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DDH

what do you expect?

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Picked up a few new gems from Hidden Beers, reopened after the summer holidays. I didn’t get my email in correctly though, so the exact prices have flown off into the ether. They’re a little over 6 euros each, that much I can be sure of. Close enough? I was hoping for more stouts or themed beers, but there wasn’t much to be had. There was this DDH double IPA, with a season appropriate design. Leave it to Germans to give us just what we need when we’re on a beer hunt. Sudden Death’s Devil In Disguise might burn a hole in my throat if DDH beers of the past have given me anything to go by. It might start out nice, you know, in disguise, but eventually that fiery devil will have to come out.

Bright and sunny looking liquid and frothy laundry-white head, this devil definitely appears friendly at first glance. The aroma is sweet on top but layered on nuttiness and savoriness. The savory comes out first in the flavor, followed by a melony feel and peachy finish. There’s some pith lurking in the aftertaste, but it’s very smooth in feel in general. It starts to develop almost a candy flavor, with a mix of lemon and butterscotch. It’s not the rough and tumble DDH I was expecting, but maybe that’s part of the disguise. Maybe there’s a big pile of grassy, caraway sediment on the bottom waiting to surprise me. No, there is not. The beer remains pleasant, smooth and weirdly desserty to the end. I don’t think I want to complain much about it though, it’s been unseasonably warm and a sugary treat gives you energy to get to the shade.

Supplier: Hidden Beers
Price: €6+

astronauts

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On the tenth day of Beermas I went and got for me
Ten space lords leaping
A third of nine dancers carefree
Eight spice rack maidens
A taste of one of seven seas
Six alarms a-ringing
A high-powered ring of fire
Four silent moths
Three frisky parrots
A bottle but not two cans
And more than half a liter of perry

At least the label has a clear connection to the song, although there’s only one guy on there. It’s kind of a lonely image, but maybe there are some other crew members hiding in or controlling things from the shuttle. It wouldn’t be that much of a surprise that beer, or at least alcohol, is one of the items that space explorers make damn sure they have around. After all, the pilgrims built a brewery at Plymouth for anything else, they say. Península and their Galactic Sunrise would have been an unknown in the early 17th century, but they might have gained fans then as quickly as they have today. Probably would have had a hell of a time finding suitable hops for a double dry hopped beer, though.

Sort of a peach-honey color, juicy looking, thick. Not excessive head. There is a little of the orangey citrus that modern IPAs can’t do without, but there’s also a swaddling of musk perfume. The taste is sharp, grassy, a stab of mint. There is citrus, but it’s a bitter citrus, not even the odd balance of a grapefruit. It feels wild and a little untamed, in spite of the typical standard beer’s bitterness, maybe because a little influence from the label comes in. It’s an unearthly drink, one that comes from a brand new setting. It’s a discovery of the similarities in unexpected places and differences that surprise you. It’s a stronger IPA at 7%, but the flavor is delicate as well as attention-grabbing, and you get the feeling that it wouldn’t interfere too much with a space walk. Tenth day down!

alarms

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On the sixth day of Beermas I went and got for me
Six alarms a-ringing
A high-powered ring of fire
Four silent moths
Three frisky parrots
A bottle but not two cans
And more than half a liter of perry

There was a lot of hemming and hawing over what would best represent geese a-laying. Finally, it seemed to me that the most important part was the awareness, activity and energy of doing a job, which might be an early-morning or first-thing job. Caleya has provided me with birds in the past, but this time it’s only the feeling with Hurry Up DDH IPA. Get up in the morning, get to work, use the early morning hours to get ahead and “lay” your plans for success. You don’t have a golden egg laying goose and you sure as hell aren’t one either, so get hustling. Or don’t, lazy ass, see if the Christmas ghosts care?

Extra-light, transparent, well-formed head, it’s a good looking beer from the start. The aroma is not super strong, but there are clear notes of tropical and citrusy hops, giving the beer a wake-up aura. The taste isn’t excessively sharp, but there is definitely fruit. More melon or even bland apple than orange or tangerine, and certainly not grapefruit or mango. It seems very light and delicate for a DDH but not all hops are flavor bombs; some can leave hints and nudges towards a flavor rather than kicking you over a cliff. The brightness of the beer could wake you up after a round of heavier, darker beers, and get you thinking about…whatever you need to think about. I think Caleya could give Fairweather Farm’s Profaniteas (and Tranquiliteas) a run for their money. Not only do you get the get the eff up punch, but there’s a rosy and warm feeling of calm down and do things without stress. Despite the sharp colors, the name of urgency, Caleya has made a beer that helps you focus and relax. I don’t think they get as much of a push as they should, if what you’re looking for is a pale ale or IPA, they’re one of the most reliable breweries around. Sixth day down!

beer-o-ma

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It’s one of those times when the label is what gets a beer into your hand. I mean, look at that thing! Not that I’m a fan of the Clockwork Orange movie, I think it’s too easy to see as a glorification of assholery, but it’s so visually identifiable. And that’s the vision right there, staring out at you and daring you to risk your evening drinking a 7.4% DDH NEIPA. Octavo Arte knows what they’re doing with La Naranja Segoviana, at least in terms of attracting attention.

It’s a very light color, a little too dusty to be sunny and a reflection of the early summer day. There’s a very strong citrus aroma, even through my summer-air-dulled stuffy nose. Does it open the nasal passages a little? Maybe a little, in anticipation. It’s on the bitter side of the NEIPA scale, although it has a pretty solid body to it. It’s less juicy than some of its style, more piney and westward-leaning. But, that works just fine for the weather. The beer is smooth and a soft drink, but if you’re not careful with the sediment you get a good amount of sludge in the glass. It doesn’t affect the taste too much, although there is a little bit of a sting-y afterfeel. The infusion makes the beer more juicy looking, to be sure, but it isn’t that sweet and perky juicy NEIPA that some people love and love to look down on.

Supplier: Birra Y Paz
Price: €7.15

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