Hello Beer Sapiens! A few days ago I received a package from the web with a selection of black beers, because I wanted to explore this unknown world.
As always, the shipment arrived flawlessly. And the beers, straight to the fridge (remember, always standing up, never lying down!). These days I have been tasting each of them. These are my impressions:
Señor Lobo “Sweet Stout”:
Like all craft beers, made with love, the design is incredible. This is the work of the Barcelona studio Doodletown, and it's amazing. It quickly puts you in the mood: darkness, body, orange moon.
This beer, dense but with a refreshing touch, is made with orange and chocolate. Yes, yes, orange and chocolate! I confess that I wasn't very original, I looked for a good 100% cocoa brownie, and at night, watching a series, it was the perfect pairing. The night was dark and sweet, so was the beer!
Duela English “Barleywine”:
I already told you in a previous post about the Barleywine or “barley wine”. There is little more to say about this highly aristocratic category of beers.
When I held the bottle of Duela English Sherry Wine in my hands, I loved the cellar aspect it conveyed. And it is that this beer, like the wines, is made only once a year and at harvest time. It is then fermented for six months in oak barrels that have been previously aged with Oloroso Sherry wine.
I didn't have much of an alternative… I bought the best acorn-fed ham from the supermarket and enjoyed this liquor, dry and slightly bitter beer like a gentleman.
Malt Attack “Toasted Lager”
This Toasted Lager does not disappoint with its name. If you are looking for malt, you have malt.
Well balanced, with few hops and a lot of maturation, being a lager it has low alcohol concentration and allows you to take long drinks (or drink more than two without having to take a nap afterwards). With this information I decided that it was the ideal beer to accompany a baked lasagna…. and it did not disappoint me! Lots of flavor and a slight sweet touch of cereal. Mamma mia!
Windward “Imperial Stout”
The design is cool and hipster. But I especially liked this beer because it tells stories: first of all the awards it has received (three medals from different beer competitions), but also the story of the Imperial Stout that the port of Saint Petersburg, circumventing the Continental Blockade imposed by the French on British trade.
Barlovento is really a dark beer. With a lot of body and a creamy and persistent cinnamon-colored foam, it is complex and intense, like a good sailor on a wooden ship. I combined it with a cheese board, and the combination was so powerful, that It has become one of my favorites for after-dinner cheeses and I think I am going to try it with other more smoky flavors as well. Because, as its creators say, “no calm sea made a sailor an expert”
American “Amber Ale” cleat
This beer has red hair. It's the first thing I thought of when I poured it into the glass. As a good Amber Ale, it is coppery in color with rims that reach red, and very bright.
But apart from the color (I'm not kidding you, I thought all dark beers were very dark), I was also surprised by the taste It's fresh, but full-bodied. A little bitter, but with a fruity-tropical aftertaste. And all with a lot of balance.
I paired it with some spicy Korean ribs, and I think I got it right. In short, a beer that seemed smooth and balanced, ideal for beginners in these worlds.
Brunette “Amber Ale”
Don't let it happen to you like it did to me. The Caliph, from the outside, looks much darker than it is. In glass, its color is amber. I did a little research, and it turns out that this style of beers is also called “Red Ale”, and they are first cousins of the blonde “Pale Ale”. Mystery solved!
And the taste? Well, here it is closer to black beers. The flavors are complex and sweet, with a strong malt flavor mixed with a hint of caramel.It also has a dry, bitter finish on the palate. Combined with a grilled chicken fillet (not everything will be hearty dishes), it is the ideal midpoint between the refreshing and the complex.
As you can see, Beersapiens, there is much brewing world to discover! And even within black beers, the nuances are wide. But the fun is this, getting to know each of the beers and exploring how, when and with what we would like to drink them.
.