Ölbeat 251: Sori Laudatur XVI

Brewery: Sori Brewing
Country: Estonia 
Style: American Strong Ale
Abv: 11 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is thick dark brown with a small tan head. Aroma has chocolate, caramel, vanilla and spicy alcohol. Taste starts with bourbonish spicy kick. Sweet caramel malts with chocolate and bittersweet fruits take over with hints of spicy smoke. Towards the end gently smoky bitterness with spicy and fruity oak flavour gets through. Aftertaste has fruity boozy bitterness and spicy oaky dryness.

Extremely tasty American Strong Ale with oak, smoke and spice from the Macallan and Glenmorangie whisky barrels. Would be nice to know what was in the barrels before Sori beer. Anyway, this goes to the same excellent section with bourbon barrel-aged Arrogant Bastard. World class brew, worth some praise. Seems that 2016 was an excellent year for Sori. Just waiting for the "XVII With Honors". ;)

Ölbeat

This one goes out to the brewery. The Gorillaz' song is about realizing how feeling good personally has led to excess consumption and hedonism. So the "Feel Good Inc." - or the world based on material goods - can feel like a prison after one realizes it doesn't actually feel good. I think Sori people are well on the way to the completely opposite direction: feeling good from making other people feel good... And before digging myself any deeper into the hole of pseudo-philosophical crap, I'm cutting it.

Gorillaz feat. De La Soul: Feel Good Inc. (YouTube)

From the 2005 album Demon Days, the song was written by Damon Albarn, Brian Burton and David Jolicoeur.

Ölbeat 228: Malmgård Amarillo Tripel

Brewery: Malmgård
Country: Finland
Style: Abbey Tripel
Abv: 9 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is hazy golden orange with a small white head. Aroma has sweet spicy malts, orange and yeast. Taste starts with yeasty fruity bitter bite. Yeasty sweet malts and bitter citrus fruits take over. Towards the end sweet spicy orange flavours get through, as the slightly piny-turned yeasty fruity bitterness stays in control. Aftertaste has yeasty sweet orange, fruity bitterness and dryish alcohol warmth.

Interesting and exciting citrus-packed Tripel. It's there and there whether the beer goes over the limit to the unorthodox or even unholy side. And since it finally does, everything's fine. "It's still a Tripel" would've been a huge disappointment. Style barriers need to be broken now and then. This one's a success.

This beer was part of Alko's Finnish microbrewery craftbeer selection in spring 2017.

Ölbeat

One minute I thought that I would be forced to put an crappy song or its Finnish equivalent here, but I'm more than happy - and you are too - to have been saved by 2D, Murdoc & friends with this beautiful track. It was a good reminder about the virtual band's existence. It's not unprobable too see and hear Clint Eastwood here later. 

Gorillaz: Amarillo (YouTube)

From the 2010 album The Fall, the song was written by 2D (= Damon Albarn), Murdoc Niccals (= Albarn/Jamie Hewlett) and Emily Burton.