celebrations

Back to basics, after reading up on German beer history.  Feirabend (sic)!  Dortmunder Export style!  Naparbier!  Ok, it's not a German-made beer, but you can't deny that Naparbier is a respectable and trustworthy brewery, voted best in Spain a few years ago no less.  Although temperatures have gone down, and there's even been some rain, there's nothing wrong with having a nice, light, easy-drinking beer for an evening chat with friends.  Not that I wouldn't be happy with a stout, but sometimes that kind of darkness is threatening when you want to talk about freedoms and rights and...things you raise your voice about.

Not Day of the Dead?

Very golden beer, fluffy white head, it's a perfect example of the typical beer.  It has a tiny bit of sourness in a grainy aroma, just enough to give it a little something unexpected.  It's just a little bitter at first, but suddenly an explosion of beery bitter wallops you in the mouth and disappears down your throat as soon as you swallow.  It's a little fizzier than I would expect, so the mouthfeel isn't quite comfortable enough for quick drinking.  It has a serious feel to it, while light in the mouth the flavor gives it weight and power.  Without being too complicated the beer demands attention.  The name fits perfectly in this case.

Supplier: Labirratorium

Price: €3.20

work your magic

It's supposed to get more humane this week, maybe even rain a little bit.  Gray skies need a little brightening, so I feel justified in having an IPA.  A nice hoppy one, too, to reenergize.  Naparbier is always a good choice, and Aker has an interesting label design.  More than an IPA, it's a West Coast IPA, so no tropical sweetness expected, probably a lighter feel than a NEIPA.  Although I would have been happy with that too.

It's a bit cloudy for a West Coast IPA, but it has a tangy, spicy aroma that fits right in.  It has a straw yellow color, fine, white head.  The flavor is light, although the beer has a sort of resistance in the mouth that's surprising.  It's resiny, with a tiny touch of citrus.  There's also a hint of pine and an undercurrent of wood, but I don't think I can tell if it's pine wood or any other kind.  The fruity flavors come out little by little, a blend of orange, mango and cucumber.  Maybe there's some melon in there too.  It's a very refreshing kind of mixture, light feeling and summery.  

Supplier: Cerevisia

Price: €3.40

suggestive

Although it's the last of the recent Be Hoppy selection to be drunk, it was the first one I noticed in the store.  They had it sitting proudly in the refrigerator with the colorful head map drawing the eye and the Slavic-like name piquing interest.  It almost looks like it should be a word in Czech or some related language, but as far as I can tell Rmuntovárí isn't a word at all.  Rmut is mash or pulp, and the suffix could be related to cooking, but what do I know?  Not a hell of a lot, I can tell you.  I can say it's not a surprising thing from Naparbier, one of the most dedicated and innovative craft breweries of Spain.  At first I thought they had done a collaboration, as they often do, but this looks like all Naparbier.  They have used a new yeast to create this classic Bohemian style pilsner, which they expect to give you a traditional experience, perhaps somewhat enhanced in flavor.

It pours out like a foamy champagne, with a sort of tan transparency that leads me to expect a sharp and somewhat dry flavor.  It's very lightly scented, just the barest hint of grain.  The first sip has a strong yet clean bitterness that drags a grapefruit kind of citrus behind it, a surprise, but one that cleanses the palate.  Despite the strong flavor, it's a very light beer.  While in the mouth it packs a punch, but once swallowed it kind of disappears, with only the mildest bitterness left on the tongue.  I guess I have to say it's one of the nicest pilsners made in Spain that I've had.  Many others have had an overabundance of sweetness but this one certainly doesn't suffer from that.  Yes, there is some citrus fruitiness, but it's a round and filling bitter citrus, not a flighty tropical kind like you'd get from a lot of modern ales.  I'm glad it's not as champagney as I was expecting, since I'm definitely more about the grain drinks than the wine ones.

here's to the apocalypse

I thought it best to pick up some goods before a probable lockdown, and I was not alone.  A couple of people were packing up a good number of bottles and cans from Be Hoppy, and while I was making my purchase somebody called through the doorway asking about hours "before the apocalypse".  The answer was they were going to close up shop at four, any bottle and can was welcome to be bought, but no drafts.  Naparbier's Zombified Imperial Stout really looked like the right choice for the moment.

