self service

On the venerable street of Malasaña is a bar I have not yet visited.  As if that's special in a city this big.  Anyway, I had seen Los Grifos a couple of times as I hurried to some other place, and a little bit of checking told me they had taps that you can serve yourself with.  Wha?  How does that kind of thing work?  Seems dangerous!  It's something that brings you in to check out, in any case.  As I got there early, it wasn't hard to get a nice window seat.  I think it wouldn't be as nice in the evening, though, when the street is full of smoking drunks.

There are in fact taps to serve yourself with, as well as three at the bar, and a fridge full of bottles.  Being what I am, I started with a bottle because that's what the stout was.  Espiga's Blackcelona barrel aged stout is slightly odiferous on the pour with just a touch of that whiskey sweet.  It's an opaque dark brown, typical stout appearance.  The aroma is much fuller from the glass, slightly smokey but strongly alcoholic.  It's a little salty at first, then powerful liquor bitter, with a hint of licorice and subtle sweetness in the last few seconds.  There is a noticeable aftertaste, not unpleasant, although it alternates oddly between bitter and sweet.  The tastes are harder to separate towards the end.  It's not too sticky in spite of being barrel aged, but has definite weight.

As long as I'm here, I can have a draft beer too.  I remember La Virgen's Jamonera, but let's see if it lives up to my memories.  Cloudy amber color, light head, dusty honey scent - but disappointing taste.  The flavor is on the weak side, but a little bitter bubbles up at the end, not at all what the aroma would suggest.  A couple of sips bring out the honey, although just on the tip of the tongue, the rest gets a very mild bitter.  There's a kind of cheesy smell that starts to come off the beer as it warms up, which is odd, but doesn't get strong enough to really be distracting.  Like most of La Virgen's stuff these days, the beer seems thin and soulless, not the wild unpredictable thing it once was.  It has been tamed.

You need to get a card to work the taps, and the novelty is just irresistible.  There's a nice IPA from Península to end with, too.  A bit cloudy but good golden color, and that high citrus scent.  Nor surprise in the taste, a strong citrus bitter, very craft IPA, although none of the tropical nuances of American IPAs.  This is really more spicy.  A tad bit of cardamon or something similar.  Even pepperiness comes across in the flavor.  I am not quite sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if I've come across this beer at some beer fair in the past, since I'm finding that spiciness familiar.  It's not as light as some IPAs or pale ales, mildly sticky, but the spice makes it a refreshing and interesting beer.

dot of color

Next week I'm quite sure it'll be back to the blacks, but the berry mead tickled my fancy this week.  Batberry, a mead flavored with wild berries, has an oddly enticing label, with a bat's head over a raspberry.  It kind of looks like the bat has some serious mutations, which could make it a Halloween label too.  There is actually quite a list of fruit in the ingredients, including the expected raspberries, currants and blueberries, but I also see pineapple and papaya at the end.  It purports to be perfect for a night out, which isn't quite my bag, but I'm giving it a shot anyway.

Opening the bottle releases a jelly donut-like smell, but the mead in the glass is much more like wine in aroma.  Pink with just a touch of violet, it's a fitting color for the season, even if a little bit late.  I can't help hesitating before taking a drink; even though there's a backing of honey, the sharp wininess is quite strong.  It's kind of the reverse with the flavor, however, sweet at first winding down to a grumbly bitter and finishing with tangy sour.  I wouldn't say it's too sweet, as some berry meads can be, just with a light, noticeable sweetness.  There is something of a summer drink about it, with the lightness and fizziness, and in fact it makes me think of an overly sweet sangria.  Sans fruit.  I don't think I would be able to identify all the fruit from the list if I hadn't read it, and I'm not actually sure I can suss them out now.  The tropical fruits are kind of in the background, with the pineapple giving a little acidity.  The red berries are definitely sweet, and the hibiscus and rose probably add some softness to the aroma.  Despite the appearance of a wine cocktail of sorts, I don't think I would appreciate this mead on a night out around town.  Its flavors are fine and on the delicate side, and deserve to be sat with for a while.  Maybe the appetizer, when everyone is still pretty much under control.

Supplier: Heneket
Price: €4.25

time for your medicine

It's been quite some time since I last had a taste of St. Peter's.  The cream stout will forever be in my heart, but there are plenty of others to choose from.  Since I'm still of a mind to hunt down black beers it's something similar, Old-Style Porter.  It's a nice large bottle, with an odd shape.  It makes me think of a medicine bottle.  Very traditional use for alcohol, right?

Very dark brown color, but an oddly light colored head.  There's a strong whiff of smoke and earth.  At first, smooth and slightly milky, it goes sour rather quickly, with that fruity, plummy sourness of so many porters.  It's very light in feel, almost fluffy, maintaining a touch of milk chocolate.  It's not very changeable with time and warming, keeping the same level of sour/fruit balance.  It does get a little bit salty.  Not the glory that is the cream stout, but a fine evening drink.

Supplier: Heneket
Price: €4.50