Quinta entrega - Mayo

The end of the series is approaching. This month was interesting, including a Raspberry beer (not sure if that is really a beer) and some good choices.

Einstök Ölgerđ Icelandic Wee Heavy

Scottish ale brewed with angelica root and smoked Icelandic barley.

Red-ish brown ale, slightly haze, with a creamy brown head, remaining only at the edge.

Smells of herbs 🌿 and fruit, and brown sugar or caramel. Tastes of smoked roasted grains, with traces of herbs and some sweetness end, moderate bitterness, spicy and smoky finish.

Swedish meatballs or pyttipanna, continuing with the food pairing.

Tiny Rebel - Dutty

Vermont Session IPA

Pale yellow haze sight (looks like grapefruit juice), unfiltered, medium white head, disappears fairly quick. Medium carbo body.

Smells of flowers and tropical fruits, mango and peach. Taste slightly sweet, tropical fruits and grapefruit, and bitter hops, pine finish.

Oppigårds - Raspberry sour

Experimenting something different, really different. I am not sure this would qualify as beer, but e will give it a try.

Pink hazy look, with a light white head. It really looks like pink grapefruit juice.

Smells of raspberries, grains and flowers. It does not taste like beer, it tastes like sour Swedish raspberries candies.

To Øl - 45 days organic pilsner

“You don’t rush a good Pilsner” 😊

Gold honey tone, white dense head that remains for a while, stays at the borders, low carbo.

Smells of biscuits, grains and citrus. Bitter taste with traces of sweet and malt, bitterness remains after taste, with nice light spice.

Nice rounded beer, taste, smell, body, remains.

Crew Republic Roundhouse Kick

Strong dense porter.

Dark color, almost black chocolate with a dense brown head, no visible carbo.

Smells of roasted malt, chocolate, coffee. Taste of sweet caramel, malt coffee and licorique, some bitterness remains. No food inspiration, it rather reminds me of the smell of wood in Irish pubs.

Tempest Brewing CO - Brave New World West Coast IPA

Nice tasty spicy IPA (stronger than it seems)

Nice looking slightly hazy amber, white medium head, medium carbo.

Smell of flowers and grain, orange, peach and pine. Taste of citrus, peach, pine and orange, nice hopes bitterness that remains aftertaste.

Cuarta entrega - Abril

Mi reseña de las cervezas de Abril

This month has been also a good one. The Imperial Pils My Antonia or the Basque Session IPA Shoot the Pier have been really good. One thing that have amazed me this month is that most of the beers I tasted this time triggered specific food to eat with it... was I on that mood? 😎

My Antonia imperial pils - Birra del Borgo

Slightly haze gold honey tone, white dense head that remains for a while, medium carbo.

Smells of sweet and citrus, orange. Bitter taste with traces of orange and malt, bitterness remains after taste, with nice light spice.

Nice rounded beer, taste, smell, body, remains. Perfect for a spring apero... there we go 😋

Lux - La Debauche

Pale ale. Clean amber, light white head that disappears very quickly. Medium carbo body.

Smells of orange peel, flowers and yeast. Taste of citric, hops, orange. Some light bitter that remains.

I like the note on the side:

“L’on me nomme univers et l’on me dir obscur. Mais qui vient vers mai recontre mes étailes, et qui m’envoie ses yeux comme on hisse des voiles, connaitra du passé les rêves du futur.”

Charles Beaudelaire - Le porteur de lumière

Schneider’s Bayrisch Hell

Bavarian Helles beer.

Clear straw-yellow color, with light white head, medium carbo body.

Smells of flowers, hops and malt. Refreshing taste. Right now, as I am tasting, I think I need some sauerkraut and sausages.

As they state, brewed according to the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516.

Dark sister - Brussels beer project

Belgian black IPA, rich in smells and tones.

Creamy amber brown head, clear brown tone, low carbo.

Smells of flowers, malt and berries. Rich but not strong. Strong taste of malt and citrus, it is requesting some BBQ ribs, perfect match for BBQ sauce. 🍖

Shoot the pier - Basqueland

Session IPA, yellow haze sight, medium white head, disappears fairly quick. Medium carbo body.

Smells of lemon, grapefruit, malts and bread.

Taste slightly sweet, tropical fruits, and bitter hops.

Reminds me of pasta with bolognese sauce and parmigiano cheese 🧀

Öö Imperial Baltic Porter - Pōhjala

Dense strong porter, black dense color, with a brown light head.

Smell of toasted malt, berries and alcohol scent.

Taste of malt, coffee grains, berries and dark chocolate.

Perfect with a wild boar or deer roasted.

Easter o Semana Santa

Menuda Semana Santa. "Fronteras cerradas", básicamente limitada la movilidad entre comunidades autónomas, en Madrid (comunidad autónoma) tenemos a casi 7 millones de personas (la comunidad con mayor densidad de población) dando vueltas como leones enjaulados.

Evidentemente, al estar en esta situación, nosotros cancelamos todas nuestras opciones y nos concentramos en cómo pasar una semana juntos de la mejor forma posible. Y cómo evitar a esos 7 millones de madrileños dando vueltas (difícil, muy difícil).

