Door #9

I guess you can't have an Advent Beer Calendar without a Belgian beer, unless you are specifically not doing Belgian beers.  When people think of Christmas ales, those are the breweries that tend to come to mind.  It's not really at the top of my list, but I guess I'll accept it.  Sometimes you find a surprisingly good one, and we need to keep trying things in life anyway.  Dupont's Saison is something different for me.

It doesn't look bad, a nice mellow yellow and fluffy head.  But, oh man, there's a farty smell coming off it.  It didn't make any weird noises when I opened the bottle and it isn't expired, but this gives me pause.  If I hold my nose the flavor is that typical Belgian, less sour in the aftertaste in fact, with an edge of fruity sweetness around the mildly bitter core.  It has a fairly thick sensation to it too, although it's not especially cloudy.  There's kind of a smokey burned off quality to the aftertaste, not very unlike Schlenkerla.  I should investigate whether this brewery also makes rauchbiers or the like.

(Oops, forgot to get a picture of the beer in the glass.  

The sulfur fumes must have overwhelmed me.)

Long weekend over, was I as productive as I had hoped?  Of course not.  Got a lot of rest though, so lots of energy for the short week.

right side of the tracks

There is nothing like outdoor beerfests.  Last time people had to pay to get in, and it was covered, but the most recent Beermad was free to enter and open to all elements.  Fortunately, the elements were favorable.

It's a little difficult to decide sometimes, with so many beers from so many places, so I thought I'd rely a little on fate.  The first beer I came across was Vulturis, and there was a Saison con Lavandra, which is something different.  First time I've seen that, it's a good start for me!  At 6% it's heavy for a saison.  Cloudy orange, fizzy head, not very perfumey, which I would have expected from a lavender beer.  There is a touch of perfume in the flavor, a sort of clover honey, but it's really more bitter than anything.  Kind of tough on the throat after a while, but I guess the roughness could be pointed out as "natural" or "herbal".

Doing a little beer roulette, my glass was empty near Peninsula.  It's a good brewery, so no regrets there.  I ended up with Hop On Pale Ale, a little darker orange and with more citrus aroma than the last beer.  Not so much citrus in the flavor, though.  It's a definite ale but with a deeper bitter, and cardamon or something.  A little sticky, but summery and refreshing flavor without being too light for a rainy day.

There's a definite lack of dark beers, although that's not a new thing.  There are a few though, like La Morena Stout.  It's a little light in color, more of a dark brown, slightly sour smell, bitter-sour taste.  It's earthy without any chocolate or heavy malt, a tickly and summery sort of stout.  It's like some German darks in feel, but with the bitter flavor of a good black beer.

Walking roulette left me in front of Ebora, where they had Suomi Baltic Porter.  I hesitated at first, since it is barrel aged, but it is really quite a subtle sort.  Light in color again, weirdly toasty for a bourbon beer in aroma, and just a touch of bourbon in background flavor.  If you didn't know it was there you might never guess.  This beer does have some whispers of chocolate or vanilla, and is less bitter by far than the last one.

Ziva 5.0# is in the same line as a barrel aged stout from the last edition, but this is a "normal" beer.  It's Russian Imperial Stout, again not quite black, but with a beigier head than the others.  There's a more typical stout aroma, dark, a little smokey and a little sour, the taste is definitely sweet though.  I would guess this is a bourbon porter before Suomi, but there's a weird grassy grainy aftertaste that i could actually do without.

I was thinking of heading out, so I though a lighter beer might be good to end on.  I found Oso Brewing Cerveza de Mesa and hoped that it would fit the bill.  It's very light, like a kölsch or radler, with kind of a weird sweety citrus smell.  It's vaguely bitter and vaguely citrus, a real palate cleanser, but not a real mark of ending.  So...

The real last drink was La Verbena 2nd Hand Ale, an amber.  The appearance is typical of amber and red ales, but this is one of the more balanced ones.  It's a little touch of light, but with a fairly substantial body, slightly citrus but more ale.  It's a smooth drink, easy down the throat, with a good level of bitter.  Not a sweet beer in fact, a strong ale sort, just enough sour to give it something interesting.  Now this is a good one to end on.

laid back markets

Ah, another month comes to a close.  While a few interesting possibilities have popped up, I decided to play it safe and head on down to Mercado Vallehermoso, where there would be sure to be a couple of places to choose from, should something go wrong.  I've never actually gotten anything from La Virgen at Vallehermoso before, so maybe it's time I bite that bullet.

