El Maravilla
Clifford Brewing Co.

Appearance: Poured with a finger of head that did not lace or retain very well at all. The body is the dirtiest blonde you can conceive as it just barely stops short of full on copper in color. Low carbonation in the crystal clear body.

Smell: Agave is the dominant characteristics in the nose here here, but not what I would call full blown Tequilla. There is this underlying sweetness that seems somewhere between malt and molasses and I swear I can pickup notes of saltwater and maybe even a hint of lemon zest as well.

Taste: Mild tequilla and with a very subdued toast note with that is swapped for a lemon and lime citrus note and some hints of berry yeast way in the back that seems to be cutting the sour notes down and ends with a salty snap.

Mouthfeel: Points get deducted for the lack of head. The carbonation here is low, but I think by design though, as more aggressive carbonation I can see amplifying the Tequila and lime notes and killing the beer notes. Transitioning is good, and this is probably the first beer I've had that I can say the salt is noticeably there and up front.

Drinkability: Low carbonation often means it's easy on the system. This one I would say is medium bodied, which I think is what is making this beer more appealing to me. This isn't a guzzler, but a summer day sipper is the impression I get here.

Final Thoughts: I honestly expected this beer to be an imitation, margarita sour which I would have likely not liked, as why not just make a margarita at that point? This one however, seems to want to make for a longer, less boozey, easier to drink Tequila experience which I think works out here. The problem though, is while I don't mind Tequila, I'm not that big a fan of it. Like I said, I can see this in the vein of a summer stout. Something you sip on during a warm summer afternoon on the patio or at the beach.