Cucapá Barley Wine (Centenario)

Brewed by Cervecería Cucapá
Style: Barley Wine
Mexicali, Mexico

Hazy amber with a beige head. Aroma was sweet with toasted malt, caramel and hoppy notes. Flavour was sweet with toasted malt, caramel grapefruit and hoppy notes. Finished bitter.

750 ml bottle poured a clear dark reddish brown with a small lasting amber head. Aromas of smoke, toffee, raisin and plum. Palate was medium bodied and smooth. Flavors of carmel, toffee, raisin, plum and light smoke with a smooth dry malty finish.

750ml, $9.49, from the Davis Co-Op. Pours a deep ruby amber with a medium-sized yellow-tan head. Looks absolutely stunning, perfect for the style, even better than my beloved Old Stock dare I say. Aroma is pretty straightforward; dark malts, honey, brown sugar, unprocessed barley. Pleasant aroma, simply. Ooh, a definte malt bomb flavor-wise, slightly sweet, good hop counterpoint which waited until the last minute to present itself. Pretty smoky flavor too (only slightly meaty is the smokiness), grassy finish. Alcohol is present but relatively subtle. Gooey body, sticky finish no less. Easily the best Mexican beer I or anyone else have ever had. Which isn’t saying much, of course, but it’s really nice to see a decent beer coming from Mexico at this point in history nevertheless. A very nice example of the style. Overall, very good to excellent.

Sampled at The Big Pour beerfest in Scottsdale AZ, after somehow sneaking/stumbling into the VIP area. My first Mexican barley wine! Deep red-orange colour, rich aromas of sherry, vanilla, cedar, and sweet stewed fruits. Sweet toffee malt flavours, with cherry and raisin fruit, vanilla, and a hint of smoke. I was really happy with this one!

Bottle 75cl.
Clear medium amber color with virtually none head. Aroma is moderate malty, caramel, fruity, smoke - rubber notes. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and moderate bitter with a average to long duration, smoke - rubber notes. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. [20090922]

750ml bottle shared thanks to Josh. Poured a deeper amber color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of nuts, earthy, and some dart fruits. Tastes of earthiness, dark fruits, nutty, and caramel.

Red amber with a medium sized, light tan head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of dried fruits, oxidation, caramel malts, nuts, citrus, toast, floral hops, and alcohol. Taste of pine, citrus, dark fruits, vanilla, tobacco, caramel malts, and alcohol in the finish.

Thanks to josh for sharing. Pours a deep amber with a smaller bubbly off white head. Aroma of dark fruit, toffee, tobacco, sweet malts and earthy. Flavor of the same.