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Let's Learn Beer!

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beer

how could you!

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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

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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

end of summer excursion

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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

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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

cosied up

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One of the other dark beers pulled off the shelf at Hop Hop Hurra, Pohjala’s Cosy Nights Vanilla Porter.  The shopkeep was impressed with the choice, saying he was just blown away by it.  Pohjala is a very respectable source of beer, especially the dark beers I’ve found, and it looks like there will be some drizzly days ahead.  Perfect for a porter at home!

Good color and fizzy head, looking on the slimmer side for feel. It has something of a vanilla ice cream aroma. The first sip is oddly tickly, with a tiny feeler of bitter, but then it smooths out into something more candy-like, and the vanilla is definitely leading the way. It has something more of a coating feel in the mouth, not a beer that slides on and disappears, although not sticky at first. There’s a shadow of licorice and coffee boiling up in the middle, fortunately for me the licorice remains just a whisper. It has a definite warming effect, very appropriate to being a winter porter, and just the thing when you’re suffering a little cold. After a while there’s some kind of banana flavor sneaking in, giving it even more of a pudding sensation. In the end, there’s much to recommend the beer, it’s tasty and it’s calming, it goes perfectly with its own name. A fine choice indeed.

Supplier: Hop Hop Hurrah

Price: €5.75

building up

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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

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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.

life in the sun

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Given family and vacation connections, I could not ignore Jakobsland’s I Can Make You Smile.  A Florida weisse?  It seems to make sense from a weather standpoint.  Those weisses are sharp and refreshing, not the kind of beers that leave your mouth coated, suitable for additives you might feel like doing while you laze around on the beach or by the pool.  Maybe it’s even a beer you could have in celebration of voting out a wildly unreasonable governor who will then not go on to be president.  Maybe?  Hopefully.

Similar in appearance to fruity lambics, a little tang in the aroma. Fluffy, resistant head, tinted pink. It has the tight dryness of a weisse, with a little sour only developing in the aftertaste. There’s kind of a fruity bed that the stiff alcohol rides in on, but it’s not very sweet at all. Wild fruit, just sweet enough to not punish you for eating it. It’s almost shockingly untropical for something labeled with Florida. The dryness wears off a little over time and rising temperature, but it stays clean and mouth cleansing more than anything else. I have to be honest, though, while the beer has a nostalgic Kool-Aid color, and it’s a perfectly fine modern weisse, a stout would always make me smile more.

Supplier: Labirratorium

Price: €6.85

celebrations

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Back to basics, after reading up on German beer history.  Feirabend (sic)!  Dortmunder Export style!  Naparbier!  Ok, it’s not a German-made beer, but you can’t deny that Naparbier is a respectable and trustworthy brewery, voted best in Spain a few years ago no less.  Although temperatures have gone down, and there’s even been some rain, there’s nothing wrong with having a nice, light, easy-drinking beer for an evening chat with friends.  Not that I wouldn’t be happy with a stout, but sometimes that kind of darkness is threatening when you want to talk about freedoms and rights and…things you raise your voice about.

Very golden beer, fluffy white head, it’s a perfect example of the typical beer. It has a tiny bit of sourness in a grainy aroma, just enough to give it a little something unexpected. It’s just a little bitter at first, but suddenly an explosion of beery bitter wallops you in the mouth and disappears down your throat as soon as you swallow. It’s a little fizzier than I would expect, so the mouthfeel isn’t quite comfortable enough for quick drinking. It has a serious feel to it, while light in the mouth the flavor gives it weight and power. Without being too complicated the beer demands attention. The name fits perfectly in this case.

Supplier: Labirratorium

Price: €3.20

harvest time

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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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