I have a confession to make.
I’ve had to cut back on my beer consumption.
Overwhelmed by the endless variety of beers and ales I now have access too, and having found a one that came very close — if only for a while — to being the Holy Beer, I over-indulged and the weight I’d been quietly dropping over the last four years came stampeding back.
I’ve always been one to choose quality over quantity, but what happened is I found myself with a great quantity of quality. I went from 2-3 gourmet beers a week to 2-3 (or more) a day.
That had to stop. And so I put rules on myself, and so far they seem to be working, and the weight has begun to slowly evaporate.
Funny how fast you can gain it, but how slow it is when it’s leaving you.
Anyway, my new rule is, when I’m out I can drink my brews freely … which is self-limiting, as they’re way more expensive, and also I need to be mindful of being able to legally drive afterward. If I’m at home, I can’t have a beer unless I’m going to review it. That also puts limits on me. I can still have as many beers as I want … as long as I write a review for it. Which also means I have to photograph it and actually sit here and write it. Obviously I’m not going to do that three times a day.
Anyway, here is the first one I’ve actually popped the top off of in over a week. Obolon “Deep Velvet” from the Ukraine. It smells like … heaven. Sweet and slightly sour malt, a touch of honey-scented yeast, but no hint whatsoever of hops.
Tipping it back to my lips, I take that first sip.
Mmmm! Interesting! Tangy, yeasty, and with some nice rich and – I have to agree, velvety, sweet maltiness – but then it fades to a mild bitterness, and that in turn fades to a slightly metallic aftertaste which is not completely enjoyable.
No matter, another swig solves that. The original blossom of flavor erases the metallic tang, but only for a bit. Which means this beer is urging me to keep drinking.
And so, in not too much time, the half liter is gone … leaving me without beer.
Sadness.
I hesitate to proclaim this one as groovy. It’s interesting, and maybe worth a try – you might like it much more than I did. If I’ve learned anything since starting this site, is there are as many different tastes as there are beer drinkers.
To someone, somewhere in this world, this is their favorite beer. But not mine.
No Comments »