Santa Espuma Yana "Negra" Porter

Name: Yana Porter ("Negra")

Served at: Santa Espuma 

Brewer: Santa Espuma

Type: (Style / mode of delivery) English style porter, draft

ABV: 4.5%

Label (5): label not available, 2 based on branding of bar

Look-Cs (color, clarity, carbonation, cap, and constancy) (20): 12

Snout (15): 11

Texture (20): 17

Flavor (30): 20

X-Factor (10): 6

Total: 68

If this beer were a saint, it would be Saint Arnold of Metz -- known for ending a plague when he dunked his crucifix in a brew kettle, called it "blessed" and persuaded the masses to drink only from that kettle.

Ya gotta have faith

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"Don't drink the water, drink beer."

-Saint Arnold of Metz (580 - 640 AD)

"But would you really want a Guinness on the beach?" is the common refrain I hear when discussing my love for dark beer and disdain for the cheap mass-produced lagers typical of South America. I am usually midway through my fantasy of sipping a Bell's Expedition Stout while watching the sun glide into the Pacific, so I mumble in agreement, adding that when served very cold and michelada* these beers are indeed a refreshing substitute for water.

No hot surfers here

In order to avoid further interrupting my daydream, I fail to point out what is conspicuously missing from their line of argument-- South America is not one big beach. There are many sizeable cities and towns where much of the year can be quite chilly and rainy. My two week return to Quito was a reminder of this simple fact. 

My gracious hostess suggested Santa Espuma as a step up from the Turtle's Head, so on a drizzly night we hopped a short cab ride to the neighborhood of La Floresta to imbibe. Positioning ourselves strategically between a vista of dusky downtown Quito and the illuminated kegs showcased behind paned glass, we listened to our charmless server unenthusiastically list the three beer options: a negra (porter), rubia (wheat) and roja (amber).

While the foam on my negra lasted, it was not quite as heavenly as the name implies. However, the thick mouthfeel of the beer was the most divine phenomenon in the entire restaurant. 

The chocolately stout served as a much needed antidote to the rain and to too many days ended with lukewarm Pilsener. The beer was dark and dense, flashing a mahogany hue through the candlelight. The nose was milk chocolately sweet with some roast. The taste was a bit less sweet than the nose, and while the mocha like flavors hit hard in the beginning, they did not linger or evolve as much as I would have liked. 

Perhaps it was the surly service, or the nearly empty dining room, but the ambiance of the place was a bit lacking. While the beautiful views, fireplace, and visible brewing system offered a solid aesthetic base, the bar exuded a sense of confusion or lost direction. To be fair, Santa Espuma would not be the last place where I felt  the texture of an otherwise lovely room in Quito dominated by a sense of bewilderment. 

*Michelada has different meanings based on region. The most basic take, and that which I've seen most often served in the Andean region of South America simply means beer with lime juice and salt. Tabasco, clamato juice, and Worcestershire are all popular additions as well.