no snakes, but sand

For some reason I'm not very good at getting beer for specific holidays in advance.  It always comes down to the day before or so when I have to hurry down to some store to frantically search for something fitting.  So, for St. Patrick's Day I naturally had to make a trip, and I was pretty sure La Cervecista, with its industrial background, would have a selection of beers to choose from.  It actually wasn't hard to choose -  I found Around The Clock in the fridge, among the stouts, and with its production including Irish whiskey barrels, it looks like the perfect thing to enjoy on this holiday.  I'm certainly not going out with all the dust around.  It's another great reason to keep the mask on, but it's so much more comfortable to just stay home with a good drink.  It seems to me Porterhouse has made an appearance in my fridge before, or at least in some bar's fridge where I had a chance to pick it out.  A whiskey and bourbon accented beer is something new, though.

The tingly strong alcohol smell comes out immediately, with an enticing warmth.  There is also a little bit of sourness, like a fruit liquor.  It's a little less black than the expected stout, but still a good color.  Not a whole lot of head, but there is a nice covering of frosty looking foam.  The flavor is very smooth, no throat grabby kind of alcohol feel.  It's a little bit smoky, a little bit woody.  There's even a sort of milkiness.  The whiskey part is barely detectable, but it is present, adding a strong foundation for the stout to push off of.  Despite the smoothness, I start picking up a little bit of dustiness too, like there's a little finely blended fruit pulp in there.  I wouldn't expect it to be Sahara dust, with that wax cap, and being bottled before the big event.  It has a feeling of calm and steadiness that goes well with a weekday evening, or with a quiet kind of night out.  I don't think I'd enjoy sucking it down at a parade, or in crowded conditions, although it might be comfort when it gets stressful to deal with a bunch of other dipshits on the street.  Or whatever the Irish for dipshit is; I'm positive they have one, if not more.  Some languages are more creative with insult than others!

Supplier: La Cervecista

Price: €6.95

*pop* top

Still looking for my porter/stouts, although with summer coming I might have to let my strategy evolve a little bit.  In any case, Porterhouse's Plain Porter is there for me today.  I have to admit it was the little pull-tab cap that was the final decision maker, but at the same time you can't say no to an Irish porter.

The cap pops off super smooth, with a satisfying little *tok*.  While dark, the beer is not quite black or opaque, letting a little milk chocolate light be seen at the bottom.  Portery, slightly sweet aroma, mildly lactose.  The taste is a bit startling, not sweet at all despite the smell.  It's on the sour side at first, in fact, and eventually winds down into bitter.  No chocolate here, no way.  It's not one of those smoky black beers either, it's earthy if anything.  It's not an especially smooth drink, a tad on the rough side, but enjoyable.  A nice choice for a colder evening, but light enough for year-round savoring, at least as far as I'm concerned.

Supplier: Espuma
Price: €3.20

at the end of the rainbow

As a good American, I can't let this holiday pass.  What, it's for some Irish saint?  Who wasn't even Irish?  C'mon...

Anyway, I found a good Irish stout this year, with the evocative name of Celebration Stout.  The label tells me to expect a range of flavors, and promises to please the experienced stout drinker, a title which I feel fairly confident in claiming.

Easy-off cap, for when it's not your first of the night

A puff of chocolatey stout scented air pops out immediately.  Good chocolate liquid comes out too, with a creamy looking head settled on top.  The taste surprises me a little, with a quick shot of dirt up front, but the bitterness is tempered by a calmly rising tide of chocolate.  As soon as the sweetness disappears down the throat, however, the foundation of bitter earth hangs on for a bit.  After letting the beer sit for a while, a definite curl of smoke can be felt in the smell and taste.  Ok, I'll say I'm pleased.

To the stouts and stout-hearted!