The first craft beer I ever recall drinking was Brazilian, a Xingu black beer that I ran across in the grocery store 12-odd years ago. I’m fairly certain this is the only other Brazilian beer I’ve run across since then, and I’ve been looking. Not even the Brazilian rodizo restaurant the wife and I patronized a while back had another brand, though the cachaca damn near made up for it.
I would say that the wait was worth it, but that would be wrong, and cliched to boot–a worse offense, to my mind. I mean, 12 years? I don’t think there’s a beer in the world that’s worth that long wait, unless it’s one of the cellarable brands–Thomas Hardy, or the Anchor Steam Christmas Brew.
Not that there’s anything wrong with the Dourada. It’s a fine beer, perfectly representative of the style, typically one seen more in the summer in the US, as the craft breweries seek to compete with the light macro brews.
…the color of a pilsner with some of the fruity character of an ale. This is achieved with the use of top fermenting yeasts and pale pilsner malts. The hops are accented on the finish, which classically is dry and herbal. It is a medium to light bodied beer and delicate in style. Most examples one will encounter in the US are brewpub draft interpretations produced during the summer months, though some commercial brewers produce a summer ale in the kolsch style.
It’s not one of my favorite styles, though a cold kolsch is a fine thing on a hot sunny day. Supposedly there are other brews available in the U.S. from the Eisenbahn brewery. The Dourada was of a high enough quality that I’ll be sure to grab them should spot them on the shelves.
I’d prefer not to wait another 12 years, though.
Kehaar says:
I had a pair of Palma Loucas during my recent trip to the Brazilian steakhouse. It was a damned fine beer. Went perfectly with the meal.
27 March 2007, 9:15 pm