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Garage Beer Co

not left behind

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Half of the darkest month is over, although I think I’ll be able to keep a good shadow over December too. While last week was a can of surprises, this week looks like something a little more predictable, which should not mean unpleasant. Garage Beer Co. and Track both contributed to this imperial stout, a rich blend of coffee, vanilla and chocolate from the looks of the ingredients list. Blue Straggler has an unlikely label for this blending I would say, but who knows? There might be some unusual aftertaste that pops up unexpectedly when you look at those featured components.

This one also has some fruity aroma about it, but the head is less satisfying. Colorwise, it’s deep and dark, befitting my streak. It’s not as exciting as that old Diamond, really just plum on the fruit side and the barest whisper of chocolate tickling the nose. The chocolate was lying in wait for the drink it seems, giving a good wallop of bittersweet right up front. The fruit aroma might have been a ghost of my own making, influenced by the can design. Anyway, a very filling and fulfilling beer, with good body and subtle flavors after the initial impression. It has a bit of a dusty coat but is easy enough going down without stickiness or excess sweetness. I am not getting the vanilla or coffee to be honest, it’s actually a fairly simple flavor in that regard. Maybe the chocolate and tonka are asserting themselves a little too much; maybe those notes were only supposed to be suggestive anyway. In any case, it’s undeniably cozy and warming, just what you want on a dark, dark post-Halloween night.

Supplier: La Mundial
Price: €6.80

bee’s knees

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Things are cooling down outside but about to heat up in work, so it feels like a good time to grab one more strong drink. Of course, stouts are my go-to at any time for any reason, but I have plans for the future and variety is always good. So, why not an IPA? Why not indeed, and let’s make it double! Garage, makers of oh so many fantastic brews, has a hearty product on the shelves – Hexagons Honey DIPA.

Slightly spicy aroma, something like caraway, and a color that speaks to its name. Head appears fragile with larger bubbles, but does keep a pretty good cap on for a while. The scent in the glass takes on more sweetness, mostly typical IPA citrus, but there’s some honey lurking at the base. The first impression of the flavor is that it’s more like the first NEIPAs I had, smooth, sweet, like a beermosa. It has some extra sharpness in the throat, so it’s not completely a pushover, but for the most part it’s very drinkable light. I get a bit of coating on the tongue, although the beer itself doesn’t feel sticky at all.

Supplier: Be Hoppy
Price: €6.75

southern light

After a beer fair you might not want to go back to the same old, same old. Garage is a very familiar and beloved brewery, but they do have a few special things in their cans. I have had Barcelona Weisse before, but in a different iteration; this is the 8th anniversary version, with a collectable sticker on the can. Calvell 45 does its best to bring you in, with a list of tropical fruits promising a bouncier, more colorful weisse.

Can seems extra full and aroma is extra fruity. It has a distinct mandarin scent to it, and while it does pour out fizzy, the liquid looks a lot like mandarin juice from a can. Well, a little more color, Fanta thinned with mandarin juice. The head dies back immediately although tiny bubbles continue to rise. The first sip starts out thick and much more bitter than expected, rolling over to a more citrusy tang, and ending on an orange pith note. The weisse kind of sour actually takes a couple of sips to come out. It’s that blend of bitter and sour that weisses tend to have, with a touch more fruit than the traditional ones offer. It’s very light in the mouth, effervescent even, with sort of a champagne feel; it might be a good substitute for a beer focused celebration. Now that temperatures are reasonable for the time, I’m wishing I had more good stouts, like were at Beermad, but you really can’t complain with Garage.

Supplier: La Mundial
Price: €6.50

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