|
Spanish cuisine has been sweeping the nation in the form of tapas for at least a decade. But Spanish beers have not fared so well. At restaurants, most beverage directors play up either their extensive list of Rioja wines or champion exotic sangrias. In September, a company called United States Beverage -- which also brought us Toña Cerveza from Nicaragua and Barons Beer from Australia -- began distributing Estrella Damm, a lager that's been produced in Barcelona for 131 years. You might actually find it in the States now.
Can you taste the Spanish heritage? No. Estrella Damm (named after the Alsatian man who founded the company) tastes like a typical summer beer: light, crisp, drinkable, but relatively unremarkable. If anything, the reference point might be Mexico: The pale yellow color and frothy white head could come from any number of Mexican light beers. And the flavor profile -- subtle nose with slight hints of citrus, malty and clean on the palate with a dry fast finish -- is pleasant, if innocuous. Is Estrella a star? Not quite. But it's damm good.
-- James Oliver Cury
|
