Urthel Samaranth

Tasted on tap at The Rover, Gothenburg, Sweden. Although it may be that this beer might not always travel well-- and I have tasted a mediocre keg of it-- the proper Urthel 12 is simply my favourite beer of them all. It is everything that Belgian Ale should be for me: slightly sweet, rich, full, loaded with malt flavours and complexity. It was perfect-- a Karmeliet of Karmeliets.

A very drinkable ale with an inviting, dark honey-gold appearance. The taste is smooth yet sharp, with just a hint of bitterness. Because it is a strong ale, it does have a bite to it, but it goes down very nicely. Worth tracking down.

Pours amber in color with little head. Very strong alcohol taste along with a sweet malty flavor. Aroma consists of raisins, clove, caramel and very strong alcohol. A very strong beer and not for the light hearted.

Strong beer with a aroma of fruit and plum. Alcoholic but sweet flavour. Longlasting after-taste. Beware of the high ABV.

Antique shops, an old attic, garage sales and the elderly are a few of the best places to find the rare, exotic and underappreciated. The dual sense of guilt and ecstasy that comes with finding a rare gem and paying pittance for it is thrilling, but it takes a keen eye and overflowing charisma to find the right hunting grounds. However, if you’re not up to the challenge of walking through temples made of cardboard boxes, scaling hills of children’s clothing or risking life and limb sorting through old cutlery but still want the satisfaction of questing for a little known treasure, search for the gnome. The Samaranth gnome, that is. The sundown on a fall day color of this Urthel meditates below a light, buoyant tan head that oscillates with a whimsical swirl of the glass. Inside is a wide column of bubbles resembling a sea vent, and gives the beer the appearance of busily preparing itself to be the best taste possible. The gaseous preview contains apples, pears, brown sugar, butter, bubble gum, vanilla ice cream rounded out with a slight strawberry edge. In the mouth this unsung hero absolutely soars, resounding with moderate alcohol dryness, and a distinctive. Then it turns a deep sweet, like baked apples coupled with bubblegum, all upon a calming, smooth texture. When I plucked the Samaranth off the shelf I was making an arbitrary choice among a row of beers all decorated with a gnome. Of course the breweries were as different as the gnomes, and if art is any judge then the Urthel series was a major loser. The cover gnome may have had a strange tumorish growth under his poorly drawn beard, but maybe it was a design meant to give the drinker a mouthful of surprise when the beer turned out to be exceedingly good. Samaranth is a true find, because finding an under praised and unknown bottle of quality beer is a challenge on par with those of other treasure seekers.