My Favourite Beer

I absolutely love Spanish culture; the laid-back little villages, tavernas, Rioja, seafood, TAPAS. What’s not to like?

The tastes of Spain are some of my favourite in the world. So when I came across this beer through my favoured mail-order-beer site (alesbymail.co.uk), I couldn’t help but order a couple of cheeky bottles.

I can honestly say, THIS IS MY FAVOURITE BEER IN THE WORLD. There, I said it. And I really mean it.

Several months later and I’ve lost count on the number of bottles I’ve drunk, the amount of money I’ve spent and most of my immediate family’s names, but I can’t help it, I’m infatuated.

Don’t worry, I’m getting round to telling you about the actual beer, but I’m getting butterflies in my stomach, I’m articulating at the laptop screen and I’m babbling. Good signs considering I’m now half cut on the stuff and incapable of writing coherently. Good job I wrote notes! Woohoo for notes! And spellcheck…

The love of my beer life is La Socarrada, a craft beer brewed in the small town of Xativa in Valencia, famed for its beautiful castle and narrow, winding streets. It’s an amber-coloured, almost Bock-style beer brewed with rosemary and rosemary honey, and THIS is its crowning glory!

Brewed in small batches of 2500 litres every fortnight, this is also a rare beer, and you’ll be lucky to be in its presence. Remember that when you’re drinking it.

The beer pours a marmalade-amber with a high carbonation, which quickly dissipates, showcasing the beer's high yeast content; which is pleasantly present on the palate too. It’s got an aroma of fruity malts, rosemary, honey and sourdough bread. The rosemary is subtle, and the honey only offers a little sweetness, balancing the beer perfectly.

This is a flawless beer, best served between 6 and 8 degrees, and the ideal with food. I shared one bottle (I’m not handing this stuff out willy-nilly) and a platter of cured meats with friends, and it was lovely, especially with the Chorizo.

I do a lot of beer and food pairing sessions, and one of the show-stoppers every time is this beer with some simply roasted Lamb rump. Not too much garlic, and just a little sea salt & cracked black pepper. Bliss. Soon, I’m going to cook my rice off in a bottle of this for a beautiful paella Valenciana. I imagine this will be the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth.

This beer captivates me from first pour to last mouthful, but unfortunately it’s never long enough. It’s also available in 750ml bottles, which is probably more suited to me.

I will leave you today with this picture of my nephew propping up the bar in my pub photo-bombing my artistic beer photos... Takes after his uncle Adam.

 La Socarrada is available from alesbymail.com for £3.65 for a 330ml bottle. Well worth it!