still choosing the lighter side

August in Madrid is not as quiet as it used to be, but sometimes timetables are not what you expect.  And when I say they aren't what you expect, I mean they aren't what Google tells you they are.  Gotta be flexible.  I was trying to hunt down some refreshment for the evening and everywhere I went was closed, although some places did promise to be open later tonight.  Fat lot of good that does me now!  Well, American convenience to the rescue.  Taste of America was open and while their beer selection isn't absolutely amazing, they have some interesting things to offer.  Moosehead's Grapefruit Radler, for example.  In spite if it cooling off some these last couple of days, I still feel like I want something light and fruity.  I'm a little unsure of what the beer itself will look like; the bottle is green and I have the impression that it is a pretty pale color in there, not the opaque juicy stuff that NEIPAs often are.  I mean, a NEIPA has nothing to do with a radler, but the experience of citrus can fool you if you're not paying attention. 

There is absolutely no tinge of pink grapefruit in the beer as poured out, really it's a lot like the helles from yesterday.  Seems to have many more bubbles, though.  The sweetish grapefruit aroma is definitely there, more soda-like than true beer.  I guess it's a matter of opinion whether a radler is true beer or not.  The first hit is also a lot like a soda, grapefruit but sugared grapefruit.  There is only the barest hint of bitterness sort of at the bottom of the flavor, trailing after the swallow.  It's not syrupy, which I'm thankful for today, and while sweeter than I was hoping for it does have a refreshing lightness.  No complaints from me.

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?

my better half

Time to visit some beer stores!  Artesana Week took up my time last week, and now I'm getting back to the roots, scuttling home to have a drink in front of my own window, with my own music in the background.  One of my newest discoveries is minutes from work, Ruta 33cl on c/ Hilarión Eslava.  Like a lot of the beer stores that first popped up, it's kind of a hole-in-the-wall, but with space in the back for tastings and other events.  The gentleman behind the counter is very helpful.  Hell, that's what you come to expect in these places by now, everybody wants to find the best beer for you.  Since I always lean towards the dark beers, those are the ones that got pointed out, some of them with delicious descriptions and uncomfortable prices.  Finally, Nickel Brook's Half Bastard Stout came with me, if anything because of the name.

It pours really nicely, somehow just sounding smooth.  It lets a little light through, but the color is mostly rich and dark.  The head is stouty beige, but quick to disappear.  There's a lightly smoky scent, very delicate, and promising of a relaxed drink.  Bitterness heads up the flavor, but it's a pleasant, coffee-like taste, leaving a hint of licorice behind.  It's rather light for a stout at 4.5%, but the feeling isn't thin or watered down by any means.  It's a calm and laid-back beer, with subtle notes of flavor instead of blaring taste trumpets.  The smoothness makes me think I would enjoy it year-round, no matter the temperature.  At the moment spring is springing, and summer is making waking noises.  But with a bastard by my side, I can get through until the fall.

Supplier: Ruta 33cl
Price: €5

thoughts of the north

There's a new beer store in town!  You never know where or when they're going to pop up.  This one is on the smaller side, but with a good selection packed into its shelves and a friendly, helpful shopkeep.  I had a look around and picked up Nickle Brook Maple Porter, in a 473ml can.  Somehow that makes it even more Canadian, although I'm not really sure why.  I got shown all the other black beers in stock, including a black IPA, but those will have to wait for another day.  Tonight, it's time for something sweet.

It's a nice dark brown with a slightly beige head, not completely opaque.  The maple comes out in the scent, which is sweet and light, not very complex.  The taste hits with a mild bitter first, and then lets the sweetness filter through, even with a little tanginess at the end.  I was expecting something heavier, with a bigger piling on of syrupy flavor, but it's really a clean and refreshing taste without hammering on your tongue at all.  I had a brown ale a couple days ago that was more like what I thought I might get from this Maple Porter, I wish I could remember the brewery.  That was definitely a fall and winter beer, while this porter is an all-year sort.  It's not too light and spicy to be insubstantial in the dark of winter, but it's also a lighter weight and controlled bitter that won't knock you out in blazing summer nights.  Not what I expected, but not a disappointment at all.