Could get some to go next time?

In the past, they had hot dogs to go with the beers, but I guess they've done away with that.  It's just beer and snacks in a bowl now.  The beers on tap were familiar, but the temperatures made the IPA look like the best bet.  It came out as the beeriest looking beer you could want, maybe slightly darker than an industrial ale or lager, and barely any aroma at all.  The flavor is bitter, no surprise citrus, and nothing to knock you down.  It's a bit energizing, not too heavy or sticky, not excessive with the bitter to make it unpleasant or a chore to drink.  Despite the lack of summery tropical flavors, I'd say it isn't a bad choice for a warmer day, not having the heavier notes of my more beloved black beers.  It's also not limited to summer with its lack of exotic fruitiness.  It does get a little scratchy at the end, a reminder of craftier days perhaps?  Nowhere near as throat-grabbing as some NEIPAs have been, though.

While the tap beers were fairly standard, there were some interesting things in the fridge, like a saison with blackberries and raspberries.  I do love me some berries, sometimes even with a beer.  The lettering on the can almost led me to believe it was Fábrica Maravillas, but I guess it just refers to the fruits with their Spanish names.  It's slightly reddish in color, awaking curiosity, with a mildly fruity smell.  The aroma carries some acidity, but the taste starts out as a very light touch, very fruity without a lot of weight behind it.  Soon, however, the saison sour makes an appearance.  Then it retreats back into a sweet aftertaste, deeper than the initial fruitiness.

I may have some misgivings about the selling out of certain breweries, but I don't think I'll refuse a beer just out of principle.  At least, not that principle.  A literal nazi beer, I might have to pass on.

faster than a turtle (dove)

On the second day of Beermas I picked out for me
A bird that's not a pigeon
And a flamingo with mangoes and beets

Well, for some reason I thought I might feel like an ale early in my Beermas.  That was before I had gone through that calendar.  Anyway, Bailandera is an alright brew, there's been success before, so I probably shouldn't be worried.  It's a session ale, so pretty light all around.  Looking at the label now, maybe I could have used it for ladies dancing, since the woman seems to be having quite the time in her wheat field.

Oh, what have I gotten myself into, allowing ales into my Beermas?  After all that in Advent...It looks very much like some of those pilsners, in spite of not being filtered.  I guess it is a little bit cloudy.  Head behaves about the same way too.  Sunnier scent, though, a little citrusy tang to it.  Light and citrusy taste at first, but it quickly dives down into a breadier bitter feeling and finishes rather sour.  In spite of the lightness in appearance and first impression of flavor, there is a definite body behind the beer, rounding out the feeling in the mouth.  I don't know if I'd have two of these in one sitting, but it does give you a little to think about.

Supplier: Cerevisia
Price: €3

overwhelming!

Some fun having beer festivals during the week when you get up early every day!  Well, I managed to squeeze out a couple of visits to Lavapiés Artesana Week anyway.  If I had the time, I could probably visit all 31 venues over the course of the week, with a 28cl beer in each, but since I had to economize my time, there are only four to show.  First on Thursday, when I only had a couple of hours in the afternoon, I had to find a place that opened before 6pm.  There are a few, taverns and restaurants, and I thought I would try La Mancha (Miguel Servet 13). 

They were serving Bizarra, a beer from Salamanca, for the fair, although they might have it regularly?  I wandered in at about 2pm, and the place was gloriously empty to my eyes.  There was one couple at the tables on the street and one small group inside.  I got my Bizarra Tostada and my little tapa and sat down myself.  The beer has an apply, kind of cidery scent and a color that also recalls American apple cider.  The taste, on the other hand, would be described as bittersweet.  It's really quite a dry flavor, especially for a brown ale.  I keep expecting the sweetness to break through, but it really doesn't.  There is an interesting nutty background, but the taste is definitely bitter and a little smoky, like burned toast.  The acidity stays in the throat, building up, like with a strong lemonade.  There is a hint of caramel in the fore of the sip, but it is fleeting, and it takes a while for a smoothness to develop in the taste.  Only at the bottom of the glass does it seem like a little sugary teaser comes out, but the beer is never really sweet.  It's too strong to be a conversation or a meal beer, but quite nice to relax with accompanied by a mild snack and an interesting book.

