That’s the beer, and there’s no need for any other title I think. It’s the call of a generation, several generations in fact. It’s the lament of those in the middle of a long road with no end in sight. That’s just the kind of design that appeals to me too, such a reminder of, well, all my past. You’d think Naparbier would have more optimistic offerings, being one of the most successful craft breweries in Spain in terms of longevity and reputation, but we can imagine a more positive interpretation. It’s the monster itself that elicits the phrase, from the traveler, not the viewers response to the situation. We may find difficulties in our way, but they might only be phantoms. We create problems for ourselves and use them as excuses to avoid making an effort. And that sucks, because there are real things that we can overcome if we actually invest some energy in it. Thanks for the push, Naparbier!
It’s a bright, happy yellow, with piney and citrusy scent to match, but doesn’t hold its head very well. Flavorwise, it’s also bright and bubbly, with a light sheet of bitter across the tongue rather than a rolling boulder that you might get from a stout. It’s very much a West Coast style, with little to no fruit in the taste but still maintaining a sunny and modern quality. It smooths out with time and warming, gaining a touch of citrus sweetness, and a little more weight in the mouth. If you’re fast it’s a good warmer weather treat, with the sharp bitterness to jab you out of lethargy, but if you’re patient it’s a little more of an all-year choice, sweet and summery but also warmingly full. No apathy at all!
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!
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!
On the second day of Beermas I went and got for me A bottle but not two cans And more than half a liter of perry
This beer is calling out to be second, it’s very name is Tukan! Two…can. And it’s in a bottle. Is this one too cheap, too easy? At least it’s a bird! It’s also an IPA, so maybe we’ll have some tropical sensations to distract us from current weather. Attik has been included in beer Advent calendars, so I trust it will be up to the level of this special group.
Tropical breezes waft out immediately and the glass fills with roiling gold. There’s a pretty good head on it, very white and fluffy. With closer inspection, the aroma also contains some spicy and salty notes, caraway or rosemary maybe? The taste hits with fruit first, much like the scent, but doesn’t bring out the other spices very strongly. An aftertaste with some balancing savoriness starts to build up within a few sips, but the beer is mostly bright and sunny, with a touch of mango and melon. Day two down!
I have not traveled far and wide to beer fairs and festivals, a little to my chagrin. Well, I don’t like to drive, I don’t like crowds, and I’m not a good trip planner. So much easier to stay close to home – Beermad, La Ruta del Lúpulo, other assorted fairs and fests, there’s no lacking of opportunity in the area. For some reason, this seemed like the year to add Barcelona Beer Festival to the list. It’s supposed to be the biggest in Spain, with the most professional bent, in previous years they had up to 600 beers on the list.
So…it wasn’t quite as big as that. It was a little bigger than the last Beermad, but not too much. The professional area was bigger, but I don’t think there were many more stands and there certainly weren’t more toilets! That seems like poor planning to me. Also, the food just wasn’t as nice as from the food trucks at Beermad, although it was quite a bit cheaper. I was unsurprised to see all the info on the food stands in Catalán, and where there was Spanish it was lower down and a little smaller. They have to make their point. The best thing about BBF was that it was convenient to get to; I came in on the train and walked about 15 minutes down the street. Beermad is always a little bit out of the way for people from out-of-town, and even for people in town sometimes.
I didn’t want to waste time once inside, but I had just had a two hour train ride and a walk in the sun (it was kinda hot that weekend!) so I snapped up the first pick-me-up looking beer I saw, and it was Naparbier. A fruity apricot sour, something that sounded both soothing and like a good opener to more. It’s dark orange, rusty, with some potent alcohol fumes and a coating of old fruit. It really tastes like the liquor part of chocolate liqueurs, with the apricot being on the sour side and only a film of sweet on top. There’s a base of woodiness underneath, what you might expect from a barrel aged beer. I think I almost feel shreds of pulp as I drink, but it’s probably just the intensity of the flavor. It is a thick beer, though. While it starts out refreshing, it gets heavy if you don’t drink it fast, which is a little hard to do with the texture and alcohol feel. It’s a little stronger than I meant to start at, but definitely tasty.
