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stout

shining dark

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Still in the thoes of summer heat, but I feel the need for something dark. A reminder of shadows and cool and damp. It’s supposed to be slightly rainy today, according to my weather app, but it certainly isn’t in my neighborhood. If only there was a good summer storm to go with my nice pastry stout, my Sweet Tooth. Scanning the shelves, I saw that Lervig star and that was pretty much it. A nice pastry stout, black as an eclipse that might be seen not too far away from here. It’s also a good quiet celebration beer, to go with some recent news. But, I think will detail that another day.

A rich and sticky looking pour, with a warm dark brown color. Dark mocha head sets nicely and gently shrinks over a minute or so. The aroma is very fitting for a pastry stout, full of vanilla, fresh muffins, syrup. I think the coconut is in there too, but I might just be anticipating it. The first sip is also a real blast of sweetness, so much that I can’t even untangle what I’m tasting. Going back, there’s a hint of cocnut and some sharpness like gingerbread, the smoothness of vanilla chasing it all down. Then a little licorice pokes its head out in the aftertaste. Sitting inside, it’s a delight and even refreshing for me. There is a certain amount of weight to it, and while smooth, it’s no breezy drink that flies by in a flash. It also doesn’t take too long for the alcohol to start leaning on you, although only lightly. But we are talking about an 11% beer, so it would be odd if that didn’t happen.

Supplier: La Mundial
Price: €6.90

could switch with last week…

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It’s been quite a while since I came across an American beer on the shelves. Import and shipping costs, I guess. But here we are after all this time, with a Kentucky Imperial Stout. This West Sixth Brewing has been around for a while, since 2012, but I don’t remember seeing them pop up around here before. No complaints about a stout though, whoever makes it, wherever it comes from. Snake Eyes could just make my night!

Extra dark brown, a good mocha color to the head, although the foam is a little on the light side. The aroma is malty and somewhat heavy, expected from the appearance. There are hints of gingerbread lurking, but no smoke or earthier notes. The taste is surprisingly sweet for not being a pastry or milk stout, rather a maply flavor. It could be a recipient of Kentucky’s bourbon barrel treatment, although that is not on the label. It’s an unusual sensation of taste explosion, but quick fade away, giving the beer a deceptive lightness. It’s not weighty on the tongue, but after a good amount of sipping it does start to hang around a little. It’s in double digits with ABV, so no surprise really.

Supplier: Lambeer
Price: €6.90

identified

In spite of the uncomfortable blazing of the day, I insist on seeking out stouts. They can be refreshing too, you know? They don’t have to be very alcoholic to be true to style and tasty. So I feel pretty confident in Deep Web, a so-called draught stout in a can. It is from Laugar, after all. While my experience with Laugar tends to be with much stronger barrel aged and similar strength stouts, this one is a very reasonable 5.5%. Stronger than the most widely available version of Guinness, but nothing too crazy. I wonder about the name; is it trying to say that the Deep Web is more normal than we think and we have little to fear from traveling through it? Or is there some hidden message, perhaps in the beads of the web (chin scratching emoji)?

Extra full can, but no explosion. A little bit bubblier than you might want, but good dark chocolate color and a fluffy head on the darker side of beige. It falls to a light cap pretty quickly. There’s a pretty typical stout aroma, a little bit earthy and smoky. The taste is malty and thick, maintaining the notes present in the fragrance, and with a slightly green undertone. It makes me think of fresher plant-based drinks, like horchata. While the first impression is sweet, a little hint of bitter starts to build up with each sip. While not an excessively strong stout, it does leave it’s mark on you, and it has a body that lives up to Laugar’s record with me. It’s quite pleasant and flavorful, a happy standard kind of stout for a bar visit or a gathering of friends when you don’t want to be distracted by your drink.

Supplier: La Buena Cerveza
Price: €5

no falling

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There were supposed to be storms this weekend, but not thus far. There’s always tomorrow, I guess. In the meantime, I fall upon my trusted stouts. This time it’s Dos Kiwis Gravity, an luscious sounding imperial, recommended at the store as a sturdy and headturning choice.

Rich and dark, with a mocha colored and bubbly head. It dissipates quickly but leaves a thin cap behind. The aroma is heavy and boozy, with overripe bananas, a little coffee and a splat of chocolate. The taste is also overripe fruit, jelly toast, not much chocolate or coffee. The flavor gets heavier, raisiny, prickly, a mouthful that doesn’t leave you struggling, although it feels ready to throw its weight around. Cinnamon and some other wintery spices start to make an appearance with a little bit of settling. It blooms like Christmas, a hint at more tolerable days to come.

