the mascot

Still with Guineu and its fox, now an amber ale.  Again, it looks like a very solid offering, although nothing special or extra creative.  Simple Birita, casual, unfussy.

It seems extra heady, and it has a rich dark orange color.  Interesting aroma, a little honeyed and not very fruity.  There's a little bit of orange in the taste, but it's more watered down than I expected.  The first seconds of the sip give a bubbly heads-up but then it does down and practically disappears.  It's a good beer for sitting and relaxing but not thinking too much about.  A little snack to go with it would mix well.  Something kind of woody starts to come out after a few minutes, giving the beer more body and a little more interest, although it's not the kind of taste that I particularly favor.

attack ready

Temperatures are still high, but staying at more "normal" levels these days.  Still makes you want to relax with a good wet glass of something, though.  I got a second-hand Instagram recommendation for a book on the modern British brewing industry, specifically how it wiggled out from the thumb of its own macros.  Brew Britannia, for those interested.  I'm deeply bothered by how much I don't know culturally about our forbear.  Well, that's what collected information is for!  Anyway, a British beer seems like a fitting choice, something to keep me in the mood for learning while being gobsmacked by unsuspected attitudes.  A hundred years behind Spain in fully accepting lagers, can you believe it?  Of course, the most available British beers are ales, and this one is premium, so high expectations here!  Its name, Bombardier, makes you think it's going to squash your summer doldrums for sure.  Gonna fly high for me Eagle?

Certainly not a pale ale, although it has a pretty classic beer color and aroma.  It's a little bready, not sharp or fruity.  I'm expecting more of a bitter punch, but it's bready in taste too, although also crusty-warm feeling, like a loaf just out of the oven.  It dances between sweet and bitter, with a flavor that feels very herb-like.  The feeling is rather heavy, but it disappears immediately after swallowing, so not a difficult beer to drink.  It's subdued, a companion beer, one that supports conversations with friends, strong-flavored dinners, not demanding the spotlight for itself.  I'm not overwhelmed, but I'm not upset about it at all.  It makes me think I should get myself a pizza and dig out some classic movies.

Supplier: Cervecissimus

Price: €3.80

roads long untraveled

As we wake up again to life outside, both thanks to spring and to the idea that we don't have to worry about certain viruses anymore, celebrations that we remember fondly also reappear.  Beermad did shake off its sleep last fall (and will be up again shortly), but Artesana Week was nowhere to be found for a couple of years.  Happily, it has been awakened.  A few places I remember from other years aren't on the list, but some familiar names are, and there's no reason to shun new opportunities anyway.  As a grumpy introvert, I went down in the afternoon, hoping there would be relatively few people.  There might have been, but there were still more than enough for me.

Good to know we are well watched over

We begin at Casa Zoilo, one of the old standards.  They had four Península brews on tap, and I considered the sour at first, just for something different, but ended up with Sendero Hazy IPA.  For whatever reason I felt like starting off slow and the sour was a fairly strong 7%.  Sendero has a cloudy look, thick head, what I tend to like in a NEIPA.  It's bitter-juicy, a natural, fresh squeezed kind of tasting beer, not super citrusy, like a mild grapefruit.  The chorizo tapa is ok, a little grease to balance the bitter, almost tart, of the beer.  Despite appearances it's not a super thick hazy, feeling very light and easily drinkable.  Also not exceptionally strong, at just over 5%.  It's a good starter, just a little push-off for a beer march.  Crawl is not the word I want, especially early Saturday afternoon.

 

Now on to a new name, Beer Joint.  They offer Oso's Dignity IPA for the Week.  It's similar to Sendero, down to the cloudy color, but much lighter head.  It has a somewhat flatter taste, a little bit planty, less overt hops, tingles a bit more.  In fact it's weirdly tickly for such a mild flavor.  Again, nice afternoon starter drink, good to talk with since it doesn't demand the limelight.

I think Taberna Filomena used to operate under a different name; I might have to dig through some old posts to see if I can track it down.  Their sponsorship goes to Groovie, with a session IPA and an amber ale.  I've already had two IPAs, so Gabba Gabba Hey it is.  Nice caramel color, low aroma, kind of salty sweet to the taste at first.  Maybe like a candy you forgot in your pocket.  Still, it has a certain charisma, an allure with a touch of bitter that maybe, just maybe, hints at something more.  Eventually it mellows out into a malty sort of refresher, a little bit heavier after the IPAs, feels like a good step on the path.

