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Spain
 scrapes in
 decent
 good
 excellent
 sublime
Alhambra, Especial (Spain) 
Alhambra's lager pours quite a bold, deep gold with a thinnish white head. On the nose there's a touch of creamed corn, but this is basically fresh and fruity, with a little honeyed malt. In the mouth this is full and richly-textured, with a certain sweetness, but a broad, creamy and malty mid-palate before quite a long, tangy and mouthwatering finish. Quite a nice beer this, with the sweetness and weight cut by decent acidity and rather toned down hops. 5.4% ABV, 33cl, ?1.19, Onlyfinebeer, . |  |
Alhambra, Mezquita (Spain)
Mezquita is a different sort of animal. Mezquita is not Mosquito, but ?Mosque?, signifying this beer is Alhambra?s homage to the temples of the city of Cordoba, made in the style of an Abbey beer. It has a striking ruby-red colour and a high-rise, persistent white head just tinged with pink. There are cherry and floral notes on the nose, with a hint of old roses and fine, malty notes beneath. On the palate There?s a mocha-coffee richness, and plenty of sweetening, Belgian Trappist-style notes, with a great thrust of grapefruit pith acidity adding balance. This is a big mouthful of beer, with its 7.2% alcohol making its presence felt in a long, grippy finish. 7.2% ABV, 33cl, . |  |
Alhambra, Negra (Spain)
This 'black lager' from Alhambra pours a very dark reddish black colour with a moderate off-white head. The nose is primarily malty, with a little liquorice note and quite a fresh, if not particularly complex character. On the palate it is medium-bodied, with racy, clean lemony flavours and just a touch of background toasty malt. Some liquorice and burnt toast bitterness peaks through on the finish, and this is a pleasantly sippable and enjoyable 'Dunkel' style beer. 5.4% ABV, 33cl, .  |  |
Alhambra, Premium Lager (Spain)
Alhambra's lightest lager pours a medium gold colour with a thinish white head. The nose is clean an appealing, with a creamy quality to herbal and lemony fruit aromas. There's a hint of maltiness too. In the mouth this is again admirably clean and fresh, with plenty of citrussy cut and a crisp, refreshing character. It is light- to medium-bodied, and perhaps a bit thin through the mid-palate, but it is a dry-finishing, balanced lager of good quality. 4.6% ABV, 33cl, ?1.39, Beersofeurope, The Offie, . |  |
Alhambra, Reserva 1925 (Spain)
This is a very striking package, with all information on the green bottle embossed onto the glass and no label as such. With a very slow fermentation for 57 days, it is definitely a premium beer. The beer pours quite a dark amber colour with a thick, fluffy head that is just off white and really persists. On the nose this is immediately powerful and rich, with dark caramel-like malt aromas and a great depth of oily hops and meaty, earthy notes. In the mouth it is full-textured, but has such immediate bite and crisp, clean, beautifully refined hop oil and chicory flavours that it is clean and refreshing. There is a touch of sweetness in here, and plenty of complex malt notes, in a very, very stylish and enjoyable beer. 6.4% ABV, 33cl, ?1.49, Beersofeurope, , Pitfield Beer Shop.  |  |
Birra Morena, Pils (Spain)
From the Tarricone brewery in Balvano, brewing under the Morena name, this is light golden Pils-style beer with a moderate white head. There's a decent nettle and herb hoppiness on the nose, but also a rather skunky, sulphur and strachy corn quality that raises warning flags. On the palate a slightly watery texture and an oddly juxstaposed bitterness with bland sweetness makes for really quite an unpleasant beer on this evidence. One to avoid. 4.6% ABV, 33cl, ?0.99, Beersofeurope, .  |  |
Dorada, Especial (Spain)
I enjoyed several bottles of this light to medium golden lager on a recent break to Lanzarote, brewed by Central Cervezas de Canarias (CCC). It pours with a thick, creamy, white head and the nose has notes of sweet corn and a lightly honeyed character, with a green, herbal hint of hops and a touch of mint or menthol. On the palate this strong lager is thick and rich, with a creamy texture and a powerful hit of hops and white fruit (melon and pear) with plenty of texture and alcohol, and only the merest hint of a caramel-like sweetness. With quite a nice, clean finish ? though it stays rich and possibly a touch cloying for some ? this really is a very nice beer for the sunny Canarian climes. It cost around 7€ for a six-pack 5.5% ABV, 25cl. |  |
Estrella Damm, Lager (Spain)
I have to say I can't see why this beer is priced at up to ?1.50 per 33cl. It is a good, refreshing and quite hoppy continental lager that is nicely dry on the finish. If you see it at six for ?5 it drinks well enough, but otherwise it is pretty forgettable at a high price. 5.4% ABV, 33cl, ?1.25 - ?1.50, Peckhams.  |  |
Estrella Galicia, 1906 (Spain)
Quite a deep golden colour with an off-white head that leaves a pronounced lacing on the glass. Quite a lot of caramelly malt on the nose, with a subtle, leafy hop note. Quite citrussy, but rich. Chewy, broad palate, with a full texture and toasty, nutty character mixed with lots of spice and herbs, and a good, crisp acidity in the finish. A very nice beer. 6.5% ABV, 33cl, ?4.98 X 6, Asda. |  |
Mahou, Cinco Estrellas (Spain)
Part of the Carlsberg group, this is one of Spain's ubiquitous lagers, brewed in Madrid and slipping down very easily drunk well-chilled in a Spanish square as the sun sets. Back home, it fares pretty well as a decent lager, with a medium gold colour and moderate white head, and a clean nose of orange, rich malt and a little nutty note. On the palate it is smooth, refreshing and well-made, with no real distingusihing features, but an enjoyable crispness and clarity. 5.5% ABV, 33cl, ?1.25, Beersofeurope, . |  |
Mahou, Laiker (Spain)
Liberated from Iberia airline's lounge in Barcelona airport for research purposes, this is Mahou's low-alcohol beer. It pours a medium gold with a thinnish white head. Aroma is pretty much non-existent, with something faintly malty and sweet, and a touch of herbal quality. On the palate it really is dreadful, with nothing to taste other than a metallic hollowness. It has, thankfully, a very short finish. Let's give it one star for drinking on a hot day, where it would be cold and wet at least. 0.8% ABV, 25cl. |  |
Zaragozana, Ambar (Spain)
It's unclear to me whether or not this is the same beer as the "Spanish Premium Beer" from Zaragozana reviewed here, and although tasted a couple of years apart, they do strike me as very similar. The colour is a medium yellow gold, with a thin white head. On the nose this is fairly malty and a touch grassy, with a slight orangey character to the fruit. On the palate it is quite full-bodied and smooth, with an immediate sweetness before more of that orange and lemony fruit, and a touch of caramel and biscuit. There's a richness here, though the beer is clean and fresh, even though it is somewhat lacking in the bite and definition that would have lifted it up to three stars. 5.2% ABV, 33cl, ?1.09, Beersofeurope, . |  |
Zaragozana, Spanish Premium Beer (Spain)
From an independent brewer in Zaragosa, this is a lager beer that pours a medium gold with a moderate white head. The aroma has a touch of sweetcorn and new-mown hay, with a gentle, rounded malty character. On the palate it is quite full-bodied and very smooth, with a sweetness to it that is very easy drinking, plenty of creamy, mouth-filling flavour, but little by way of bite or complexity. It is nice, strongish lager without hitting any heights. 5.2% ABV, 33cl, ?1.10 (estimate), . |  |
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