A Couple of Sips From a Recent Beer Tasting

A few weeks ago, I decided to buy myself a couple of bottles of Israeli craft beer, but it had to be really good beer. My favorite brewery is Shapiro, but if I'm buying it has to be one of my favorites of theirs, their IPA or Jack's Winter Ale. I walked down Rechov Agrippas, Jerusalem, which has some liquor stores with beer. The first one had some Shapiro, but not those particular ones, and the same at the second shop. But in the second the salesman asked me what I was looking for, so I told him. 

First he tried to interest me in Shapiro's newest beer, pineapple and mango flavored. Ever since I tasted the awful artificial fruit flavored beers at the 2019 Jerusalem Beer Festival, I suffer a sort of PTS when people mention fruit flavored beer. As an amateur beer taster, I can't refuse when offered some, which I told the salesman, but there's no way I'd buy a bottle of an unknown beer.

One thing thing I didn't tell him was that I was scheduled to attend a beer tasting the following evening and suspected that this new Shapiro beer would be on the tasting menu. I had guessed correctly! And I must say that Shapiro has done a fantastic job with natural fruit flavored beer. 

Farm to Bottle Pineapple Mango's a rich golden color with pleasant fruity aroma, hints of the mango and pineapple. Nothing artificial. We agreed that it's more a summer than a winter drink. I'd add it to the list of beers for those who don't like beer. Personally I'd prefer drinking it to white wines. So if you have a chance to buy some, go for it.

As you can see from the display of bottles behind us tasters, we sampled quite a few beers that evening. We ended with Barrel Aged Saison from Shevet, another good Israeli craft brewery. 

This aged saison beer was another hit. Lovely golden hue, rich aroma, fruity, honey, plus some spice. Due to the fact that it's bottled in a wine-sized bottle, it should be served socially, like wine. I'd also prefer this Shevet beer to white wine. 

Israeli wines and even a local whiskey win international awards, and I'm pretty sure that our craft beers will be bringing home trophies, too.