 

Chinaski has shown some good times in the past, and they've done a little redecorating.  Gone is the board on the wall with the scribbled names of brews, up is the shiny new screen behind the bar with names, prices, percentages etc.  The menu is long and varied, but I'm dedicated to Artesana Week, and what they have for that is La Quince Roots Red Ale.  La Quince is good and red ale is normally good.  I dive in.  Also good color, much like Groovie's, but there's something in the aroma a little like when you first open a freezer.  The flavor is a ball of surprises - grainy, sour, bitter - all strangely pleasant.  There's a slight cucumber/melon with a touch of salt in the aftertaste.  I'd say this is a more grown up beer than the previous ones, a beer that isn't afraid to stand alone.  That little bit of saltiness even makes it seem like its own snack.

Wandering down Argumosa, I remember how much I didn't like going out before the pandemic.  It's good to see people patronizing their local watering holes, but the crowd is a little too much.  I sit down in La Buga del Lobo anyway, after asking for Speranto's Blanka Trigo at the bar.  I wait quite a while before a waitress takes pity on me and brings out my beer within a minute.  We're back to a cloudy beer, with that sweet, light wheat aroma.  It's just a little sour in flavor, but mostly sweet and summery.  It's a nice wheat beer in that it doesn't have that weird aftertaste a lot of the German ones have.  It's a step back from Roots, into lighter territory, but it's a solid step in a series of afternoon beers.

Old El Pedal was taken over by the more traditional cafe next door, I guess.  Maybe to have a space to appeal to hipsters, and take advantage of all kinds of promotions.  Of course, the offer isn't what it once was; La Virgen is on tap.  I risk a Jamonera for old time's sake.  It's what it has been for years - vaguely beer tasting with a nice color.  The more bitter note is nice after the sweet wheat beer, and is in fact more impressive than Jamonera has been in the last 5 years or so.  It's an ok mid-romp beer, a little thick and sticky, something that doesn't flow past you perfectly unnoticed.  I still might keep badmouthing the beer, at least in comparison to what else La Virgen puts out these days.

I've been traipsing around for a few hours now.  One more to call it a day, and another new place: La Caníbal.  I'm hoping for something dark and substantial, but it's just a pilsner.  With a little raspberry though, so that's something.  Dessert?  The brewery is San Frutos, so I can trust that it's at least pleasant.  It looks very normal, nice little head, really no aroma at all.  The taste is certainly different from what I've been having today, a lot of woodiness, a very bitter and stimulating kind of pilsner.  The aftertaste does have some fruit in it, but unprompted I don't think I would identify it as raspberry.  It's sharp and driving, the kind of beer you don't fall asleep to, not the most obviously pleasing however.  After a bit of time a sweeter, softer, more desserty flavor comes out, but also only in the aftertaste and it vanishes quickly.  It's an interesting beer, I'll give it that, stout and built up in sensation, delicate and easily crumbled in flavor.

Artesana Week comes to an end in Lavapiés, but Beermad is just around the corner!

back to normal

Just finished Beermas, with practically no time to rest!  Fortunately, I was gifted some interesting brews to start the new year with, not exactly exclusive, but hard to come by where I am.  We start off with an amber ale, Sahale Ale Works' 1896.

Visually, there's some similarity to my normal evening Voll Damm, with an orangey light brown color, although perhaps with a slightly darker beige to the head.  It also has a similar aroma, deep and toasty, but not smoky or with the slightest hint of burning.  It feels like there's a little fruit, some fall apple, just trying to claw it's way out, but that might just be on my head.  Flavorwise, I also feel like it belongs with Voll Damm, having a little more sweet than bitter, and a little more fullness to it than a typical blond ale.  It's one of those that isn't actually heavy, but you definitely feel like you're consuming something.  It's no watery vapor that goes down your throat without you even noticing.  That said, it's not hard at all to drink.  It develops a certain complexity as time goes on, bringing out some sour notes as well.  It tickles the back of the tongue a little and gives you a champagne kind of rub, but doesn't overwhelm or overstay its welcome.

herding cats

Yet another second chance!  I guess that should be expected, since the contributors to the calendar are easily found around here.  I remember being taken with the cats on the label, thinking it gave the beer an extra spooky look, but I guess they go with Christmas witches now.  Does Krampus drive a sleigh of snarling cats?  It's La Pirata's amber ale Sansa today.

