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stout

straightforward

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It’s back to my stouts, just in time for days to be less sweltering. It even gets just a bit uncomfortable to be uncovered at night now. Somehow it seems fitting to pick up this particular stout, a collab between dear Arpus and Blackout of Romania. Catch that? Blackout? See what…yeah, anyway. As usual, Arpus does not put an ear catching name on their beer, merely describing what you can expect. In this case, it’s Chocolate Cinnamon Chilli Imperial Stout. That’s a mouthful, in a couple of ways. The can makes a lot of promises about the pleasures within, and I have a certain degree of trust in Arpus, but these stouts don’t always deliver on all the details. Time to dive in.

Delightfully dark pouring out with a darkish beige topper of foam. The head bubbles away like a mess of Poprocks – revisit glass cleaning? It’s certainly chocolatey, a dark hot chocolate aroma wafts up, with a touch of cherry. Maybe even cherry liquor. The first thing one notices on drinking is the feel. It’s thick and heavy while being smooth and unbelligerent. I keep waiting for the chilli to make its appearance, and it takes some time. Eventually it does start a slow and controlled burn (something that several areas of the country would be wishing for right now), but there’s no explosion of spice or pepper. Fruit is also present in the taste, possibly the blend of cinnamon and chocolate produces the feeling. A little gastronomic placebo. A surprising ingredient is Tabasco sauce. That’s actually where the heat comes from, and I’m impressed that that bit of vinegar is smoothly covered over. The impression is of a rich chocolate cake, possibly filled with some kind of jelly or nougat. Unlike some other chilli stouts, the spice remains low and only a mild tickle. It’s almost disappointing, but at the same time it’s the kind of stout that can be picked up any day at any time, not one you have to plan around with other drinks and food. A splendid result for this collaboration.

Supplier: Be Hoppy
Price: €8.50

music to your mouth

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Well, the final leg of my international beer tour is upon me, at least for now. This is a little bit surprising too: a French Irish stout. As usual, the name of the craft brewery is in English, but the beer has a French name. This is Filé La Laine from Jukebox, an Irish Extra Stout. It’s been a weird day weatherwise, with a small rainstorm in the afternoon, but all day has been cloudy. A lot like Ireland, I guess. Jukebox is in Cognac, of all places, which I don’t know if it has dreary, rainy weather. It does make me think that a barrel aged stout would have been a more appropriate choice. Maybe they do make one…? Can’t find confirmation, although there are references to several more powerful stouts that were not on the shelf this time around. Oh well, I guess it keeps me coming back.

Portrait at dusk

It’s a solid brown being poured out, but opaque in the glass and with abundant dark beige head. The head dissipates quickly, though. It smells a little burned, but chocolatey, like brownies you didn’t keep an eye on. It’s smooth feeling and with a blend of malt and toast that rings true to classic stouts. It’s a laid-back although solid kind of beer, not one that needs to show off. It’s kind of a meal beer, seeming like something that would be happy with something beside it. Although it’s smooth and light, it starts to build up over time, leaving some kind of filmy afterfeel, which would probably be taken care of by a little snack. Is it my favorite stout of recent times? No, but it’s certainly a fine specimen, and one that might make a Guinness drinker think twice.

Supplier: Más Que Cervezas
Price: €6.75

better angels

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Oh yes, continue my path of stouts, and the Euro-tourism. Now I’m actually outside the EU, since Vocation is an English brewery. Hey, if anybody is going to know how to make a good stout, right? Oh, wait, I guess I should be saying that about a porter. Stouts might have arisen from porters, but the two modern styles are more likely to compete than lift each other up. It’s a very tempting stout from the label, even without a lot of color, very fitting for its name – Sweet Temptation Naughty & Nice. I don’t see what’s supposed to be naughty about it, it all looks like fine flavors and aromas to me. It isn’t even the alcohol, which is at a noticeable but not crazy 6.6%. I guess it’s the whole decadence of this extra sweet and pampering beer that you’re supposed to feel is a little less proper than a standard lager or the like.

The head is much more stable now, so glass cleaning has been successful. Dark beige foam and dark brown beer, it definitely looks the part of a chocolate stout. There’s a strong scent of chocolate syrup, nothing smoky or toasty here. The first sip is sweet alright, but it’s also clean and slick, with just enough to delight you without any heavy sugar. There’s little to no aftertaste, once you swallow, it’s gone. It’s almost disappointing in its smooth simplicity. The can promised more layers and some stouty toastiness, which I am not finding. I am getting kind of a buttery sensation, though, something I don’t imagine was intended originally. Maybe I’m misinterpreting the caramel?

Supplier: Más Que Cervezas
Price: €4.40

the floor is

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I’m still on my European tour, now in Poland! I feel like I may have had Funky Fluid before, but if I have I wasn’t blogging it. I’m pretty certain whatever I had was not Lava. A 12% peated imperial stout. That will leave you burning for sure. Apparently, it’s also sold as a barrel-aged version, but for some reason that one was not on the shelf. Well, I can probably guess the reason. So, a stout does not need to be exceptionally cold to be palatable, and even benefits from being more flavorful, so the shitty fridge will be just fine.