Evening market

Friday night came and so did the desire to toss back a few.  We started at La Buena Pinta in Mercado San Fernando, which was surrounded by adults and children alike.  I'm not sure if this isn't the regular thing here, people coming with their kids to the market for a Friday night drink.  La Buena Pinta had La Virgen and Medina on tap, the latter being the represented brewery of the fair.  The promotion was a wheat IPA, suspect for me, but I'll try it.  It's light yellow, cloudy, looking quite a bit like a NEIPA.  The aroma also falls in line with that, being light and fruity.  The flavor is sweet, a little dusty, certainly not citrusy.  While it's a little sticky, the taste is very regular and balanced, not veering into bitter or cloying with a little time and temperature (it was damn hot in there!)

We escaped to the street looking for a snack and fell upon Como Vaca Sin Cencerro near Metro Lavapiés.  We were lucky to find one table free.  Their offering was La Loba IPA, but we got one IPA and one lager.  I took the darker colored beer, and it seems I got the lager.  A little disappointing, it had the same color as many Imperial IPAs.  The smell is a bit sweet, and the taste a bit flowery.  There seems to be a little dust in this beer as well.  It reminds me of Sagra Premium actually.  This is more of a company beer, not demanding too much attention, but it does develop a little more character in the presence of food.  Our small meal of potato/egg/mushroom/ham forced a little sharpness out of the brew.

Looking suspiciously like an Imperial IPA

Action tapas!

Wandering out into the rain, we darted down the likely streets looking for the posters in the windows.  For the last drink of the night we got into Aguardiente on calle de la Fe, more of a cocktail bar than regular bar.  Nice place, though, and the music wasn't too loud, with an enjoyable selection.  The beer here was from Alegría, a saison with a touch of lambic.  It was definitely fruity, but on the sour side.  While cleansing and refreshing, it goes a bit outside the comfort zone for typical beer drinking.  As I said, it really harkens back to lambics.  I found it to be a pleasant end-of-evening beer, which would have been better if I'd had something heavier before, stouts for example.  My drinking buddies were not so impressed, finding it more vinegary than they like their beers to be.

Don't forget those dates...

Once the glasses were drained, we tumbled out into the wet streets of the old city, fortunately not being rained on at the moment.

end of year sparkle

I'm going to be sampling some brews from home soon enough, so I felt I should make the effort for one last local, or national, beer.  Arriaca has been good for ales.  Seems like a safe bet.  I picked up a session ale, also to be safe since mornings are hard recently.  Cans are becoming more and more popular, it seems, with some breweries using them exclusively.  Although, I think I have seen bottles of Arriaca in the past.

The beer is slightly ruddy, but mostly a clear straw color.  The ale citrus is there, but it's a very light note, flitting to the nose and brain.  I expect something sweet and fruity, but I'm surprised by the complexity of the flavor.  There's a moment of sweetness, but it's quickly overwhelmed by bitterness, and the swallow ends with a touch of sour.  I'm reminded of some citrus sodas, purporting to be all natural, that end up brisk and biting without added sugar.  Some sweetness does kind of build up towards the end, mellowing out the aftertaste.  The citrus doesn't punch very hard, leaving an impression of something more like a lager.  A nice light beer, as session ales should be, a good accompaniment to snacks or a meal.

Supplier: Espuma
Price: €2.07

and back again

Oops, there's been a break in the continuity!  For a number of personal reasons.  Anyway, back to the beer.  I was going down to the George Herriman exhibition and there happens to be a beer store right on the way, where I've been but once before.  I managed to get in before they locked up for siesta and picked up a session ale by Buxton Brewery, Myrcia.  It contains oats, harkening back to some of my winter stouts, and yeast in the bottle.  I'll have to watch how I pour.

The aley scent of citrus is prominent and the beer is straw colored and bubbly.  While light in color, it's also cloudy, not surprising since it's unfiltered.  It's bitter but without the heavier fruity notes of most ales, even session ales like All Day or Valverde.  It's a grapefruit like flavor, cleansing and light.  It feels even healthy.  A little bit of sweetness oozes up over time, but it's a very subtle shade on the overall taste.  It's kind of a light version of the NEIPAs I'm seeing around now, which are also very juicy and healthily bitter, but with a bigger flavor.  Myrcia is kind of like a tonic with a little orange juice.  It's bracing and refreshing, much better for summer than winter I'd say.

