22 March 2020

gara guzu: porter (ABV 6.4%)...



winter comes.  you want somebody close.  maybe, something with a bit of heft.  skinny will not do.  a dark one approaches.  your gaze focuses.  your heart skips a beat.  can you handle the body?  get closer.  you can sense the light but sweet scent.  you open your mouth but words escape you.  why?  you want to taste it.  your mind wanders.  where will this lead you? 
 

08 February 2020

gara guzu: mayhoş saison (ABV 5.5%)...



"tis the season to be jolly" so goes the verse.  the words tickle the throat as the anticipation builds.  sour and bitter roll into one.  the mind accepts what is to come, but does not want it to end.  the cold takes a bite.  winter arrives like an unwelcome guest who gets too comfortable.  but then you wonder if it will stay around for only the season.  gone to soon

25 January 2020

hop hooligans: crowd control new england IPA (ABV 6%)...



you probably felt the undercurrent.  the timid, squeamish whisper of something new, slowly but surely coming your way.  it will not bring you false promises, like short-term bursts of delight and brief moments of pause from your daily toils.  it will creep into your brain, hijack your senses, turn you into an addict and ultimately ruin you.  in time, it will thunder and roar, and the cold, lifeless broadcast of the daily routine will be forever silenced .  not the usual cheap manipulation but rather something that earns your appreciation.  the best kind of crowd control.  achieve hop bliss 

12 January 2020

gara guzu: tersköşe...

gara guzu makes seasonal variants from one my favorite regions in turkey, muğla.  this indian pale lager(?) only had a 5% ABV, but it still tempted me.  it poured smooth, however it produced excessive head.  its aroma, predictably, had characteristics of a lager with a hint of hops.  this "boomerang" could have benefited from some snap

15 October 2018

ΑΛΦΑ: ΖΥθΟΣ...


i recently returned from greece, where i had this beer at the hotel bar.  alfa hellenic produces this lager (5% ABV).  this lager shares the typical golden appearance of most of the other mass-produced greek lagers.  its aroma was not exceptional.  the average flavor did not excite.  i do not recommend


11 August 2018

park gıda: zıkkımm weiss...

efes and bomonti dominate the turkish beer market so you can imagine my joy (harika!) to see this bottle at my local corner store.  i looked forward to trying this hefeweisen (ABV 4.9%) to cool down the ankara summer heat.  with hints of characteristic citrus and some honey, the folks at park gıda crafted a weiss which poured little head.  it rolled around my tongue with a recognizable taste.  i hope this newcomer signals a trend for the turkish capital.

 

11 February 2018

wynwood brewing: pop's porter..

it is 85° in miami but the winter olympics put me in the mood for a porter.  after cracking open the bottle, i immediately recognized the classic aromas of cofffee and chocolate.  it poured easy and went down smooth (6.8% ABV).  the folks at wynwood have crafted a comfortable beer with no surprises.