Ölbeat 014: De Molen Spanning & Sensatie

Brewery: Brouwerij de Molen
Country: Netherlands
Style: Imperial Stout
Abv: 9,8 %
@RateBeer

Sensational thrills with salt, chili and cocoa

"Spanning & Sensatie was intended to thrill your taste buds", says the description on the brewery's beerography. The thrills are given by adding cocoa, chili and sea salt to a strong Imperial Stout that already has oat malts in the mix. Some tricks are allowed, as long as the result is recognisably beer.

What about the beer?
Colour is almost-black-dark brown with quickly vanishing tiny bubbly head. Aroma has soft scent of milk chocolate with tiny hint of coffee. Taste is roasted medium sweet malts with black coffee, a salty twist and a chili note on the tongue. Finish has malty sweetness, as does the aftertaste.

This is a full-flavoured experience: nothing goes over the top or even close in any sense, but there are surprising twists in the taste when the liquid spreads around the mouth. In the end one has gone through a delicate, balanced trip of senses. Expectations exceeded.

Ölbeat

When it comes to the artist, the choice was clear from the beginning: this Finnish rock band can open mysteries and give thrills. Selecting the song was harder, but I picked this ballad:

Sonata Arctica: Shamandalie (YouTube)

From the 2004 album Reckoning Night, the song was written by the band's vocalist Tony Kakko. It's a metal ballad about an older man who is reminiscing his childhood friendship. He probably wanted it to be his first love but the song's title girl, Shamandalie, didn't respond his feelings and also the friendship ended. The ballad starts with vocalist Kakko singing the 1st verse, chorus and 2nd verse with only piano and acoustic guitar on the background. From the 2nd chorus the song turns into a pure rock ballad with the whole band and Kakko's rougher singing. I've always found Sonata Arctica an interesting Finnish band, and this song with aching memories showed both the soft and the rough side of them.

Brewer's Choice

Audioslave: Cochise (YouTube)

From the 2002 album Audioslave, the song was the first single of the rock supergroup formed by ex-Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell and Rage against the Machine ex-members guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk. It got its name and background from the last great American Indian chief to die free and unconquered. The lyrics written by Cornell, however, are about something else than a chief: they are someone's message to oneself about stop wasting one's life and save oneself. The intro guitar riff by Morello was created by accident: he rapidly and unintentionally hit the string with a pencil while jamming and writing notes. The result was after a slight moderation the "helicopter sound" in the beginning of the song.