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I've babbled for a while about the sheer number of immigrants from the south that we have here in Tennessee, so I'm not going to go into that again, but I like the benefits we get. Whatever your opinion, it should be sufficient that they oftentimes bring their culture, their food, and occasionally their beer. This came from Henderson, Tennessee, and I don't know what they're percentage of Spanish speaking residents is, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was particularly high in the area. I'm hoping that expertise in brewing beer goes hand in hand with this. I already kind of like Half Batch, and it is a hot summer day for me to enjoy a lager designed to be enjoyed in a hot, slightly more arid climate.
The beer looks exactly like I expected a Mexican lager to look. It's a little darker than usual for these kinds of beer, but it is clear and yellow in a very pleasing way. The head is clearly not going to stay around at the time that I pour it, and it is gone by the time I take my second picture. The aroma is sweet grains. I think I also smell flowers, and it should be a delightful beverage, assuming the taste follows the smell. Right now, I wish I had some enchiladas or gorditos.
First sip kind of tricked me at first. I got the distinct impression that this was going to be skunked just as I took the sip, but there was no skunk flavor in it. Instead, the sweet grains are doing a great job of holding together a beverage that seems to have more weight to it than it's flavor profile would indicate. I expect a beverage that is more malt than hops to have a good amount of weight, but this is not as light and airy as most of the Mexican lagers I've had of late. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, I'm just saying it's different. And, honestly, different is better. I want something that's going to stand out, and so far this is doing a pretty good job.
Tip-in is undeniable sweet grains with a little bit of honey and flowers added. The middle becomes just about as drinkable as you can get with the grains letting some water through while still maintaining a good balance of heft. The finish lets the flowers come a little harder as the sweetness also gets an uptick before bitterness finally starts to seep in for the trail off.
Bottom Line: I think this came in a six pack, and I will enjoy the other five pretty well.
4.0/5
