Alhambra Negra
Grupo Cervezas Alhambra, SL

Note: I am in the process of moving all of my ratings from other beer sites to here, so that all of my ratings are consolidated in one place. The review below is an exact copy of my original RateBeer review from 06/21/2013.


330 ml. bottle. Pours dark black with a medium-thick, mocha foam that dissipates moderately quick. Aromas of caramel, chocolate, and undertones of citrus. Has a tangy bit of acidity when it first hits the tongue. Taste is lightly sweet with a touch of sourness. Flavors of caramel and chocolate. Body and texture are thin, which (to me) is a bit off-putting for a dark beer. Carbonation is fairly lively and the finish is smooth. Overall I like the look and aroma of the beer, but the body and taste don’t quite match up.

 

From Carrefour. In Teku glass. Playing Blackwell Epiphany. Decent. No torrefact nor coffee notes. Dull, with some metallic notes. Wont displease but dont provide much flavor or aroma either. A bit sweet

Reviewed in Roger Protz' "300 More Beers To Try Before You Die", a sequel to his CAMRA classic.
Also reviewed on the "1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die" which tells the interesting story of Alhambras four different owners over 100 years.

I found this to be more like a dunkel.

L: Pours nearly black under a 1” light tan head that dissipates fairly quickly to a thin film.

S: Dark malts, some spice, faint chocolate, no burnt or coffee with more malt than hops. Traces of fruit.

T: Dark malts with chocolate notes meld with some apple flavors to suggest dark fruit, plums. Medium malt, medium low hops.

F: Very creamy, medium body and medium high carbonation. A trace of grainy astringency on the finish.

O: Actually better than expected but not as good as I would have liked.

12 oz. bottle poured into a pint glass.

A - Pitch black beer with a tan head that dissipates quickly. Head is thin and doesn't size up even with a hard pour. 3.5/5

S - Very focused on espresso and dark malt. A bit of rye bread perhaps? Grassy hops. This beer just smells dark (more like a dunked than a stout). 3.75/5

T - Follows the nose nicely. Very focused on the dark malt here along with some espresso, but not as much espresso as the nose. Not much in the way of sweetness. More grainy than anything (like Grape Nut O's). Some slight grassy hops on the back end. 3.5/5

M - Lighter than expected. More carbonated than expected (moderate carbonation). Disappears from the palate rather quickly with a light drying astringency. 3.25/5

O - Good beer to pair with food since aroma and flavors are so simple and is very light for a dark beer. Definitely a lager rather than an ale. 3.5/5

 

just a smooth drinking beer nothing i wont seek it out but it would be my go to beer if thier nothing else

Picked this beer on a whim. It was in a Beers of the World sampler.

A: Dark even when held to a light, slightly red tint. Foam receded rather quickly, but I personally like that.

S: Cocoa, Vanilla, Caramel, Malty

T: Very smooth, caramel notes are strong cocoa and vanilla more subtle. A pleasant mild bitterness at the finish, presumably from the hops.

M: Despite it's appearance, it feels rather light in the mouth, yet it doesn't feel too thin either.

O: A surprisingly wonderful beer, very tasty. Only 5.4% ABV too, so you can have a couple without being too worse for the wear.

 

11.2oz bottle poured into a lager glass. Best by date makes no sense to me.

A: Dark chestnut brown, very nearly black. Fine-bubbled sandy head retains well in the narrow glass. Foamy sheets of lacing.

S: Blackstrap molasses, toasty grain, mashed figs and raisins, lightly woody/nutty, more molasses. Slightly steely and grassy. Clean.

T: Blackstrap molasses is the dominant flavor. Slightly nutty/woody. Dried grass. Spicy hops. Coarsely grainy at times, almost sickly sweet. Very clean. Molasses on the finish.

M: Medium-thick body. Syrupy, sticky, and coating. Low carbonation augments the syrupy/sticky feel.

O: Another Euro dark lager. Par for the course if not a notch below. Drinkability suffers as the body is rife with residuals to the point of being sticky. Nothing here that warrants a second look.