Name: Cerveza Negra
Served at: La Casa de la Cerveza, Cartagena, Colombia
Brewer: Said to be a house brew
Type: (Style / mode of delivery) Stout/porter; draft served in tall glass
ABV: Unknown; est. 5.0%
Label (5): n/a -- not be marketed in bottles -- 2 (based on aesthetics of menu and bar)
Look-Cs (color, clarity, carbonation, cap, and constancy) (20): 14
Snout (15): 9
Texture (20): 12
Flavor (30): 18
X-Factor (10): 9
Total: 64
If this beer were a seabird it would be a frigate -- a dark silhouette gliding at sunset, with an enticing call.
***************************
 |
| Cerveza Negra at Casa de La Cerveza |
I sampled this beer several times over the course of a month spent in Cartagena's Old City. The bar, La Casa de la Cerveza, located in the neighborhood known as Getsemani, features panoramic views of Cartagena's burgeoning skyline, through defunct gun emplacements, where heavy cannon had once defended the Spanish colony from seaborne incursions. La Casa de la Cerveza is, ostensibly, an upscale, outdoor dance club and lounge, but also features a surprising array of solid beers, and its Cerveza Negra surprised me with the basic, upstanding qualities of a straightforward drinkable stout or porter.
Whether the beer took time to pour (as with a Guinness) or whether the service was routinely slow (a possibility) the beer nevertheless arrived most times with a full, black body sitting beneath two or three fingers of creamy foam. The Cerveza Negra seemed chalky plain at first whiff, a good sign, and then the first full sip, in which some of the foam bubbled off on my top lip, rewarded me with the plain, respectable character of a well brewed, low alcohol stout: mild roast, friendly character, and subtle bitterness. And yet, there was something extra. The waitress told us that the beer was brewed with Kahlua, the coffee-flavored liqueur, and whether that was true, or not, there was the presence of another ingredient that fit with the general palette of a stout -- elements such as coffee, chocolate, pumpernickel, and so forth.
Even though the beer featured a bit less effervescence than, say, Club Colombia, one of the more popular mainstays of the lager-dominated Colombian beer market, the Cerveza Negra did not wilt, even in the muggy, oppressive heat of Cartagena's rainy season. As night fell, the lightning would begin to flash inland or along the coast and as my (favorite drinking) companion and I would reach for our slender, perspiring glasses, and be rewarded, even after some time had passed from the moment of the beer's delivery, with a soulful gulp. It may be that the beer's mysterious ingredient, in the late stages of swilling, would turn a bit sour, but that was a minor complaint, and had to be considered in the context of the town's climate.
Cartagena, a major tourist destination, oftentimes seemed (much like most Colombian beers) a little "Colombia-lite" for my tastes. It was the devastating heat, explorations outside the Old City, and the dark and fascinating history which provided me with a deep respect and admiration for the place. Investing in this beer, like I invested in the city, was well worth the effort.
 |
| Old City at sunset |
At first taste, the beer did not offer too many layers or textures, and many ample pours could, therefore, be consumed in a night of stifling heat. The heat and rapidly changing temperature of the beer highlighted some new textures that would have otherwise been unrecognizable. As the DJ sampled American pop mashed up with the crooning and thumping unique to the Southern Hemisphere, the lightning drew closer, and with the first drops patting the low, wooden tables, the handful of guests began to head for the tent, or for the shelter of a quieter bar or restaurant in the overpriced Old Town or appropriately energetic San Diego neighborhood. The streets would flood, but even in the grungiest parts of town, there was a charming power to the rain. Hence, the high X-Factor -- a couple of Colombian dark beers sloshing around in our bellies -- in a town that has for many years been a gateway to the secrets and dramas of the Southland interior.
A fine discovery in a country that doesn't feature many dark beers.
No comments:
Post a Comment