¡Que Cerveza! Casta Beer
May 10 '02
The Bottom Line Looking for something different than the typical mass market brew from Mexico? Try a unique, real beer from Casta.
Mexico owes much of its beer heritage to the country of Germany. I guess the same can be said about the United States. Anyway, for a country as populous as Mexico is, I think they produce a very small line up of beers. And precious few that are truly very good or unique. Trouble is, the entire industry is dominated by two big giants with little room for the little brewer to compete.
Living in Southern California, I have ready access to just about every major Mexican beer brand on the market. I've tried most of them. Can't be avoided at times. At Mexican restaurants (and I do like Mexican food), it is de rigueur (a standard that is "rigorously obligatory") to enjoy a Mexican brew with one's meal. Or, at the very least, a Margarita. One doesn't see many people enjoying a glass of wine with a burrito or taco.
The two brewing giant in Mexico are:
1) Cuauhtémoc and Moctezuma (both brewers merged to become the countries largest brewer, Femsa) - Brewers of Carta Blanca, Chihuahua, Dos Equis Lager, Dos Equis Amber, Indio, Noche Buena, Sol, Superior, Tecate (Mexico's best selling beer), Tecate Light, and Bohemia (one-time best seller in Mexico).
2) Cerveceria Modelo - Mexico City; operator of the country's largest brewing facility, and producers of, among other brands: Corona Extra, Corona Light, Modelo Especial, Negra Modelo; through its Yucatan brewery: Negra Leon; through its Cerveceria del Pacifico unit in Mazatlan, Cerveza Pacifico.
Most Mexican beers are pale and light "clara" lagers, such as Corona Extra, Sol and Tecate. These beers generally have an alcohol content of about 4.5-or-4.6% alcohol by volume. Light beer versions (Corona Light, Tecate Light) are also produced. Other styles of beers brewed include Vienna-style dark lagers like Dox Equis Dark (DosXX) and Negra Modelo, the most popular dark beer in Mexico.
Craft Brewers
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I didn't know of any "Craft Brewer" in Mexico until I read a couple of reviews from some Epinion members andaryl and mrkstvns about a small brewery in Monterrey, Mexico -- Especialidades Cervezas, the brewers of Casta beers. Currently, there are five different beer styles in its product line:
Casta Bruna - a medium bodied pale ale
Casta Dorada - an ale made using Canadian and German hops
Casta Milenia - a high alcohol bottle-conditioned ale
Casta Morena - a dark ale
Casta Triguera - a wheat beer
Not only do I thank have to andaryl and mrkstvns for their very helpful introductions of these beers to me, I also must thank them for actually shipping me a couple of bottles to try! From Mark (mrkstvns), I received the Casta Bruna and Casta Triguera. From Andrew, I received the Casta Morena. All three of these beers were vastly different from any of the other Mexican beer brands I have tried. Additionally, all Casta beer products are made from all natural ingredients -- no adjuncts or fillers.
Casta Triguera
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Alcohol: 6% alcohol by volume
Color: Dark gold color, moderate levels of carbonation, thin white foam head.
Aroma: Grassy and straw-like, with some citrus tones.
Flavor: Grassy, Slight gelatinous quality. The strangest Wit (Weizen) beer I've ever had, but something interesting coming from Mexico.
Verdict: I didn't particularly like this beer, and thought it an odd interpretation of the Belgian Wit or German Weizen style of beer. But it was interesting to try. 2-stars.
Casta Bruna
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Alcohol: 6% alcohol by volume
Color: Dark amber/brown color, light levels of carbonation, thin beige foam head.
Aroma: Nuts, grass and apricots.
Flavor: Interesting entry with a slight citric tone; dry and nutty mid-palate, complex fruit-and-nut finish.
Verdict: I liked this beer for its dry, nutty character. A very interesting ale and one of the best Mexican beers I've tried. A 4-star performer, but, for Mexican beers, I'd give this one 5-stars. Highly recommended.
Casta Morena
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Alcohol: 6% alcohol by volume
Color: Dark maroon/brown/chestnut color, light levels of carbonation, opaque.
Aroma: Malty, roasted nuts and a suggestion of plums.
Flavor: Very dry mouthfeel, with an interesting roasted malt, coffee & nut-like flavor. Made with a variety of different malts (including caramel and chocolate malts, which give this beer its unique color and flavor). Whereas before I though Negra Modelo was the king of Mexican dark beers, this one flat wins the prize as being a superior alternative.
Verdict: A 4-star performer, but, for Mexican beers, I'd give this one 5-stars. Highly recommended.
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For more information on Casta, check out this excellent reviews:
mrkstvns - Say "Hola" to a Mexican Beer
http://www.epinions.com/content_1590403204
andaryl - Casta Morena: an ale from Mexico!
http://www.epinions.com/content_1630511236
Main website for Especialidades Cervezas
http://www.cervezacasta.com.mx/
¡Que Cerveza! ¡Salud!
Thank you, Mark and Andrew.
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Epinions.com ID:
4-1-1
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 - Top 50 |
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Member: Tom Carr
Location: Southern California
Reviews written: 1091
Trusted by: 695 members
About Me:
Go U.S.C.!!!
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