Ugh, when a zombie has better teeth than you do...

Although it's not a pastry stout, it's similar in look and aroma to my recent Small Pleasure.  There's a little more spice in this one, though, something verging on cinnamon.  It's more a typical stout, with a little dirt and a little smoke, in flavor.  I'm not getting a lot of coffee out of this one, although there might be a hint of dark chocolate.  It has a pretty heavy feel, one of the more syrupy beers.  It doesn't leave a lot of aftertaste, though.  While it's a good beer for a barbecue or a night with some savory dishes, I don't think it would be my top choice if I was going to be fighting zombies soon afterwards.  Need something with a little more zap...

Supplier: Be Hoppy
Price: ∼€4.50

ah, memories

Yeah, when I saw that label I knew that beer was coming home with me.  It's a happy coincidence that it's a Baltic Porter to boot, but Naparbier's Horse Rider could have been anything and that punny image would have been worth it.  I don't know if the reverse centaur riding on a regular centaur would have been funnier...nah, probably not.  This is just the right WTF when you look at it.  It's also a little fitting for me after V day, since it reminds me to do things I love so I can love myself.  All love starts with the self, really.  And who wouldn't love riding off on a horse like that?

Yeeee-hah!

It's just perfect looking in the glass, all dark and heavy, like liquid pudding.  The pudding part is only enhanced by the aroma, slightly sweet, chocolatey, but with a little bitter kick.  So a dark chocolate pudding, I guess.  It's more nutty and smokey than I expected, but definitely thick and mouth-filling.  While the typical coffee is clear in the background, I am pleased not to find the hint of licorice that has been so common.  It's a very solid and regular beer, maintaining the flavor profile and weight throughout the glass.  While sometimes it's fun to have some discoveries in the middle of a bottle, it's also quite nice to have something you enjoy be the same kind of enjoyable from start to finish.  Just a simple good porter, here.

Supplier: Birra y Paz
Price: €4.50

black jack cherry

Well, it's back to black beer and creepy images.  I just couldn't resist a pastry stout with death's head cherries peering out of the can.  It's also Naparbier, which has never disappointed that I can remember.  I don't think it's too alarming that it's called Overdose.

It's a thick black, almost red-black.  It reminds me of the Scandinavian stout I had about a year ago that was like a runny black chocolate shake.  The aroma isn't very strong, although there is a pastry kind of touch to it.  Wow, there is a cherry pie kind of flavor, but wrapped up in a sort of creamy chocolate mousse.  The cherry part is tart, but it calms right down with the chocolate, not sweet but not veering into bitter.  Maybe it's a little bit of cherry soda in a stout?  It doesn't get heavy with time, staying very drinkable, maybe the cherry comes out a wee bit more.  While 7% is a respectable amount of alcohol, it's not as much as plenty of other special stouts.  But really, when you come for flavor you don't have to get 'faced to enjoy it.

Supplier: Birra y Paz
Price: €5.75

heavier than a feather

On the seventh day of Beermas I picked out for me
Hopefully unendangered feathers
A laid out insomniac
One secret promise
A possibly chatty barnyard animal
A random French reference
A bird that's not a pigeon
And a flamingo with mangoes and beets

Man, those relevant dark beers are so few and far between.  I might have to be looking for those all spring to make up for it at this rate.  Not that IPA is a bad choice, especially with Naparbier.  They do some good stuff up there.  While boxing isn't swimming, we can imagine those feathers came from swans.  And then everybody had a swim to cool off after.

This is a beer that just looks like a beer, just that perfect golden color, fizzy white foam on top.  It smells like an IPA for sure, less tangy than Insomnia but definitely citrusy.  While sweet and orangey in taste, there is a little balancing bitter underneath that gives the beer some heft.  It's very easy to drink, although there is a tiny punch of sour at the very end of the sip.  Not dull for sure, but not a show off either.

Supplier: Heneket
Price: ~€4

where are those matchmakers now?

