spring a-springing

Well, we still don't know when the virus terror will leave us, but the terror of hanging around at home forces everybody into the streets more and more.  Spring is well on its way, with breezy days and warm afternoons, and with a ridiculous crowd of lollygaggers spread across every street and plaza.  Fortunately for me, I don't need an outside table to enjoy my beer.  It is better to have a special beer, though, locally made, connected to the area, supportive of local commerce.  I've come across The One at Beermad (remember when there were fairs?), but I do not believe I have had their red ale - La Pelirroja De Getafe.

It's a pleasant ruddy red color, darker than other recent red ales, strongly beer in aroma, but with a slightly pastry-like note.  The flavor is a slide right down to grainy breadiness from a starting high of vaguely sweet and orangey.  While it's interesting, I'm not sure I like the suddenness of the change right at the beginning.  I was expecting a bit more body, but it's a fairly thin beer.  The powerful end notes make it hard to just drink down without noticing, though.

brown dragon

It's been a few weeks since my snowy day adventure, which turned into the "green massacre".  That is, the trees of Madrid are even less prepared for significant amounts of snow than the people, and a whole big bunch of them lost limbs or just fell right over after receiving a good covering.  But like I said, it's been weeks and there are still, still piles of branches blocking sidewalks and keeping parks closed.  Not being prepared for snow I can kind of understand, but not being prepared to clean up tree debris?  It's windy here!  Shit falls all the time!  They must be making due with the three vehicles they normally use instead of getting a few extra for an extraordinary situation.  Anyway, it's not a bad time to relax with a nice stout.  Now, it's Gulden Draak, but it's an imperial stout, which piqued my interest.  I think I'm close to fifty-fifty with how well Belgian beers have treated me up to now, so let's try to tip the scales a little more in their favor.

In spite of the distinctly Belgianish aroma, it's still promising with a slight stout smokiness and just a little bit of tang to call your nose to attention.  It might be a stronger stout at 12%, but it's not one of the darker ones, being barely darker than some more robust brown ales.  The head is creamy and resistant, looking standard beige at first, but after getting all piled up on top has a lighter mocha foam hue.  The taste is overwhelmingly Belgian, with the sweet-sour and slightly throat-grabbing finish.  It's a fruitier stout than I tend to like, if no chocolate is involved at least.  It is a mouthful, smoothing out the sour fruit with an almost creamy texture.  While it goes down easily, it is not to be ignored on its way.  Thankfully, no strong flavors come out by surprise as the beer warms up, it stays pretty much the same as it was at first.  Again, not exactly what I look for in a stout, but I really can't complain about it.

Suppler: Labirratorium

Price: €3.45

supernatural solutions?

About 11 months ago Madrid clamped itself down in an almost hysterical attempt to prevent an major viral outbreak.  It did not work.  Not only did a lot of people get sick then, but plenty of people are getting sick now, causing weekly changes to restaurant hours and times for free movement.  It's a better time than ever to drink at home.  It's also a good time to have some darker beers to go with darker moods.  The days are getting lighter now, but that's really not a lot of help to most of us.  Black Magic seems like the kind of thing we might be turning to at this point.  But, this Black Magic is an unfiltered chocolate porter, not some ritual that requires animal or human sacrifice.  I don't know if the gods are going to do our bidding just for a porter. 

It's a nice roasted brown rather than black, which promises the chocolate.  There isn't much chocolate aroma, although it is a little bit smoky.  Quite resistant head, a nice fluffy beige.  It's much more sour than I was expecting, with a quick move into woody flavors.  It's like a barrel aged beer, but without the added alcohol.  After a few sips I think I'm starting to get a little bit of chocolate out of it.  It's a very light feeling beer, not sticky and really not very sweet.  It doesn't have a bitter baking chocolate twist to it either.  I'd say it's a toasty flavor with an underpinning of hops - there is a mild kick that I would attribute to them.  While it is a nice beer, well suited to a cooler evening, I still have my doubts that it would work as a divine libation, wresting the action of higher beings after dousing an altar.  'S fine for me though.

Supplier: Labirratorium

Price: €4.80