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

stout

hit it

  • por

Beermad is pushed back to the fall this year, but there are other celebrations filling in. One is Fresh Fest, a new venture organized by Oso, among others. Next week we’ll find out how it goes, but for now we can sample some of Oso’s wares. Bigtime Imperial Stout has a self-assured label and a tempting description. A good omen?

It’s so thick, the first word I think to describe it leaving the can is oozing, since I’m pouring carefully. That’s such a negative word though, maybe something more neutral. The beer emits itself, dives into the glass, pulls itself ropelike from container to drinking vessel. The head is not hugely thick, but mousse-ish and with great staying power. Hints of chocolate, vanilla and toast drift up to the nose. It’s almost a smoothie in texture, thick with tiny nubbins that melt away in the mouth. The taste isn’t a kick in the tastebuds, but swims between dark chocolate and coffee, with a touch of licorice for good measure, surprisingly light down the throat. A gentle aftertaste starts to build about a quarter of the way through, leaving an essence of caramelly chocolate syrup. It starts out subdued and begins a lean into dessert, maybe my favorite kind of stout.

Supplier: Lambeer
Price: €7.30

anniversary ring?

  • por

As the heat grows, some people gravitate away from dark beers, preferring to match sunlight and beer shade. There’s something to be said for a sharp or bitter beer, or even a light and sweet one, but I cannot be swayed from my path of darkness. I picked up a special one too, an anniversary beer from Polish brewery NEPO. 11 years, it says. They also hint at going for a full century, and why not? The beer industry may be floundering a little these days, but it’s hardly the first time. Small breweries with good product and loyal following have survived to another boom before.

In a shadow it’s a rich black beer with an off-white head, but once in a brighter spot it takes on a warmer brown shade. The aroma hints at syrup and smoke and the flavor does not diverge from that. It’s lighter than I expected, almost effervescent. There’s an undercurrent of pastry and chocolate. It builds in body and strength, expected really, since it is something that happens with a strong beer. It still goes down easily, without leaving a slick behind or tumbling its way down the throat like a slinky. It takes quite a long time for the coconut to start coming through, I guess because it’s natural “aroma” and not a flavoring. It’s very tasty and a good cozy evening beer. I might be worried about the apparent thinness at the beginning of the can, but as it expands itself over time and warmth it starts to grow in robustness too, making it more of a formidable beverage. Here’s to 11 years, NEPO, if you make it to 100 you’ll deserve it.

Supplier: Lambeer
Price: €7.30

ride to the rescue

  • por

No, I cannot resist that can, that fun, funny, whimsical can. Garage does have a tendency to use those kind of designs. Also, imperial stout? Fuck yeah, gimme that now! I think I have had this beer before, possibly at Bee Beer, and I have the vague memory that it was quite a treat. I seem to have lost the receipt, so I don’t know exactly how much it was, but I can make a good guess. It certainly isn’t at the level of the German Red, but real craft beers, even domestic ones, are not in that price range. It is my little luxury, and I find ways to indulge. I might cry Alfajor Tears if I couldn’t.

The liquid is just lurking right under the tab, ready to leap up and grab you by the palate. It doesn’t, but somehow you know that it could have. It looks heavy enough to pull you down into the can and produces an impressive, dark beige head. There’s a good amount of chocolate in the aroma, not overly sweet, but not a smokey or raw baking chocolate scent either. It also comes through in the taste; first there’s a slightly medicinal, almost cola flavor, but the chocolate bubbles up quickly after. It’s an interesting mix of sweet, bitter and that special cola, surprisingly light in feel given the look. There’s a slightly dusty feel in the aftertaste, which brings out more natural flavors, almost like an horchata weirdly enough. It gets stronger over time, developing some almost sour notes as an undercurrent, and gaining a certain amount of robustness. While not a pastry stout, it gives a nod to dessert, and still has a close to classic profile. The weight is probably enviable for a Guinness, although it is not as smooth and nothing to swallow, which might be a problem for fans of that particular brew. It’s just right for me, though, my baby bear’s beer. And I’m not Goldilocks, so I don’t even have to break into somebody else’s house to get it.

Supplier: La Buena Cerveza
Price: €7.95?

knife or star

  • por

Despite rising temperatures, I deliberately seek out a stout to relax with. We’re having a discussion on love tonight, so I think I might need something to chill out. I haven’t gone looking for more Steam beer yet, but I have revisited an old favorite, La Buena Cerveza. They don’t have an overwhelming variety on the shelves, being a bar/store now, but there are quite a few nice looking stouts. Almost immediately, my gaze is drawn to Bowie, an imperial stout from Drunken Bros. The blend of deep blue and red on the label is both enticing and calming somehow. I am promised cocoa and vanilla; we’ll see how desserty this stout ends up.

