E
Letra - Cerveja Artesanal Minhota

 

 

Copenhagen 1/2 2021. 33 cl bottle from Voldby Købmandsgård web-shop. A big “E” on the label (whatever the relationship between the letter E and dark Belgian beer might be).

Pours opaque dark brown with a mid-sized off-white head. Settles as thin patch of foam unable to cover the surface of the beer. No lacing.

Aroma is medium intense with a sweet, malty odor mingling with alcohol. Caramel, brown sugar. Dark fruit. Sweet liqueur like alcohol.

Light carbonation. Fairly thick, oily, viscous, lightly tingling texture.

Flavor is medium intense with a strong sweetness followed by a moderate bitterness. Aftertaste is sugary sweet. Lingers for a while. Finish is sweet.

Fairly intense and very very sweet.

44 cl can purchased at Letra’s brewpub in Porto, Portugal. Poured into a tumbler.,. also had one straight up.
Small dancing foam disappears in a minute, leaving tan bubbles on top of unfiltered brown brew.
Nose pops date sugar sweet and toffee. I get dark bread spread with prune jam.
Taste matches, unsurprisingly. Now add spices short of clove and good alcohol zing. The sweetness isn’t overwhelming. Nice beer!
Mouth is medium-full, and there is lively carbonation.
Overall, one of those beers that gets stronger and sweeter as it warms. I’d hit it again.

Poured from 330mL bottle into a tumbler. Best by February 2025.

Appearance: moderately hazy copper-amber-brown hue with a finger of frothy tan foam atop. I think it looks quite nice.

Smell: sweet and rich with a nice complement of tobacco, raisin, and dark forest fruits. There's also a slightly phenolic element here which is appropriate to the style.

Taste: there's a little bit of alcohol burn right up front (as well as at the end), which is not inappropriate to the style, but is relatively pronounced here. The phenolic element is still present, but there's a nice undercurrent of tobacco and dates that I really like.

Mouthfeel: medium-rich body with a decent carbonation and a smooth creaminess.

Overall: as the style goes, this beer really works for me. The phenolic element is a little strong, yes, but I think it gives a nice counterpoint to the rest of the flavor profile.

330ml bottle from Letraria, Porto (£2.19):
Murky brown with some sediment through the body & a half cm, light tan coloured head that's bubbly before starting to break up & turn patchy. Rich & sweet smelling, lots of dates & prunes, darker fruits & caramel with molasses with oak & some bread malts; the balance is good too. It's a stronger taste though, more dark fruits & raisin with plenty of sugars, with more malts than the nose too. Again its rich & complex with a medium to full body, a slightly effervescent feel & a dry, sweet finish that's pretty boozy too.

 

 

 

 

 

L: Dark amber color, half but quickly dissipating off white head, thin lacing, light carbonation.

S: Belgian yeast, oak, raisins.

T: Belgian yeast, oak, raisins. Nice!

F: Medium bodied, lots of flavor.

O: Pretty good beer. Would happily drink again.

Bottle: Poured a clear deep brown color ale with a medium size off-white head with limited retention and some light lacing. Aroma of candi sugar with some light dry fruit notes is quite exquisite. Taste is also dominated by candi sugar with candy-like notes, some dry fruits with quite a bit of residual sugar notes. Body is a bit light for style with good carbonation with no apparent alcohol notes. Very enjoyable but I can see how some people may think this is too sweet.

 

Poured to a tulip glass.

A: The body is pitch black with a minimal beige to brown head that shows minimal retention and no lacing at all.
S: The aroma is complex as it shows some blueberries or some dark fruits, along with other unidentified fruits. There's toffee and roasted malts. It's a very cloaked aroma as you can't expect this beer to taste like this. Extra points for that.
T: The taste is very malty, having a giant profile for the roasted barley. This sweetness connects very well with the complex fruity aromas that then lead the drinker to the end with a very mild to non-existent bitterness. It's not very particular as most BDAs tend to be like this, flavour-wise, but it's good and consistent. Yet, I'd like to find more prominent profiles in the taste. Spices are also to prominent for this beer.
M: Body is medium to medium high. Carbonation is low but has a very licqour-y touch that actually can leave you a bit nauseated with the spices present here.
O: Overall, Letra has some good entry point beers in Portugal but it lacks some strong flagship beers to show what they're really capable of - and I know they can do awesome things.