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hops

shrugging drinker

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I’m excited for something from La Quince, although it isn’t a famous Black Velvet.  Maybe a later date?  Anyway, this is something that might tickle anime fans with the picture on the label, and maybe the name Angry Boy would make more sense to them too.  It’s a DDH Cream IPA, which doesn’t sound like an aggressive or punchy style, but I have been fooled by light-sounding modifiers to IPA before.  It’s a respectable level of alcohol at over 6%, so it shouldn’t be watered down in any way.

Very light – creamy- color, and almost whipped cream resting on top.  Just popping the top of the can releases a slightly spicy fragrance.  There’s a flowery perfume too, a sophisticated blend of hops.  The taste is very subtle at first, but soon a little clovery sweetness makes an appearance, washed down by a light IPA bitter.  Some spikes of bread also pop up.  It’s a soft tasting beer, despite being double dry hopped, so maybe things got better kept in the aroma.  There’s some sensation in the aftertaste, warming the throat and tickling the back of the tongue.  It settles down into a pretty stable but layered flavor, a bed of bitter and a topping of sweetness.  Much sweeter than you expect an angry boy to be.

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.

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