There are two reasons to raise a glass of this dark lager.
The first is to see the colour. Pour this dark lager into the glass, sit it on the table, hold it in the shadows, and you’ll definitely see this as a dark beer. But the real joy comes when you hold it up to the light and watch the ruby light pour through like sunlight through a stained glass window in a Brugges cathedral.
Don’t hold it up there for too long, though: this is a beer for drinking, not admiring at arm’s length. Once you’ve had a look, bring it in and soak in the cola, the roastiness, the toasted nuttiness, the burnt caramel. It’s not sweet, it’s not bitter, and it’s not a stained glass window for you to stare up at while you have an epiphany. It’s a dark lager that’s smooth yet full of oomph.
The second reason to raise a glass of this beer is to honour a brewing legend. This beer has an extra special spot in the hearts of Madocke owners Jimmy and Annelies since they first brewed it with the late Neil "Pops" Whittorn. Not only did the 73-year-old supposedly retired brewer love Madocke’s beer and help them build their brewery, but on one of his subsequent visits he and Jimmy brewed this dark lager together. And Madocke have kept brewing it since, remembering Pops every time.
Raise a glass. Admire. Remember. Then drink.
Mick Wüst
Published May 31, 2024 2024-05-31 00:00:00