Supplier: Más Que Cervezas
Price: €8.80

need some shade

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Time to venture down to the beer stores, and Be Hoppy is hoppin’. It seems like somebody’s having a party, but hard to tell who and what for. In any case, it’s good for places to be busy, even if it’s less comfortable for me. Not too many stouts in the fridge right now, but there is a rather eerily beautiful can on the shelf. Oh, it’s Seven Island! Now it has to come with me. There is a small note on the can that Polish Stu Mostow also has something to do with this, but that is not a deterrent. There is a series, apparently, of Dark Ages stouts. This one is Light Devourer, an Imperial Stout with pecans and creme brulee. Not a pastry stout? Still a find, and now that the resurrected fridge is with us, it will cool off properly.

A delicious pour, maybe festival worthy, with a rich dark brown beer and a milk chocolate head. The bubbles aren’t quite even in size, but it doesn’t dissipate very quickly. It’s not terribly aromatic, but there is a promise of chocolate and liquor, possibly with a foundation of toast. It has a prickly entry, in spite of being a very smooth tasting beer. It is somewhat candied, with a little bit of butterscotch and caramel. The toast might be slightly burned, but not to the point of making the drink unappetizing. The smokier flavors fizzle out pretty quickly, leaving a desserty essence. It’s not quite a pudding pastry beer, but it definitely leans in that direction. The creme brulee is certainly present, and maybe it’s those pecans that are providing a slightly savory and gritty undertone. Despite the growing weight, it remains slippery and lively. It’s no Trees For Life, or even Passage Temporaire, but Light Devourer is a beer that can hold its head high.

Aw yeah, new glass

Supplier: Be Hoppy
Price: €9:50

hit it

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Beermad is pushed back to the fall this year, but there are other celebrations filling in. One is Fresh Fest, a new venture organized by Oso, among others. Next week we’ll find out how it goes, but for now we can sample some of Oso’s wares. Bigtime Imperial Stout has a self-assured label and a tempting description. A good omen?

It’s so thick, the first word I think to describe it leaving the can is oozing, since I’m pouring carefully. That’s such a negative word though, maybe something more neutral. The beer emits itself, dives into the glass, pulls itself ropelike from container to drinking vessel. The head is not hugely thick, but mousse-ish and with great staying power. Hints of chocolate, vanilla and toast drift up to the nose. It’s almost a smoothie in texture, thick with tiny nubbins that melt away in the mouth. The taste isn’t a kick in the tastebuds, but swims between dark chocolate and coffee, with a touch of licorice for good measure, surprisingly light down the throat. A gentle aftertaste starts to build about a quarter of the way through, leaving an essence of caramelly chocolate syrup. It starts out subdued and begins a lean into dessert, maybe my favorite kind of stout.

Supplier: Lambeer
Price: €7.30

anniversary ring?

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As the heat grows, some people gravitate away from dark beers, preferring to match sunlight and beer shade. There’s something to be said for a sharp or bitter beer, or even a light and sweet one, but I cannot be swayed from my path of darkness. I picked up a special one too, an anniversary beer from Polish brewery NEPO. 11 years, it says. They also hint at going for a full century, and why not? The beer industry may be floundering a little these days, but it’s hardly the first time. Small breweries with good product and loyal following have survived to another boom before.

In a shadow it’s a rich black beer with an off-white head, but once in a brighter spot it takes on a warmer brown shade. The aroma hints at syrup and smoke and the flavor does not diverge from that. It’s lighter than I expected, almost effervescent. There’s an undercurrent of pastry and chocolate. It builds in body and strength, expected really, since it is something that happens with a strong beer. It still goes down easily, without leaving a slick behind or tumbling its way down the throat like a slinky. It takes quite a long time for the coconut to start coming through, I guess because it’s natural “aroma” and not a flavoring. It’s very tasty and a good cozy evening beer. I might be worried about the apparent thinness at the beginning of the can, but as it expands itself over time and warmth it starts to grow in robustness too, making it more of a formidable beverage. Here’s to 11 years, NEPO, if you make it to 100 you’ll deserve it.

