storms a-comin'

The final beer for the final day needs to be something special, and I had my super stout yesterday, so it's time for a different kind of special.  It is still summer after all, so something light and snappy would be nice.  As for the brewery, Basqueland is pretty much always a safe choice, innovation or not.  I ended up with Necto Cooler, a fruit sour, not too complicated with nectarine and passion fruit.  Huh, passion fruit again.  Must be a trend.  Although maybe not quite as powerful as IPAs, but it's the fashion of the summer.

We're back to the cloudy beers, this time with a rich golden orange color.  Head is bright white and fizzy, and evaporates quickly.  There's fruit in the aroma, sour and tongue-twisty, but also some banana and vanilla.  The taste is a sort of candy type, one of those sweet and sour kinds.  I'm reminded of chewy candies, something like Starburst, with a little bit of cream in there too.  There is a hint of yogurt, natural yogurt sprinkled with fruit bits, so healthy feeling and perky.  Just the kind of wild thing to go with thunderstorms.

 

Supplier: La Mundial

Price: €8

next in line

La Quince/Guineu stouts are always something to experience.  The latest I've come across is Passion Fruit Cheesecake Velvet, which I first saw and sampled at Taproom, but unfortunately that was the last of that barrel.  So, when I saw that tall can sitting on the shelf at La Mundial, it seemed right to grab it then.  The salesguy approved.  He did warn me, however, that it's a strong flavored beer, even more than a strong alcohol one.  I guess a drinking buddy is recommended?

The appearance is exactly as expected, dark dark chocolate brown, although not perfectly black, and the head is a rich dark beige.  It starts out thick and foamy but doesn't take too long to disappear.  It actually smells more chocolatey than many chocolate stouts, although there's some fruit wallowing in there too.  The flavor does have a good similarity to cheesecake, with a mix of sweet and tangy.  It's not a heavy feeling beer, although it isn't a lightweight at all either.  It's an interesting sour kind of stout, making it more refreshing and summery than a good amount of pastry stouts, at least in most people's estimation I'm sure.  The fruit comes out more and more as the beer warms up, and it feels like a chewy kind of fruit too.  Something fibrous and full of vitamins.  

Supplier: La Mundial

Price: €6.60

sunrise coming

There's always the danger of not having many places to go to stock up on beer in August, although I think this year there aren't quite as many vacations as other years.  Sure, some places have taken a break, well-deserved no doubt, but for the most part there has been a variety that other cities can envy.  La Mundial, however, did take quite a breather this month.  It's only now at the end that they're back, and I wanted to visit them again after their performance for Beermas.  I asked about a strong IPA, hoppy and bitter, and they were quick to point out a number of possibilities, the usual suspects all, Basqueland's Imparable in particular, but it goes without saying that I'm looking for new things.  Caleya has made its way to my glass before, but Goma 2 is something different.  Will it be the liquid refreshment that perks me up from August-end doldrums?

It's on the darker side of gold, but there's no cloudiness at all to the beer.  The head is thick and pretty resistant.  A number of aromas combine, giving it a complex but very IPA-y smell, with hops being prominent, but pine and toast are mixed in too.  The taste is hops-heavy, but it does have a little touch of brightness.  There isn't a whole lot of citrus poking out, but I wouldn't call it a bitter beer.  Interestingly, it's barely bitter at all to my taste.  It's a bit smoother than Naparbier's Aker, but it has heft and body, while sliding down the throat in a way that reminds me of melted jello.  As I said, smooth.

Supplier: La Mundial

Price: €3.30

second chances

It's with trepidation that I pull Glowy's Cherry hard seltzer out of the fridge.  The first one I had was no picnic to drink, good Bacchus.  It's a shame, since they looked like they would be something light and refreshing for the excessive temperatures, that are actually the normal ones for Madrid right now.

