what, again? (w/o pics)

The Craft Beer Fair seems to have gone semi-annual.  The last one was in May, but the next in the series was this weekend.  Not that I mind much...

I forget my camera on Sunday, so the first installment will be words only.

It was crowded, which isn't too surprising, but I managed to get to one of the first stands on the way to the back of the bar: Ebora.  They had a brown and a blond at the time, and I thought it best to start with the blond.  Not so great, actually.  It had an interesting beige/blond color, but with an extremely subtle taste, only slightly bitter.  It made me think of "typical" Spanish beers, which don't have any intrusive flavor at all.  They slide by quietly and let you enjoy whatever else you're doing.  I can say that there was a vague reminder of a wheat beer in the first wave of taste.

A bit further was the Spigha stand.  They had a Winter Ale, which sounded promising.  It's actually a joint product of Spigha and Yakka, one of those somewhat fruity beers.  It has a nice, warm brown color, flavored by several apricot extracts, but not overly sweet at all.  It was a little like the Ebora in its smoothness, but more interesting.  It occurred to me that it was a beer to drink in front of the fireplace on an icy winter day, perhaps.  Although the sweetness builds up over time, kind of laying on the tongue, it stays pleasant without becoming oppressive.

I was taking my notes on my tastings when I couple of guys started asking me questions, as if I knew something special.  You're writing things down!  You must be professional!

I took a philosophical break and came back a couple of hours later, but found the place just as full as before.

The evening started with Kettal Doble Malta (Fanega).  There was also a honey brew, but I was wary of the beer getting too sweet for me, so I went with the doble.  Very nice toasty color, and a good not too sweet taste.

After that I had an urge to find a real dark beer, and the label on Torquemada Negra looked like it should fit the bill.  The beer is actually more of a dark brown, with just a touch of translucence, but it does have a smoky flavor that a good stout might possess.

It was a little hard getting into the back area, so I decided to pick easy hanging fruit: La Real del Duero.  They had a spot right near the door, where the visitors could see them right away.  The Special Bitter was a favorite of mine from the last fair, so I went for the Kölsch.  It was a lovely clear yellow, which the rep said they were very proud of since they didn't filter.  It was a sharp, refreshing taste, something welcome in a hot bar.

There was another day to go, so we decided to cut out for the night for Mexican food.

not quite red head

Looks perfectly OK

 The smell from the opened bottle is pungent, something like one might expect from a porter.  It fills the glass, looking thick and creamy, but with little head.  It is, in fact, bubbly, but not foamy.  I suppose it's the bock part, but the flavor is also leaning towards porter rather than lager.  There's a sharpness, just a hint of sour, and a round, mouth-filling malt.  As I drink, it occurs to me that it should be accompanied by something sweet, or perhaps with just a little salt.  Peanuts, I guess, or other nuts.  It might be the time, but I also feel a little craving for brownies.

Not much of a "ruby red"

Events in the Life of Janet O'Connolly - Eavesdropping

Oh, Dylis, I'm so glad you're home!  Yeah, I just need to talk.  Well, it's Janet.  Nothing major, at least not yet, but she's really starting to worry me.  She's getting to be obsessed with her appearance.  She's in her room right now, refusing to come out because of some stupid little zit.  No, you can hardly see it, I mean, yeah, it's there.  But it's not like she's growing another head or something.  She's just being difficult.  Yeah I guess.  I was kinda dreading her teenage years, in fact.  Yeah, even with her being such a tomboy as a child.  And that weird little friend of hers, Firefly Morales?  Wonder whatever happened to her?  Hippy parents pulled her out of school, I remember.  Well yeah, I did try to help Janet accept her femininity a little more, but being concerned with how you look just means being decent, not hiding yourself away whenever you get a little blemish.  Oh no, I don't think she should be using concealer, she has very sensitive skin.  Well, they have all those chemicals...ha, ha, very funny.  Yes, go right ahead, compare me to Mrs. Morales.  Except she didn't take her husbands name I think, at least not that husband.  Who knows?  How many people would want to marry that kook?  Then again, Mr. Morales wasn't any better, so I guess they deserve each other.

But look, what I'm saying is you can't cover everything up completely, you just have to learn to live with some things about yourself.  She probably wants to impress some boy, but if he's put off by some little zit like she has, he just doesn't deserve her.  She should develop her self-esteem a little, that's all.  If it's so important to her to get a boyfriend, she's not doing herself any favors by moping around like she is.  Nobody wants to be around such a sad sack.  Sometimes I just want to scream at her to stop thinking only about herself and cheer up for the rest of us.  Doesn't she see how hard this is for me?  I have to deal with somebody all depressed over nothing day after day.  What do you mean, how do I know it's nothing?  She'd tell me if there was actually something going on, wouldn't she?  She's my daughter, for crissake.  Who can she talk to if not her mother?  Now, if only she had something to say, not just whining and complaining all the time, maybe if she had some interests - what?  Oh Jesus, Dylis, do you think she's getting into that stuff already?  I guess time just flies, but... she could still talk to me about that stuff.  I'm a cool mom, right?  I've always been honest with her about everything.  There isn't any doubt about my opinions on these things.  How can she have valid opinions on any of that, she's just a girl, what does she know?  Shit, what was that?  Jan, are you on the other phone?

*click*

not actually a comical beer

"Pilsen Bohemia" it said.  How could I resist the label?

It's very beery in the bubbly head and the very golden color.  The smell is light and seems typical of pilsners, but the taste is surprising.  It hits on several levels: first, there's the expected bitterness; on its heels, there's a rolling out of smokiness reminiscent of toast; finally, a little bitter comes back with something that makes me think of herbs.  Several sips in quick succession give me a sort of plasticky aftertaste.  In moderation it makes me think more of a rauchbier.  It gives me a hankering for something salty - chips, pretzels or the like.

by name

Torquemada seemed like a good name for Halloween or Day of the Dead.  And Catalina is almost Catrina...

Extremely foamy, the head surges up while the straw colored beverage slowly rises from the bottom of the glass.  I nearly had a couple of foam floods while filling the glass, in fact.   It has a delicate smell, almost floral.  After the head dies down a little, the taste is definitely pilsner at first, but the bitterness soon gives way to something more fitting to the smell.  It's one of those unfiltered beers, so an "oops" moment at the end of the bottle will give you a little something extra, maybe a little design on the foam, like cappuccino art.  The taste and smell remain constant to the end, which is something that I always wonder about with unfiltered beers.  Actually, I don't think any of my experiences with big changes were with unfiltered beers, but seeing the particles in the liquid makes me think they should have an effect on the flavor.

A fine pick-me-up, after-work kind of beer, probably better as a counterpart to some chips or salty crackers.