Manana
Del Norte Brewing

Old review time, I believe this was a score in Wyoming on the way to or from Dark Lord Day 2010. Some of us were getting into lagers before they were cool (which is bullshit, lagers have always been #1 in popularity in my lifetime).

Anyhoo, bought a six pack, poured an amber color. Chesnut and ruby up in there. Seemed to lean on the darker side of Vienna lager. Big carbonation push head up then down. Beige. Aroma was fermenting leaves and shit.

Taste brought a less brutal existence, smooth mouth feel, yes it did have that. Mass effect was lighter than expected. Hits of caramel seem to be in the right place. Stroll into the party like your name was el nino? Damn can't believe that song is like 20 years old already. At $10 a six pack, those are like, today prices, not yesterday prices, this one just didn't hit the zone for me. Average interpretation of style on a good day. Don't count on me. . .

 

 

 

 

Copper-colored body; no head. No aroma - nada (even my wife didn't detect anything). Sweet, slightly fruity taste; light melon; extremely faint hop bitterness. Light , clean, crisp, dry mouthfeel.

Fair yet unassuming Mexican-styled lager. Drinkable but also unmemorable, especially with the lack of any head or (especially) aroma.

 

Del Norte Manana has a relatively thin, cream-colored, soapy head and a very cloudy, opaque, amber appearance, in which one can observe some tiny bubble streams. Thin, yet decent, lacing is left on the glass. The aroma is of sweet dark-roasted malt and even some slightly turned fruit. Brown bread is detected in the taste and smell, and one also picks up chocolate powder, figs, and caramel in the flavor. There is a strong chocolate back-taste to this beer (actually, stronger than maybe any beer I’ve ever sampled). Hop bitterness is noticeable, but mild. Mouthfeel is medium, and Del Norte Manana finishes crisp, semi-dry, refreshing, and enjoyable. Overall, this is a real winner, and I rate it most excellent!

RJT

although i enjoy the orale with a spicy burrito, i think this is my favorite of the del norte beers. it has a bit more substance to it than the others, yet remains highly sessionable. this one pours a light amber color, with a standard one inch fading head. it smells like german caramel malts and english bittering hops, kind of a weird hybrid in that regard, but its well balanced and light on both counts. the flavor is a little more malt heavy than the other del norte brews, but thats not to say its a heavy beer, just that its got a bit more of a red malt caramely flavor it it and a bit of extra body. the finish is clean and smooth, as is the mouthfeel in general. high carbonation makes it refreshing despite its mildly sweet aftertaste. a good session beer, especially when its ice cold right from the bottle.

 

 

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a nonical Guinness pint glass in me gaff in high altitude Castle Rock, Colorado. Reviewed live. Expectations are low given the brewery. Acquired at Tipsy's Liquor as part of a Del Norte variety box.

Served straight from the refrigerator. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a 2.5 finger beige-light khaki head of fair cream and thickness, and above average retention. Colour is a clear vibrant copper-amber. Really shines in the light. Quite appealing, actually. I didn't expect it to look this good. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Amber hops evoke a vague floral character of little distinction or substance. Clean barley suggests a full body. Hints of cream. A mild strength aroma.

T: Floral hops, a full barley body with clean malts atop, and hints of somewhat stale cream. Horribly simple but I wouldn't call it bland - per se. It's certainly boring either way you slice it. Not at all subtle. Unrefreshing. It's rather mundane.

Mf: Coarse - especially up front where a wretched stale tingle drags the flavours across the tongue. Dry to boot. This is just plain wrong for an Amber (or a Vienna lager, if you go by Beeradvocate's *interesting* categorization scheme). Carbonation is off. Too thick, though not particularly syrupy or even viscous. It's just heavier on the palate than it ought to be.

Dr: A largely forgettable Mexican amber. Unrefreshing and not particularly enjoyable. I wouldn't get it again, even on draught. A poor offering from Del Norte.

D

 

 

Pours a hazy reddish caramel with a white head with decent retention. A touch of hay that I associate with defining a lager but with a nice fruity candied sweetness and some breadiness supplied from the nice dose of caramel malt. For a lager, I thought it was quite the nice aroma. Flavor supported the aroma quite well; some hay, a nice dose of sweetness of semi-diluted fruity sugar candy, and a little bread. Mouthfeel was conducive to maintaining nice drinkability to it but nothing special. Overall, the more of the this I drank the more it grew in me. I enjoyed it more than I expected and would be fine with drinking it again.

 

 

Overall a really fresh and refreshing beer. I'd compare it to Dos Equis Amber except this one is maltier with a little more flavor than the Dos Equis Amber. I could see how this is really good with Mexican food too. It's nice to have some options now.