The Session 66: The One Beer to Rule Them All

A difficult topic from drinkdrank for a non brewer let alone a newbie beer drinker. My brewing experience (pouring a tub of hops into the big silver boily thing) probably doesn't qualify... Also, I've tried relatively few beers (not doing bad for a few months, but still, haven't even begun to scratch the surface) so my favourites have been borne of a small sample. So far on my beerticking journey, my favourite types of beer are IPAs and porters or stouts. Anyhow, I've thought about the subject... My perfect dream beer:

Imagine a screwball ice cream. Or a everlasting gobstopper. Or half and half pizza. Or sweet and sour chicken. Or chocolate covered pretzels.

All of the above combine two scrummy things in one. My idea is that of the impossible. A Willywonka-style beer creation. Beers have such vastly different characteristics that makes comparisons impossible and unfair between styles.

So to, my genius idea. A two tone beer. IPA on the top. Porter on the bottom. Defined layers, like a traffic light lolly or an old school cornish pasty. Two things in one. To satisfy both my favourite types of beer and tastes. A bitter flavoursome fruity top, followed by a dessert of rich, coffee smoothness.

Alchemy impossible, perhaps, entering the realms of fantasy, definitely but it'd be pretty ace. And the name... Doubale Troubale.

Einstök: White, Pale and Porter

A recent trip to Booths in Ilkley resulted in 3 bottles from Einstok Brewery. A good opportunity to explore different styles, 3 bottles were snatched up. A white, a pale and a porter.


71: Icelandic White Ale, Einstök, 5.2%
Expecting this to be like a pale ale on the extreme. Certainly it's appearance was very pale. Quite carbonated. The aroma was not entirely pleasant for me... it is that smell I struggle to pinpoint a flavour of... that of a witbier. A herby, slightly spicy smell. To taste, however, a lovely lovely beer. Mellow, orangey flavours, but still very fresh and summery. There is a warmth to it, but without it being wintery, heavy or dark. The label says it is brewed with coriander, not sure if this is seed or the fresh stuff, but I'm sure that is my palate letting me down.  I like it. The further down the glass I get, the nicer it is.

72: Icelandic Pale Ale, Einstök, 5.6%
Not as pale, slightly orangey in colour. Smells malty, a sweetish malt, and doesn't smell hoppy. Tastes of caramel, and biscuity flavours, with a hint of banana. All of which are appealing to me, but not what I expected from a pale ale. I keep seeming to be flummoxed by what does and does not denote a pale ale!!

73: Icelandic Toasted Porter, Einstök, 6%
Smells of burnt food, but burnt in a good way. You can smell the toastedness. Also slightly nutty smell. I've never experienced this in a beer before, yes, have coffee, chocolate and smokeyness, in dark beers, but never quite this. On tasting it, all of the above flavours materialise, but only hints of them, including toastedness. It seems thick to swallow, but still is delicate in flavour. Really lovely.

My winner? Toss up between the white and the toasted porter. I think the White has to come up trumps, because I would assume that toasted porter would be my thing, whilst the white would not normally be my choice, and I learned more from it.