Zuma Cancun

Formerly brewed at Zuma Brewery
Style: Pilsener
Atlanta, Georgia USA

I had been spotting this German style Pilsner with a Mexican twist on the shelves for quite while, but had been passing it by always. Decided to take the plunge today and got some. The beer came in a bottle with sunny label art that was clearly drawn with the influences from south of the border. The beer poured exceptionally clear and had a smallish head that did not last long. The stream of bubbles however never did stop spewing up. The aroma was clean with the signature grassy smell of noble hops. The malt backbone was also quite solid in the nose with a sweet honey (or corn syrup) like smell. The taste was very fresh, with a perfect balance of sweet malt, bitter hops, and lemony sour yeast. Not an offensive note to be found anywhere. I felt that the body was slightly heftier than a regular Pilsner, but the respectable level of hops kept it from becoming malty like a pale lager. I was quite impressed with this beer, which surpassed all expectations I had for it. I imagine this would be a great accompaniment for some spicy quesadillas or fajitas, and I’ll be sure to try some soon. P.S. - Do not drink this beer ice cold. At the cool temperatures, corn seems to dominate the taste. Once warmed up to about 50 degrees F, this one opens up with some good maltiness.

Pours gold with a white head. Smells of sweet malt, some spicy hints, floral hops. Tastes of dry pilsner malt, lightly spicy and peppery with some perfumy hints and fruity splashes.

12 oz, bb Dec. (08 I presume?). Clear orange-topaz with a lasting creamy disc atop. Aromas of dry grain, honey and a hint of berries. Flavor is the same, with some slight acidic tartness and a creamy note. Near-medium body is smoothish, but still lightly tingly and finishes a tad to the dry side. Creamy frosting left all over the pint. Didn’t expect much from this $0.99 bottle from Greens, but its an easy drinker and a pleasant surprise.

Cancun is a bright, yellow colored beer typical of most Pilsners. The aroma is off a bit, but there is a good hop and malt presence there along with a sharp vinegar aspect to it. The flavor is a light clean sweetness, but a bit more bitterness would really help this Pilsner to suit my palate. But overall, this is a very drinkable Pilsner.

Nice subtle hop aroma. Very clean throughout with a nice hallertau finish. I am not a big pilsner fan, but this is one of the better ones out there.

Bright yellow, no head/ Cereal aroma. Subtle malt and a hint of rye in the flavor. Smooth palate, a bit richer than I expected. Surprisingly not bad.

Turns out that the brewery says this is all barley, but I swear I took one whiff and it was all cooked corn. Obviously, if there wasn’t any corn, this beer is seriously off. Pale yellow golden body is really clear and almost catches the light nicely, but isn’t quite dark enough. The head is bone white and fades quickly. The flavor would be nice without the corn flaw and if they dumped in a bunch of Saaz hops. Has potential, but this new brewery needs to clean up some problems.

GABF 2004 Light golden in color with a small white head. Aroma of sweet malt and faint hops. Thin in body with a clean malt charcater and dry finish.