expected, very light, very foamy, a slightly sweeter aroma than many. A nice lager flavor, bready and malty, with a tiny hint of bitter skittering over the top. It has a disarmingly full mouthfeel, but then disappears right down the throat, making it both very satisfying to drink and quite easy to go for another sip. However Spain does in soccer, the beer is a winner.

with interest

  • por

I eagerly await more dark beers as the month goes on, but something shiny is by no means unwelcome.  I pulled out a sunny little can of imperial sour, another Guineu, this time with Màger.  Fested Mind has some extra special ingredients – orange and white chocolate – which you might link to the season.  I don’t mind a little orange with my beer, but orange and chocolate leaves me somewhat cold.  Maybe that goes with the season too.

There’s that gassy smell that many sours seem to have, but with the essence of grape and a little plum mixed in. The color is juicy, the beer isn’t especially clear, and the head fizzles away in seconds. The flavor has a lot of sour candy in it, alternating between Jolly Rancher and mild lemon candy. It feels a little thicker than a lot of sours, leaving a little stickiness in its wake. Interestingly, I don’t really identify orange or chocolate in the flavors, although if I make an effort I can just pick out a touch of citrus. It’s bright and perky, so not quite what I naturally turn to at this time of year (who am I kidding, any time of year), but it’s like a dessert or special treat to add some light to the dark days of the season.

how could you!

  • por

I got my beer calendar, weeks before I even expected it, and excitedly ripped into day 1…only to see sin alcohol on the can.  Alcohol free?  In a craft beer calendar?  Is the universe trying to tell me something?  At least it is an interesting craft style, a hazy IPA, and from a reliable brewery.  Actually, Boira is a collaboration between trusty Guineu and Althaia.  If they made the effort to bring the beer out, I guess I can make an effort to drink it.

Very cloudy and a very pale color greet me, not a bad aroma at all with a little bread and a little ginger (but not quite gingerbread), and a wrapping of grapefruit.  The head forms with relatively large bubbles and vanishes within seconds.  Now it really looks like a fizzy lemonade, one you would expect to be “organic”.  Flavorwise, it’s the grapefruit that comes out on top.  The bitterness is heavy although the beer itself feels almost effervescent, and it doesn’t have the sharpness that some hazies or NEIPAs end up with.  It’s not a bad imitation of its alcoholic counterpart, maintaining a feeling of bitter beer juice and citrus snap that is the attraction of the style.  It has less juice than many “real” NEIPAs, but there are quite a few that it lines right up with.

ear to ear

  • por

Lambeer, I thought you had escaped me!  I only just discovered its existence east of me when they closed up shop.  But then…they announced a reopening!  Now they are in Mecado de Prosperidad, not in an independent store, but that’s no reason to complain.  It works for La Mundial and La Buena Pinta.  Stock had just come in when I arrived, so there were some bare spots on shelves and things out of place, but if you know what you want it isn’t that hard to find.  And what I want is stouts!  There were several peeking at me, but finally Dichosa De Tranquis was the chosen one.  I wasn’t sure, seeing as it proclaims its licorice flavor right on the label, but I was assured it was a tasty and easy drink, in spite of its relatively strong 10%.

It has a sticky raisiny aroma right away, and a pleasing black brown color.  Not a lot of head; I might have overchilled again.  The first sip is a blend of smoke, dried fruit and breadiness.  Despite the complexity of the flavor, the feeling is of a lighter, softer beer, very easy going down.  There’s little aftertaste, just a slight feeling of baked goods.  I have no regrets, not being overwhelmed with licorice, or coffee candy, as can also happen.  Good advice and a good beer!

Supplier: Lambeer

Price: €3.95

noisy, uncouth

  • por

Another cheeky possibility looking out from somewhat disorderly shelves, Muted Sophisticated got snapped up as soon as I saw it.  It turns out its Garage, so good call by my gut.  Finback Brewery also participated, although they are less of a draw for me than Garage, simply because I’m less familiar with their products.  I can only assume they impress, given the company they keep.