This is a truly amber ale, with a dark ruddy color and off-white head.  The aroma is at once fruity and spicy, not hot spice but sort of like sesame.  It has a warm bready taste, with a little half-sour kick at the end.  The low spice is in the taste as well, a little caraway maybe?  It's a fuller feeling beer, getting rounder and slightly sweeter over time.  It's not as clean as those recent lighter colored beers, there is a certain amount of something hanging around after you swallow.  It kind of gets tame towards the end, but stays cozy.  I guess the cats were onto something with their fall appearance after all.

dug up

Ah, finally something at least a little different!  Now, amber ales are like brown ales in my experience, in that you never really know what they're going to throw at you.  They mainly group together by their hue, less by any sort of flavor profile.  Anyway, it's La Quince, so Roots is well worth checking out for what it has to offer. 

It spills out in in a coppery river, with the head seeming dark at first but ending up a very light beige.  The aroma is very subtle, but vaguely hoppy bitter.  The taste doesn't take much from the smell, being more appley sour.  There's a little bitter in the aftertaste, just washing down the fall fruit.  It has a sharpness and spiky personality that grabs your attention as you drink.  It's not as festive as some more piney ales or sweeter amber ales, but it's a good time and a hearty beer.

tenthly

On the first day of Beermas I went and bought for me
A bird dropping beads on the street
Two turtledoves
Three Belgian roosters
Four birds calling for blood
Five rolling blings
Six geese parading
Seven mermaids bird flipping
8 breakfasts steaming
Nine drinkers dancing
Ten boars a-drinking

The bowler hat makes that boar rather dapper.  Lordly, dare I say?  Laugar's Basurde amber ale looks like it might make you jump for joy.  I don't know what the boar is smoking, so I don't know if he's in a good mood after a good pipe or a good drink.

The color is right for an amber ale, golden red brown with a clean but collapsing head.  The tingly ale aroma is there, not very strong but noticeable.  While mildly hoppy, there's not a lot of body there, it's a very slender beer.  The flavor is nice and the beer is easy going.  The lightness makes it a good pairing for any number of things - dancing, hiking, debating, feasting - and the bright flavor without too much self-promotion promises not to overshadow pretty much any accompanying snack.

Supplier: Cervecissimus
Price: €3

agitated amber

Stocking up for the possible dry spell in August can be daunting, and Espuma tried to encourage their clients by having an 8-for-7 sale.  If only I had that carrier, coulda taken 8 bottles home pretty easily.  As it was, I didn't get that many.  I'm leaning towards the black beers as always, but maybe an amber ale would be a nice change.  And La Pirata's Sansa gives you a feeling of dark events happening on the label.  It definitely puts me in the mood for Halloween, in August at that.  Who am I kidding, I'm in the mood for Halloween as much as I'm in the mood for stouts, which is to say pretty much always.

Filling the bottle at the secret cat beer pond

It's a substantial looking beer, with a dark orange color, kind of opaque and pumpkiny.  While it has a hint of amber sweet, it's more of a citrusy ale aroma that comes off it.  The taste is also well within ale territory, with a touch of citrus and a good helping of bitter.  It's an easy drinker, with a good presence in the mouth, even to the point of feeling almost creamy.  It takes a little while for a strong taste of bitter to build up, but it does show up eventually, staking out the back of the tongue.  It's a nice little pumpkin pie of an ale, even if it has nothing to do with pumpkins.  If only I could bring it to a certain horror movie...

Supplier: Espuma
Price: €2.95

right side of the tracks

There is nothing like outdoor beerfests.  Last time people had to pay to get in, and it was covered, but the most recent Beermad was free to enter and open to all elements.  Fortunately, the elements were favorable.

