the wolves

February is still a dark month, although little by little the days get longer.  It's especially noticeable in Madrid, it seems to me, more than in places I've  lived before.  The change is obvious even over a couple of days.  So, I guess I need some shade before it gets to bright for all my waking hours.  Laugar is one of the best breweries in Spain for black beers in my opinion, and it seems to me that I might have even come across Basatia in the wild.  No reason not to have a quiet evening at home with it anyway.

The head is very dark and foamy, but unstable, disappearing in a few seconds.  It leaves behind a good looking liquid behind, though, and a thick stout-appropriate aroma.  I get licorice, a little dirt, some heavy fruit.  It didn't look very thick pouring out, but the scent promises almost syrup.  It's pretty smooth in feel, but there is indeed some good heft to it, and less licorice than I feared.  There isn't much stone fruit or sweetness at all, but it's not quite bitter.  It's a smoky, earthy beer, leaving a little toastiness in its wake, treading softly.  Despite having some respectable mouthfeel, overall the impression is of a laid-back beer, one that you can easily have a conversation with, and it won't push you out of your chair.

Supplier: Lambeer

Price: €3.90

harvest time

Labirratorium just rearranged their stock from country-based to style-based, which means all the stouts are right there!  Of course, sometimes you want some national representative, but then you ask about it, the same as you used to when you wanted a particular style.  Some people worry about their searching habits, but jeez, you can get used to anything and this isn't even a weird change.  I was very happy to find Laugar's Soul Reaper Imperial Breakfast Stout right away.  Yes, the name and label had something to do with its choosing.  It isn't that long til Halloween after all.

There's just a whiff of chocolate stout, but definitely something there.  It's not especially heady, although the head that's present it tight and resistant.  Promising dark and opaque brown, very nearly black.  Taking a closer sniff, there's a more toasty background than obvious at first, but with a dusting of dark chocolate still on top.  The chocolate comes out big on the flavor, giving you a good shove right up front.  Then there's a more licorice finish, typical for many stouts, which always makes me question my devotion.  It feels slick and smooth, although it has a lot of body.  It goes down pretty easy despite having plenty of weight, even with a tiny little kick at the back of the palate coming in on the swallow.  A little spiciness builds up on several sips, something cinnamony and even a little minty, very Christmas-y I'd say.  It feels like a good partner with gingerbread, for example.  Even over time it stays smooth and satisfying, with little change in texture.  It's s solid beer, one that would tempt me every time.  Even the licorice dies down after a while, nearing it to perfection.

Supplier: Labirratorium

Price: €6.10

Door #15

"The Doom Series" - that's how you start a week!  And Russian Imperial Stout?  That's how you offer me a beer!  This is Laugar's Funeralopolis.  I'm not sure what deep and dark has to do with psychedelic.  Maybe this?  Or this?

While the beer has that dark and magical color, and even looks a little like it has some extra heft to it, I can't get much foam to come out on top.  Oh well.  The aroma is delicate, with notes of chocolate, but not much coffee, earth or smoke.  I'm disappointed at the amount of licorice in this flavor.  I was hoping for a little chocolate, or even latte, but it's licorice immediately and that sticks around.  The beer feels a little heavier than most too, maybe with some melted licorice in it.  It starts to develop a more complex flavor, with some almost cinnamon notes coming out, although I still can't get over the licorice in the beginning.

It seems nobody has the flu this year.  Guess that's what happens when everybody washes their hands and does as much through a screen as possible.  Maybe we can all drink together through our screens.

2...

As I said, I picked up some good shit at Espuma before they closed their doors.  I mean, not many black beers go wrong for me.  Plus, I know Laugar.  And I know Russian Imperial Stouts.  Braskadi is actually a collaboration with Perro Libre of Brazil, so there could be some sunshine from the south hidden in this thing.

Good color, although a bubbly more than a creamy head.  The aroma is sort of a chocolate liquor, promising sweet and alcohol roughness.  At first it is a little chocolate bon-bon, but it only takes a couple of seconds for a wave of licorice to pour in and settle down, remitting only slightly at the end when coffee makes an attempt to be noticed.  There's also a bit of woodiness in the aftertaste.  It turns out palo santo is in the mix, which might explain that.  It might also be the source of the slight spiciness, being an aromatic tree and all.  There's also supposed to be raisins, but I am not finding a trace of them in this beer, although their essence seems to show up in other dark beers like a ghost or a hologram.  The licorice kind of dies down after a couple of sips, leaving a heavy dark chocolate and coffee profile to the flavor, like many a stout.  It's pretty heavy, but in spite of that there's a snappy feel and an energy that lots of stouts, especially sweet ones, don't command.  I want to say it's like a blend of cinnamon and mint, but it isn't quite either of those things.  I'm going to shrug and chalk it up to the palo santo.  Maybe this is a good luck beer with that kind of stuff in it.  Witch's brew, anyone?

Supplier: Espuma
Price: €3.26

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

pick yer brain

I went looking for Halloween themed beers, or at least pumpkin ales, and would you believe that they hadn't arrived yet?  A week before the big day!  Well, pumpkin ales work for Thanksgiving too.  At least there was a creepy can on the shelves, even if it isn't a nice stout: Laugar Hopzale, a douple IPA.

Beer for your braaaaaaaaain...

It has quite a strong hoppy-citrus aroma, perfuming the air as soon as the tab opens.  Not cloudy, but a rather dark shade of gold.  Clean, white head, although it does dissolve pretty quickly.  The flavor is heavy on the tropical fruit, very tangy, more mandarin than orange.  There is a nice base of bitterness, but it isn't greatly noticeable.  It's a little sticky, thicker than many IPAs, but it's not unheard of with those fruitier ones.  It's nice for sipping, taking it down too quickly does cause a little bitter to build up at the back of the tongue.  Not quite a Halloween treat but tasty enough!

Supplier: La Buena Cerveza
Price: €6.78

it wasn't the black army, though

In spite of days becoming noticeably longer every week, we still have some pretty black nights.  I, for one, can't get enough of black beers to go with that lack of direct sunlight, so I tracked down a new one to try.  I hope nobody will be offended if I call Aupa Tovarisch a Spanish beer, being produced by a Basque brewery...

The red army

Red zombie army

The beer pours out as black as a politician's heart and gets only a light fuzz on top.  The meager head is almost milk-chocolate colored, and the smell isn't nearly as earthy as some stouts.  The taste is complex, perhaps overpowering for those who aren't big fans of stouts.  While the beginning is mellow and almost milky, it's quickly overcome by a mouthfilling bitterness and chased down the throat by some growling earthiness.  There's kind of a struggle as it seeks to fill all corners of the mouth space before being sucked down the throat.  There's something almost feline in the way it stretches out and takes over.  It's one of the more powerful beers, being a stout and all, so a little something in the way of snacks is not a bad idea.  Still, the beer itself is definitely something to savor.

To unnecessarily dark nights!