Again, head fizzes away in seconds. I really have to do something with my glass. Otherwise, it’s a fine looking beer, a nice dark brown and only a touch of smoke in the aroma. There’s a hint of chocolate swimming around in there too, so it’s not as much like the fire from a few days ago and more like a boiling pot of hot chocolate. The taste though, wow! It reminds me of bacon chocolate bonbons, with that meaty flavor all wrapped up in sweetness. Most bacon candy isn’t smoked as far as I know, so that’s a difference. It isn’t a delicate beer at all, although it doesn’t look very heavy being poured, it packs quite a punch. There’s some residue that you have hanging around the back of your tongue for a while, which might be good at preventing you from drinking this one too fast. There isn’t much aftertaste and the memory of the sweetness lingers more than the smoke. I would appreciate some food with this beer, as smoked beers aren’t really my favorite, although the snacks would have to be subtly flavored themselves to not start a fight.

Supplier: Más Que Cervezas
Price: €7.99

rolling along

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There was one more choice from La Buena Cerveza that was right in line with my tastes, even with a little extra coconut. Scanning the shelves for those stouts I found Prizm’s Strange Casualties, a coconut imperial stout which almost sounds mundane at this point. Weirdly, temperatures have gone down after a big freaking fire some few kilometers away from me, but it is still hotter than I am especially happy with. Winter will be here in no time, and I’m sure I’ll have complaints about that, and probably there won’t be enough dark beers to keep me happy. Or maybe there will, since the few beer stores that remain will all be open again after August. Keep hopes high? Gotta stay optimistic.

It pours nicely, but there is an immediate headpocalypse. Maybe I didn’t get all that sour out of there? There is a strong coconut aroma, a little bit of sunscreen too. And lurking in the background something cakey. It has an interesting blend of heavy stout bitter and coconut flavored sweet, kind of like some kind of filled pastry. Digging into it, there’s a little soapy taste, which might also indicate less than optimal rinsing. It leaves an odd energy behind after you swallow, like something electric. It doesn’t have any disagreeable aftertaste or stickiness, just a weird kind of buzz. It’s a perfectly fine imperial stout, with its coconut addition, although not quite as crazy as some other recent things I’ve dumped into my glass.

Supplier: La Buena Cerveza
Price: €8.30

full o’ beans

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It’s weirdly cloudy outside, but it hasn’t gotten any cooler. Do gray skies give me an excuse for a dark beer? You bet! And this one is a northern one, so maybe fitting. If we got a good rain, which we won’t, it might evoke some seafaring fantasies. Or forests, dark and foreboding. Actually, that sounds a little more like Laugar, threatening images on the label, and what we have today is Lervig. Not only that, but there’s something light and silly about a three bean stout. You can only imagine the symphony later.

It doesn’t look especially thick as a liquid, but the head certainly has a whipped-up appearance. It’s a very dark beige and only diminishes slowly. More than any kind of beans, I’m getting cinnamon from the aroma, with a touch of gingerbread. It’s thick, smooth and rich on the tongue, liquid gingerbread in fact. Is there vanilla and cacao? Vanilla for sure, cacao probably, but I can’t identify tonka as a distinct flavor. When I have had it, in stouts, it’s been more of a variety of cacao than something uniquely its own. The whole blend is very Christmasy, and it’s too bad I didn’t pull this out for Beermas. Well, maybe I can make an exception with repeats. It is almost a whole dessert in itself, I think any kind of baked good or pastry would just be too much. A nice simple ice cream might be ok, even something like strawberry. It does calm you right down, almost giving you a gauzy curtain to shield yourself from reality, and I expect it has to do with the strength. But for the life of me I can’t find the ABV on the can. It does seem to recommend splitting this little 330ml can into several servings, though. Should have been a warning.

Supplier: Lambeer
Price: €6.50

what’s his story anyway?

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Hoo boy, it’s really summer now! Not my favorite season, really, even though I am blessed with A/C at the moment. Maybe it’s my aversion to beaches that turns me off of the season. Also, the dearth of dark beers in the past. This year there are a few more stouts around than other years, which certainly warms my heart, and you’ve already seen some evidence of my enjoyment. This is the last one from La Mundial, a Lervig Imperial Stout with a name that makes me thing there ought to be a story – Konrad’s Stout. Can’t find a story in a quick Google search, but maybe that’s a Google problem. We’re having more and more of those.

Beer float worthy head, thick and bubbly, and a little nest of tiny bubbles at the bottom. It’s slightly cakey in aroma, but only a mild whiff. It smells fresh and bready, almost perky. Tastewise, it is a full-fledged stout, bitter and toasty warm. It warns of coffee or licorice, but doesn’t quite go there, staying strong in its stouty identity. It doesn’t quite feel as strong as its 10%, but it definitely has presence. It’s also fairly clean going down, not a whole lot of afterfeel, although there is a little bit of film on the back of the tongue reminding you that you have had a drink. In a way it’s good, since you don’t have the desire to just chug the thing. As usual, it might be too heavy for some given the weather, but I have no problems sitting in a shady place and enjoying a fine northern stout.