It's a little difficult to decide sometimes, with so many beers from so many places, so I thought I'd rely a little on fate.  The first beer I came across was Vulturis, and there was a Saison con Lavandra, which is something different.  First time I've seen that, it's a good start for me!  At 6% it's heavy for a saison.  Cloudy orange, fizzy head, not very perfumey, which I would have expected from a lavender beer.  There is a touch of perfume in the flavor, a sort of clover honey, but it's really more bitter than anything.  Kind of tough on the throat after a while, but I guess the roughness could be pointed out as "natural" or "herbal".

Doing a little beer roulette, my glass was empty near Peninsula.  It's a good brewery, so no regrets there.  I ended up with Hop On Pale Ale, a little darker orange and with more citrus aroma than the last beer.  Not so much citrus in the flavor, though.  It's a definite ale but with a deeper bitter, and cardamon or something.  A little sticky, but summery and refreshing flavor without being too light for a rainy day.

There's a definite lack of dark beers, although that's not a new thing.  There are a few though, like La Morena Stout.  It's a little light in color, more of a dark brown, slightly sour smell, bitter-sour taste.  It's earthy without any chocolate or heavy malt, a tickly and summery sort of stout.  It's like some German darks in feel, but with the bitter flavor of a good black beer.

Walking roulette left me in front of Ebora, where they had Suomi Baltic Porter.  I hesitated at first, since it is barrel aged, but it is really quite a subtle sort.  Light in color again, weirdly toasty for a bourbon beer in aroma, and just a touch of bourbon in background flavor.  If you didn't know it was there you might never guess.  This beer does have some whispers of chocolate or vanilla, and is less bitter by far than the last one.

Ziva 5.0# is in the same line as a barrel aged stout from the last edition, but this is a "normal" beer.  It's Russian Imperial Stout, again not quite black, but with a beigier head than the others.  There's a more typical stout aroma, dark, a little smokey and a little sour, the taste is definitely sweet though.  I would guess this is a bourbon porter before Suomi, but there's a weird grassy grainy aftertaste that i could actually do without.

I was thinking of heading out, so I though a lighter beer might be good to end on.  I found Oso Brewing Cerveza de Mesa and hoped that it would fit the bill.  It's very light, like a kölsch or radler, with kind of a weird sweety citrus smell.  It's vaguely bitter and vaguely citrus, a real palate cleanser, but not a real mark of ending.  So...

The real last drink was La Verbena 2nd Hand Ale, an amber.  The appearance is typical of amber and red ales, but this is one of the more balanced ones.  It's a little touch of light, but with a fairly substantial body, slightly citrus but more ale.  It's a smooth drink, easy down the throat, with a good level of bitter.  Not a sweet beer in fact, a strong ale sort, just enough sour to give it something interesting.  Now this is a good one to end on.

self service

On the venerable street of Malasaña is a bar I have not yet visited.  As if that's special in a city this big.  Anyway, I had seen Los Grifos a couple of times as I hurried to some other place, and a little bit of checking told me they had taps that you can serve yourself with.  Wha?  How does that kind of thing work?  Seems dangerous!  It's something that brings you in to check out, in any case.  As I got there early, it wasn't hard to get a nice window seat.  I think it wouldn't be as nice in the evening, though, when the street is full of smoking drunks.

There are in fact taps to serve yourself with, as well as three at the bar, and a fridge full of bottles.  Being what I am, I started with a bottle because that's what the stout was.  Espiga's Blackcelona barrel aged stout is slightly odiferous on the pour with just a touch of that whiskey sweet.  It's an opaque dark brown, typical stout appearance.  The aroma is much fuller from the glass, slightly smokey but strongly alcoholic.  It's a little salty at first, then powerful liquor bitter, with a hint of licorice and subtle sweetness in the last few seconds.  There is a noticeable aftertaste, not unpleasant, although it alternates oddly between bitter and sweet.  The tastes are harder to separate towards the end.  It's not too sticky in spite of being barrel aged, but has definite weight.

As long as I'm here, I can have a draft beer too.  I remember La Virgen's Jamonera, but let's see if it lives up to my memories.  Cloudy amber color, light head, dusty honey scent - but disappointing taste.  The flavor is on the weak side, but a little bitter bubbles up at the end, not at all what the aroma would suggest.  A couple of sips bring out the honey, although just on the tip of the tongue, the rest gets a very mild bitter.  There's a kind of cheesy smell that starts to come off the beer as it warms up, which is odd, but doesn't get strong enough to really be distracting.  Like most of La Virgen's stuff these days, the beer seems thin and soulless, not the wild unpredictable thing it once was.  It has been tamed.

