Archive for the 'Quilmes' category
Quilmes Cerveza
As many of you may know, I always strive to find a tasty new brew when I travel to various states. During my journeys, I have happened upon the state of Florida on more than one occasion. The beautiful thing about Florida is that they have no alcohol cap on beer. This means that I can occasionally track down a Dogfish Head 120-Minute IPA or a Dogfish Head World Wide Stout around here. The bad thing about Florida is that, for the most part, the craft brew scene blows. Seriously, there just isn’t a big scene, and it’s hard to find anything great beyond a few select breweries’ offerings.
So, that brings us to the story of Quilmes Cerveza – “Argentina’s Favorite Beer!”. Normally, I’d shy away from what appears to be a simple light beer with little redeeming quality save it’s similarity to many American domestics. However, I’ve never seen this before and it is apparently imported into Miami and subsequently enjoys small American distribution. So, odds are good that I won’t find this many places and I’m sure that SOMEONE out there will eventually Google it and find a much-needed review here on SevenPack (if you do, please leave a comment so I’ll know my efforts are appreciated).
Anyway, this beer pours a very light golden with a head consisting of tiny stark white bubbles that quickly disappear. The aroma is reminiscent of beer – I’m not quite sure how else to explain it. It is mildly bitter and smells like a frat house or a Budweiser refinery. Now, for the taste. I know I’ve painted a rather bleak picture thus far, but this beer is actually pretty good. One thing I often find about other countries’ light beers is that they have a fuller and more flavorful body than the light beers in the US of A. This beer begins with a light carbonation burn that then moves to a lightly sour bitterness reminiscent of the hops typically used in a pilsner. On through the mouth, you can taste some breadlike malts that traverse the back of the tongue and stick to the aftertaste. The mouthfeel, while rather full, flushes through the mouth to leave a very clean and fresh sensation. The beer is overall very cool and crisp, and it is extremely refreshing. Honestly, I can think of few beers that would please me more on a hot sunny day. A pleasant surprise, indeed!
