no stones to throw

Little by little, we're on the road to the good old days, at least that's what we want to believe.  The truth, probably, is that things have always changed and never really gone back to anything they were.  Our problem today is really more that lots of change has happened quickly.  One thing that hasn't changed is the desire to wander around the streets on a warm afternoon and hunker down with a cold beer.  Now, it's not so easy to find my lovely black beers in this town, at least at bars, but the beer stores are still there to help.  La Buena Cerveza was rather well populated for a Saturday afternoon, but I got around the shelves enough to find Stone Xocoveza.  It's an imperial stout with a few spices added in, "inspired by Mexican hot chocolate" it says.  When I went up to pay the guy told me, "Ooh!  That one tastes like Christmas!"  As it gets warmer I'll think fondly of Christmas temperatures, even the ones we had last year.  And yes, even the snow that came later. 

A heady, medium-thick looking beer, with a pleasant gingerbread scent.  There are also hints of chocolate or vanilla, but nothing spicy yet.  The flavor is surprisingly bitter, much like some chillis, but it does have some dark chocolate depth.  There is a bitter aftertaste that builds up little by little, but the beer is not one of those syrupy pastry-style ones.  I keep expecting there to be a sharper pepper kick, but it's very subtle and more tiny embers than bright sparks.  The sweetness comes and goes too, sometimes popping up in the middle of the sip as a bright, almost milk chocolate ting.  In spite of the ginger, I don't think it's quite a Christmas beer necessarily.  It's a fine drink though, with a good balance of dark and light flavors that give you a sensation of completeness and satisfaction.

Supplier: La Buena Cerveza

Price: €5.20

peachy keen

On the road it’s always nice to sample the local delicacies, and beer has definitely become one of those.  I kind of cheated though, since Stone Brewing is from California.  Not quite where I am, but close enough.  Being the festive season it is, a “tropically inspired” beer felt like just the thing.  It’s Stone Vengeful Spirit, an IPA that is supposed to include pineapple and mandarin.  The can is eyecatching at least, with the bright yellow sky behind the signature gargoyle.

It’s a golden yellow beer, with a lightly fruity scent.  The head is good, after several instances of weak heads.  Maybe it’s my refrigerator.  The beer is also a little cloudy, but it doesn’t look like there’s much left over at the bottom.  There’s a clear taste of mandarin, with a moderately bitter aftertaste.  It takes a while to sift out the pineapple, but after a few sips it can be identified.  The beer is sweet, but not overly so.  It keeps its character as an IPA, with a bitter base, but the lightness of the fruit makes it seem like a much softer drink.  The bitterness lessens over time, leaving a heavier sweetness, and since the beer is a hefty 7.3%, there is a slight danger of lightheadedness.