Immediately there's that sulphury smell, to my anxious disgust.  The appearance is the same as the other one, just a citrus soda looking thing.  I think it might smell a little bit better than the mandarin-grapefruit, a little more like fruit is involved.  The flavor is much, much improved over the other, with a taste that is really like cherry.  Well, at least cherry flavored beverages.  I'm thinking Capri Sun.  There's a mild undercurrent of funk that could be the fermentation showing itself, but it's nothing like with the supposed citrus drink.  If I carelessly take a whiff of the seltzer before sipping, some of that meaty sulphur comes through in the drink, but if I pay attention and smell as little as possible, it's rather nice.  Alright, I guess Glowy is redeemed.  Now, if only Spain would open its tastebuds to more cherry flavored drinks.

Supplier: La Cervecista

Price: €2

a seedy place indeed

I decided to reward myself with a stout after so many days of lighter, brighter beers.  It's barrel aged, too, so it ought to have a nice punch to put me out on a Friday night.  Plus, I had to chuckle a little bit at the name: I mean, Moose Islay?  Hilarious.  It's Nómada, so not officially craft any more, but it's good enough for a try.

Nice, dark brown color, very little foam and head.  It has an oddly gassy aroma, with a little bit of smoke thrown in.  The flavor is a heavy combination of earth, nearly burned toast and rubber, weirdly.  The plum-like background that some stouts have is also present, but it also has a toasted quality, like a plum jelly overcooked and with the sugars kind of burned out.  A lot of barrel aged stouts have a heavy layer of sweetness to them, with a lot of weight from that barrel and whatever alcohol was in there before, but this stout does not seem to have that.  It may be that it is not actually aged in a whisky or rum barrel like others, but just left in its own barrel for a longer than normal time.  There's definitely some amount of wood in there as well.  I'm sad to say that I am not really enjoying this beer, however.  I think my expectations were just too high, or not in the right place.  Oh well, there are still some days left, and opportunities for better advice.

Supplier: La Cervecista

Price: €5.70

surprise! letdown!

At first I thought the little fruit decorated cans were cider, they are next to bottles of cider after all, but looking closer I see they are hard seltzer.  So something fizzy, that's fine.  It's a fermented sugar cane drink, so also something sweet.  I don't know if that means it will build up and get heavy like layers and layers of cotton candy, but it's worth a shot.  "No Bad Days" you say, Glowy?  Maybe you can give me a good evening too.

I'm surprised by color once again, or rather lack of color.  This looks like regular 7-Up if anything.  The smell is...interesting, with a touch of fruit but also a good puff of sulphur.  Is seltzer supposed to have sulphur, from mineral water or something?  The flavor is also unusual, really meaty, like roasted chicken.  I am not getting any grapefruit or mandarin from this at all, really hardly anything fruity at all.  I don't know if I'll get used to this chicken in a glass or if it will be unpleasant to the end, but I'll try to finish it for the sake of experience.  I can drink it down without suffering the smell or taste, but eventually I have to breathe and then it pops up all bright and shiny in my nose.  It doesn't ever get better, although I guess I get a little used to it after a while.  But in my opinion it really is...fowl.  Yeah, sorry.

Supplier: La Cervecista

Price: €2

have a little punch

I'm conflicted about La Cervecista.  It's a decent enough place with shelves full of appealing beers, but it's really a retail space for Mahou.  Oh sure, there are a bunch of craft looking beers on shelves and in fridges, but they are part of Mahou's network, like Founders and Nómada, or they're the typical Belgian and German imports.  Still, I feel like I ought to at least check things out.  Also, they have some quick and easy ciders right now, and it's still not as cool as I would like outside.  No cider just yet, though, I bow to Belgian influence today with Lindemans Framboise.

