noisy uncouth

Another cheeky possibility looking out from somewhat disorderly shelves, Muted Sophisticated got snapped up as soon as I saw it.  It turns out its Garage, so good call by my gut.  Finback Brewery also participated, although they are less of a draw for me than Garage, simply because I'm less familiar with their products.  I can only assume they impress, given the company they keep.

Another sheer beauty in the glass, with a frosty chocolatey kind of whiff to it.  A pretty little head sits on top, although it dissolves pretty quickly.  The flavor is light and only a little sweet at first, but it develops a punch of both bitter and sweet, while filling out over the tongue, making itself impossible to let just slip by.  Although it has a fairly solid mouthfeel, I don't feel it as very sticky, at least at first.  It isn't excessively sweet, like some pastry stouts can be, or overly reliant on a coffee or chocolate taste to give the drinker a little kick.  It's flavor is almost medicinal, a root beerish sort of taste, with a bitter base and a sweetened coating to make it go down easy.  In this case, mission accomplished for sure.

Supplier: Lambeer

Price: €6.90

the coldest of soups

We might be feeling the future, with temperatures of 100 even before it's officially summer.  All you can do is huddle inside and keep hydrated.  They say alcohol isn't especially hydrating, but damn is a beer nice on a roasting afternoon.  Especially an IPA from a place like Garage, stepping up their hops game to sharpen flavors and give you a slap in the face to keep you awake and alert.  At least, that's what Soup Strata seems be telling us.

It comes out straw colored with a pretty fluffy white head.  It has a fairly strong hoppy aroma, with a little bit of pickliness underneath.  There's a hint of pine in there too.  The flavor is surprisingly sweet, although not candy-like or syrupy.  Any bitter is right at the front and slips by without much time spent lingering on the tongue.  There's kind of a lemonade aftertaste, with that touch of sweet citrus, very refreshing for an extra hot weekend.  It's a light feeling beer, with a delicate flavor, but there is still a solid amount of taste and texture in it.  The whole drinking experience is very stable, no big changes in feel, flavor or aroma, and undeniably enjoyable, even for not being a stout.

Supplier: Más Que Cervezas

Price:€5.90

smoking pipes!

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

Eleven pipes a-smoking

Ten horses leaping

Nine feet a-floating

Eight icicles dripping

Seven sea monsters swimming

Six owls nesting

Five malts of gold

Four avian hallucinations

Three French magicians

Two love ya dearlies

And the simplest answer there could be

I was looking for some help on this one, since it was coming down to the wire to have all the beers ready to go.  If you ask for a Christmasy beer, people have a lot of suggestions for you, but when you try to associate a song the ideas kind of dry up.  I get it, it's not the way most people relate to their beers most of the time.  I was guided to several Belgian beers, a couple of spicy IPAs, and then this gem appeared before my eyes: Garage Beer's Balanced On The C, a Barcelona weisse.  It was the pipes, of course.  That's the connection.  Perfect!

It's one of those peachy looking fruit-flavored beers, with a little dry/sour aroma.  It tastes something like a cranberry wine, well, really more cranberry champagne.  It has a tartness of flavor and dryness of feel, and practically disappears without a trace after you swallow.  The ginger takes a little while to come out, but eventually a nice snap comes through.  It's a party punch kind of beer, much less reliant on the sour aspect than more traditional style Berliner weisses, with a slight heat of spice that warms it up for a holiday evening.

loose feet!

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

Nine feet a-floating

Eight icicles dripping

Seven sea monsters swimming

Six owls nesting

Five malts of gold

Four avian hallucinations

Three French magicians

Two love ya dearlies

And the simplest answer there could be 

I guess disembodied feet aren't specific to ladies dancing, but who knows what bodies they came from?  Could be anybody!  At least I know Lacura will be a quality IPA; Garage Beer has been making its mark for a while now, and plenty of beer sellers are happy to recommend it. 

The can was well filled, almost overflowing a little when I open it.  It's always nice to see a beer eager to be drunk, like it knows you're going to enjoy it.  It has a little piney, spicy aroma, which makes sense with those West Coast hops.  The flavor is surprisingly fruity, though.  It fools you a little with some bitter to start, but a sweet orange quickly takes over, and the sip finishes with a tangy mandarin.  It settles down into a pleasing if typical IPA, happy and party-friendly.  

(not quite) middle american

This was my backup for the 4th, even though it isn't an American beer - it just has a fine American name: Missouri.  Go back a couple generations, and that's my America!  Garage Beer of Barcelona made it, but there is more than one brewery in Spain with American roots.  If I did some digging, who knows what I would find.  Maybe something to do for August.  It's a fruity gose, containing grapefruit, lemon and blood orange, so I don't know if I'll really be celebrating this one.  It might be a good thing that I decided to keep it for later.

Rather classic color, a little on the cloudy side.  The head is nice and clean white, but disappears after a few seconds.  The beer is still bubbly, though.  Tangy, sour aroma, a hint of champagne.  Reminds me of a much milder version of the grape ale a couple of Beermads ago; that one wasn't one of my favorites, but if this is a lighter way to go it might be good for the summer day.  There is a quick sour grab at the tongue, but not with the acidity that I was worried about.  It's actually pretty smooth.  While it's sour beer on top, there's an undercurrent of real beeriness with a sweetish grain and round flavor.  It's a little strange tasting both at once.  Definitely a summer beer for me, with a fruity sharpness that gives you a quick pick-me-up on a hot afternoon/evening, but too light and flashy for a winter drink in my personal taste.  I like it better than the grape one, it has some more complexity and smoothness.  Easier to drink a whole can of.

Supplier: La Buena Pinta
Price: €5.80