Another sheer beauty in the glass, with a frosty chocolatey kind of whiff to it.  A pretty little head sits on top, although it dissolves pretty quickly.  The flavor is light and only a little sweet at first, but it develops a punch of both bitter and sweet, while filling out over the tongue, making itself impossible to let just slip by.  Although it has a fairly solid mouthfeel, I don’t feel it as very sticky, at least at first.  It isn’t excessively sweet, like some pastry stouts can be, or overly reliant on a coffee or chocolate taste to give the drinker a little kick.  It’s flavor is almost medicinal, a root beerish sort of taste, with a bitter base and a sweetened coating to make it go down easy.  In this case, mission accomplished for sure.

Supplier: Lambeer
Price: €6.90

end of summer excursion

  • por

It’s always nice to see a new arrival on the beer shelf, even if the brewery is already well known.  Even if the brewery is not exactly craft.  Or craft at all.  I like to have a Damm in the evening, although what I like is the märzen, and this is an IPA.  But it is new for me, a Mediterranean IPA, so I’m intrigued.  The can does not look too summery, although the mountains on the shore are green, so maybe there will be a warming feeling for the new cooler temperatures.  You never know what will come out of a Complot.  The story on the side tells of exploratory agriculture, trying to develop new hops and new farming opportunities near the coast; Complot is actually the name of the hops variety they developed to grow there.  While they insist the climate conditions are similar to those of the best hop growing regions in the world, I have the feeling that the Pacific Northwest and certain areas of Bohemia would be displeased at the comparison.

Rich orange, not exceptional head, and a sort of orange cream aroma. A little apple in there too. I think there’s a little citrus trying to get out in the taste, but it leans heavily towards apple/pear. It feels somewhat dusty at first, and like some body is trying to build, but it rapidly disappears after swallowing. It’s a very light feeling beer, and almost disappointingly subtle in flavor. There’s barely any bitterness at all and any hops are very subdued. I guess it has more flavor of its own than the typical Mahou, but there’s enough grainy sweetness that it wouldn’t quite be the perfect hot and spicy food accompaniment. If the food was very bland it could give a little interest to the meal. There are certainly light and subtle beers made from West Coast and Bohemian hops, but I’m just used to a little more oompf, and I miss it when it’s not there. I guess it’s something of a beach beer after all.

shades and shadows

  • por

A spooky beer for a spooky time, dark as night and full of surprises!  Of course, it has to come from a reputable place and Basqueland is one of the most reputable around.  This pastry stout has some extras in it, delicious raspberries, “berried alive” in fact.  What a way to Live Forever.

A beautiful black beer, with a thick looking cocoa powder head, surprisingly not as heavily scented as I thought. There’s some raspberry in there alright, and a touch of stout punch. It is not a heavy hitter in flavor either, sliding in very gradually with upfront fruity raspberry and only revealing a little bitterness almost in the aftertaste. Some chocolate starts coming up as well, leaving a feeling of a dark chocolate, raspberry jelly treat. Quality too, Lindt or some other fancy Belgian chocolatier. The feeling is a little scratchy after swallowing, like the tartness of a red fruit filling. Close attention also brings out a touch of campfire smoke, tinged with roasted marshmallows and fresh-made s’mores. It’s much more pastry than stout, but a good flavor for the holiday.

Supplier: Hop Hop Hurrah

Price: €7.80

building up

  • por

Found out there was a beer store I hadn’t visited yet, and after the disappearance of the nearby Cervecista – Hop Hop Hurrah!  Yeah, that’s the name, I’m not exclaiming my joy.  Not just, anyway.  Like La Mundial and Prost Chamberí before, it’s a smallish place in a municipal market.  Actually, Barceló has ceased to be a mere market and is now a “polyvalent center” containing a market among other things.  I think there’s a gym and at least one other thing that isn’t about food.  Although compact, the selection on the shelves was more than adequate; I had to leave a couple of black beers behind, not wanting to lug too many home.  First I have a national to try, Yria’s Bauhaus Imperial Stout, whiskey barrel aged.  Committed to supporting craft wherever they can obviously, Yria has used Sackman whiskey barrels, another national product.