The heavy smell of fruity lambic fills the air immediately, in a tantalizing way of course.  The dark red beer sits in the glass like a vampire's party drink and the cotton candy head makes it all the more celebratory.  The flavor is tangy, like ripe ripe raspberry, not a lot of sweetness underneath.  I remember Mort Subité being a little sticky, but much like with the peach, Lindemans shows it knows how to balance out its beer.  It's a lot like a barely diluted fruit syrup still, with a powerful amount of taste.  Aside from the head there isn't much to indicate you're actually drinking a beer.  It's not a very alcoholic beer either, at only 2.5%.  You could easily fashion a cocktail out of this and fool people into thinking there's no alcohol at all.  Not that you want to go around fooling people about those things.

Supplier: La Cervecista

Price: €2.30

for the luau

Two days in a row without a stout by choice?  Sometimes things happen.  Rest assured there is one waiting, but while it isn't raining I might partake of snappier things.  I poked around Cerevisia for some fruit sour besides the hoppy IPA and came across Lovin' Fruit Berliner Weisse, something I have not seen from Guineu before.  It has 0 IBU, so practically the opposite of Aker, in theory.  A weisse should be more sour than bitter anyway, so it ought to work out.

I'm mildly shocked by the dark, rusty color.  I was definitely expecting something with a more golden hue.  The head dies back pretty quickly but there is a tiny cap left.  The aroma is deeply fruity, with apple and peach being the most obvious to me, although it's probably my imagination since neither of those are listed as ingredients.  The flavor is cidery, again a lot of apple, but there's a sort of soft banana that comes out towards the end of the sip.  There isn't much bitter, or even sweet here, it earns its sour label with honors.  It's not a candy sour either, it's something natural and kind, like good fruit themselves.

Supplier: Cerevisia

Price: €5.70

work your magic

It's supposed to get more humane this week, maybe even rain a little bit.  Gray skies need a little brightening, so I feel justified in having an IPA.  A nice hoppy one, too, to reenergize.  Naparbier is always a good choice, and Aker has an interesting label design.  More than an IPA, it's a West Coast IPA, so no tropical sweetness expected, probably a lighter feel than a NEIPA.  Although I would have been happy with that too.

It's a bit cloudy for a West Coast IPA, but it has a tangy, spicy aroma that fits right in.  It has a straw yellow color, fine, white head.  The flavor is light, although the beer has a sort of resistance in the mouth that's surprising.  It's resiny, with a tiny touch of citrus.  There's also a hint of pine and an undercurrent of wood, but I don't think I can tell if it's pine wood or any other kind.  The fruity flavors come out little by little, a blend of orange, mango and cucumber.  Maybe there's some melon in there too.  It's a very refreshing kind of mixture, light feeling and summery.  

Supplier: Cerevisia

Price: €3.40

a two-fer!

There was a fad a couple of years ago for beer floats.  And oh, those were nice!  At least I thought so, but it seems like I was in the small, small minority because they disappeared and never came back.  Not that there aren't other beer cocktails out there, I just really like the excuse to have ice cream with my alcohol.  Anyway, Bee Beer promoted a couple of special mixes for summer on their Instagram a couple of weeks ago, and I thought I should try them out before summer gets away from me.  Time does tend to do that.

First was the Beechelada, a take on the Michelada, a spicy Mexican cocktail.  The original also includes beer, so it's not far off roots, it's just with Bee Beer's own brew instead of an industrial lager.  They use a pretty strongly colored hot sauce, or maybe just a lot of tomato juice, so the drink it fiery red.  Chili flakes have infiltrated the liquid, but they tend to concentrate on the bottom, where the spiciness comes out strong.  Sipping from the rim gets salty chili in there, but also more of a vinegary taste.  After a good mixing the flavors blend much better with a hint of everything in one swallow.  There enough spice to be interesting but the pickley parts give it a refreshing snap.  I was wondering if the ice cubes would dilute it in the end, but it doesn't seem like they had much impact on the overall flavor.  It was spicy for sure, but the strongest flavoring was really the salt.  It seems like a drink that needs a quick intake or a lot of maintenance in the glass.  I think the lemon slice had a hand in trapping the chili flakes at the bottom without offering a lot of taste itself.  I am not a cocktail person, even a beer cocktail person, so while this was a fun detour from my usual stuff, I don't think it's something I would seek out particularly.

