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Mexico
 scrapes in
 decent
 good
 excellent
 sublime
Casta, Bruna (Mexico) 
Labeled as a "Pale Ale" on the neck collar, this pours a dark, ruby/tobacco colour with an off-white, quite thick head. On the nose there is an aroma of chestnuts and a dry, ashy note, with quite a pungent, herbal background. There's just a touch of chocolate too. On the palate it is quite sour, with a sour cherry and plum fruitiness, and a little less malt than I expected from the colour. It has a medium-body, and a little bit of very bitter dark chocolate, but no great hop character. Quite complex and enjoyable all the same. 5.5% ABV, 33cl, ?1.29 - ?1.49, Peckhams, , Surf4beer.  |  |
Casta, Dorada (Mexico)
The Casta range from Mexico is very smartly packaged, including this golden ale-style beer. The colour is a lovely, burnished barley-sugar gold, with a thick off-white head. The nose has a milky,
Horlicks character, lots of honey and a very refined hop quality - it is intriguing and inviting. On the palate this has a thick, creamy texture and full body, with more of that lush, honeyed, very
creamily-malted character and a good, dry pear fruit base. The hopping is excellent, with bite and acidity, but no harshness. A really top class beer. 5.4% ABV, 33cl, ?1.39, Peckhams, Surf4beer. |  |
Casta, Milenia (Mexico)
This is a Belgian Abbey-style dark beer, showing the ambition of this craft brewery in Mexico. It pours a deep, hazy orange/amber with a high-rise off-white head that subsides to a lace. The nose is extremely fruity, with a definite banana aroma, orange and lots of sweet caramel. On the palate the caramel and Seville orange flavours continue, with lots of bitter orange-oil notes, spices and a nice, full texture. This does not have the depth of the best dark Abbey beers, but it is very good indeed and has lots of flavour. Almost sneaks a full four stars. Only 5,000 bottles made. 8.0% ABV, 33cl. |  |
Casta, Morena Dark Ale (Mexico)
Described by Casta as being in the tradition of a Scottish Ale, Morena pours a burnt umber colour with a thick, but quickly disippating cream-coloured head. The nose is immediately sweet and malty; a Horlicks aroma, with some darker, burnt brown sugar and raisin notes. Really quite attractive. On the palate it is smooth-textured and full, with an orangy tang and more of a crystal malt character than chocolate, but a nice burnished, dark flavour and pretty good bitterness and length. I really enjoyed this. 6.0% ABV, 33cl, ?1.39, Peckhams, , Surf4beer. |  |
Casta, Triguera Wheat Ale (Mexico)
This beer has a light to medium golden colour and avery thin and quickly dissipating white head. The nose is immediately fruity, with banana and ripe pear joined by a hint of clove. On the palate it has low carbonation and a medium body, with lots of orange fruit and a clean, citrus acidity. There's a little hoppy crispness and a gentle warmth, with a background note of honey in the finish of this easy-drinking wheat beer that went well with spicy Chinese food. 5.4% ABV, 33cl, ?1.39, Peckhams, Surf4beer. |  |
Cervecer?a Mexicana, Mexicali (Mexico)
Owned by Coors, Cervecer?a Mexicana operates from Tecate in Mexico. This lager comes in a clear glass bottle. It pours pale- to medium gold with a moderate white head. There's a big blast of slightly sulphury, struck match character, with corn and some bready notes. On the palate there is a certain sweetness, but it certainly improves on the nose, with plenty of fruity notes and a citrussy lift into the finish. This is pretty clean and crisp, and whilst it does little to distinguish itself, it is not a bad lager. 5.0% ABV, 33cl, ?1.29, Beersofeurope, .  | |
Cervecer?a Mexicana, Potro (Mexico)
Firstly a word about the packaging of this Mexican beer, which comes in one of the most striking bottles in the beer universe. That sets the beer up for a fall surely, you might think, but no, Potro is a stout-like beer (officially described as a Porter by brewer Cerveceria Mexicana) that has plenty to commend it. The colour is a dark, burnt toffee, with a very thin tan-coloured head. The nose is surprisingly crisp, and although there is plenty of roasted, cracked wheat and toast there is also something cherryish and bright, with a herbal and fruity character. On the palate there is a clove-like, slightly medicinal note, and plenty more of those roasted grain flavours, but this beer is only medium- to full-bodied, and the crisp, refreshing red berry fruitiness comes through on the finish to leave it dry and appetisingly moreish. Don't come here looking for a big, sumptuous, velvety beer, but in its fairly unique style it is very successful. 4.7% ABV, 50cl, ?2.00, Onlyfinebeer, . |  |
Cervecer?a Mexicana, Red Pig Mexican Ale (Mexico)
This Mexican ale pours a fairly deep bronze colour with a tinge of amber and a thinnish off-white head. The nose has plenty of caramel and biscuit richness, with a suggestion of a fudge-like quality and plummy red fruit aromas. In the mouth this has a pleasant hop bitterness, with much more tang and resinous hop quality than the nose suggests, touch of caramel sweetness that is still there being easily dominated by crisp lemony acidity and the slightly spicy, slightly floral hops. A very nice drop this. 5.0% ABV, 35.5cl, ?1.39, Beersofeurope, . | |
Cervecer?a Mexicana, Special Dark Beer (Mexico)
Basically a dark lager, this pours a treacle brown colour with a moderate, fast-dissipating off-white head. Aromas are of malt and toasted grains, with a bit of burnt toffee and not much in the way of hops. On the palate there's quite an orangy tang to the flavour, but it is mostly about those toasty, roasted flavours playing against an inherent sweetness in the beer. Though it doesn't really power through to the finish, this has decent balance and though a tad too sweet for my taste, is not a bad drop. 5.0% ABV, 35.5cl, ?1.25, Beersofeurope, . | |
Dos Equis, Amber (Mexico)
This beer, a "Vienna-style lager" according to the label, pours a very attractive auburn colour with a cream-coloured head. It has a sweet malty aroma, with malted-milk, some plummy fruit and not much in the way of hops. A full, creamy texture leads on to a slightly underpowered palate, with darker stewed fruit and nutty notes all rathered watered down. A pleasant beer, that just sneaks three stars. 4.8% ABV, 33cl, ?0.98 - ?1.29, Asda, Peckhams. |  |
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