T(welve)-5

On the fifth day of Beermas I went and bought for me
Five collaborations

Four miles of nowhere

Three tropical tree eggs

Two staring wings

And an icy raven looking needy

What do I get for number five this year, another golden ale?  Can I get away with any blond beer on color alone?  Actually, Península comes to the rescue with Entre Amigos and its friendly circles on the can.  Not only is it an invitation to potential drinkers, it's a collaboration beer, with Sparkle, only deepening the ties.  It's a hazy IPA, so a style that several friends of mine would be happy to share a can of.  Later I found out there were more than one iterations of Entre Amigos, with different partners.  Makes sense, and now I'm wondering if I can track more down...

For an IPA, it has a surprisingly ruddy color, even being a hazy.  Quite opaque too.  The aroma is perky and sharp, with a very modern feel to it.  The taste is no surprise based on that: a little spice, caraway, snappy, not very citrusy but there's some light summery fruit in there.  In the mouth it makes itself unignorable, but once swallowed it disappears cleanly, so really a very nice drink.  I might prefer it on a warmer day, on a sunny street, but then again I drink inside whenever I can.

T(welve)-4

On the fourth day of Beermas I went and bought for me

Four miles of nowhere

Three tropical tree eggs

Two staring wings

And an icy raven looking needy

Ok, this one is pretty close to the song, although the birds aren't seen actually calling.  And there are only two, but the other two are just out of frame I'm sure.  And they are birds!  Probably calling their friends a long way off, in that desolate landscape.  Gekko Brew's The Other End of Nowhere looks like it should be some dark beer, for a depressing sipping session, but it's a NEIPA, so at least visually it ought to be pretty cheerful.  Some of those NEIPAs are a little abrasive though, and so strong they might leave you in a place you have to memory of going to.  This one is a pretty standard 6.5%, so I don't think we'll go that far.  If by chance we do, I guess there will be some calling involved.

This is one of those very juicy looking NEIPAs, with its cheery gold color and light cap of lacy foam.  It has kind of a zesty aroma, orangey but with a little something extra.  Caraway or some other spice maybe.  The juice is echoed in the taste, although the beer is a slender and healthy feeling one, not an overwhelming mouthfeel, very light in body.  It kind of evokes the hopelessness of the label, a sensation of being in complete solitude without even a beer to weigh you down.

for the endtimes

France is known as a wine country, but has sort of a bad reputation when it comes to beer.  Very much like its neighbor Spain, in fact.  And yet, when craft beer comes to town, anybody can make something worht drinking.  I suppose it has to do with a certain amount of standardization and globalization of processes and potential for control of environment.  In any case, A Russian Imperial Stout is worth trying, wherever it comes from, and Prizm has chosen a very timely name: Doomsday Clock.  Gotta see how this one goes.

There's an interesting, malty, bready kind of aroma, with a hint of sweetness sliding through as well.  The dark beige head dies back quickly, but leaves a resistant, if thin, covering.  The flavor is rich and cake-y, definitely sweet but it doesn't start out sticky.  It's a heavy-feeling beer, but it doesn't leave a clingy aftertaste or afterfeel in the mouth, going down smoothly.  There's an exchange of flavors that takes you on a tour of succulent fruits, energizing coffee, joyful baked goods, and that little touch of licorice I can always do without.  It's only a touch though, so I can deal with it fine.  It maintains a good balance even as it gets warmer and stronger in flavor, developing an even heavier feel.  Eventually there's a little bit of a drag after the swallow, but it isn't a hard beer to drink at all.  It leaves you with a warm and pleasant feeling that takes away anxiety of waiting for the end to come.

Supplier: Labirratorium

Price: €7.95