building up

Found out there was a beer store I hadn't visited yet, and after the disappearance of the nearby Cervecista - Hop Hop Hurrah!  Yeah, that's the name, I'm not exclaiming my joy.  Not just, anyway.  Like La Mundial and Prost Chamberí before, it's a smallish place in a municipal market.  Actually, Barceló has ceased to be a mere market and is now a "polyvalent center" containing a market among other things.  I think there's a gym and at least one other thing that isn't about food.  Although compact, the selection on the shelves was more than adequate; I had to leave a couple of black beers behind, not wanting to lug too many home.  First I have a national to try, Yria's Bauhaus Imperial Stout, whiskey barrel aged.  Committed to supporting craft wherever they can obviously, Yria has used Sackman whiskey barrels, another national product.

Didn't get a very good head on it, but a momentary mat of dark beige bubbles did make it for a photo-op.  The beer is highly aromatic, heavy on the chocolate and malt, promising to swamp the mouth in flavor.  And indeed, it is exceptionally tasty, more bitter than I was expecting, but well within the lines of a nice stout.  There a good head of smoke, a base of earth and the chocolate core whistling its way through everything.  It starts out very smooth also, but develops an edge after just a few sips.  The fire starts to make its way more to the top, leaving an alcohol burning behind it, more or less extinguishing the earthiness.  The chocolate still maintains itself, though.  It never gets exactly syrupy, but over time it does build up in weight.  Of course, that could also be an effect of the whiskey sneaking in...

Supplier: Hop Hop Hurrah

Price: €6.20