I also had the Birra Colada, taking advantage of ... being there, I guess.  I will go and buy beer or go for beer and discussion, but one drink doesn't have a whole lot of pull for me.  Still, I can't say I regret it when I do drag my ass out most of the time, and this was one of those most times.  Bee Beer's colada is made with a coconut mix and their own Dr. Insólilto beer, a pineapple IPA.  If I was with several people I wonder if we would have gotten the rest of the beer from the bottle, or if they just would have used up a bottle or two for several cocktails.  Sometimes there are advantages to drinking alone, it seems.  There was a large chunk of pineapple for a tropical trimming, adding a nice touch with it's almost neon yellow color, and the beer really disappeared into the mix, leaving an off-white drink with a nice cap of foam on top.  There's lots of heavy coconut and rumminess, but not a lot of pineapple at first.  It has a little candy essence, but sweet wouldn't be the first word I would use to describe the drink.  It tastes to me like those cocktails that want to be both grown-up (heavy alcohol) and fun/easy to suck a few down (fruit, tropical flavors).  The mix doesn't seem to be very cold and it takes a couple of minutes for the ice to work its magic on the whole cocktail; unfortunately, in this case there does seem to be some dilution of flavor with the melting ice.  There are some strong woody notes in the drink, which definitely come from the mix rather than the beer.  After polishing of the birra colada I emptied the rest of the bottle into the glass, and Dr. Insólito is certainly not a woody tasting beer.  Despite being an IPA it's not very bitter either, but quite light and drinkable, and offering a clear pineapple flavor that is nicely balanced, neither excessively sweet or tart.  It really was just the thing to put out any possible Beechelada fire.

I had wanted to take a picture of the facade, but Bee Beer Debod is right in front of some improvement work being done on Plaza de España.  Not a lot of space to be taking pictures.  Also, the building is covered in scaffolding, so maybe some improvements being done there too.  But, some year they will finish redoing the plaza, and it looks like Bee Beer will have a window across the street from it, so the little terraza they have will probably be a coveted spot to park your Parque-Templo-Plaza strolling ass.

fresh squeezed

Although there's nothing like a good stout at any time or ambient temperature, it's nice to have something a little perkier on a 95˚ day.  It's been a while since I've had a kölsch, although fruity beers have come up here and there, so that sounds like a nice bit of variety.  Even better, it's from Península, so we're supporting local business and assured of a damn fine beer.  Pomelo Squeezer, bottoms up!

I'm a little disappointed by the normal beer color; I was expecting Cherry 7-Up pink for some reason.  It does perfume the air with wafts of grapefruit, though, so that's definitely a point in its favor.  It really tastes like fresh grapefruit juice at first, with that little bit of carbonation to make it a fancy drink, but towards the end of the sip the beer grain comes rolling out.  It's an interesting see-saw balancing act of bitter and sweet, so well done it's like having two drinks at once.  Or is that really poorly done?  It should be well done, since the beer is little drink oasis on a summer weekend afternoon.  The beer profile becomes more distinct over time, leaving behind some of the initial crispness, but it's still light and refreshing.

Supplier: Labirratorium

Price: €2.50

wasn't even that far

I've had my fill of lighter beers, it's time for the darkness to return.  If only it could guarantee fall-like temperatures with it...but they will come eventually.  Poking around the shelves in Labirratorium, there were a few possibilities.  A couple of related brews stood together, one with coffee, one with cacao.  In the end, I thought the cacao might give me a little more of cooling off than the coffee, so Odyssey's Cocoa came home with me.

It's a pleasing dark color, practically opaque black.  The head is a dark beige and fizzy enough at first, but it quickly disappears.  There's a deep mellow stout aroma, a little earth and a little toast.  The cacao comes out straight away in the flavor, although there's a backdrop of plumb in there along with it.  I'm not quite sure if there's licorice, but it seems like there is a little something extra in the anti-bitter department.  It's not quite a pastry stout, but it has a way of demanding attention when drunk.  It's a little thick on the swallow too, although not too heavy on the aftertaste.  It's a little fruitier than I would expect a cocoa stout to be, although it's not the first one I've had with that quality.

