Cervezas Mahou

This bottle came as a gift, which is the only reason I have it. I won’t look a gift beer in the … bottlemouth. Anyway, it’s one of Mahou’s special beers, Reserva, with the tiny statement “cerveza extra” on the back. It is a nice bottle, I have to say, a little bit artsy and somewhat of a retro silhouette. I wonder if those old-style beers Mahou was producing more than a good ten years ago were the beta version of this one. One of them anyway, the one that was eventually just called Cerveza Extra. I enjoyed those past-referencing labels they used, reminding their customers of the company’s history and footprint in the city. Maybe they stopped using those names because people got salty that they moved out of town for more modern facilities. Just for reference, those beers were Amaniel – Lager, Maravillas – Extra, Jacometrezo – Ale, and Marcenado – Wheat. They are with their blander names but retro labels on this page: http://www.legaval.es/coleccion-casimiro-mahou/

Very dark honey color, and exeptional head. It goes down eventually, but it takes it time. Quite a thick lagery aroma, with honey and grain filling the nostrils almost overwhelmingly. The beer itself follows the hints given by the aroma. It’s thick feeling and heavy, with a slathering of honey-sweet that gives way to more expected bitter at the end. I think it just might be the development of that old retro red. I’m not especially a fan of Mahou, although there are a few interesting beers in their collection, and I’m not especially a fan of lagers. As far as both of those things go, though, Reserva is a solid and pleasing offering.

What desperation is this, a Mahou beer? Are all the beer stores shuttered forever and the craft breweries wiped from the face of the earth? No, although I feel a little embarrassed. I guess my face can go with the beer – La Rosé de Mahou. It’s supposed to be a lager “with a fruity touch”, something for people who want to explore different flavors in beer. It feels like they’re trying to push their not-ABI/not-Heineken side, like when they picked up their share of Founders as a “family company”. Being the industrial beer that it is, I doubt there’s going to be any of the weirdness that fruity sours give off in scent, and I kind of doubt that the flavor is going to be that strong. It is a Mahou, after all. Although, most of the craft styles that the Spanish macros have made have been perfectly acceptable, so I might be in for a treat.

It does look a lot like a rosé, with a fluffy head on it. Very similar to some sours too. It’s an interesting aroma, slightly fruity, although that might be psychological, but mainly malty sweet. It’s lager sweet at first, but the taste deepens and develops a little bit of herbalness. It has the mouthfeel of a bock, although one that leans a little syrupy. I get a hint of licorice too, even kind of an artificial raspberry flavor. Although sweet, it’s probably too heavy to be one of the more refreshing hot weather beers, but that weight with its color could make it festive. It has the potential to be a gateway beer, one that people who don’t really like “real” beer can enjoy drinking, only graduating to the more bitter, less soda-y at a later time. I’m not sure who the target consumer is, to be honest. They might be trying to fool the more unsophisticated wine drinkers rather than rope in young beginner beer drinkers. Who knows? We have to take risks if we want to get stuff sold, I guess.