You need to get a card to work the taps, and the novelty is just irresistible.  There's a nice IPA from Península to end with, too.  A bit cloudy but good golden color, and that high citrus scent.  Nor surprise in the taste, a strong citrus bitter, very craft IPA, although none of the tropical nuances of American IPAs.  This is really more spicy.  A tad bit of cardamon or something similar.  Even pepperiness comes across in the flavor.  I am not quite sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if I've come across this beer at some beer fair in the past, since I'm finding that spiciness familiar.  It's not as light as some IPAs or pale ales, mildly sticky, but the spice makes it a refreshing and interesting beer.

no acid

 My saga of good beer bars continues with an afternoon in Bad Flash.  There are actually two bars by the name (same place, different locations) and this one was a little more convenient to get to after class.  The other might be better for the weekend.  There's a respectable selection of beers on tap, mostly varieties of ale, but but there was also a stout!  Yippee!

No cool punny name for it, just BF/Kamenice stout.  It's a rich dark brown, with a vanilla-looking head.  The aroma is mildly sour, somewhat milky, but not spoiled.  The most noticeable part of the taste is the bitter, but it isn't terribly strong.  It's just little hints of coffee and a small poof of dark chocolate in the aftertaste.  It feels powdery somehow, although it still goes down smoothly enough.  The bitter starts to flatten out after about half the glass, leaving more of a milk chocolate sensation, nothing too sweet, fortunately.  It's also not a sticky or syrupy stout, just a basic black beer.  The feel is constant to the end, slightly dusty but otherwise clean and not clingy on the way down.  A real fine specimen.

Since I was there, it seemed like a waste to have just one.  Maybe something lighter to end on.  But not too much lighter...amber ale?  There's BF Zley Blesk American Amber Ale, so yeah.  This beer is a lovely rusty toast color, head about the same as on the stout.  The scent is sharper, sweeter, more citrusy.  It's not spicy like an IPA, but snappy and summery.  The taste has a good balance of bitter and sweet, making a refreshing drink.  Smooth oranginess washes over first with a seasonal flare, but a firm base of bitter is there to keep things under control.  It's also a clean flavored beer, not much lingering or stickiness.  The citrusy sweet stays at the heart of the taste, surrounded by a thin skin of pithy bitterness.  There's also a tad of sour, also leaning toward a citrus source.

Outdoor seating

Comfortable chairs

Lots of mirrors

Dog friendly, if that's a thing you need

danger red

I take all beers with good will, despite being leery of some.  If I can avoid the typical Belgian beer, I will.  Still, I've had some very nice ones, and you always have to keep yourself open to something new.  La Maison Belge on Santa María de la Cabeza specializes in Low Country beers, mostly Belgian with a few Dutch brews thrown in.  If there's a safe place to get a Belgian beer, I guess that'd be it.  They also have a selection from La Virgen now, which I don't remember seeing the first time I went.  Gotta support local industry, even if it has some (ahem) international support.  Actually, AB InBev is based in Belgium I think, so it all fits together.  After a bit of browsing, I picked up Corsendonk Rouge, thinking a red beer would be a nice compromise between my beloved black beers and the oppression of the seasonal temperatures.

The aroma is appley, crisp, and sweet, and the head is lively and robust.  I guess the beer is redd-ish, sort of a coppery color.  It does fit more closely with "amber".  If you get your nose down in it the aroma goes a little sour.  The taste is Belgian; hits with sweet, tails off with sour.  While other Belgian beers do have some bitter in the middle or even the beginning, Corsendonk Rouge covers it up pretty well.  There might be just the slightest hint of it at the top of the swallow.  But, mostly it's a cidery sweet, a bit thick in the mouth. It is a nice smooth beer, and doesn't get all syrupy or develop some weird tangy aftertaste.  It is, perhaps, a wee bit heavy for the sunny afternoon.  Not too much though, not by a long shot.  And the light fruity sweetness of the flavor keeps it refreshing and a reasonable choice even for a summer drink.  Well done this time, Belgium.

Supplier: La Maison Belge
Price: €2.90