Supplier: Labirratorium

Price: €8.10

it isn't glittering, though

More than halfway through the month, and I need to pick up a few more "samples".  This time I stop by Labirratorium, where I know there will be plenty of unusual choices.  I kind of feel like something a little more traditional, though, so one of my purchases was a German lager.  Now it's a special lager, obviously, but this time I'm not sifting through a dozen flavorings.  This time.  I don't believe I've come across St. Georgen Bräu before, but I'm curious about this Goldmärzen of theirs.  (Oh, wait, here's the last time - also from Labirratorium!)  I don't know if it was one of their original recipes - on the label it says since 1624 - but I'm sure the Bavarian tradition of quality beer will make itself known. 

It has that very classic German beer look, with the translucent gold and frothy, abundant head.  Grains and vegetation are evident in the aroma.  It smells like a full-flavored beer, so I'm expecting something with some weight to it.  I'm a little surprised at the touch of sourness in the taste, although there's plenty of meaty lager almost corn in there too.  It's a nice balance of flavors, making it more interesting than the majority of German lagers in my opinion.  It certainly does have some weight behind it, it drags a little in the throat, almost fighting the swallow.  That robustness is another point of interest for the beer, but I don't think it's strong to the point of distraction.  It does share the feeling of a nice märzen, despite being a blond version, no forgettable beer at all.

Supplier: Labirratorium

Price: €2.40

ready to move on

It's the last day of my IPA pack, and it's a trustworthy ending indeed.  Basqueland has never disappointed, that I can recall, and Imparable looks like it should take the same track.  The month is over half done, and it seems like there's been almost nothing but light bitter beers, although they do fit with the temperatures and unpleasant solar effects.  I'd be happier to have more rain, to be honest.  At the very least it would help with going to sleep.

It's a similar color as Violent Mumble, and has a similar aroma.  It's much more of a piney hops kind of IPA than a tropical one.  It has an even breadier flavor than yesterday's brew, verging into lager territory.  There's something peppery about it, I find it difficult to identify any fruit whatsoever.  It's one of the stronger beers of recent days, with a heavy taste although the beer itself is pretty light and drinkable.  It smooths out over time, gaining something of a roundness in its flavor, although it stays bitter and toasty to the end.

Supplier: Birra Y Paz

Price: €4

loud and clear

I'm down to the little cans in the pack now, but I can imagine they are just as enjoyable as those big ol' Osos.  Oh yeah, done with Oso Brewing for now too.  Today it's Caravelle.  Still national, but less local being in Barcelona.  This is Violent Mumble, a West Coast IPA, which I hope won't knock me out to the point of mumbling violently with no clear ideas.  It's only 6.5%, so probably not.  I had a good lunch and everything.

What's that you say?

Ah, yes, of course

I was expecting the West Coast IPA to be a little clearer, but this one is also on the cloudy side.  Not nearly as much as some of the other recent ales, and a somewhat darker color too.  Nice white head, though, and a more cleansing kind of smell, very piney.  And I do mean cleansing in a good way, not that I feel like I'm about to have some floor cleaner.  The taste blends the pine with a touch of citrus and grain, giving a rounded sort of flavor that rolls through the mouth and down the throat at a leisurely pace.  I'm getting a tiny bit of toasty aftertaste, interestingly enough.  Again, it's a thoroughly refreshing beer, with a very moderate kind of bitter, nothing to overload the senses.  It's not particularly sweet, having more of a resinous, woody quality.  Kind of tastes like you might imagine the west coast woods to taste like, in fact.  Hey, even the fires get in there with that whisper of toast in the end!  So timely Caravelle, so much awareness.