Didn’t get a very good head on it, but a momentary mat of dark beige bubbles did make it for a photo-op. The beer is highly aromatic, heavy on the chocolate and malt, promising to swamp the mouth in flavor. And indeed, it is exceptionally tasty, more bitter than I was expecting, but well within the lines of a nice stout. There a good head of smoke, a base of earth and the chocolate core whistling its way through everything. It starts out very smooth also, but develops an edge after just a few sips. The fire starts to make its way more to the top, leaving an alcohol burning behind it, more or less extinguishing the earthiness. The chocolate still maintains itself, though. It never gets exactly syrupy, but over time it does build up in weight. Of course, that could also be an effect of the whiskey sneaking in…

Supplier: Hop Hop Hurrah

Price: €6.20

building up

  • por

Found out there was a beer store I hadn’t visited yet, and after the disappearance of the nearby Cervecista – Hop Hop Hurrah! Yeah, that’s the name, I’m not exclaiming my joy. Not just, anyway. Like La Mundial and Prost Chamberí before, it’s a smallish place in a municipal market. Actually, Barceló has ceased to be a mere market and is now a “polyvalent center” containing a market among other things. I think there’s a gym and at least one other thing that isn’t about food. Although compact, the selection on the shelves was more than adequate; I had to leave a couple of black beers behind, not wanting to lug too many home. First I have a national to try, Yria’s Bauhaus Imperial Stout, whiskey barrel aged. Committed to supporting craft wherever they can obviously, Yria has used Sackman whiskey barrels, another national product.

Didn’t get a very good head on it, but a momentary mat of dark beige bubbles did make it for a photo-op. The beer is highly aromatic, heavy on the chocolate and malt, promising to swamp the mouth in flavor. And indeed, it is exceptionally tasty, more bitter than I was expecting, but well within the lines of a nice stout. There a good head of smoke, a base of earth and the chocolate core whistling its way through everything. It starts out very smooth also, but develops an edge after just a few sips. The fire starts to make its way more to the top, leaving an alcohol burning behind it, more or less extinguishing the earthiness. The chocolate still maintains itself, though. It never gets exactly syrupy, but over time it does build up in weight. Of course, that could also be an effect of the whiskey sneaking in…

Supplier: Hop Hop Hurrah

Price: €6.20

into the sunset of summer

  • por

It’s the month of darkness, of creeping horror, of the best of holidays.  At yet, I ended up with an IPA to open it.  Not only that, but crafty IPA more than a craft one.  How dare I!  Well, Alhambra is not a bad beer, especially in the bottle, and we do have to try things of all kinds.  You never know when you’ll be in a situation with limited options.  It looks appetizing anyway, Esencia Citra IPA does.  But you can bet I’ll be looking for more frightening choices later on.

Instant lemony aroma, kind of a darker color than expected, but not that unusual for IPAs. Good head, very bubbly. Bitter, citrus and bread come in together, it’s a little surprisingly grainy for an IPA. The main flavors are definitely ale-y, though, with a very traditional bitter beeriness and a modern slice of Citra hops. It tends toward lemon or grapefruit rather than tropical fruits, leaving a feeling of wanting to be a summer beer. Still, there is a certain weight behind it while you drink, a little more muscle than most summertime, beach-lounging beers dare to show. It’s not quite as clean as you might think from the aroma, but it’s not an overwhelming amount of stickiness. The aftertaste tingles with light citrus, floating you on to the next sip without the need to hurry. In that, being a beer to take at your leisure, it is a beer for all seasons.

es_ESSpanish
en_USEnglish es_ESSpanish