Ölbeat 067: Thornbridge Halcyon

Brewery: Thornbridge Brewery
Country: England
Style: India Pale Ale
Abv: 7,4 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is clear light yellow with a small white head. Aroma has very fruity scent of fresh orange and lemon. Taste starts with medium sweet fruity and hoppy first bite. Orange flavour quickly takes over. Hoppy bitterness and bite of alcohol get onto the stage later. Some faint sweet spice flies by. Towards the end orange turns to grapefruit. Aftertaste has dry piny bitterness and a bite of alcohol.

Excellent strong fruity IPA: sweet citrus domination seems to be the thing for me. When bitter grapefruit and dry pine finish the treat, couldn't ask for much more. Despite this being the first Thornbridge beer in this blog the brewery is an old acquaintance: Halcyon belongs to the quality continuum with Jaipur, Raven, Chiron and Bear State. I'll probably come back with them later.

Ölbeat

Well, the phrase for this choice is 'instant spontaneous reaction' to the name of the brew. The beer and the great album of the young lady had the same name, and the beer's style matched the artist's style nicely. Only thing to choose was the matching song. While completing such task anything can happen:

Ellie Goulding: Anything Could Happen (YouTube)

From the 2012 album Halcyon, the song was written by Ellie Goulding and Jim Eliot.

Ölbeat 066: Founders Porter

Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
Country: United States
Style: Porter
Abv: 6,5 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is thick black with a modest beige head. Aroma has roasted malts, charcoal, liquorice and a thin slice of coffee. Taste starts with charred roasted malts. Some bitter hop and black coffee flavours join the fun. Towards the end salty chocolate and liquorice are added to the taste. Aftertaste has dry and malty charcoal roast.

This is a delicious heavy roasted, salty and gently bitter porter with decent coffee flavour. In the end the chocolate and liquorice perfect the exquisiteness. Like drinking thick liquid black velvet.

Ölbeat

But no, it can't be Black Velvet by Alannah Myles. Since the label has the description "Dark Rich Sexy" and the brew more than fulfills that, we'll easily find much darker, richer and sexier voice and song. Like this:

Seal: Love's Divine (YouTube)

From the 2003 album Seal IV, the song was written by Seal and Mark Batson.

Ölbeat 065: CREW Republic Detox

Brewery: CREW Republic
Country: Germany
Style: Session IPA
Abv: 3,4 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is bubbly golden yellow with a thick foamy white head. Aroma has hops, lemon and grass. Taste bites first with extra bitter hops. Fresh grapefruit with carbonation joins the party. Near the end sour lemon and piny dryness are added to the flavour. Aftertaste has mainly dry and bitter grapefruit.

Detox is a nicely fresh and tasty session IPA. Bitter, sour and dry flavours are present strongly enough but still this one goes down easily and quenches thirst well. With this abv this works better than many around 4,5 % session beers.

Ölbeat

Many, probably most low-alcohol beers tend to fall behind the stronger ones. But sometimes it's better to be a good loser than a bad winner. I'm not referring to any certain Skippy-Digestive brews, but here's the song for Detox:

Beck: Loser (YouTube)

From the 1994 album Mellow Gold, the song was written by Beck and Karl Stephenson.

Ölbeat 064: Lagunitas Maximus

Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company
Country: United States
Style: Imperial IPA
Abv: 8,2 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is clear orange with a two-finger thick natural white head. Aroma has lemon, orange, hops and some malts in the background. Taste opens with fresh citrus hoppy bite. Lemon-orange liquid with a herbal side note fills the mouth. Towards the finish bitter hops come back with sour grapefruit and dry pine. Aftertaste has sour citrus and extra dry bitterness.

The aroma promises fresh citrus fruits and that's what we get: flavours of lemon, orange and grapefruit dominate the taste. Hops bring herbal-powered bitterness to the picture and in the end pine doesn't get over the fruit. Magnificent American Double IPA with surprising freshness and easy drinkability.

Ölbeat

It's time for pompous and joyful classic rock. When two giants of rock united in the beginning of the 1990's, the result became a parade of musical happiness. The same heavy joy is present in Maximus: 

Coverdale/Page: Pride And Joy (YouTube)

From the 1993 album Coverdale - Page, the song was written by David Coverdale and Jimmy Page.

Ölbeat 063: Hiisi Raivoava Rakki

Brewery: Panimo Hiisi
Country: Finland
Style: India Pale Ale
Abv: 6,2 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is dark copper orange with a finger-thick natural white head. Aroma has strawberry, mango and pineapple. Taste begins with gently hoppy and malty bitter bite. Grainy malt takes the lead with moderate grapefruit. Towards the end grapefruit, hops and pine show up more, with a sweet berry flavour on the side. Aftertaste has dry bitterness and grapefruit.

The brew doesn't completely match its name (in English: Furious Mongrel, hmmm?), if it should refer to aggressive hopping. Anyway I usually get bored with a beer, if it's only heavily bitter and dry. Malty start and growing fruitiness make Raivoava Rakki very enjoyable and even sessionable. Should try this again with BBQ dishes. 

Ölbeat

I tried to look up an artist and a song which has the same kind of contrast that the beer's name, aroma and taste have. Since it's a grungy brew with a doggy theme, the wheel of fortuned stopped by this short-lived 1990's supergroup:

Temple of the Dog: Hunger Strike (YouTube)

From the 1991 album Temple of the Dog, the song was written by Chris Cornell.