Seems quite peaceful, actually

Supplier: Birra Y Paz

Price: €4.20

do some science to this

It's time for the third of the Oso trio, Science!  Another IPA, with a calming design on the can, promising the tropical experience that the normal modern IPAs deliver.  It's getting marginally better outside this week, although it's still unpleasantly hot.  Good weather for modern ales, I suppose, but I'd rather have more tolerable temperatures and a fridge full of stouts.  Well, half-full, IPAs have their charm and desirability for sure.  And that can be shown with, what else, Science! 

It's another cloudy beer, with a ruddier tinge and fine head.  It's not strongly aromatic, but there's a typical IPA hoppiness.  The taste is heavy on the fruit, tropical but with an emphasis on citrus.  It starts off sweet and rolls down into a sour tang to finish with a slight bitter.  There's also some peachiness overlaid on it.  I would go so far as to say there's a peach yogurt essence, with a beer this smooth.  The fruitiness concentrates a little bit, making the beer a tad sticky as it sits around.  It's still delicious, but maybe not quite as refreshing as those that have less flavor but stay clean, or sharper bitter that keeps you on your toes.

Supplier: Birra Y Paz

Price: €6.35

no fields to wander in

I thought all the pack was IPAs, but there is a regular pale ale stuck in there.  It's Oso brewing again, so hopes are high, with Nature.  At first I took the yellow parts of the design on the can for orange slices, but they're all hops, so I kind of expect something more on the cold and bitter side than citrusy.  While fruity beers are nice and appetizing, a hot day that crushes your energy down might be better met by a sharp taste that really kicks you in the pants. 

It's another cloudy one, a little surprising to me for a pale ale, but it does seem to be the fashion of the times.  There's a little more sweetness and citrus in the aroma but nothing else very obviously identifiable.  The flavor is a little disappointing actually.  There's a very mild bitter, then a twist of orange, but it's otherwise kind of watery.  Of course, I am used to much stronger flavors these days, so a less jaded palate might find the beer pleasantly bright and refreshing.  It is clean feeling and light, so certainly good for oppressively warm evenings.

Supplier: Birra Y Paz

Price: €5.65

it's right in the name

The second of the IPA bomb comes from Oso Brewing: Verano.  What a name, just right for the season!  It's supposed to be a refreshing blend of those more tropical hops.  The IPAs are certainly claiming the highest part of the podium this year, although they have been popular since the beginning of the craft explosion.  I thought sours might give them a run for their money, what with the recent prevalence of them, but it seems people can't help going back to an old favorite, even if it has something new blended in.

It seems like an oddly creamy beer, but the head looks right and the aroma has a spice that isn't unusual.  It's another one that leans more into caraway or toasty salad spices than tropical fruits.  I can't seem to find any citrus in the scent but there is a pinch of orange in the taste.  That's quickly rolled over by a balloon of melon flavor, though.  It's not especially bitter, although I wouldn't say it's a sweet beer either; there's a mellow mouthiness that you might enjoy from a summer fruit salad, one that doesn't have a whole lot of sticky sugar but is refreshing and full of hydration.  Eventually a tartness starts to come out, but the beer remains easily drinkable.  I find it to be on the lighter side of IPAs, but one that's worthy of its name.

Supplier: Birra Y Paz

Price:€6.20

exotic

The US Brewers Association recently recognized New Zealand Pale Ale as a new beer style, but I had never come across anything labeled as such in Madrid.  Sure, it doesn't have to be made in New Zealand, like NEIPA it's just the name of the style, not a denomination of origin.  Still, it was with surprise and delight I found one, the last one in stock it seems, standing proudly on the shelf at La Buena Pinta.  It's an Irish beer it turns out, from O Brother Brewing, so at least we know it's a product of people who have reverence for their beer.  Let's give hOptical a whirl.

