modern times

Will we ever find a light at the end of this tunnel of restrictions and disinterest?  It's the disinterest that's the worst.  People don't even want to do free things anymore.  It's a time to brood over a brew, that's for sure.  I could have gone the solemn stout route, but somehow a bright and bubbly IPA just called to me.  Maybe it was the name: Hashtag Modern IPA.  It's a beer from Península, which seems to be weathering the viral storm without much trouble, at least in terms of inspiration. 

Awfully fizzy for a beer that's been in my refrigerator all night.  Wasn't in the door either, so no extra shaking.  Oh well, there have been greater disasters.  It has that nice almost piney IPA smell and it's definitely on the lighter side of the color scale.  It has that sweetish flavor that lots of modern IPAs have, very fruity, not bitter hardly at all.  I can catch just tiny hints of citrus, but it's much more melony.  There's also an oddly dusty feel to it, like some pulp or fruit fibers made it through the strainer.  The beer itself is perfectly clear, though.  Although the flavor develops some interesting layers, herbal and spicy notes, it never really gets beery bitter.  It's just a sort of liquid pesto.  However, the beer feels too delicate to do any kind of cooking with.  It's definitely one you want to have somewhat cool to be at its best level of refreshing.

Supplier: Labirratorium

Price: €2.85

twelve troopers trooping

On the twelfth day of Beermas I went and bought for me

Twelve war-drummers blundering

Eleven alarms peeping 

Ten lords a-leering 

Nine sinfully good black beers 

Eight lizards leaking

Seven feathered friends a-fluttering

Six phoenixes rising

Five photographic plates

Four flying saucers

Three sunny toucans

Two dogs in costume

And a lone eagle flying free

 

It would have been nice to end with my beloved black beers, but I guess the solstice was a couple of weeks ago.  Days should be getting noticeably lighter soon.

Pale gold, very fluffy head, it's a good looking beer, you have to give it that.  There's just a whisper of modern ale hops, but not a nose-grabbing amount.  It's fairly strong flavored, though, with a solid kick of bitter.  There's something else in there too, something toasty and more lagery than I was expecting.  There's also just the mildest fruitiness floating on top when you take a drink, not even solidly citrus or tropical.  I can't quite identify it, but it's something you might have after a long day of shooting unsuccessfully at fleeing rebels.  You know, because it's healthy and good for your eyes.  And you don't feel like you can reward yourself with, say, chocolate cake. 

eleven grinches grabbing

On the eleventh day of Beermas I went and bought for me

Eleven alarms peeping 

Ten lords a-leering 

Nine sinfully good black beers 

Eight lizards leaking

Seven feathered friends a-fluttering

Six phoenixes rising

Five photographic plates

Four flying saucers

Three sunny toucans

Two dogs in costume

And a lone eagle flying free

Ah, the end comes so quickly sometimes.  Yet another Beermas nearly past.  I had some difficulty finding musical beers, as you might have noticed, but at least this one is amusing: The Greench Stole X-mas.  This DDH Double IPA from Uiltje has one of their eye-catching labels and odd but somehow fitting names.  What's so fitting about the Grinch, er Greench, and pipers you ask?  Well, ever set off a burglar alarm?  That's some set of pipes, albeit electronic ones.

The aroma is immediate and piney.  It's a pretty light looking beer, sort of a dark yellow.  Perhaps on the bubbly rather than the heady side.  It's a juicy sip, a blend of citrus and beeriness, a lot like a NEIPA.  There are hints of tropical fruits in there too, so it's a modern IPA all the way.  While clean and smooth drinking, there's a heft to it that leaves you knowing you have a real beer in your glass.  There is a little bit of build-up of bitter as you drink, keeping the back up your tongue from getting to complacent and letting the Grinch sneak in.  Although for the life of me I don't know what the Grinch would want down anybody's gullet.  I don't think Whos are personifications of gut fauna.

ten dark lords lurking

On the tenth day of Beermas I went and bought for me

Ten lords a-leering 

Nine sinfully good black beers 

Eight lizards leaking

Seven feathered friends a-fluttering

Six phoenixes rising

Five photographic plates

Four flying saucers

Three sunny toucans

Two dogs in costume

And a lone eagle flying free

I was studying the shelves trying to decide for this one actually.  I was assisted by, whoda guessed, the shop assistant, who pointed out the Dark Lord when I said I was looking for something gentlemanly or lordly.  Or leapy, maybe with hops, but I already had plenty of IPAs to work with.  So, thanks for that...good sir whose name I don't know.  I'll blame the Mexican Biscotti Cake stout for my forgetfulness.  So, yeah, it's Animus Brewing's Surreptitious, a pastry stout with a label that goes with dark times and desperate measures.