Next I find something a little more local, Kom’s Amazonas NEIPA. Not quite ready to dive into stouts yet. It has a good color, very juicy looking. It turns out not to be as spiky as some in flavor, quite soft and creamy in fact, something of an easy drinking beer. The taste gives you the impression of natural, fresh squeezed orange juice. It’s a lovely NEIPA, happy on its own and probably not too bad with a little snack (was a little put off by some fishier odors by the food stands, so no lunch yet).
The time has come for a stout to take the stage, something bitter and black at last, so Petrolis seemed like the place to go. They had a Bidassoa Russian Imperial too, but I was told Mica Roble y Pino was more bitter, and that’s what I was hankering after. I don’t think it is that bitter, but it’s a barrel aged stout and that part is evident in the flavor. It’s even a bit peppery somehow. I was warned about a little wine taste coming out, and some does indeed, but I’ve had more obvious wine-beers. The combination of flavors is fairly heavy, but the beer itself is smooth and goes right down with little cling to the mouth. Well done, Mica!
Practically all the beers were Spanish and mostly from the north if not Cataluña (although Península was also there), but there was a stand with Polish beer on one end and French on the other. There must have been some buzz about the Polish beer because a line formed out of nowhere and snaked all the way around the corner, leaving me with little desire to stand around. The French beers looked like your typical craft offerings, IPAs and pale ales, and I thought after a barrel aged stout a hoppy IPA would hit the spot. They had Cambier IPA Mosaic/Idaho 7, which sounds like it ought to be bright enough to balance out the previous darkness. It is a perfectly acceptable IPA, good Mosaic flavor comes out, it’s not very bitter, mildly fruity, really a good pick-me-up after a disappointing pizza. The info on the stand recommended a Czech style pilsner as the beverage of choice, but I think the stronger tasting IPA is needed to make up for the disappointment. I was also treated to a taste of La Pirata’s barrel aged Black Block from a South African/Canadian couple at the table. They were on a Mediterranean cruise, spending the day in Barcelona and coincidentally saw the festival happening near their hotel. Hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip, Tim and Robin! Also, I hope I guessed right on the spelling. The Black Block was a delectable contrast to the IPA, even more of a comfort after underwhelming food.
I have time for more! There’s Althaia, who I remember from beer calendars. They have an interesting sounding smoked chilli stout, I ask if it’s very spicy and am told not very. Let’s try it out. There’s a smoky bacon aroma, good stout appearance. First flavor impression? Tabasco rauchbier. It has a good feel to it, very balanced in the smoke-earth-spice, but not much of a mealtime beer in my opinion. It’s a good little taster, actually perfect for the glass size at the festival. You get a good idea of what it is, but when it’s gone it’s just in time. It might actually be good with ice cream. I’ve had a bit to eat so now I feel like I might deserve dessert.
But I spend my last wristband tokens on Gecan Porter. This is a beer festival after all. It has a good dark color, but nothing in particular on the nose. It’s bready and toasty, more what you’d expect from a stout than a porter, although it’s not especially strong. Certainly not as fruity or smooth as I have come to expect from porters, but it is supposed to be a more traditional take. We can probably chalk it up to that.
And that was my Saturday in Barcelona Beer Festival. It could have been worse in so many ways, but it was a let-down from build-up on their website. Much more of a local festival than a national or international one. Next year what, Hamburg? Granada? I guess it depends on if I feel like flying or not.
Beermad is back to its regular schedule it looks like, and this time they’re making the most of a local holiday weekend to have four days instead of the normal three. It’s still at Casa de Campo, still somewhat limited entry, although there are morning and afternoon passes, plus all-day passes this time around. Unsociable person that I am, I go in the morning, when fewer people are looking to really drink down some beers, and of they’re there it’s really to enjoy the experience.
