building up
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
harvest time
Labirratorium just rearranged their stock from country-based to style-based, which means all the stouts are right there! Of course, sometimes you want some national representative, but then you ask about it, the same as you used to when you wanted a particular style. Some people worry about their searching habits, but jeez, you can get used to anything and this isn’t even a weird change. I was very happy to find Laugar’s Soul Reaper Imperial Breakfast Stout right away. Yes, the name and label had something to do with its choosing. It isn’t that long til Halloween after all.
There’s just a whiff of chocolate stout, but definitely something there. It’s not especially heady, although the head that’s present it tight and resistant. Promising dark and opaque brown, very nearly black. Taking a closer sniff, there’s a more toasty background than obvious at first, but with a dusting of dark chocolate still on top. The chocolate comes out big on the flavor, giving you a good shove right up front. Then there’s a more licorice finish, typical for many stouts, which always makes me question my devotion. It feels slick and smooth, although it has a lot of body. It goes down pretty easy despite having plenty of weight, even with a tiny little kick at the back of the palate coming in on the swallow. A little spiciness builds up on several sips, something cinnamony and even a little minty, very Christmas-y I’d say. It feels like a good partner with gingerbread, for example. Even over time it stays smooth and satisfying, with little change in texture. It’s s solid beer, one that would tempt me every time. Even the licorice dies down after a while, nearing it to perfection.
Supplier: Labirratorium
Price: €6.10
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