Supplier: La Mundial
Price: €5.20

a toast, to the past and future

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Number two stout from my last foraging, Basqueland’s Seven Minute Siesta. It sounds more like some kind of IPA than the Imperial Pastry Stout is claims to be, but we’ll see if there isn’t a surprise in the can. It might be that an 11% beer is just the thing to knock you out for seven minutes. This is part of their 10th anniversary series, one of the two stouts in a sextet of other ales, including a black IPA. For some reason, it seems to me like Basqueland ought to be even older than 10, but we must remember that the 2010s was the high point of establishment of Spanish craft beer. 2015 is a solid year to be born. Actually, it’s my nephew’s birth year too, so it must have been a year for crazy creative things to come into the world.

Again, very appetizing going into the glass, with a very fluffy mocha colored head and more tiny bubbles than I was expecting. As the head dies back I take a whiff of a cakey, fruity, chocolate syrupy beer. It has the aroma of the best kind of pastry stout, the one that has sweetness but isn’t a sugar bomb. A deeper sniff brings up some toasty maltiness too. The mouthfeel is surprisingly thick, much more robust than I thought it was going to be. The sweetness is well-balanced, strong but not overwhelming. It’s something akin to dark chocolate, doing away with the bitterness of stouts without drowning the flavor in lactose or sucrose. While filling, it was not very sticky at first, although there is some build-up in the mouth over time. It doesn’t leave much of an aftertaste, just the sensation of having your tongue varnished. And not shitty cheap stuff either, high-class celebratory shine for the ages. Happy birthday to you, Basqueland, may you keep your quality and your market for decades to come.

Supplier: La Mundial
Price: €8

not fried

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I had quite the selection before me at La Mundial. I feel sorry for Lorien, who seemingly happily brought down all the examples of stout from the shelves and dug a few out of the fridge too. I guess it’s his job and all, but there were people coming and going and it has to be a distraction to have a bunch of beer all lined up on the counter, waiting to go back to their proper places of display. Anyway, I did see a few that looked like they should not be passed up. Although it’s part of the ethos to do your best to consume locally, I just had the urge to be international this time. I did of course buy a national beer, but the one I have now came from Scotland. It’s Vault City’s Mini Mars. This “stellar” stout is certainly going to be more of a dessert than a meal, or even than just a snack. It might be mini, but these things have a way of punching above their weight, if they’re any good that is.

Powerfully pastry aroma, with the vanilla giving it a touch of cola. There is a good head – for about 5 seconds and then it dissipates, also cola-like. It’s still a good, dark brown color, though. There’s also the chocolate and caramel notes that you would expect from its namesake. Although it flows easily and doesn’t look like a thick beer, it definitely has a heavy feel. The caramel is dominant in the first sip and leaves a stouty bitter aftertaste. There’s a feeling of consuming something burned or at least caramelized, something that almost tastes like it should be crispy. It leaves a little tickle on the tongue, again harking back to the cola with its fizz, but is otherwise smooth. Even the “burned” taste is not very abrasive. Although thick and mouthfilling, it’s a slippery and easy beer for drinking. It is probably fortunate that it isn’t especially alcoholic, although the impression is one of a much stronger beer. It’s a beer that shoots for the stars, and at least for me, it’s out of this world.

Supplier: La Mundial
Price: €7.10

gift of the gods, yeah those ones

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In spite of, well, everything, there’s nothing like a stout to calm your nerves. And sometimes it’s nice to have a stronger one than normal, one with a little more oomph. If it happens to have a cool label too, so much the better. It was both the label and the name that pulled my hand right to Abduction in Be Hoppy’s fridge; pink rainbow unicorns can’t be ignored and above the name? Double fudge barrel aged. Fall on your knees, this is now your god. Lo, it has descended from the heavens. I would call the aliens on the lest hand side of the can Simpsonsesque, although that’s probably only because of the cyclops look. The two-eyed one on the right reminds me more of Toejam and Earl. I wonder of the people at Pipeworks have those influences in their pasts. They are from Chicago, so it’s certainly possible.

It’s promising in the pour, looking thick and sleek, and oh my god it’s as chocolately and liquory as you would ever want in a beer. I tasted even before sniffing, and there’s a good layer of graham cracker in the aroma, but the same notes of the flavor are present. Every piece of the style description comes out, with a slightly bitter stout entrance, a long cocoa road and a sweet bourbon tail-end. It develops kind of a tang as you drink and leaves a syrupy coating on the glass. At some point, the wood of the barrels starts making an appearance and you think the whole can might have been a bad bet to make. Eyes bigger than your stomach, as it were. It’s delicious, but definitely heavy. It’s a little strong in alcohol and in nature to be an accompanying drink, to a dessert or anything else, but it’s certainly a course of its own.

Supplier: Be Hoppy
Price: €13.95

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