Well, the final leg of my international beer tour is upon me, at least for now. This is a little bit surprising too: a French Irish stout. As usual, the name of the craft brewery is in English, but the beer has a French name. This is Filé La Laine from Jukebox, an Irish Extra Stout. It’s been a weird day weatherwise, with a small rainstorm in the afternoon, but all day has been cloudy. A lot like Ireland, I guess. Jukebox is in Cognac, of all places, which I don’t know if it has dreary, rainy weather. It does make me think that a barrel aged stout would have been a more appropriate choice. Maybe they do make one…? Can’t find confirmation, although there are references to several more powerful stouts that were not on the shelf this time around. Oh well, I guess it keeps me coming back.
It’s a solid brown being poured out, but opaque in the glass and with abundant dark beige head. The head dissipates quickly, though. It smells a little burned, but chocolatey, like brownies you didn’t keep an eye on. It’s smooth feeling and with a blend of malt and toast that rings true to classic stouts. It’s a laid-back although solid kind of beer, not one that needs to show off. It’s kind of a meal beer, seeming like something that would be happy with something beside it. Although it’s smooth and light, it starts to build up over time, leaving some kind of filmy afterfeel, which would probably be taken care of by a little snack. Is it my favorite stout of recent times? No, but it’s certainly a fine specimen, and one that might make a Guinness drinker think twice.
Supplier: Más Que Cervezas
Price: €6.75
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