A liitle jumpy, but no explosion with careful opening. It’s a sticky looking dark brown, with almost milk chocolate head. Not much aroma, which is a little disappointing, just some ghostly toast and echoes of vanilla. It’s smooth and mouth-filling, a slippery devil. Not very sweet, so not drifting into the realm of pastry stout. There are notes of dark chocolate and licorice along with a hint of raisin. Smoke and earth also start to rise with a little bit of time. Dimensions of flavor start to unfold themselves, although the texture doesn’t change much from the start. A sort of dustiness starts to form over it, but the beer still elbows its way smoothly through the mouth and heads down the throat unimpeded.

Supplier: La Buena Cerveza
Price: €7.50

brighten up the evening

  • por

It’s practically spring in Madrid, rain almost never stops, the temperatures are in fact quite pleasant, and yet it still feels like the beginning of the year. I turn to my stouts for stabilization. While many have cheeky, punny names, this one is very straightforward – Bourbon Barrel Aged Chocolate x Coffee Imperial Stout 2025. It’s one of Arpus’s special brews, a bit more expensive than I typically allow myself, but I’m thinking of it as an appeal to karma. And it does sound like a damn special beer. Arpus makes some real crowd pleasers, in spite of their unpretentious naming. Even people who aren’t especially fans of beer like their sours. I have been witness to such miracles.

Deliciously slick pouring, appetizingly dark color, nice mocha head, although it fizzes away. There’s a good pinch of bourbon aroma with some chocolate/vanilla background. It has a typical rough around the edges essence of many barrel aged beers, like you have to look out for splinters. But of course, the beer itself has practically no roughness at all. There’s just a bit of bubbliness, to keep you aware that it’s there, but it’s an overall smooth and syrupy sensation. There’s a definite weight and robust mouthfeel; unsurprisingly, this imperial stout is no pushover. Some dried fruit flavors start to push through after a while, adding complexity and depth. I can’t say that I detect a great amount of coffee, but there is a hint of smoke that starts to puff out once you really get into the glass. Arpus doesn’t bother giving their beers fun and clever names, but all the creativity and energy definitely goes into the beer itself. If I had to choose, I would support the emotional investment in the beer, hobby drinker that I am.

Supplier: HIdden Beers
Price: €13.99

over the horizon

  • por

Since I’ve been travelling, I don’t have a store of beer to start the year with. Didn’t make a lot of sense, although I could have left it in my closet; without the radiator my room is pretty cool. I’ll just have to use my present!

It is a special beer, since it was created by my brother-in-law for his brewpub, but which he has sold to be run by more business-interested people. So, no more Warm Fuzzies. It was a limited edition anyway, but there’s always a chance you can get a repeat when the same people are involved. The new brewers don’t use the same water source, so even the same recipes don’t come out identical to their past selves. While the majority of the collection were lighter beers, ales and sours and easier drinking options, there were also some pretty solid stouts. I seem to remember a lot of barrel-aged ones, but being far away I can’t swear to it.

It doesn’t look extra dark and thick, but pours nicely and has good color. The off-beige head doesn’t build up too much and relaxes quickly. The bourbon aroma is front and center, drowning out anything else. The taste is something of a surprise; it’s very woody to start, and winey over the tongue. It doesn’t seem to have the weight that I’ve experienced with other barrel-aged beers. It’s remarkably smooth, in fact, given the alcohol content of over 13%. The wine flavor ripens into raisin, but the beer stays pretty crisp, not descending into sticky fruitiness. It’s not quite what I was expecting, but it is undoubtedly a special beer, not only because of its extinction. The warmth of it sneaks up on you, and by the end of the can you can definitely feel that 13%. There are those warm fuzzies!

dvanactý

  • por

On the twelfth day of Beermas I went and got for me
Twelve thunders thundering
Eleven drinkers drinking
Ten drug lords delivering
Nine priestesses priesting
Eight pirate maids a-sailing
Seven boney swimmers
Six geese post-laying
Five gold nuts
Four obvious non-kiwis
A three-time remade masterpiece
Two guarding lions
And a crow glaring silently

It’s the end! Another Beermas drunk through! There were some stretches in meaning and metaphor here and there, but there’s always one that just doesn’t fit like you hope for. This final beer is a good finale. It was the label that caught my eye with the wild sky and moody color palate, but then I saw the brewery: Laugar. Hooray! And then I saw the style: Imperial Stout with marshmallows. Double and triple hooray! Nimbus carries a threat of rain and dark days, but with a sweet surprise, or maybe a consolation. The solstice is over anyway, so we’re on the way to brighter and brighter times.

Beautiful pour wit a sensible amount of mocha head. It doesn’t look quite as thick as number ten, but still presents body and substance. There’s a vapory whisp of marshmallow in the aroma, riding a stout dragon through the storm clouds of the can. The smell is disarmingly light so when you take a sip it’s a real wallop. While not the thickest beer ever, there’s a good amount of weight that floods over the tongue, and the touch of marshmallow sweetnes gives the whole thing an essence of s’more. It’s silkier than Midnight Call, really in keeping with the stouts from Laugar. Even though they produce some heavy hitters, and Nimbus comes in at 10.5%, the majority of their stouts are easy to pour down the hatch, even dangerously so. This is quite a climax to my Beermas; sometimes the stars, or the clouds, align.

