our lady of brewing

There is a brewery near Madrid called La Virgen.  I've encountered their products before, mostly in the form of ales, but now I found a black beer on the shelf.

It is definitely black; it's one of those beers that some liken to oil.  The smell is interesting, with just a little portery earthiness mixed with a sweetness I associate with Belgian dark beer.

It doesn't keep much head, although the beer itself is bubbly.  The flavor is not so sweet at first, although that does come out once the beer has been sitting for a few minutes.  It has a mellow taste, which at first I thought would go well with mild food, no chips or pretzels.  As the sweetness came out, though, it seemed more like a beer to enjoy by itself.  If you're low on snacks that might work for you.  The liquid itself is completely opaque, not just dark colored like some beers, and seems to have a thicker consistency at the bottom of the glass.  I'm not sure if it's unfiltered or not, but there wasn't a change in flavor and the texture was not at all unpleasant.  A good beer to keep around with those ales.

Mmm, taste the love...umm...