Hello, beer lovers! 🍻

How are you? The weather has finally settled down here, and it’s time for spring work in the fields - cleaning, planting, and the like. And working outside all day really wears you out - well, at least it does for me :)

But at the end of the day, like today, there’s a reward! A beer or two for #beersaturday, number 458 in the series.

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I have two cans in front of me, one Croatian and one German. I’m ready to empty them and share the experience with you.

Let’s go!
First, the one with less alcohol.

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XO - Punk is Not Dead

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Brewed by Lepi Dečki Brewery, Čakovec, Croatia.
Can, 0.5 l, alcohol 6.5% ABV, IBU 48. American or NEIPA style.

What do the Master Brewers say?

XO - as punk is never dead is a indian pale ale from Lepi Decki Brewery. A taste of maracuya, citrus, and just a touch of coconut in the aftertaste. Drinkable and smooth.

Oh, I really want to taste that coconut touch.

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The beer is amber in color, with a solid, persistent head. It smells of tropical fruits. It goes down smoothly; on the palate, I detect a fair amount of hop bitterness and citrus, a hint of caramel, and tropical fruits - maybe even passion fruit, as they say.
The bitterness of the hops lingers in the aftertaste. But where did that touch of coconut go?

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A drinkable and refreshing beer. Moderately bitter, dry, with balanced tropical fruit aromas. It’s not overly aggressive in its bitterness, but it’s also not as mellow as modern, juicy West Coast/New England/American IPAs. Better than average regional craft IPAs and perfectly suitable for a glass or two while listening to a punk playlist :)
It’s not available in local stores; I got it in Rijeka, Croatia, at the Plodine supermarket, for €2.50.

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As I mentioned in the introduction, the weather has stabilized, and we’ve started working on our field :)

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We’re heading to Germany!

Steam-Brew Imperial Stout

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Brewed by Privatbrauerei Eichbaum, Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
Can, 0.5 l, alcohol 7.5% ABV, IBU 23. Imperial/Double Stout style.

What do the Master Brewers say?

The combination of fermentation aromas from selected culture yeast and roasted malt produces a caramel-malt and roasted taste. Thanks to its deep black color and its creamy crown of foam, the Imperial Stout of “The Master” is an eye-catcher among the specialties.

The Steam Brew brand is available in all Lidl stores at a very affordable price.

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The beer is dark, black, with an average head that is light brown and creamy. It has a slight—but really very slight—aroma of coffee. It goes down smoothly, and on the palate I detect a slight caramel sweetness, followed by low bitterness of dark chocolate and coffee.
A slight bitterness from roasted malt lingers in the aftertaste.

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A drinkable and tasty beer with notes of coffee and chocolate. A typical budget imperial stout, made for mass market sales and lacking in complexity; the alcohol isn’t very noticeable either. It will likely disappoint true and serious imperial stout enthusiasts, but as an introduction to the world of dark beers, it’s OK. Especially since the price at local Lidl stores is very reasonable, at €1.49.

Thank you for your attention.

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Actually, it’s not over yet :)
The Ecency front-end for the Hive blockchain now allows you to embed Shorts - 3spk short videos in posts (and on Waves).

Here’s one of my attempts. A short intro for the post, generated in GrokImagine.

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And what am I listening to when writing this and tasting beer? Something from Friday's #newtunes. Very rare, old-school recording.

I'm Waiting for the Man - The Velvet Underground Live 1969