Beer #397 - 961 Beer - Brewmaster’s Select 01 - Lebanese Pale Ale

And another beer from Lebanon, the second to feature on this blog from the 961 microbrewery. This has a rather interesting list of ingredients including za’atar, sumac, mint, sage, anise, and chamomile. The mint and sage run quite prominently through the beer which is quite unlike anything else I've ever tried. The aroma is quite hoppy but the flavour is dominated by the mint and sage with a gentle spicing also evident. There is a lot going on in this beer and it really made me think about the flavours. By the end of it I really couldn't decide how much I liked it but it's perfectly drinkable and worth trying for the novelty value alone!





Brewery: 961 Beer
Country: Lebanon
ABV: 6.3%

Beer #396 - Almaza Pure Malt

This is another gift from Lebanon courtesy of my girlfriend. I've featured Almaza lager before which was a fairly bog-standard macro (the brewery is owned by Heineken) so I didn't have huge hopes for this one. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised. It's malt-forward, obviously with a lovely smooth caramel flavour. It's certainly on the sweet side and perhaps a touch on the thin side but I found it drinkable and pleasant. Not a world-beater but a decent effort.









Brewery: Brasserie Almaza (Heineken)
Country: Lebanon
ABV: 6.0%

Beer #389 - 961 Red Ale

This is a pretty cool beer that my girlfriend brought back for me from a recent trip to Lebanon. She invariably brings me back something interesting, including regular gifts of Taybeh, and whilst in Beirut she came across 961 Beer. The brewery was established during the 2006 siege of Lebanon and has grown quite dramatically since, mixing traditional styles with some more interesting stuff. Their website is well worth a browse. I don't normally go for red ales but this was a pretty decent effort. It has a nice malty aroma with nutty, toffee flavours and a hint of spice. It's also a fantastic red colour as you can see from the picture! If you find yourself in the Middle East and fed up with bad lager I'd definitely seek 961 out.



Brewery: 961 Beer
Country: Lebanon
ABV: 5.5%

Beer #127 - Taybeh Dark

My first ever post on this blog featured a beer from Palestine’s only brewery and I’m now able to add a second beer from the village of Taybeh, thanks to my girlfriend who brought this one back for me from a recent work trip. This dark lager is one of five styles brewed in Taybeh and is brewed in the German dunkler bock style. Despite my increasing appreciation of porters and stouts I haven’t yet been able to get my head around dark lagers. This was certainly quite interesting with the roasted malts providing most of the flavour and quite a bit of smokiness to it yet also a hint of sweetness. I think I’ll stick to Taybeh Golden should I find myself in Palestine again but it was great to try another beer from the brewery.

 

Brewery: Taybeh Brewing Company

Country: Palestine

ABV: 6.0%

Beer #80 - Amaza Pilsener

Last week I went to a Lebanese restaurant in central London; Yalla Yalla, just off Oxford Circus. I wasn’t feeling in a particularly beery mood but it’s not every day you get to try a Middle Eastern beer and there is only one other one on the blog so far, so I ordered an Almaza Pilsener. Brewed in Bauchrieh on the fringes of Beirut, Almaza is quite European in taste. The brewery is now part of the Heineken group and Almaza pilsener is similar in taste to the Dutch beer. Nothing to write home about but a reasonable accompaniment to the excellent food.

 Brewery: Brasserie Almaza

Country: Lebanon

ABV: 4%

Beer #1 - Taybeh Golden

The subject of my first post is a very special beer, coming as it does from the only brewery in the occupied Palestinian Territories. The Taybeh Brewery began brewing in the village of Taybeh, 35km north of Jerusalem, in 1995. Owing to trade restrictions imposed by Israel and the difficulty of exporting anything from Palestine, as well as the brewery’s desire to produce additive and preservative free beer, it’s pretty hard to get hold of outside the Middle East (although it is widely available across Israel). This particular bottle was brought back by my girlfriend from a recent work trip but I visited the brewery myself in 2011 and took a couple of pictures. They’re incredibly welcoming to any visitors and very happy to talk beer. Taybeh also holds its own Oktoberfest each year which attracts visitors from all over the world. As well as Golden, Taybeh produce four other varieties including a non-alcoholic version.

Brewery: Taybeh Brewery

Country: Palestine

ABV: 5.0%