It's a somewhat lighter color than I expected, more of a clear but dark brown instead of black.  Head is beige but of unassuming amount.  There's a sugary, carnival fairway kind of aroma, but with definite toasty essences in the background.  The contrast between taste and smell, though, is shocking.  I expected something a little sweet and maybe smokey, but it's really an odd progression of flavors - sweet to bitter to burned to licorice and finally rubber/wood(?!).  It's a rough around the edges kind of beer, in spite of its sophisticated ingredient list.  The cacao bean barely peeks through and the vanilla is really unidentifiable.  There is supposed to be some rum influence through its aging, so maybe that's part of the bite?  It's not a heavy or thick beer, a little watery in fact, but you can't just drink it without noticing.  There is an interesting mix of flavors, it even has a little spice to it, but as a pastry stout I don't think it measures up to others I've had this season.  Oh well, there's sure to be plenty acolytes for this dark lord anyway.

nine sins a-happ'nin'

On the ninth day of Beermas I went and bought for me

Nine sinfully good black beers 

Eight lizards leaking

Seven feathered friends a-fluttering

Six phoenixes rising

Five photographic plates

Four flying saucers

Three sunny toucans

Two dogs in costume

And a lone eagle flying free

Yes, I know, there are no ladies or direct allusions to dancing.  But, we can say that some sects have considered dancing sinful, perhaps even among the most basic of sins.  So, there we go.  Connection made.  Original Sin, an imperial double chocolate stout from Lervig, doesn't have a whole lot going on on the can, but maybe that's the idea.  So many sins are committed under cover of darkness, after all.

So far so good, very typical and promising color.  A little light on the head, but that's not normally a problem for me.  There's really a chocolate milk kind of smell off the beer, which is slightly strange, but not enough to put me off.  The chocolate is definitely present in the flavor as well, but it's not an exceptionally sweet beer.  While chocolatey it almost comes out with a mellow darker chocolate type of flavor profile.  It is almost entirely unbitter, however.  It's a very pleasant kind of stout, quite light in feel, something you imagine you could drink a few of.  It's on the heavier side of the alcohol scale at 13.5% though, so be careful with that.  Although it's cold I could imagine a hot chocolate with just a touch of whisky in it being right in the same area as this beer in terms of taste. 

eight lactating dragons

On the eighth day of Beermas I went and bought for me

Eight lizards leaking

Seven feathered friends a-fluttering

Six phoenixes rising

Five photographic plates

Four flying saucers

Three sunny toucans

Two dogs in costume

And a lone eagle flying free

 

It could have been a milk stout, but no, Dragon's Milk appeared like a vision in the refrigerated case.  I thought maybe I had had it before, but it's not in the Beermas list, so I think I'm safe.  While the days are dark and cold, it's nice to have something substantial to warm you up in the evening, and even though I really, really like my dark beers as dark beers, it's not a big deal to have something extra with them once in a while.

Looks pretty normal, very fine head over a rich brown brew.  The bourbon is very clearly present, although it's not as syrupy a sweetness as some others have given off.  It really tastes like a beer-bourbon cocktail - a solemn entry of bitter with a wave of candied liquor immediately after.  There's some licorice/coffee buried at the bottom, that kind of oddly rises in the aftertaste.  Although it's a light feeling beer, it does leave a bit of stickiness on the tongue.  Not too heavy for the alcohol content, though.  It's not immediately obvious that you're drinking an 11% beer, which may feel good at the time, but could be dangerous in combination with other drinks.  What I would expect any dragon extract to be really.

seven avian species (or thereabouts)

On the seventh day of Beermas I went and bought for me

Seven feathered friends a-fluttering

Six phoenixes rising

Five photographic plates

Four flying saucers

Three sunny toucans

Two dogs in costume

And a lone eagle flying free

 

I thought there might have been a swan in the flock, but now that I look closer there might not be.  Well, I'm obviously going with it anyway.

Another one that's lighter than expected for the style, but again the aroma is there to reassure you.  This beer has a much heavier taste, not exactly bitter but it's a punch in the mouth at the first sip.  Careful tastes later reveal more of the citrus quality.  This is a fairly standard IPA, with the bright citrusy hops and the fruity almost tropical flavor.  It doesn't have a whole lot of layers to dig through, it's straightforward and enjoyable.  There is a little bit of build-up at the back of the tongue, so it's not as clean-drinking as the simple taste might indicate, but there's no weird aftertaste and no unpleasant surprises popping up after a few sips.  Really, very suitable for an IPA and an eye-opener for a brave new year.  I'm just a tiny bit disappointed that a beer called Ransack The  Universe doesn't have more weird and wild stuff in it, but I can hardly complain about what I got.  A lesson for us all?