Beer Hunting Alicante

Spain 2 v England 0

Friday 13 November 2015

Estadio José Rico Pérez, Alicante

Twitter @ball_sup

Although I'm not prone to it, a bit of nostalgia. Just over Thirty Three years ago, I went to my first ever football match abroad. The plan was it might be England v A. N. Other. But, it turned out to be France v Poland. That was 10 July 1982. Here. In this stadium in Alicante. The 1982 World Cup, third/fourth place play off. The very next day, I was at the Italy/West Germany Final at The Bernabeu in Madrid.

I was a Worker Bee back then. Nearly a year in. Not too much time off work. And less money. I could only do an in/out surgical strike. England had got through their group. The format was then 4 groups of three. England were in with Spain & Germany. We drew the first game nil each with Germany.

At that stage, England had a Puncher's chance at a Semi Final. A Semi Final meant we'd either be in the 3rd/4th. Or. The. Final. So, I decided to be there.

But, history. We didn't get out of the quarter final group. And, on my first trip, I didn't see England play.

Somewhat narrow on this trip. The only place we've done on this leg has been Malatesta. A somewhat (my experience) untypical Spanish bar. There's no food, precious little coffee. Nor is it a BritBar or PaddyBar. It's got just a little bit of that done up to look like what people think a Pub looks like thing going on. But, it's a great beer destination.

There are 13 kegs. All written up on the mirror behind the bar. One of those is an industrial English cider. Some Belgian. Some German. Three pukka Spanish Crafts. But, there are also well organised bottle fridges. With a nice selection from Spanish micros.

And, lo. The first one was the best. Standout Beer Of The Day.

Spigha Na Valora on keg at 5.6%. Surely the most unfiltered beer on Earth. Tropical fruits all over it. Long, long finish. Back of the throat bitterness. But, not an axe job. Mouthfilling. Refreshing. Just superb that.

Exulans Stout on keg at 6.2%. Sweetness coming through. Bit of red fruit tart. Slight smoke, leading into burnt toffee. Nice & gentle easy drinking. Doesn't come on as that abv.

Exulans, Ipacondriaca on keg at 4%. Big foaming head. Took him an age to pour. Amber & opaque in the glass. Bit of ginger & spice in a simple upfront bitterness. Some orange fanta in the sweetness. Refreshing. But, a bit too narrow. Not a great deal going on.

Exulans, Festival IPA from a bottle at 6%. Lot of initial sweetness. Leaning towards boiled sweets. To be honest, the bittering is disappointing. It's reasonably deep. Which rescues it. Just.

Althaia, IPA from a bottle at 6.5%. Un-everything. Stupendously opaque. Quite nicely balanced. Something bordering on cucumber in the gentle sweetness. Works though. Theme emerging. They call ‘em IPA. But, they're not heavily hopped. I'm getting the abv hit though.

Exulans, Pacific Ale from a bottle at 5.1%. Very malty for something described as Pacific. Woody. Nutty. Red ale territory.

Famous round these parts. Er Boqueron on keg at 4.8%. Made with sea water. No question. It is unusual. But not what you think. Everything about the initial burst is Wheat Beer. And the saltiness is very much in the background. Balance is very good. Needs to be, mind. Someone has worked hard on that. Enjoyed it.

El Cantero, IPA in a bottle at 6.9%. Going towards Imperial IPA there. The bitterness kicks in a bit late. A bit acidic as well. But, that is an attempt at a strong serious beer. It is not without merit. But it doesn't quite grab you.

238/479