I had to be contented with a merely acceptable stout yesterday.  What kind of asshole would complain about that?  I'm so spoiled in terms of black beers.  I've been pretty sniffly lately anyway, with a little spring cold, so I wouldn't appreciate the finer points of a more elegant brew.  Possibly.  I don't know.  I have faith in my beer sense.  So, I have something else from La Buena Cerveza that's a little sharper and more penetrating, almost as if I knew I was going to need it.   That's not true.  I like IPAs too, and it's good to change things up every once in a while.  It's A Match comes from a collaboration of Naparbier, who I know, and Caleya, who I don't.  I feel confident putting my trust in Naparbier, they've done some very nice things in the past.  Caleya's just along for the ride.

Considering what we imagine large birds to do with faces...

...this could be legitimately terrifying

There is a strong hoppy ale aroma, cutting right through any leftover cold funk.  It's also a happy golden orange, leading one to think optimistically about the drink.  The first sip is heavily bitter, although it gradually subsides into a more citrusy flavor.  There's still plenty of bitter in the aftertaste.  It takes a while for some sweetness to develop, making the beer more grapefruity than orangey for the first few sips.  Even with the lingering congestion, the taste comes through strongly, and leaves no citrus note unplayed.  I'm finding this IPA a bit on the sticky side, not as clean as regular IPAs.  I know it's double, but syrupy beer can be distracting.  Overall, though, it's a very nice ale, probably more the speed of transitional seasons when you get cold and hot on the same day.  Or even the same hour.  It might be too heavy for a summer beer for some tastes, and too bright for winter for others.  I am not disappointed by this match-up on a cloudy spring evening.

Supplier: La Buena Cerveza
Price: €4.10

music in the air

One last new place to see, before another one disappears or another one opens.  This one is down south, a little out of my way, but when the metro opens back up almost right outside a stop.  Rather convenient.  As usual, there's a wall of national and local beers, as there probably should be, and Naparbier was there, also as usual.  This time it's a pilsner, Symphony No. 10.  I have not always been pleased with Spanish pilsners, but maybe a northern one will be a little more like its eastern brethren.

Violin, not guitar

It's a perfectly standard color, with good head and a slightly tingly smell.  The beer is on the salty side in taste, sharp, mildly fruity.  There's kind of a whisper of bitterness hiding under the surface that never quite comes out fully, but it's just noticeable enough.   A sort of plumminess develops after a few minutes of sitting, making the flavor rounder and also a little sweeter.  Although not the piercing bitter of central European pilsners, this symphony doesn't rely as heavily on sweetness as other Spanish offerings.  I can see it as a pleasant drink in the fall, giving just a little fruitiness to make yo think of harvest, but still light enough that those who have the tendency won't fall into dark season melancholy.

Supplier: Heneket
Price: €3.28

northern tsar

Even in the summer, there's nothing like a good deathly skull to grab my attention.  And on a bottle of stout?  Fantastic!  The gods of beer smile upon me!  Naparbier has been good to me in the past, so no qualms in snapping that up.  It may be a little out of season, as a pumpkin imperial stout, but Pumpkin Tzar might give me comfort in the overheated night with memories of reasonable temperatures.

I don't know what the white streak is, every label had a different one

There's a good, strong aroma, a little but sour but definitely smoky undertones.  It's a fine opaque dark brown, with almost no light getting through it anywhere.  The taste is practically explosive, round and mouth-filling, dirty and smooth.  It turns into sort of a licorice flavor, which is a small disappointment.  I was hoping for coffee.  Suddenly, after the second sip, I start to notice a little burning and check the ingredients.  Yep, habanero chili.  Much like The Mayan, the pepper doesn't make itself known until the beer is going down, or even after, so it's an interesting aftertaste sensation.  It's a heavier sort of pepper, though, so the burn is a little bit stronger.  It starts to get a little more bitter and salty, moving away from the licorice, which is good for me. I find a greater sweetness starts to come out after a few minutes, which may be the pumpkin finally making an appearance.

Supplier: Espuma
Price: €4.75

drunken sailors

The universe just likes to have fun with us puny humans I guess; when it was colder I picked up perky ales, and now that I have my beloved stout it's nearly spring-like.  But, I've said many a time that I'm always up for a black beer.  Naparbier has done quite a few pleasing beers, of many styles, so I feel confident that Potemkin will be enjoyable.  It's Russian Imperial Stout, naturally.  I just hope it doesn't cause any sort of gut fauna revolution.

