Some special beers in the north of Spain.

I have visited some places in Cantabria and the Basque Country in my search for special beers. When I arrived I was invited to a concert by the group "Punto Es" where one of our friends played, in the town of Somo, here I drank the extra reserva 1906 beer, it is a beer from La Coruña, produced by the brewery Estrella de Galicia, with Alc. vol 6.5%, color: 16.5 EBC, bitterness: 25 IBU, primitive dry extract of 15°P, made with toasted malts, Perle Hallertau hops and selected Hijos de Rivera yeast. The beer is amber in color, with a strong toasted flavor and aromas of caramels, it is in an amber 33 Cl bottle.

A few days later we went to Bilbao, Euskadi: Euskal Autonomia Erkidegoa (Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, ACBC), to meet him. We walk along the Nervión River passing by the Guggenheim Museum and its famous Spider: Maman (Mother) by the artist Louise Bourgeois, a work dedicated to her mother. We walk through the Plaza Venezuela where we cross the river to enter the streets of the old city, walking through the Arriaga Antzokia theater, the Santiago de Bilbao Cathedral until we reach the Plaza Nueva, where we have made a stop to try the famous tapas and drink some local beer. So they recommended me a beer La Salve Txirene, It is an APA style beer (American Pale Ale), Alc Vol. 5.6%, color: 8 EBC, bitterness: 40 IBU, yeast: ALE, made with 100% Alavesa malt and malted wheat. American CASCADE and CENTENNIAL hops. It is a soft beer with a certain aroma of fruit. Enough Refreshing.

It was a quick visit to Bilbao, so on the way back we made a stop at the house of some migrant friends from the city of Maracaibo, who have dedicated themselves to producing fabulous cheeses. They've done a BBQ and have some beers I want to try. Here I have tried the DouGall´s beers. In 2006, the Dougall's company was born in the town of Liérganes, Cantabria, an ideal place due to its proximity to large water sources such as the Miera river. I have started with a Leyenda beer, a beer with 5.8% Alc. Vol. The malts used for its preparation are: Maris Otter, Cara Gold, Torrefacto Wheat, Crystal 150, with hops: Cascade, Columbus and yeast: House Ale. It is a beer with a lot of foam, with a copper color, somewhat cloudy with a special flavor in an amber bottle of 33 Cl. I liked it.

The weather has been perfect, a temperature around 21°C with plenty of sunshine, so I've decided to try another beer from the DouGall's family of beers. An American Pale Ale 942, a beer with 4.2% Alc. Vol. , with malts such as: Maris Otter, Cara Gold, Torrefacto Wheat, with hops: Simcoe, Cascade with house Ale yeast. It is a beer with less foam, a blonder color, in a 33 Cl glass bottle.

I am sure that i will return to continue knowing about this magnificent region of northern Spain.

The Kraken and some special Beers in "El Sardinero".

I have gone to "El Sardinero", in the city of Santander, in the province of Cantabria, because my friends have invited me to a lunch and a tasting of special beers. Before arriving at the place for lunch, I have decided to take a tour in the area, to enjoy the beautiful beaches and walk on its fine sand, visit the lighthouse and visit "El Palacio de la Magdalena". The presence of castles, palaces and chalets indicate to me that this place has been visited by kings and celebrities for the summer. I have arrived at my friend's restaurant in the Puerto Chico area and they have offered me to start the cold beer "La niña Barbuda". The beer has Alc Vol. 6%, it has an IBU (bitterness): 46, it is a Brown Ale type beer, in a 33 cl bottle, amber in color, produced by Barcelona Beer Company. The beer has a roasted malt aroma and is brewed with Pale Ale, Caramunich, T2, Carafa, Flacked Wheat malts, and Northern Brewer and Cascade hops. I liked it a lot, so soon I'll be asking for another.

Pablo, in addition to being an excellent and creative pastry chef, chef has told me that he has been making his beers and liquors. One of the star liquors that he is preparing is "Mead", one of the first drinks created by man. Our conversation becomes extremely interesting because it involves the production process until the selection of the ingredients to obtain a perfect balance for the palate. They have brought me a second beer "Flying Pigs" ( Cerdos Voladores) from the same company Barcelona Beer Company. It is a beer with Alc Vol. 4.5%, it has an IBU (bitterness): 65, it is an IPA-style beer, made with malts: Pale Ale, Carahell and Crystal and hops: Centennial and Yellow.