There was also a stand called Vamos a Beer. Good puns!
I always start on the dark side; just that kind of girl I guess. There are more to choose from than in other editions, but the first one I lay eyes on is a real licker too: Toccalmatto’s 28 Imperial Stout. They specialize in making low-carb beers and this one is also no added sugars, just the natural malts. That sounds like a pretty normal stout, but it also has some chipotle that you might think needs a but of balancing. Happy to try it out! It smells a little winey, but there’s a good thick head. The color is slightly lighter than I expect from stout. The taste is woody, malty, leafy, very nature-focused. I would even call it a healthy flavor. As promised, there’s a touch of chili. It’s a 12%-er, so the lightness in the mouth is surprising, and the alcohol does catch up to you if you’re not careful. It’s a chili-chocolate sensation, only slightly bitter, and could be hard to beat today.
Next I ask for Vandalia’s Azabache Porter. This one isn’t on tap, the lack of head is probably my own poor pouring skills. It’s fizzy and with a nice porter color, with a kind of root beery, vaguely sour fruit smell. This porter also has a woody flavor, but a different kind, more robust. It’s drier than the stout and not very fruity for a porter. While solid and mouth filling, it doesn’t make you think of road tar (“azabache”), it’s quite easy on the palate and would even be a good accompaniment to a meal.
In a whole-ass bottle!
My quest for the darkness continues with La Charanga’s 28850 Stout. Also little head (and I didn’t pour this time), but otherwise good appearance. No strong aromas off this one. It’s very malty and slightly smoky, with an underlying bitter just lurking. It has more body than the previous beers, a little sticky and moderately heavy. Notes of licorice and coffee surface over time. It is a nice beer, more imposing than Vandalia’s porter but simpler in presentation than Toccalmatto.
It turns out I’m not impervious to a good invitation. While I could have stuck to black beers, From Lost to the River offered a taste of all three of their beers before making a decision (none were stouts) and I couldn’t resist. There was an English bitter style – very nice – a light and normal IPA, and a very hop forward dry hopped version. I had to have something to equal those powerful black beers from before, so that was Lost IPA, with some more hops behind it. It’s very golden, little head, and sports a bubbly hop aroma. It’s not actually super bitter but very modern hoppy, juicy, with a little bit of peach. You get a good mouthful of beer rather than a poof of overwhelming hops that claw their way down your throat. It’s a bright and blinky beer, styled more as a West Coast IPA than other types, and I would call it fairly standard for IPAs today. I would also say there’s a reason for that being standard.
I only have a morning ticket, so I can’t stay forever. I do have plenty of time for one more, though, and I usually feel like I should leave on a light note. I was intrigued by Cervecería La Política and thought that might be a good closer. I was hoping for a big story about one party or another, but it seems like they’re just playing off the current feeling of dissociation. Anyway, another IPA, fitting aroma and good strong head. Faintly opaque. It’s very much a normal IPA, hoppy, biting-bitter, floral soft and clean. A finishing beer, really, although it does have a hint of dust in it. It feels like a quick gulp and a soft swallow, very easy on the tongue and yet it still has a certain amount of personality to put forward. I only wonder what kind of politics might be represented by the color on the label…
On the eleventh day of Beermas I went and bought for me Eleven whales blowing 10 lords a-robbing? Nine night owls hooting Eight maids not for cleaning Seven avian vampire teasers Six plans a-hatching Five collaborations Four miles of nowhere Three tropical tree eggs Two staring wings And an icy raven looking needy
I almost pushed this one into number seven, for the swimming animal on the label, but those neck-like tubes could not be denied. So, what to do with Mala Gissona’s Shackeltown IPA? There’s definitely a connection to the sea; they brew their beers with the fortitude and solemnity of the old Basque whalers, or something like that. Well, at least some sailors like to have a little music, a little wind instrument accompaniment. Also, whales do a bit of blowing themselves. There we go, our representation of pipes! Less literal than some other years, but that’s the fun.
