I don't know of any other brewery in Israel that is introducing new beers at the rate of BeerBazaar. They may not last long on the shelves or in the online store, but they seem to always be making a comeback, with new ones added all the time. If this is a marketing ploy, I think it's a good one. Craft beer fans are always on the lookout for new experiences, new beers. They appreciate the golden oldies, but new beers are something to talk about and share on social media and with real friends.
Two of the newer beers from BeerBazaar are Carpe Diem, a Summer Session Pale Ale, and Double Bhindi, a double version of their popular Bhindi IPA. I'm not certain if they will be available at the time you read this, but if they're not, they will be back eventually.
Pouring out one shade darker and just as clear as ginger ale, Carpe Diem looks the part for a summer ale. The 4.5% alcohol by volume makes it a "session" beer, when you want more than one. We got lively fresh hop aromas: apricots, lemon, lychee. The taste is mild and mid-bitter, with a touch of sour and citrus, yeast and even more apricot. The taste gets richer as you drink it, that is, as it warms up a little bit. American Pale Ale is a style I appreciate just to get away from the more aggressive IPAs from time to time. And Carpe Diem fills the bill, perhaps best for summer, but welcome anytime.
Don't think from the above that I don't enjoy strong and bitter IPAs as much as anyone else. A good one is the second BeerBazaar offering in this write-up: Double Bhindi. As they say on the label: "Double the hops, double the body, double the alcohol [not exactly double: 7.5%, against regular Bhindi's 5.5%]." The colorful psychedelic label shows two of the Bhindi Bhuddas as seen through two eyeglass lenses. Nice.
This is a semi-hazy IPA, light-copper color with a thin head. Lots of fruit and even sweet malt is in the aroma: grapefruit, mango, passion fruit. But when it hits your tongue, you get the powerful bitterness, although tempered by the citrus and tropical fruits, along with some caramel and dark bread. Crispy carbonation and full-bodied in the mouthfeel. As you get used to the flavors, the warmth from the alcohol comes in, with a short, bitter finish.
I waxed kind of poetic there, but this beer encouraged it. My drinking partner Moshe and I felt that this Double Bhindi should be the BeerBazaar's regular Bhindi.
Two fine beers from the BeerBazaar. As soon as we're allowed, enjoy them with friends at the BeerBazaar pubs. In the meantime, you can order them to your home (when they're available) from the BeerBazaar online store.