Cave Creek Chili Beer

Brewed by Cervecería Mexicana
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Tecate, Mexico

An almost undrinkable novelty. Shouldn’t even be called "beer". I tried this for the first time in the early 90’s and frankly can’t believe it’s still around. It’s no better now than it was then.

A horrible, horrible beer. Like drinking a bad corona(?!?) with a super chili kick...and I’m not a chili lover! arrrgggghhh

tronraner for shared this bottle with us at the Tennessee Spring(ish) Tasting. I’ve seen the discussions on this one before but my god! Poured golden with no head. Big jalapeño aroma that clears out your nose after a long night of tasting, like hand me another napkin cause my nose it dripping type of hot. The flavor was of fresh jalapeños, as if I just took a swig of the juice at the end of jar of jalapeño slices. Light body and I WISH it was more watery! Can I say that about a beer? Seriously though, I would like another to make a kicking batch of chili or to marinade some burgers in.

Tronraner brought this to the Knoxville tasting. I have heard about this beer, but never bothered to try it. Well, this pours translucent deep golden with a head that disappears to nothing. Faint aroma of cheap pale malts and pickled pepper juice. The flavor is pretty much pepper, like very hot pepperocinis. It overpowers any malt or hop flavors that exists in this beer. Tronraner informed me that if I would drink it a tad longer, I would get used to the pepper flavor and the shitty beers flavors would come out. I did not drink it long enough to find out. This beer makes me ponder the purpose for it’s existence. Who drinks this stuff? Seriously? I guess this may work in a pot of Chili.

What did I do to deserve this? I like spicy foods, but this is a nightmare. At first it tastes like a generic crappy beer with a heavy dose of chili juice – you think okay, this is gross, live and learn. Then, when you swallow, the chili burn kicks in with the most vile aftertaste you could possibly imagine, and you realize the huge mistake that you have made. The burn is fairly localized to the back of the tongue, but still, it’s bad enough. I didn’t finish the glass, but if I had I imagine that it would have been the first time that I vomited after drinking only one beer. I’m not even sure if that’s an exaggeration. At least I get to check Arizona off my list, but I don’t even think this was worth it. Please, for the love of all that is good and decent, avoid this one.

So... I got this in a beer exchange. The person who bought it actually liked it. So I figured I’d give it a try. It looks and smells like an American macro pilsner, with a serrano pepper in it. The taste starts with a hint of sweet, before the pepper burn kicks in. The burn does stay only in the mouth, and doesn’t follow down the throat... but that doesn’t make it good. I like spicy foods, but there needs to be some other flavor besides just the pepper. A one note beer, best given as a joke to someone you dislike.

OMG, and not in a good way! Is this someone’s idea of a sick joke? this stuff is awful. Like sucking the juice out of a thousand jalapeno peppers and then calling it beer.

This style is a new one for me. Aroma is all chili pepper and appearance is a pale ale with a pepper in it. The pepper completely dominates the flavor and it is not a mild pepper. A year ago I would have bet good money that no beers have peppers in them. I should have won. This thing does not belong in a beer! Before drinking it I thought all the other raters had to be mistaken to give such low numbers. Now I think they were being generous.