Hello, beer lovers! 🍻 😎 🍻

283 #beersaturday in a row and Merry December just started! What else would you like? Cookies?
The lights are on in my town today too. Looks like electricity just isn't as expensive as the media is making it out to be...

Anyway, today I have two beers in front of me again, very different, one Croatian Session IPA and one Belgian Quadrupel. I can't wait to open them, there hasn't been a beer in sight yet this week...

First, the one with less alcohol.

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Varionica Siesta Session IPA

Brewed by Varionica, Pisarovina, Croatia.
Bottle, 0.33 l, alcohol 4.4% ABV, 45 IBU. It's a Session IPA, hop dominant, fruit notes, and lower alcohol.

And what do the master brewers say?

It’s always time for Siesta. A summer special without which we could not survive a year. Richly hopped IPA with Mosaic and Cascade hops, very light and very drinkable, with fine tropical aromas that invite you to get more.
SIESTA SESSION IPA won a gold medal at European Beer Challenge 2021, and a silver medal at Asia Beer Challenge 2021.

Cool! The beer with gold and silver medal. It's a summer beer, so why would you drink it in autumn, almost winter? Well, it stayed in my beer box waiting for the right moment :)

It is fresh and drinkable, although it has been waiting for about two months, I bought it on my last visit to Croatia on the island of Pag.
All in all, a solid session IPA for summer refreshment, but nothing so exceptional that I'd particularly remember it.

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I didn't find any good beer memes today, but I have one photo that I shot a couple of days ago.
Sušec waterfall, a popular place for a walk, is nearby, less than 700 meters from home. It's dry in summer, but when it rains it's a beautiful waterfall.
What do you say?

Let's move on to the next beer!

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Urthel Samaranth

Brewed by Brouwerij Urthel (Swinkels Family Brewers), Ruiselede, West Flanders, Belgium.
Bottle, 0.33 l, alcohol 11.5% ABV. It's Quadrupel or Abt style, dark, complex, very strong, spicy, with rich dark fruit flavors, brewed by Belgian malts.

What do the Master Brewers say?

Urthel Samaranth 12 Quadrium Ale is a malty, full-bodied special ale, brewed in a way that only Belgian brewers can. Huge mouthfeel and layers and levels of flavor make Urthel Samaranth the perfect beer for the end of a meal or at the finish of a special day. And when you want something different, Urthel Samaranth is with its fine bitterness, definitely something different... Try it!

I'm not at the end of a meal, nor is it the end of a special day, let's just say I'd like to try something different :)

The beer is unfiltered, dark brown in color, with a little head. It smells of prunes. A sip, albeit careful (due to the high alcohol content), goes down the throat smoothly. At first, I detect a slight bitterness, probably from the roasted malt, but it is unobtrusive, and the palate develops flavors of caramel and chocolate and baked banana.
The sweet-bitter alternates and everything disappears in the aftertaste except the slight bitterness and the alcohol, which is slightly spicy.

An interesting and complex beer, just what I expect from a Belgian beer. I wouldn't really compare it to a Session IPA because it's a completely different process but, two weeks ago, I tried La Trappe Isid'or and I really liked it. This one is something like that, but if I had to choose, I would prefer Isid'or.

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And what am I listening to as I write this and sip these beers?
Something from my #newtunes post from yesterday. A remarkable recitation amplified by the guitar expression of a post-punk band from San Francisco, worth your three minutes.

Enablers - Phone Blows Up