six nests of flame

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

Six phoenixes rising

Five photographic plates

Four flying saucers

Three sunny toucans

Two dogs in costume

And a lone eagle flying free

Have I mentioned that there are a lot of birds in this song?  Because there are a lot of birds in this song.  Fortunately there are ever more beery birds too.  I thought I could find something more literal, but the Phoenix caught my eye and I could not let it pass.  It's Basqueland, so not a single worry about whether it's a good beer, and it's a triple IPA, so definitely something to warm you up on a cold winter night.  Yep, 9.5%.  That's quite a kick, even in times like this.

The piney, tropical odor of hops slips out immediately on opening the can.  It looks like a pretty light colored beer just peeking in, although it has somewhat more optical presence in the glass.  It's a good orangey shade, although very cloudy.  It's quite a mouthful; first there's a punch of bitter, with a quick slide into almost malty sweetness, and a rich thick texture to boot.  It feels like it should be fresh-squeezed orange juice, although it's just thick, not pulpy.  More like peach or mango maybe.  Although it's a little astringent at first, you get used to it very quickly.  It has an appearance that might make you think it's more suitable for summer, but there's a weight and a feeling of warmth that also give this beer a wintery quality.  All year round for this one, with food, stand-alone drink, meeting friends, or solitary contemplation of life.