Very foamy, maybe excessively so, but with a pleasing piny scent.  It's pretty cloudy, sort of a rusty gold.  Sticking your nose closer gives you a whiff of mandarins and touch of sourness, but a pickly kind of sour more than a fruity kind.  The first impression is definitely tropical.  The flavor is juicy, with hints of citrus, mango, and perhaps cucumber, so an undeniable summer drink.  There's some underlying vinegar there too, which gives the beer a bite, but doesn't really seem out of place with such light and fresh flavors.  Another point in its favor as a refreshing beverage on a scorching day is its lack of aftertaste or heavy feel.  It is extremely light in the mouth and when you swallow it's just gone.  Like a summer breeze, which you might wish would stick around just a little while longer.

Supplier: La Buena Pinta

Price: €5.50

water!

It might be a good idea to stock up on some beers, just in case there are store vacations.  In fact, I just found out Birra Y Paz and Cervecissimus will be having some days off this month.  I rolled down to the former to see what I could find to keep the whistle wet, and they were having a small sale to empty the fridges as much as possible.  6 cans of IPA for a total of €30.30.  It's a small discount, but it is something.  The one before me now is Nib Brewing's Virgin Waters, an American IPA specifically.  I do like Nib, they might be my favorite of Madrid's gypsy brewers, by association I suppose.

It's a darker shade of gold, but still translucent, with a clean white head that puffs up on pouring but dies down fast.  While there's a little citrus in the aroma, it's more pine and bitter spices.  Caraway, maybe.  The feeling is like a dissolved jello, smooth and very drinkable, although it does weigh down the tongue a little bit.  The flavor is also somewhat piney with a more citrusy aftertaste.  It's not quite as bright and happy as hOptical, for instance, but it's a solid IPA.  For those who long for something a little more traditional it might be a good choice.

Supplier: Birra Y Paz

Price: €6.15

more than a spoonful

In spite of the weight of the weather, I will insist on a stout or two (or more).  I was tickled to see the set of "medical" beers some time ago on somebody's shelf, but didn't pick any up at the time.  Now I see one stout standing all by its lonesome in La Buena Pinta, and now I just can't resist.  The set was by La Calavera of Cataluña, with the Russian Imperial stout, an Irish Republican Stout and a Svensk Vodka Stout.  The bottle is rather small, but I expect the beer inside will pack a punch.

There's an immediate rich and sugary aroma, with a strong base of alcohol.  With some careful sniffing, I detect a sort of wine essence.  There's not much head at all, leaving a very smooth looking brew in the glass.  The flavor is much more bitter and less sharp and fruity than the scent would suggest.  The beer is also fairly heavy and thick in the mouth, giving the impression of a mixed drink with a number of powerful ingredients.  It is smooth, although the texture reminds me of a banana smoothie, or something similar.  It's something of a chocolate stout, of the best kind, with enough dark chocolate to leave an impression but not overdoing the sugar.  It does get a little heavier over time, and there's some globby sediment at the bottom, but overall it's sweet, sweet medicine.

Supplier: La Buena Pinta

Price: €2.90

outta sight

While picking out my Sibeeria, I was told about another Slavic acquisition: Pinta of Poland.  The chosen one was Planet Bru-1™, the Pinta of the Month for this past July.  I had a dilemma choosing it, since I feel like I have a small obligation to support local business and Oso Brew had a really nice looking beer also on the shelf, but in the end I thought I might visit La Osita soon and who knows when I'll ever visit Poland.  Pinta it is.  A nice DDH Session IPA to wet your whistle on an unpleasantly warm day.

The appearance is a lot like an unfiltered witbier, with a pale straw color and cloudiness.  Head is white, fizzy looking, just capping the beer in the glass.  The scent is spicy and perky, with a good amount of hop bitter.  The flavor follows closely on the aroma, with a touch of citrus for good measure.  It feels a little dusty, like there is some extra substance floating around.  It gets even lighter with time and warming, ending up like a watered down orange juice, or one of those orange "nectars" that come in a box.  That might sound like a criticism, but it's a really nice beer for the weather, going down like a cloud without a hint of weightiness.  Despite that, it's no lightweight in terms of alcohol, being a nearly 6% IPA.  The session part must be relative.