At least there won't be any icebergs

Now that's a proper stout, right there.  It's just black all the way through, and even the head is a sort of milk chocolatey color.  It's not especially aromatic, with just a whiff of toastiness.  The smoke in the flavor hits you right in the taste buds.  It's immediately bitter, black coffee bitter, unrelenting.  There isn't the slightest hint of sweetness in it, it's a beer that sits firmly and unmoving in its somberness.  There's something almost medicinal in that level of unsweet, like leafy salad greens full of vitamins and sorely lacking in sugars.  The flavor is also constant, not diminishing or developing a little syrupy sweetness on the way to the bottom of the glass.  Maybe it's not the beer for everyone - the bitterness is quite strong and it's a little bit heavy - but for those of us who favor a fine stout, Potemkin sinks the competition.

Supplier: The Beer Garden
Price: €4

inside information

Despite the closing of Cervezorama (sniff), there are plenty of other places to get good beer, with too many for me to carry in one go.  It ends up being two or three at a time.  I was looking for some fall and Halloween appropriate labels and styles, which I think turned out pretty well.  Actually, IPA is good for any time, but Naparbier's Insider IPA has a label that befits the season, most definitely.

Should have been more careful with that Guatemalan insanity pepper

There's a good whiff of citrus when the pouring starts, like with most craft IPAs, and the beer comes out clear golden with abundant white head.  The orange pith is strong in the taste, with a bitter punch right off the bat.  Underneath, there is a hint of sweetness as well.  It's an interesting balance that's constantly changing from the beginning to the end of the glass; some sips seem to be heavier on the flowery sweet, maybe with a little touch of honey, while the first ones had been a flatter bitter.  The bitter remains in the aftertaste, and at the back of the tongue.  Perhaps a little too refreshing for the season, when breezes are chilly and days are less than scorching, but in a stuffy bar or a summer beer garden, Insider IPA would fit the bill for sure.

Supplier: The Beer Garden
Price: €3.50

wishful thinking

While browsing Prost Chamberí's shelves, Naparbier's Blackrock jumped out at me.  I guess it could have been that skull, so reminiscent of Halloween.  Or just the nostalgia of more comfortable days, when dark beers of all stripes are promoted.

It's dark brown/black like a good stout, or a good, comfortable evening.  The coffee is evident in the smell, although not especially strong.  The cocoa is predominant in the taste at first, though, with just a little coffee, mocha more like, coming through in the aftertaste.  It's exactly my taste in stouts, and generally what my safety beer is, having both the typical beer bitter and a little smoothness with something chocolatey.  No matter how hot it is, it's the best for me.

Supplier: Prost Chamberí
Price: €2.80

for the ancestors

As odd as it sounds, just being called Farmer's Choice is what drew me to this brew.  Must be feeling some nostalgia.  The farm on the label looks nothing like Iowa, but still.

Er, who's pouring what for who here?

It pours out very light colored, making me think more of lemonade when it settles into the glass.  The yellow color is more golden than lemon, though.  There is a slightly sweet scent, but nothing overpowering.  The first taste makes me think this beer wants to be bitter, but can't quite get the hang of it; first a little sweet fruitiness comes in, then it gets a little sour, but pleasantly so.  Just a touch of bitterness hangs around on the tongue after the beer has gone down.  Something in it reminds me of cider, or even a Belgian lambic, although not nearly as cloying as lambics have been for me.  It's more like a northern Spanish cider, and considering the origin, there's a certain sense about that.  For me, it needs to be drunk pretty quickly, before it warms up too much, or the flavor gets to be a bit heavy.  On a warmer night than this, it would be a very nice day closer.

To sunsets to come

gentleman porter

Naparbier has had its ups and downs in my sampling.  They do try to be creative, though, and that's always something to support.  I couldn't help grabbing this bottle with that eye catching label:

That beard, that bowler, that monocle...!

It comes out beautiful black and smooth, with a spongy head of nice tan color.  Twangy porter smell.  Mild and round taste, almost milky, sweet but not tart or overpowering.  It's more delicate than many porters I've tasted.  Fine base of earthiness.  Hint of dark chocolate, very dark.  It stays smooth and highly drinkable all the way through the glass, a very pleasant beer to sip after a long day, or even a short one.

Oh, it's one of those deep beers