Cerveza De Mayo
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery

Bright lemon yellow with a disconcerting amount of fat-bubbled carbonation rushing up to a small, virgin white head. The cap started out at one finger, fell to a wafer thin disk within minutes, and persisted as a thin film for the life of the pint. Glass coverage consisted of a short collar with a few satellite scraps higher up.

There wasn't much to the aroma, but at least something was appreciated. That something was primarily lemon zest with a soft maltiness that I would have attributed to wheat malt, except this isn't a wheat beer. Acceptable, but way too weak and lacking in personality.

The defining characteristic of the flavor profile was its cleanliness. Cerveza De Mayo was modestly, but acceptably, malted with a focus on fresh grain. It was more hoppy than expected (although the burps were hoppier than the actual flavor). It was also bright and lemon zesty with a pure, clean flavor that was easy on the taste buds. Perhaps too easy.

The short finish was slightly bitter, dry and (you guessed it) clean. The mouthfeel was initially disappointing in that it seemed too light and too fizzy, even for the style. With time though, the diminishing carbonation allowed the body to reveal its 'light side of medium' nature. It was still a little too carbonated for me by the end, but it led to more lemon hoppy burps, so I won't complain too loudly.

Cerveza de Mayo is a pretty good, unchallenging, refreshing summertime lager. It has a few faults, but then I can be a picky bastard at times. This beer should serve the Rock Bottom clientele well and I wouldn't hestitate to order another pint to accompany my lunch or dinner on a future visit. Unless, of course, one of wdmrock's killer dry-hopped pale ales is on cask. Then it's every hophead for himself.