Supplier: Más Que Cervezas

Price: €4.75

not the black forest, but ok

Más Que Cevezas had a shipment of Sibeeria a while ago, a brewery I haven't had the pleasure of coming across for quite some time.  Since the Sweet Baby Jesus incident, in fact.  It's exciting to see new beers come in, but an old friend is also nice to see.  I thought they would fly off the shelves, but there were a few left, of a couple of styles.  A couple of IPAs and a porter.  Ohhh, we all know which one I went with.  It's a vanilla and coconut porter, at a very mild 4.7%, and I was told a very easy drinking brew. 

It has a fairly thin appearance when poured, although the beige head is pretty frothy to start.  It does diminish quickly.  The strongest part of the aroma is definitely the coconut, it's almost like a piña colada.  Even the underlying scents are slightly sour and tangy, giving the beer a tropical feel in the nose.  The flavor is less tropical with the vanilla coming on strong, but the coconut still has a dominating presence.  It's smooth although it feels almost...oily?  Like coco butter I guess.  It remains constant in flavor balance all the way through, a nice light but filling drink, at home under a beach umbrella or shabby chic bar chair.

Supplier: Más Que Cervezas

Price: €5.07

seeing red

It's been a bearable weekend temperature-wise, but it sounds like the next week is going to get shitty.  I have a possible antidote with a nice cider, a Spanish one to boot.  The Good Cider pops up occasionally in the stores, although not always the Wild Berry version.  This time is was right by the door of Más Que Cervezas, although towards the bottom shelf.  Since the place is small and there were people browsing before me, I had a little motivation to check out every little thing.  There were plenty of other interesting beers, and a couple did make it into the bag, but a berry cider every once in a while is definitely a treat.

It's a totally appetizing reddish cider, slightly transparent and fruity scented, not quite like wine but something similar.  It's oddly not sweet, a little tart actually, but light and refreshing.  Years ago I had a berry mead that had a flavor along the same lines, but was much heavier.  The cider is something of a British style, with the sweetness and the smoothness, but it's not quite as syrupy as a lot of them are.  It's not a particularly complex or surprising flavor, almost like a spiked Kool-Aid in fact, but it is undeniably nice.

suggestive

Although it's the last of the recent Be Hoppy selection to be drunk, it was the first one I noticed in the store.  They had it sitting proudly in the refrigerator with the colorful head map drawing the eye and the Slavic-like name piquing interest.  It almost looks like it should be a word in Czech or some related language, but as far as I can tell Rmuntovárí isn't a word at all.  Rmut is mash or pulp, and the suffix could be related to cooking, but what do I know?  Not a hell of a lot, I can tell you.  I can say it's not a surprising thing from Naparbier, one of the most dedicated and innovative craft breweries of Spain.  At first I thought they had done a collaboration, as they often do, but this looks like all Naparbier.  They have used a new yeast to create this classic Bohemian style pilsner, which they expect to give you a traditional experience, perhaps somewhat enhanced in flavor.

It pours out like a foamy champagne, with a sort of tan transparency that leads me to expect a sharp and somewhat dry flavor.  It's very lightly scented, just the barest hint of grain.  The first sip has a strong yet clean bitterness that drags a grapefruit kind of citrus behind it, a surprise, but one that cleanses the palate.  Despite the strong flavor, it's a very light beer.  While in the mouth it packs a punch, but once swallowed it kind of disappears, with only the mildest bitterness left on the tongue.  I guess I have to say it's one of the nicest pilsners made in Spain that I've had.  Many others have had an overabundance of sweetness but this one certainly doesn't suffer from that.  Yes, there is some citrus fruitiness, but it's a round and filling bitter citrus, not a flighty tropical kind like you'd get from a lot of modern ales.  I'm glad it's not as champagney as I was expecting, since I'm definitely more about the grain drinks than the wine ones.