Blumenau, Brazil. It is also our first beer from both Brazil and South America. Sort of a trifecta of firsts, eh?South American Pale Ale pours a crystal clear dull gold—you know, the color of all those gold doubloons you used to dig up on the beach during summer vacation in Florida? Oh wait, that was a Hardy Boys book I read once. The head is a pretty minimal thin white that quickly disappears, and the nose has some butter and t
offee with no discernable hop aroma. S.A.P.A. starts bright and sweet; there is a bit of diacetyl that gives this beer a British character before moving into the bitterness of the middle. The finish is light and bitter with a bit of sweet butteriness, and also pretty clean. S.A.P.A. has a light body and a low level of carbonation. Elli compares this beer favorably with Old Speckled Hen, and we might actually have our first beer of the year that Elli likes more than I do—while I think it is good, the body is a bit watery, and it has something of that distinctly “foreign beer” taste that strikes me as not to fresh. Nonetheless, a solid and easy-drinkin’ beer.
From the Eisenbahn website: “Eisenbahn’s South American Pale Ale is well-balanced, with sweet wholesome malt, and earthy complexity, and a uniquely spicy aroma that results from a special, and secret, blend of Old and New World hops.”ABV: 5.1%
(4/28/2010)