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English beer

decadence

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It’s the end of an era…about a year late. But better late than never, we must agree. Despite the remaining beers being very Belgian heavy on the fast-emptying shelves of Labirratorium, there were still some that fit my typical tastes – chocolate stout! This is Vocation’s Triple Truffle Naughty & Nice Chocolate Stout, in a tall can and a subtle but suitable label. It’s been chilling for quite a while so I let it sit on the table for a bit before even opening, trusting that chocolate beer won’t go off very fast. At 8.4% it’s strong, although not the strongest I’ve ever had. Sounds like the chocolatiest I’ll have had, though.

It has a definite chocolate aroma, with a touch of liquor, kind of like those cherry liquor bonbons. While not especially heady, a nice layer of thick and lasting foam forms on the top. The flavor does not deviate from the scent clues, piling on in fact. It’s not heavy on the alcohol feel, but the chocolate is thick and dark tasting, very much like Möser Roth’s truffle. Actually, I think it’s a little sweeter than that. It maintains a pleasant texture, not getting to syrupy or heavy, and the flavor also stays constant. It’s quite an easy drinking beer for what you might expect from the description. The wait certainly didn’t hurt it, although I’m sure it was delicious from day one.

kernel of joy

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Still winter, technically, but the temperatures might cause you to doubt just a little. Or at least doubt where you are. But I still have the hankering for the dark beers, so I can’t refuse a stout when it comes my way. It’s a little different from most that catch my eye, a so-called Imperial Brown Stout, but it comes from The Kernel, which has its fame and its fans. A simple brown rather than a more profound black should be welcome once in a while anyway.

It’s a good dark brown, not the lightest purported stout I’ve ever seen. It releases just a whiff of toasty malt aroma as it pours and produces a neat and not too thick beige head. In the glass, it has a little more of a grainy sharp scent, a little lighter than some stouts, to go with the color I suppose. It’s very toasty in flavor, and much heavier than I was expecting. In spite of the evident smoke on the palate, it’s a smooth and easy beer for drinking. It seems to have a tiny bite of hop, like a hoppy lager or a really laid-back black IPA. Despite its subdued feel, it’s quite a strong beer at over 9%, but it doesn’t quite drink so strongly. The overall feel might be what knocks people out first.

Supplier: La Mundial
Price: €7.40

let down

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Another pre-holiday holiday, so maybe it’s a good time to break out another seasonal beer. St. Peter’s has a safe place among beers, so it seemed like the way to go rather than another Belgian. There are plenty of days left to give another one a chance. Christmas Ale has a more festive label than their standard beers and promises some festive flavors as well.

Similar in appearance to Delirium, but less explosive. There’s kind of a fruitcake aroma to it, happy and light. But, there’s something else in there too, something dark and … peppery? It definitely has a stronger flavor than Delirium, but it’s a weird, kind of dishwatery flavor. Is the Christmas ale off? It certainly doesn’t have the spicy tastes that the label says, and there is that bit of cardboard that isn’t a great thing for a beer’s preservation status. It feels like it’s trying to come back from the poor first impression, throwing a little apple cider into the mix, but it just doesn’t come up to expectations. Kind of sad, but maybe we should be more used to disappointments these days.

Supplier: Más Que Cervezas
Price: €4.99

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