En realidad hemos hecho poco. Nos hicimos una escapada a Manzanares el Real (imposible evitar madrileños, estaba hasta la bandera), un castillo muy chulo, un pantano (semi-vacío) y una buena comida. (PS, el municipio de Manzanares el Real fue cerrado 10 días después de las masificaciones de las que hablo, con una incidencia acumulada multiplicada por 2,5, de menos de 300 a +750, pero lo mismo no está relacionado).

Castillo de Manzanares el Real

Embalse de Santillana

Otro día de paseo por la zona, jugando con los peques en casa (gracias Tío Raúl por los regalos de cumpleaños, 6 meses después 😝). Otro día nos acercamos de visita turística al Cementerio de la Almudena (ya estuvimos en Père Lachaise en París, pero no es lo mismo, claro).

Lola y Antonio Flores

Otro día nos acercamos al Parque Juan Carlos I y comprobamos que, efectivamente, 7 millones de madrileños no tienen mucho sitio a donde ir... hasta los peques se agobiaron de tanta gente en el parque!

Una cosa extraña pero super buena ha sido el concierto de Chumi Chuma. Concierto al aire libre, sentados en mesas (máximo 4 personas por mesa), con mascarillas, aforo limitado y todo eso, pero lo hemos disfrutado (sobre todo los peques) y después paseo por el parque en Las Rozas. Super plan, de verdad!

Chumi!      Chuma!

Como colofón, hoy han venido a podar un par de árboles en casa, que necesitaban un trabajo profesional después del paso de Filomena.

Tercera entrega - Marzo

Mi reseña de las cervezas de Marzo

This month has been really good. I enjoyed the experience, the Brasserie bier or the Nation'Ale beer were really good, surprising and great taste. Looking forward to the next box, will come after Easter.

Karabel IPA - Thornbridge Basqueland Collaboration

Tasty IPA, haze sight with a medium white head, not resting. Medium carbo light body, clear golden tone. Smells of lemon, grass and light tones of tropical fruits 🍹🍍 with some spices

Taste of mango 🥭 and plums, nice hop bitterness combined with sweet tropical fruits.

Way better than a cocktail 😎 under the sun umbrella at the beach 🏖

Ninth wave - The White Hag

Pale Ale, more concretely, New World Pale Ale they name it, kind of American Pale Ale, with clear sight and a medium white head. Medium carbo light body, clear orange/brown tone. Smell of fruits (peach 🍑 and mango 🥭), nice bitter taste, refreshing in mouth. Next thing that came to my mind was to be in front of a 20oz steak 🥩 in a small place I know in NJ 😋

Ninkasi - Nation’Ale

Ale beer made of fresh hops, with peculiar (surprising, really an experience) smell and taste. Clear sight with a light white head. Medium carbo light body, clear orange/brown tone.

Smell of herbs and grains. Soft unctuous slightly sweet taste, reminds me of dubbel trappist beer.

It is really interesting the slightly sweet, melting tase of herbs and grains but still not saturating. I need to explore other fresh hops beer.

Früh kölsch - Herrlich Obergärig

Kölsch beer from Köln in Germany. Nice refreshing taste with traces of citric and bitter hopes. Smell of grain and yeast. Clear golden color and light body, medium carbo, with a light white head that disappears almost immediately. 

Nice for a sunny warm day 🌞, like today.

Craft beer wheat ale - Brasserie Effet Papillon

Wheat ale, quite hazy, light bitter taste. Smell of flowers and fruits (peach 🍑, plum). Fruity and fresh, taste of peach and citric🍋, bitter sweet remains. Low carbo light body, hazy amber tone, creamy white head that disappears quick.

Nice beer, great with some cheese 🧀 (well... a lot of things go well with cheese 😎), some Edam or Gouda.
 

Stay Puff - Tiny Rebel

Marshmallow porter, too sweet for me to really enjoy it. Dark porter, really dark, dark chocolate colour, dark light head. Smell of flowers, and slightly (thankfully) of marshmallows. Taste of licorique.

   +      = Not my combination for a beer.
 

How I feel today?

Segunda entrega - Febrero

Mi reseña de las cervezas de Febrero.

IPA New Day Session - Oppigårds

Tasty IPA, quite hazy, light sour. Smell of flowers and citric. Fruity and fresh.

Low carbo light body, hazy tone with traces of yellow, dense white head that disappears fairly quick.

Surprising fresh beer from Sweden 🌅.

Bird of Pray IPA - Uiltje Brewing CO

Clear IPA. Nice smell of citrics and peach. Fruity and fresh taste with light tones of sweet fruits (peach 🍑)

Sparkling light body, hazy yellow tone, its initial dense white head does not stay long.

Pōhjala - Meri Gose

Gose beer, very peculiar. Slightly sour, salty and fruity (I know it sounds strange, it actually is). Wheat beer with coriander and Himalayan rock salt 🏔.

Smell of apple and lemon, grains.