I especially like how the ingredients end with "No additives. No preservatives. Just science!"  Because of course science has nothing to do with additives and preservatives

Suppler: Ruta 33cl.
Price: €5.40

saint beatnick

That's the name of the beer.  There really isn't a much better title than that.  Definitely seasonal in name and label, although the actual beer could be enjoyed year round.  At least I could enjoy it, I know not everybody is a fan of stout in the summer, but I'll take a black beer anytime, anyplace, and be totally happy about it.  It is a chocolate stout, so at least we can connect it with Advent calendars, although we're done with those by now.  The brewery is Flying Monkeys, which might have some agreement with the shop since their beers are especially promoted and placed and their little ad posters are everywhere.  It's a Canadian beer, though.

What kind of cookies have they been leaving Santa?

I can smell the hearty chocolate as soon as I open the bottle.  There's a little stout bitter in there too, just to make it even more appetizing.  Deep brown color and beige head are perfect, as is the chocolate aroma from the full glass.  Very strong on the chocolate in the taste, a little syrupy for me at first.  There's kind of a stinging sour in the background of it too, but nothing too distracting.  While stout lovers might be disappointed in the low level of bitterness overall, it's a damn fine drink on a dark December, or January, night.

Yep, bottles caps.  That's where I get my advice

Supplier: La Buena Cerveza
Price:€3.44

we all know one

Although a lot of craft beers are staunchly bottle served, there is an argument to be made for the cans.  It's an argument that depends on the beers being transported over large distances, but those beer stores are full of brews from all over.  The thing about the bottle, besides being a good insulator and reusable or recyclable, is it's heavy.  Glass tends to have some heft.  Aluminum cans, on the other hand, don't add much weight to the beer being shipped.  Less weight means less pressure on the vehicle and less fuel used to move it along.  A warm can also cools down faster than a warm bottle, although the reverse is also true.  So anyway, the American import store stay open all August, so it's a little easier to snag something there than keep a close eye on the clock every day.  And they do have some interesting selections, Barking Squirrel Lager, for example.

Yeah, not an acorn

It's an interesting orangey color, a little heavy on the sweetness in the aroma.  Not too sweet a flavor, though, perhaps a little honey.  There's also a hint of bitter, but very little.  A fine, mild lager, easy going down, but with just enough complexity to be noticeable.  A little aftertaste pools at the back of the tongue, but nothing too heavy.  The temperatures have thankfully dropped a little, so the lack of ale bitterness and craft ale citrus is not a big loss, unless that's what you're particularly craving.

Supplier: Taste of America
Price: €1.85

from the great white north

It's still a little strange to me that the import store has beer, and some of the more well-known craft brands - Anchor, Samuel Adams, Flying Dog all make appearances.  OK, Budweiser's in there too.  And a couple of Canadian contenders, like Clancy's Amber Ale.  Ale always sounds about right this time of year, so why not?

There's a puff of beery smell as soon as the cap comes off, but no other fanfare and it dissipates rapidly.  It's awfully light and clear for an amber ale, and on the heady side.  The beer in the glass smells more heavily perfumed than when it's just in the bottle, and sweeter.  More like most amber ales, I guess.  The taste is sweet, although not too much, and it's a simple, uncomplicated sweetness.  No touches of cinnamon or citrus, no bitterness hiding in the background.  I find it a little syrupy, and not something I would prefer to have all on its own.  Some spicy pretzels sound really nice right now, actually.  To the import store!

Supplier: Taste of America
Price: €1.95

seeing red

This was a recommendation.  I had a slight hankering for a red, and the beer store clerk was all ready to give me suggestions.  It's a (French) Canadian version of German altbier, and the aroma is a strong, fruity sour that comes out almost as soon as the cap comes off.  It's also about as red as any red beer, although it is a bit cloudy, and the foam is sort of yellow-y.  There's a kind of similarity to cider between appearance and smell.  The flavor is undeniably beer, though.  Quite satisfactory, given what I was looking for.  In spite of the hint of Belgian beers at first whiff, the flavor is lacking any of that sharp sour so typical of the Belgians.  It's a hearty, round bitter with just the mildest bit of sweetness rising up from the back of the tongue.  A good pondering beer, to sit back and relax with.

honey-fire

 Honey brewed Scotch ale comes out very much like a good red: brilliant ruby color, beige-y head, just a tad sweeter than regular ales, due to the honey, no doubt.  The label likens it to port, and indeed there is a certain similarity in the aroma.  The sweetness comes through strongest on the first sip, followed by the light floweriness.  A touch of sour starts to come out just on the tip of the tongue with more contact with the beer, while the sweetness stays more towards the back.  Something about it invokes a wintery evening with a good book, and possibly a fireplace.  A beer for relaxing and having some quiet moments to yourself, although perhaps some pub food at a calm moment with a good friend or two would also be in its character.

Here's to no laundry today