Supplier: Be Hoppy
Price: €3.70

funny secrets

There's a beer store hiding near Atocha that's been there for years, and I never knew until just recently.  Always surprises.  Be Hoppy has "special beers" and they sure are priced like they're special.  Very appetizing names and ingredients, but a little pricey for my summer pockets.  There are more regular bottles and prices too, so all is well.  They wrap multiple bottles so they don't clink around in the bag, which is a nice touch.  First, I have La Pirata Purple Secret, a session IPA.  I'm amused by the story on the side, and we'll see if it actually is died purple.

It's not purple.  I'm a little disappointed.  It has a clear citrus smell, but an odd green color.  If the head didn't die down so quickly I'd worry there was some dish soap left in the glass.  The beer has a light grapefruit bitterness, like a grapefruit soda, not heavy like most IPAs; it is a session after all.   There's some hops lurking in the bottom, ready to perform a little chemistry, mixing with green beer to make something...well, almost purple.  It's alarmingly sludgy in appearance, but there's no overwhelming attack of hops bitterness.  I think it mostly settles pretty quickly.  It's a nice light beer, nothing frightening, except for the sludgy color, but I would go for something heavier if it were up to me, as a woman in craft beer.  Craft beer drinking, anyway.

Yeah, not quite purple

Supplier: Be Hoppy
Price: ~€3.50

good idea for a journey

Although I'm not the biggest fan of saisons and Belgian beers in general, the name of Columbus Goes North was irresistible.  Must be the time of year.  Temperatures are nearing triple digits Fahrenheit, so a good sharp-tasting beer is a logical choice for the evening.  This one is another one of those collaborations that craft brewers like to do, between La Quince and Eskilstuna Ölkultur, but brewed in Spain.  It's one of the nice things about craft beer, that cooperative culture.  Of course, the small breweries may just be taking advantage of the equipment others have while they build up a name for themselves, but it still seems generous to even rent out equipment to me.  I don't even homebrew though, so what do I know.

Which song do you hear?

The beer is a pretty cinnamon orange color and very strongly scented.  At first, maybe because of the color, I think it even smells like cinnamon, but another whiff makes it the more expected citrus.  There's something else spicy in there too, like many a saison has about it.  It takes a while for the foam to settle down; it's a very heady beer.  The flavor is also powerful in this brew, just as spicy as the scent hints at, although maybe just a touch sweeter.  A bitter taste of orange pith develops on the roof of the mouth as an aftertaste, but doesn't interfere with the next sip.  There's also some kind of sugary taste too, running under the snappy spice and going down the throat before the bitterness comes out.  It's quite a blend of flavors, one some people might cross an ocean for.  Maybe not for every night, but I could see this "super saison" gracing my table during a good debate or movie.

Supplier: La Tienda de la Cerveza
Price: €3.60

sex and beer and rock and roll

When you see a beer called Sex Museum, there's no way you don't pick it up.  At least to get a look at the label, just in case there's ... a surprise.  Spoiler, there isn't, but still.  You'd think the name refers to an actual sex museum, since so many European cities seem to have one, but no.  There's a band called Sex Museum, and apparently they have been around for quite some time.  Good for them, they deserve a beer in that case.  They're not bad either, although I must admit I have heavier tastes in music.  I don't suppose Sex Museum Ale will be all that heavy either, just what you look for on a summer weekend.

Stay open to new angles!

It's an interesting orangey gold color, off-white head, slightly sweet smell.  There's a little bit of spice, to be expected from session beers.  Also as expected, there's that sour Belgian taste, right off the bat.  It's not too heavy, like lambics or abbey styles, but there's an unmistakable lightness that wafts over the tongue and right down the throat with a little twist.  It's not very flowery or perfumy, but I suppose that wouldn't actually go so well with the name.  It's a good pick-me-up beer on a warm night, so just what the season is starting to call for.  The spicy sourness is refreshing, staying light and crisp without any descent into stickiness or syrupiness.  Oh, how will I beat this during Beer Week?  And German films?  Surely, there will be a stout or two that catch my fancy.

Here's to everyone who's ever had disappointing sex!  So, to everyone!

