Gato Grande
Iron Horse Brewery

This is quite a good beer. It pours a reddish amber brown with a small head. It kind of looks like a Modelo Negra with the same taste profile only a little more hoppy. A nice light dark lager that is tasty and smooth with almost the right balance of roasted malts and hops. Mahoney's Public House.

 

 

16oz can from Hops & Bottles. Dark, clear brown , foamy receding head. Roasty, nutty aroma. Taste features roasty bitterness and minor sweetness. By taste alone, I would have classified this as a Schwarzbier, but since they are going for a Mexican vibe I used the same style as Negro Modelo.

a nameless mexican dark lager here, fuller bodied but not sweet for the style which i appreciate, and a lime really helps crisp it up. there is lots to like here, namely that i can taste a little lager yeast so its not all malt, and that its a little darker on the grain side so it has more depth than most of these that max out in the caramel range. it also has high carbonation from the tap, still has some refreshment capacity because of it, and pairs well with smoked foods, which was key in our context. some toasted and nutty elements to the grain to balance the sweet, the mineral profile of the water comes through the malt, and there are layers to this, albeit subtly. the lime wedge i dont usually want brings some cutting acidity that gives this some needed vibrancy. overall its nice to see some innovation from these guys, who always seem locked into the same few brands, and even though this is a style i dont generally love, i think they did a really good job with it. in fact its probably one of their best executed beers to date from a quality standpoint. they should consider packaging it, there really are no local craft alternatives to it and its very good...

edit: maybe slightly less compelling in the limited release pint cans, assuming its the same beer, this just had a little more to it from the tap. still on the drier side for the style, and very lively, maybe just missing the lime. either way, its nice to see these guys not stagnating too much or resting on their core stuff, this is way ahead of the curve in either format...

edit: this has gone all the way from one off to a named beer, they call it gato grande now and its still really good, way better than par for the course in this style, i enjoy every time!