I found a little bit of information about the beer from the website estrelladamm.com.
Loving work and having an eye for every detail is Estrella Damm’s formula. Brewed according to the original 1876 recipe. We have no secrets. Just a job well done.
We work with the farmers in the Ebro basin to obtain barley of the characteristics that our Master Brewers need. We continue to malt in our own Bell-Lloc (Lleida) malthouse, making us one of the few brewery’s in Spain and in the world, that still produces all of its malt barley in its own malthouse. Likewise, we continue to use our original recipe as our basis, including pearl rice, a very Mediterranean ingredient that characterizes Estrella’s flavour.
Rice??? Hmm… Don’t know what to think about that. I guess we’ll see.
This is a 5.4% ABV beer that comes in a 11.2 oz. vessel.
Poured a clear straw, golden color. A bright white, soapy textured head with ok retention as well as ok lacing. Some patches of lace were left behind, however they slowly started to slide down the sides of the glass after a few swirls. Quite a few small bubbles were rising from the bottom also.
I was anticipating adjunct notes before I even stuck my nose in, however the bouquet was clean and fresh. I did detect hints of wheat and grain, but I never found any aromas of rice or overly putrid, stale adjuncts. It wasn’t anything very complex or tantalizing, but rather strait forward.
The taste was a bit better. A dry grain mixed with a bready/biscuit malt that gave it a negligible toastiness. Somewhat bitter to coerce a fresh, clean, crisp bite.
The mouthfeel was medium to medium/light. Smooth, dry, thirst quenching and very refreshing. A inconsequential amount of flavor was left on the palate only for a brief moment, but I’m not sure a “refresher” of this type would require an abundance.
This beer is a true “warm” climate beer. Easy to drink, refreshing and thirst quenching. It’s pretty good and fairly well balanced. I’m not under the delusion that this is a world class beer, but sometimes the situation calls for something a little less provocative. In all actuality, I would say this a step above a “macro” and it was a nice little change for me. I think it’s important to have an easy going beer on occasion. One to just drink and not ponder over too much. I wouldn’t go out of my way to try to find this beer, but if you see a single on the shelf, pick it up and give it a go. Judge for yourself.
What do you find to be a great Summer brew?
Please feel free to leave a comment if you have a suggestion.
Thanks for reading.
Score: 3.25 out of 5
Grade: C+
Beer Apprentice - Craft Beer News, Reviews, Interviews and Info. 
Anonymous
December 27, 2011 at 11:52 pm
the thing to keep in mind is that it is gluten-free (6ppm) and so it is the only gluten-free beer that actually *tastes* like beer not made from sorghum/rice and so on.
Anonymous
December 27, 2011 at 11:52 pm
the thing to keep in mind is that it is gluten-free (6ppm) and so it is the only gluten-free beer that actually *tastes* like beer not made from sorghum/rice and so on.
Scott Shrewsberry
December 28, 2011 at 6:07 am
Anonymous,
That's a great point!!! I would much rather have this than any “macro” out there that's for sure.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
Cheers,
Scott
Scott Shrewsberry
December 28, 2011 at 6:07 am
Anonymous,
That's a great point!!! I would much rather have this than any “macro” out there that's for sure.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
Cheers,
Scott
MOGunner
December 31, 2011 at 3:43 am
Where is this available at in STL?
MOGunner
December 31, 2011 at 3:43 am
Where is this available at in STL?
Scott Shrewsberry
January 1, 2012 at 2:11 pm
MOGunner,
Thanks for reading and leaving a comment, but I honestly have no idea where it might be available in St. Louis.
Cheers,
Scott
Scott Shrewsberry
January 1, 2012 at 2:11 pm
MOGunner,
Thanks for reading and leaving a comment, but I honestly have no idea where it might be available in St. Louis.
Cheers,
Scott
Godinlg
March 4, 2012 at 5:44 pm
Scott,
I am no beer expert, but I lived in Spain for four months a few years ago and became familiar with the majority of the brews over there. Spain does not produce very many beers; as far as I could tell, every large city had a single brewery. In general, Spanish beer is not great, and nothing to write home about, but since you chose to review Estrella Damm I would recommend trying Mahou — if you are interested in learning about more Spanish beers, that is. Mahou is the only beer brewed in Madrid, so it is served at nearly every restaurant and bar in the city. I was living in Madrid, so I drank it on a daily basis. At some point I grew very attached to it, and would be interested to hear what a more sophisticated beer taster thinks of it.
Just a suggestion. I was very surprised to see a review written to a Spanish beer, since most drinkers (outside of Spain) dismiss the country entirely.
Jason
Godinlg
March 4, 2012 at 5:44 pm
Scott,
I am no beer expert, but I lived in Spain for four months a few years ago and became familiar with the majority of the brews over there. Spain does not produce very many beers; as far as I could tell, every large city had a single brewery. In general, Spanish beer is not great, and nothing to write home about, but since you chose to review Estrella Damm I would recommend trying Mahou — if you are interested in learning about more Spanish beers, that is. Mahou is the only beer brewed in Madrid, so it is served at nearly every restaurant and bar in the city. I was living in Madrid, so I drank it on a daily basis. At some point I grew very attached to it, and would be interested to hear what a more sophisticated beer taster thinks of it.
Just a suggestion. I was very surprised to see a review written to a Spanish beer, since most drinkers (outside of Spain) dismiss the country entirely.
Jason
Scott Shrewsberry
March 5, 2012 at 2:14 am
Hey, thanks for the comment Jason (Godinlg). I really appreciate that. And thanks for the heads up on the Mahou. I'll be sure to keep my eye out for it the next time I go beer shopping.
By the way, I'm always up for trying new beers regardless of what country they are from. I don't care if they are “world-class” or not. I just enjoy trying everything I can get my hands on.
Be sure to check back from time to time because I post nearly everyday. I may just post a review of the Mahou if I run across it.
Cheers,
Scott
Scott Shrewsberry
March 5, 2012 at 2:14 am
Hey, thanks for the comment Jason (Godinlg). I really appreciate that. And thanks for the heads up on the Mahou. I'll be sure to keep my eye out for it the next time I go beer shopping.
By the way, I'm always up for trying new beers regardless of what country they are from. I don't care if they are “world-class” or not. I just enjoy trying everything I can get my hands on.
Be sure to check back from time to time because I post nearly everyday. I may just post a review of the Mahou if I run across it.
Cheers,
Scott