Supplier: La Buena Cerveza
Price: €7.18

décimo

  • por

On the tenth day of Beermas I went and got for me
Ten drug lords delivering
Nine priestesses priesting
Eight pirate maids a-sailing
Seven boney swimmers
Six geese post-laying
Five gold nuts
Four obvious non-kiwis
A three-time remade masterpiece
Two guarding lions
And a crow glaring silently

Hey…isn’t that a scene from a Tarantino movie? Not the famous one, that other one, less famous and sillier. Well, maybe not, it’s been a while since I’ve seen it, or any Tarantino movie for that matter. Suggestions for holiday films? Ok, not only is it stirring film nostalgia, it’s an imperial stout (finally!) and from La Quince. A safe bet if I’ve ever heard one. Maybe I’m stretching the definition of lord, but I imagine people in illegal occupations do a lot of leaping. If not physically, then morally and philosophically. Collaborator Seven Island is a Greek outfit, so philosophy is almost certainly a part of this beer. I seem to recall an earlier collab with Yria that resulted in a stout that would leave you one the floor – almost literally, since it was a seventeen percenter. Midnight Call looks powerful, but manageable. Let’s find out!

First time in a while I don’t get a good head on the first pour, but there is a little beige crown there. While not pitch black, it’s a pleasing dark brown, hot fudge syrup if I had to compare it. The aroma is pretty standard stout, a little toast and earth. Wow, it’s a real mouth filler! The taste is surprisingly subdued for such thickness. It hits hard with bitter, but then there’s a support structure of something sweet. Could it be the oats? It has kind of a breakfast element to it. There’s a tingling to the sip, like a thousand teeny tiny bubbles at once. It does leave a sticky residue on the lips, although no unpleasant aftertaste or other problems. Is it one that you’d get a hankering for at midnight? A secret treat that has to come under cover of darkness? That might make it more exciting, but stouts are a pretty acceptable indulgence. I would call for this beer any time.

Supplier: La Mundial
Price: €7.50

fifth

  • por

On the fifth day of Beermas I went and got for me
Five gold nuts
Four obvious non-kiwis
A three-time remade masterpiece
Two guarding lions
And a crow glaring silently

While the birds are difficult due to their abundance, the rings are hard to match just because.  You’d think there would be more references to gold, but maybe craft brewers are just too modest.  With a little imagination, though, there’s enough out there to find something satisfying.  I feel like I will be satisfied with Nuts & Crosses.  It’s a stout, there’s peanut butter, I’m expecting some kind of liquid Reese’s.  It’s a little bit of a surprise to see the name Buxton on the can, since I don’t associate England with peanut butter consumption, but there have been quite a few peanut butter stouts put out there from a number of European breweries, so I guess it shouldn’t be too surprising.  Sometimes a liquid snack is a very different experience than a solid one anyway.

Somewhat sunny head, lighter than you expect to see.  It’s a mocha with extra milk.  The beer is good and dark, a well brewed coffee or dark chocolate.  The aroma a vegetable tang, like the juice in canned green beans.  It’s slightly metallic, slightly earthy.  The flavor is deeper and richer than the smell, with a feeling of quality chocolate and a salty hint of peanut butter.  It’s quite and armchair of a beer, an invitation to grab a fat book and invest some time in it.  It’s a very light, maybe milked down, stout, at only 4.5%, but it has a power and presence and does not slip by unnoticed.

Supplier: La Buena Cerveza
Price: €5.90

first

  • por

On the first day of Beermas I went and got for me
A crow glaring silently

I’m under a little pressure to get my Beermas together, since there will be traveling this year. I came across El Cuervo a while ago, and thought, “Why not start now?” And then let it lie around for a couple of weeks. It is a session stout, though, so it shouldn’t suffer very much. It’s also Sanfrutos, which makes solid and resilient beers, so no need to worry at all.

Is it me or do a lot of Beermases start with a crow? They must end up being solitary on cans more than other birds.

Extra foamy and bubbly, but good color and pleasantly roasty aroma. It’s thin, which shoudn’t really be a surprise, but the dark roast carries through. It has a hint of coffee but without some of the lactose or sweetness that other lighter stouts have. There is some milky aftertaste, so it’s not completely free of Starbucks connections. The beer consistently froths up with each new pouring, although the glass isn’t so bedecked with dew-drop bubbles after the first time. It’s not quite a stand-alone beer, but one you might like with food, or snacks, and maybe a scary movie. Up for The Birds?

Supplier: Más Que Cervezas
Price: €4.07

Sneak preview!

es_ESSpanish
en_USEnglish es_ESSpanish