Beer Post – Local & Exotic

I’ve been getting into my beer recently, don’t know why? I just have. So I’ve got two beers for you from very different breweries.

First up we have the Raspberry Blonde pale ale from the Saltaire Brewery. The Brewery borders The World Heritage Site of Saltaire, famous for its Victorian industrial heritage and is situated in an old generating hall that once provided the electricity for the Bradford trams. It’s only 12 miles from my house so I definitely have time for this place.

 

The beer itself was a choice of my girl friends back on the roof top terrace at Angelica again. It came served in a glass with ice, bit weird but it was nice cold. The beer itself was good, definitely a proper beer as oppose to those weird fruity ones you can buy now. Refreshingly bitter and light, smacking with raspberry undertones that didn’t overpower the rest of the beer.

Its not bad this beer I’d have it again, but its not something to get overly excited about.

6.5/10

www.saltairebrewery.co.uk

Ok beer number two! This one I enjoyed at Fazenda recently and I’m sorry to say  I cant find anywhere to buy it in the UK to take home. The brewers website list of UK suppliers seems a bit outdated.

Anyway this one is Xingu black beer from Brazil. It was pretty confusing for my pallet this beer. It looks like a stout which is not what I usually go for but drinks like a complicated lager, very trippy. Apparently this beer is a Schwarzbier? (I’ve never heard of it either don’t worry).

 

Definition: “Schwarzbier ("shvahrts-beer"), is simply German for black beer. It doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily heavy or light in body, although they tend to lean towards light. Unlike other dark beers, like porters or stouts, they are not overly bitter with burnt and roasted malt characteristics that the others tend to depend on. Instead, hops are used for a good portion of the bitterness. Very refreshing and soul lifting beers, they also make a great alternative for the Winter. Especially when you are looking for a lighter beer, but one with depth of colour and taste.”

Apparently Brewdog’s Zeitgeist is also a Schwarszbeir and seeing as this is my new favourite tipple I’ll have to make a concerted effort to try it.

This beer was really good, so good I put it up there with some of the best I’ve had. Personally I think a lot of beer tasting is down to personal preference and what suits me will not necessarily suit you. Still you’ve got to try this one I loved it, It went so well with all the strong flavours of the steak I was eating at Fazenda, standing up well but not leaving me heavy and sleepy like I was drinking Guinness.

Someone obviously agrees with me because “Xingu Black Beer is a two-time winner of Beverage Tasting Institute’s Gold Medal as the best dark lager in the world. “

9/10

www.xingubeer.com