The beer is foamy and cloudy. It is in a 33 cl amber bottle with a very distinctive label. This company is producing very good quality beers. Pablo keeps bringing me beers with different styles so that I can continue trying, so he has brought me the following beer: A "Big Bear" also from the same company Barcelona Beer Company. It is a Pale Ale style beer, with Alc Vol. 4.5%, with malts: Pale Ale, Caramunich T2, Carafa and F. Oat and hops: Northern Brewer, Fuggles and East Kent Golding. This beer is gluten free. Very soft and tasty.

The afternoon continued with many more beers, but a visit to the museum of the sea awaited me. My interest in visiting the museum was because a few years ago (2014) one of the largest squids in the world was found, the giant breasted squid (Architeuthis dux), so I went for the kraken, a cephalopod over 10 m long. length and 180 kilograms. Spectacular.

Girl Power in a Can

 I should start by mentioning that the beer I draft was actually on draft and not in a can. The Brewster Gang 2023 white IPA is available in a can at the Brussels Beer Project store. As the name suggests, the brewery is located in Brussels, Belgium and they are not only striving for a eco friendly brewing process, they are also pushing the beer art form forward. Now that I got that out of the way, let's talk about the beer and the cool initiative BBP (Brussels Beer Project) has embarked on.

Todays beer is one cool customer. Smooth, well-rounded, soft flavours, and accessible. In the words of Bavo, owner at Special Belge, this is the perfect "step-in IPA". I have many friends that don't enjoy the bitter characteristics of an IPA, but this one might be the beer to convert them to the bitter side.

What's even cooler about this beer is that it is completely brewed by women and this is their 3rd iteration.

I'll be the first to admit that when I think of a brew master I often picture a fellow with large rounded spectacles and a pretentious moustache, but alas it's 2023 and this couldn't be further from reality. Women are making their mark on the industry and I believe we are all better for it. 

This is my first time tasting a "white IPA" and I was not disappointed. "It takes the characteristics of a white beer, meaning that they use more malts in the brewing process and it softens the effects of the hop flavour and aromas." Explained Bavo. "Brussels Beer Project has become more accessible over the years and it's been good for everyone."

Brewster Gang 2023 comes in a 44cl can and it is an easy drinking 6.5%. It has a beautiful golden hue and it appears to be unfiltered which increases the intensity of the aromas and flavours. There is a light citrus flavour, but over all everything about this beer is incredibly balanced. The foam is of a finer, lighter quality and it holds the aromas well.

If you are new to IPAs or, perhaps, previously you didn't like them, I highly recommend this beer; it is a game changer.

Rating 4.5/5 excellent summer beer, but a great choice for all seasons.

Beer Tasting Chart

Steenbrugge Dubble Bruin

On a dreadful afternoon after an equally onerous class my classmate and I ventured into Antwerp to find a new beer to taste. We scoured the internet to find an establishment that was open in the early afternoon and to our luck we found one in the theaterbuurt; Cafe Kulminator.

The 30 year old establishment emanated an exclusive atmosphere as visitors could only be admitted by ringing the doorbell, which at that moment was broken. After what felt like an eternity waiting in the rain, the owner noticed us peering through the window and slowly shuffled her way towards the door.

Upon entering it was almost as if we were transported to another time. Huge wooden beams, large wall fixtures and plant overgrowth gave the cafe the feel of an medieval tavern. When we inquired for the beer list the owner presented us with what could only be described as a beer encyclopedia.

Thirty minutes had passed and we finally selected our beers. Steenbrugge dubble bruin would be my salve for the miserable afternoon weather.

Steenbrugge had a distinct flavour reminiscent of prunes and the carbonation was flatter than I was expecting. The rich malty character coupled with the unique mix of spices called "gruut" was welcoming and blended nicely with the rich fruity character of the beer. My best guess is that the hop variety used was creating the prune sensation. What I couldn't determine was where the sourness was coming from. It added a nice complexity that further balanced the sweetness from the hop. 

I found the mouthfeel to be quite smooth and mellow. There was a full-bodied character to the beer, but somehow despite all these good qualities the beer tasted as though it was lacking spirit. I understand the irony of this statement as the beer was both 6.5% and an abbey beer.

Overall I enjoyed the steenbrugge dubble bruin beer, but I can't say I would go out of my way to have it again.

Rating: 2.75/5