It’s a stunningly dark IPA, maybe more in line with older varieties. Very typical IPA aroma, though, bright, herbal, grabs the nose hard. The taste is juicy and modern, a very fruity kind of ale, like a fruit cocktail. There’s that citrus of course, but also a little pineapple and mango. Although the fruit feels like it should be sharp, the beer is very smooth and slides right down the throat. It’s actually very festive feeling, like a nice holiday punch. The bright and shiny IPAness of it would also make it palatable to those summer people who prefer their beer sunny and cheerful instead of dark and blankety like my best stout buddies.
On the ninth day of Beermas I went and bought for me Nine night owls hooting Eight maids not for cleaning Seven avian vampire teasers Six plans a-hatching Five collaborations Four miles of nowhere Three tropical tree eggs Two staring wings And an icy raven looking needy
Am I wasting a bird on dancing ladies? Perhaps. But damn if Night Owlers NEIPA didn’t call out to me for that night out. It’s La Quince and Salama Brewing, another collab from the wise owl. Can’t think of one that hasn’t turned out delicious.
Rather opaque, sort of lemonade cocktail look, very fleeting head. It’s not terribly fruity or spicy in aroma, with just a whiff of bitter hops and a tail end of bread. The flavor is also subdued, but with a more typical NEIPA bent, that layer of sweet orange juice. It doesn’t quite get to bitter, although there is a less sugary part, more mealy or pithy. Something in the aftertaste comes across as sharp, acidic, but it is also very temporary, like the head.
On the sixth day of Beermas I went and bought for me
Six plans a-hatching
Five collaborations
Four miles of nowhere
Three tropical tree eggs
Two staring wings
And an icy raven looking needy
This was one of the bird suggestions, grabbing at straws a little bit. It is a bird, for sure, not one that’s in the song I think, but maybe I can make do…in fact, I’m sure I can make do. Look at that face! That bird has a plan. We might even say he’s hatching something. A plan like an egg, right? Right? It’s not that much of a stretch! This might be the first can of Cosa Nostra I’ve picked up, although I remember them from the Vallecas beer fair. Then it was a porter, and now it’s a Double Hazy IPA, a little backwards some might think. But, Brufol might have some tricks up its feathery sleeve.
Extra juicy looking, with very fine bubbled head, very much like a fresh-squeezed orange juice. Similar aroma, maybe a little bit lighter. The feel is also very juicy, thick and mouth-filling. It feels like it wants to get to sweet, but can’t quite make it out of bitter, although it isn’t fair to call it a bitter beer either. It’s weighty and pleasant to drink, without disappearing into the ether, but there’s no over-reliance on acidity or citrus, so it’s really well balanced. I’m hoping the plan was to make a perfectly drinkable hazy because that’s what was achieved.
On the fifth day of Beermas I went and bought for me Five collaborations
Four miles of nowhere
Three tropical tree eggs
Two staring wings
And an icy raven looking needy
What do I get for number five this year, another golden ale? Can I get away with any blond beer on color alone? Actually, Península comes to the rescue with Entre Amigos and its friendly circles on the can. Not only is it an invitation to potential drinkers, it’s a collaboration beer, with Sparkle, only deepening the ties. It’s a hazy IPA, so a style that several friends of mine would be happy to share a can of. Later I found out there were more than one iterations of Entre Amigos, with different partners. Makes sense, and now I’m wondering if I can track more down…
For an IPA, it has a surprisingly ruddy color, even being a hazy. Quite opaque too. The aroma is perky and sharp, with a very modern feel to it. The taste is no surprise based on that: a little spice, caraway, snappy, not very citrusy but there’s some light summery fruit in there. In the mouth it makes itself unignorable, but once swallowed it disappears cleanly, so really a very nice drink. I might prefer it on a warmer day, on a sunny street, but then again I drink inside whenever I can.
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