Sparkling light body, nice mix of salt, sour and citric, clear tone orange/brown similar to apple juice, dense white head that disappears very quick. After two tries, I am getting in love with Pōhjala 🧡

Koyt Gruit Ale - Jopen Craft Beer

This is a herbs beer 🌿, and you notice the sweetness, maybe that there are no nops in here.

Dark ale beer, dark brown with light brown head, foamy but quickly disappears.

Smells of fruits, malt and caramel, not strong alcoholic flavour (even with the 8.5%)

Medium sweet medium dry, taste of caramel and liquorice, you need a salty appetiser.

Saison du Meyboom 2020 - Brasserie de la Seine

Saison beer, significant bitter and spicy notes, smell of citric, lemon and grains. Pour it completely in the cup to include the taste in the remains.

Tastes of hops over malt (not toasted), sparkling body. Hazy tone with traces of yellow, dense white head that remains. Sun is out through the window, hmmmmm... 🏡

This delivery came with a disappointing beer for me (I need to make it clear, opinions my own, taste my own). Craft Irish beer Mexican Hot Chocolate Pastry Stout. I could not drink it. I don't like chocolate in general (yes, I mentioned several times I am kinda weirdo) but the continuous smell of hot chocolate ☕ (how can you make it to smell like hot chocolate?) was unbearable, so I could not drink it. 

How d'you feel?

... weh

Primera entrega - Enero

Mis reseñas de las cervezas de este mes.

Salty Kiss - Gooseberry gose

Reminds me of “White Nest Hitachino”, flavory, spicy smell of flowers and citrics

Fruity and fresh

Even though it should bring some sour flavor, it is not much noticed

Sparkling body, hazy tone with traces of yellow and gold, foamy white head that remains for a while

Definitely a summer beer (or a beer for Panama 😉 )

Schneider Weisse - Aventinus doppelbock

Intense smell and flavour, malt, wood, ground, fruit (banana)

Some sweet (caramel) on taste, not much of alcohol (even though it is 8,2%)

Toasted brown body, head... light and sparkling

Reminds me of fireplaces and comfy sofas with a drink (or drinking around a nightfire with snow 🌌)

Goose Island - Goose 312 Urban Wheat Ale

Light Ale beer, smells of flowers and citrus, with some fruity taste

Sparkling body, hazy tone with golden tones, almost no head (white) that disappears almost instantly

Easy to drink, good for a rooftop pool 😎

Pöhjala - Must kuld porter

Dense porter with light creamy head, taste of chocolate and malted coffee. Dark tones of coffee and chocolate. More a dessert beer than for any other time. For me it is weird that chocolate and coffee smell and flavour, maybe because I am not a dessert person and for sure not a chocolate one 🍫.

Jaipur IPA - Thornbridge

Clear tasty IPA, smell of flowers and citric. Fruity and fresh

Sparkling body, hazy tone with traces of yellow, very clean, light white head that unfortunately disappears very quickly. Appetizer time, enjoy the music 🎶.

La Virgen 360 Pale Ale sin filtro

American Pale Ale, smell of flowers and citric. Fruity and fresh, lightly sour without affecting the soft taste of citric.

Sparkling body, hazy yellow tone with cloudy aspect, light white head that unfortunately disappears very quickly. The sour tone of it makes it perfect for any time before or during lunch. Sushi 🍣?

~ MARTYR II REBEL CUSTOM 7 ~

My beauty was here, a year ago.

Más fotos en la web de Olmo Bosi, el Luthier detrás de la guitarra: Martyr II Rebel Custom 7

Am I back?

No, not really.

Más de un año sin publicar nada. Y mira que han pasado cosas. De todo. Cosas buenas y cosas malas.... Y una pandemia, claro. En la que seguimos metidos, hasta el cuello como si de arenas movedizas se tratara, aunque parece que alguien encontró una liana y tiene la intención de echarnos una mano (o lo mismo de atar la liana a un árbol y dejarnos a nosotros salir del agujero).

Yo tampoco me voy a quejar mucho por la pandemia. No hemos sufrido incidentes en la familia, mis amigos siguen bien, mi trabajo no se ha visto demasiado afectado (solo trabajo más horas que un tonto, pero nada más allá). Llevo casi un año sin viajar (y todo apunto a que será más de año y medio o casi dos años, ya veremos) y eso es un cambio radical. Esto nos ha puesto todo cabeza abajo y digerirlo requiere tiempo, muchas cervezas y seguramente alguna visita al psicólogo, ya veremos.

Pero la pandemia no va a aparecer en este blog por ahora. Mi objetivo es otro. Vuelvo a publicar para hacer honor a mi regalo de cumpleaños. Mi Chule me ha regalado uno de los mejores regalos en mucho tiempo. Una subscripción durante 6 meses a una cata de cervezas en casa. Cortesía de HOPT. La primera entrega llega en unos días y mi idea es escribir una entrada cada mes con la reseña de las cervezas. Sin mayor objetivo que recordarme que tuve ese estupendo regalo y que disfrute de las catas.