I know we have a lot of IPA lovers around here. And every time I read alll about the wonderful, crazy, fancy, gorgeous, delicious, amazing beers they drink ( cough...@meesterboom...cough) I feel a little jealous as most of those are impossible to be found around here.
Now it's my time to make you all jealous!
MUAHAHAHA
MUAHAHAHAHAH
It's time to look at some of my favorite Romanian beers, locally brewed and generally unavailable anywhere else. Because let me tell you, fellas. We got them goods!
What I do love about craft-beer is how beautiful they are. The labels are interesting and provoking. The colors are vibrant and interesting in unexpected combinations. And there is almost always something good to read on the label.
Finally, the names of the IPA beers are charming, most usually quirky and fun.
It's a wonderful thing...
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I want to talk about a few of these.
Nowadays I mostly drink IPAs exclusively. I know I sound like a snob! But how can people still drink lagers after touching this hoppy goody?!
The thing is, a lot of my friends did not or - most distressing - if they did, the did not like it. HUH!
But I get it, it's a process to get this. Fruity beer does not sound that appealing at first but then it's like- " How can a beer be anything other than that?! "
The first two are from "Ground Zero". Ground Zero is THE name in Romanian Craft Beer. They started back when the craze did not yet take hold of this humble abode and launched something called "Morning Glory" which was an easy-to-drink, rather good but nothing special IPA. That was a few years back and now they have a broader selection and probably my favorite beer currently.
Ground Zero - Split the Pot
At 7% alcohol content this should feel pretty intense, but it's mellow and innocent, until you realize that against all odds, you are drunk! HOW?! :)
I am not a big believer in "describing" a beer. You need to taste it and see what your taste buds tell you. This is fruity: mango? pinapple maybe, a dry and pleasant aftertaste and a nice color in the glass.
To be honest, while this is good, there are better options in the line-up...this is kind of trying to be something in-between a normal IPA and an imperial IPA and ..yeah "splitting the pot" in poker is usually a "meh" feeling. Kind of like this beer in the context of their offering but about 4/5 in abstract.
IMPERIAL FUCK - Ground Zero
My favorite beer by a long shot and for a long time....until today, a better one came along! HUH!
But seriously, this is IMPERIAL indeed. at 9% alc it's also strong as FUCK!
What's surprising is how fruity this is and how the aftertaste is not bitter at all. It's an amazing beer that any IPA lover ought to get his paws on.
Is it the best beer of all time?
Probably not but you know what? I don't give an IMPERIAL FUCK!
HOP HOOLIGANS - Modern Mosaic
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Hop Hooligans are the "new kids on the block" as they say. They took the scene by storm, coming out with beer after beer after beer. Crazy labels, crazy names, intense and crazy combinations of aromas. They are fearless and I have to give them props for that. Where Ground Zero kind of stay in their aroma-profile with all their beers, HOP can take you anywhere.
This Modern Mosaic is their take on IMPERIAL Fuck above, but damn it. They might have won this round. They might have won this round indeed!
For now, I only drank this once but I must return to it back to back from imperial fuck and see who wins...if I can still tell.
It's 9.1% alcohol after all.
Zaganu - Adonis
Zaganu is kind of a craft beer but more niched towards mainstream. They started with 2 lager that are kind of expensive by our standards but rather cheap by IPA standards and from there...well, they didn't do much. They have a decent IPA out and now, celebrating 3 years, they came out with this one.
Nice label! This is the Adonis bearded vulture that have just been spotted around here for the first time in a long time. It was fitted for this label( which names is a mountain Peak where this bearded beauty can be found ) to use this and they did in style. I love this label.
Amazing.
Great beautiful label.
A weak and disappointing beer...oh man, I have nothing good to say about this.
Really artsy label!
Stela - Romanian Pale Ale
This is a new addition to the IPA beers. It's actually a RPA! First time I'm hearing of this actually and found it at the supermaket. With no expectations I decided to give it a chance. I mean, how could can a mass-produced IPA be?
And it's so cheap: at 1$ vs 3$ most IPAs here [ 4$ for the imperials!! ]. How could can it be, really?
Sure "Stela" is a pretty good Romanian beer label and their beers are actually tasty and interesting. But can they have done this good as well?
DAMN!
They had!
It's tasty and wonderful and easy on the palate but never letting you forget that this IS a PaleAle. A romanian one? I am not sure I can tell the difference, but it's the perfect beer to introduce the new people to IPA and even to drink a few if you feel like it without breaking the bank. Love it.
I also love the label, which is in Romanian but it says - and this is a great conclusion for this post as well.
The beer is new. The love for beer is old.
So true.