Oh dare I sample from the poisoned tray? Do I leave my path of light and joy for swelter and bluster? I was recommended Cruzcampo’s Gran Reserva by a friend who is no slouch when it comes to beer, and their IPA was not bad at all. Maybe that’s just another example of modern IPA being easy to produce. When there was a tertulia at Molly Malone’s (RIP) we would cross the side street to Maravillas (recently RIP) and have one for the road. Their brand was Cruzcampo, and I think they didn’t clean the lines like they should have, and maybe mixed taps between beer and vermouth. Cruzcampo always has a little bit of a weird tang, but in that bar it was particularly pronounced. How will this little can turn out? I was bitten by curiosity, I just hope it doesn’t bite me in the butt.
Unsurprisingly light and fizzy, with a formidable head. It’s a dark gold color and with a rich, lagery aroma. Fields of grain and grass dance through your nostrils. The flavor starts out nicely, with a slightly malty sweetness, but with a bitter train following behind. It’s not as bad as normal Cruzcampo…although the aftertaste leaves something to be desired. It doesn’t taste like poison, but it’s kind of an odd flavor. Bitter, salty, mineraly, all of that rolled up. It has a heavier, more rugged texture than the standard Spanish lager, leaning into something more like Estrella Galicia’s Helles. I start to feel a bubbling of Cruzcampo’s distinctive flavor as the beer warms up, so for those who enjoy it, don’t chill too much. For the rest of us, just find Estrella Galicia if you want a weighty macro.
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