Supplier: Más Que Cervezas
Price: €2.50

can't always be a hermit

Just for some variety, I'll sum up a little beer tasting at a relatively new place in town.  While I've been away from tastings for a variety of reasons, not enjoying them is not one of those reasons.  It's mostly been a problem of time.  So, when the opportunity comes around, the smart is not to let it go by.  Toast Tavern is the latest of the food&drink empire the owners are building, although the man behind the bar is instrumental in bringing in the beers and presenting them.  We had a set of five, mostly national, and a nice progression in terms of strength and "weight" - which for me is the intensity of flavor and the darker notes in that flavor.

First we had a witbier from Garagart called Gary & Esti.  The brewery is Basque, but this is brewed in Logroño, so still national.  It has a definite champagne sort of flavor, a bit sour, and definitely bubbly.  It's a slightly bitter and grapey beer, with a background of spices.  We were told cumin has a hand in the make-up, and some chamomile too.  Honey also comes up on the ingredient list, but I really didn't find it to be a very sweet beer at all, with the champagne similarity increasing as the glass gets drunk.  All right, but not my personal glass of beer.

We moved along to a session IPA, Founders All Day.  This is the one representative of foreign beers, being from Michigan, and a fine ambassador it is.  Session beers have often been perfumey in my experience, but this one is pretty laid back in that regard.  There is a certain sweetness in the smell, which my neighbor described as "like a Jolly Rancher".  I would not go that far, although I can see where the connection might be.  There is a little more kick than something so flatly sweet as a Jolly Rancher might have, which makes for pleasant drinking.  I found it cidery, but like dry and bitter Spanish cider.

Number three was also Garagart, although I did not catch the name of this particular brew.  It is an IPA, but not like the typical craft IPAs that tend to hit you with the citrus.  It is just a little flowery in taste, with a nice aley bitter too.  It's not as complex as its Garagart colleague, but more in line with my drinking preferences.

The serving for the big kids

Our next-to-last sample was what I had started with, having arrived a little early.  The excitement of a beer tasting after all this time, you know.  Falken 1UP is a fine Imperial IPA, with a nice dark color.  It is noticeably bitter, although more of a rounded flavor than a sharp one, and it also avoids the typical craft IPA citrus.  I noticed in the tasting, after the other samples, that this beer has a but of fruit to it, but it's something plummy, not orangey or lemony.  It also does get a little syrupy if you have a large serving, but not too sticky.

We went back to Founders for the final sample.  Founders Porter looks the part and does not disappoint when called on.  It is sweet like many a porter, but not too much, and there's an undeniable smokiness about it in the taste and the smell.  The fruit kind of lurks in the background.  The flavor also has a hint of chocolate mixed in with the smokey sweetness, so it's not especially tangy, but a nice, balanced palate for the tongue.

The space is not especially large, but that's what you can expect in most Spanish bars.  It is easy on the eye, a little rustic, and excellently located.  And of course, beers that can't be beat.

And a mascot - gotta have a mascot

shade of the bottle

When I was looking forward to this, I was remembering the beer as a stout, probably influenced by The Mayan (oh, nectar of the gods).  But, it is an ale.  Cocoa and chili ale, but a light and golden brew nonetheless.  It also came with a cork, which I had to buy a corkscrew especially for; I guess if somebody gives me wine later on, I'll be prepared now.  With an eye to the coming holiday, here's Fantôme Chocolat.

Taa-daa!

Wait a minute...

Sheesh

The cap pops off with little fanfare, but the real opening is with a champagne worthy pop.  Fortunately, that's where the resemblance ends, since no beer is wasted in gushing foam.  It is a little heady at first, a thick, white cap on an orangey gold brew, but soon settles down.  It's not especially aromatic, unlike the chocolaty perfume of the Mayan, but a good sniff makes it out to be typically aley in smell.  The flavor, on the other hand, does reveal some cocoa in the first sip, with just a touch of chili bitterness at the edges.  The overwhelming taste is the craft ale, though, on a bed of citrusy sour.  It's a very mild-tasting beer, probably just fine for a summer sipping actually.  As the days are getting darker and temperatures more pleasant (for me, anyway) The Mayan probably fits the bill better.  Still, good to keep in mind for a sunnier sit-down.

Something tells me the label was a little rushed

Supplier: Cervezorama (RIP)
Price: €6