owls a-hooting!

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

Six owls nesting

Five malts of gold

Four avian hallucinations

Three French magicians

Two love ya dearlies

And the simplest answer there could be 

There's a little bit of a stretch here, since there are no geese or eggs evident in this beer.  It is a bird, though, and it has a nest.  It might be an owl, but you can't deny it's a bird.  Interestingly enough, it's a Japanese owl, Hitachino Nest, and this is a Japanese Classic Ale. 

A somewhat dark colored ale, ruddy gold I'd say, and not cloudy at all.  There's an abundant amount of head, white and bubbly.  It has an odd aroma, a little salty even.  I'm reminded of both champagne and gose.  The flavor is oddly seasonal; I was not expecting such a cinnamon like poof.  It's a little spicy and not sweet exactly, but makes overtures to dessert.  It's a pretty normal thickness for a beer, although the taste makes me feel like it should be heavier.  It really goes down quite easily.  Also, very clean.  I don't get any weird aftertaste or stickiness at all.  There might be a touch of apple hiding in there, another wink to the holidays and apple pies.   

on the weekend of rising

For this weekend it seems appropriate to have a beer to wake you up, as well as being from the land of the rising sun.  (See what I did there?)  I have tried Hitachino Ginger Beer in the past, and found it acceptable if not perfect for a different season.  A good stout can always win me over tho, and a good many coffee stouts have that little something extra that makes them desirable.   The hour is changing here this weekend too, so even if it's just a placebo effect, the caffeine should help me keep my waking balance.

Yoo hoo!

You have to get a bit close to it, but the smell of stout is definitely present, as well as some milky sweetness.  Not exactly espresso, that.  The beer itself is practically black and the head a nice toasty brown.  More espresso-ish.  At first it's more like mocha espresso, very smooth and a touch chocolatey sweet, but a rush of bitter comes up as soon as you get used to the first taste.  Still, a silky bitter, nothing shocking.  It's a beer that maintains its balance from start to finish, without becoming syrupy, over-bitter, or sour.  There is a bit of sediment in the bottom of the bottle, something to watch out for when finishing it up, but the beer itself can't be easier to drink.  Like a silk...espresso.

Mornin'! (I won't say tomorrow)

Supplier: Birra y Paz
Price: €4.15

'tis the season

It is, in fact, St. Nicholas' Day in some parts of the world, so some Christmas-y drink seems fitting.  The last Japanese beer I tried was actually made by a Brit founded brewery, but Kiuchi seems to be more "authentic".  Also, ginger.  Not unheard of in Japanese cooking.

Don't lie, you thought that was a reindeer man at first glance, too

It's not too strong smelling, which is almost disappointing.  It's a nice apple-cider brown, also in tune with the season in my estimation.  It has a very gingery flavor, but not with an excessive amount of spice or heat.  It's really like a liquid gingerbread cookie.  The label says to be on the lookout (scentout?) for ginger, citrus and malt in the aroma, but I can't catch any of that.  There is an undertone of citrus in the taste, like a gingerbread cookie with some orange peel decoration or spritz.  It's recommended as an accompaniment to spicy "exotic" foods, which I can see as appetizing, although I'm happy with it by itself right now.  It's a happy drink, quite nice on even a chilly December night.