Supplier: Lambeer
Price: €7.30

ride to the rescue

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No, I cannot resist that can, that fun, funny, whimsical can. Garage does have a tendency to use those kind of designs. Also, imperial stout? Fuck yeah, gimme that now! I think I have had this beer before, possibly at Bee Beer, and I have the vague memory that it was quite a treat. I seem to have lost the receipt, so I don’t know exactly how much it was, but I can make a good guess. It certainly isn’t at the level of the German Red, but real craft beers, even domestic ones, are not in that price range. It is my little luxury, and I find ways to indulge. I might cry Alfajor Tears if I couldn’t.

The liquid is just lurking right under the tab, ready to leap up and grab you by the palate. It doesn’t, but somehow you know that it could have. It looks heavy enough to pull you down into the can and produces an impressive, dark beige head. There’s a good amount of chocolate in the aroma, not overly sweet, but not a smokey or raw baking chocolate scent either. It also comes through in the taste; first there’s a slightly medicinal, almost cola flavor, but the chocolate bubbles up quickly after. It’s an interesting mix of sweet, bitter and that special cola, surprisingly light in feel given the look. There’s a slightly dusty feel in the aftertaste, which brings out more natural flavors, almost like an horchata weirdly enough. It gets stronger over time, developing some almost sour notes as an undercurrent, and gaining a certain amount of robustness. While not a pastry stout, it gives a nod to dessert, and still has a close to classic profile. The weight is probably enviable for a Guinness, although it is not as smooth and nothing to swallow, which might be a problem for fans of that particular brew. It’s just right for me, though, my baby bear’s beer. And I’m not Goldilocks, so I don’t even have to break into somebody else’s house to get it.

Supplier: La Buena Cerveza
Price: €7.95?

knife or star

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Despite rising temperatures, I deliberately seek out a stout to relax with. We’re having a discussion on love tonight, so I think I might need something to chill out. I haven’t gone looking for more Steam beer yet, but I have revisited an old favorite, La Buena Cerveza. They don’t have an overwhelming variety on the shelves, being a bar/store now, but there are quite a few nice looking stouts. Almost immediately, my gaze is drawn to Bowie, an imperial stout from Drunken Bros. The blend of deep blue and red on the label is both enticing and calming somehow. I am promised cocoa and vanilla; we’ll see how desserty this stout ends up.

A liitle jumpy, but no explosion with careful opening. It’s a sticky looking dark brown, with almost milk chocolate head. Not much aroma, which is a little disappointing, just some ghostly toast and echoes of vanilla. It’s smooth and mouth-filling, a slippery devil. Not very sweet, so not drifting into the realm of pastry stout. There are notes of dark chocolate and licorice along with a hint of raisin. Smoke and earth also start to rise with a little bit of time. Dimensions of flavor start to unfold themselves, although the texture doesn’t change much from the start. A sort of dustiness starts to form over it, but the beer still elbows its way smoothly through the mouth and heads down the throat unimpeded.

Supplier: La Buena Cerveza
Price: €7.50

brighten up the evening

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It’s practically spring in Madrid, rain almost never stops, the temperatures are in fact quite pleasant, and yet it still feels like the beginning of the year. I turn to my stouts for stabilization. While many have cheeky, punny names, this one is very straightforward – Bourbon Barrel Aged Chocolate x Coffee Imperial Stout 2025. It’s one of Arpus’s special brews, a bit more expensive than I typically allow myself, but I’m thinking of it as an appeal to karma. And it does sound like a damn special beer. Arpus makes some real crowd pleasers, in spite of their unpretentious naming. Even people who aren’t especially fans of beer like their sours. I have been witness to such miracles.

Deliciously slick pouring, appetizingly dark color, nice mocha head, although it fizzes away. There’s a good pinch of bourbon aroma with some chocolate/vanilla background. It has a typical rough around the edges essence of many barrel aged beers, like you have to look out for splinters. But of course, the beer itself has practically no roughness at all. There’s just a bit of bubbliness, to keep you aware that it’s there, but it’s an overall smooth and syrupy sensation. There’s a definite weight and robust mouthfeel; unsurprisingly, this imperial stout is no pushover. Some dried fruit flavors start to push through after a while, adding complexity and depth. I can’t say that I detect a great amount of coffee, but there is a hint of smoke that starts to puff out once you really get into the glass. Arpus doesn’t bother giving their beers fun and clever names, but all the creativity and energy definitely goes into the beer itself. If I had to choose, I would support the emotional investment in the beer, hobby drinker that I am.

Supplier: HIdden Beers
Price: €13.99

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