give the oldies a chance

Established manufacturers have funny ways of dealing with newcomers.  You would expect them to be not exactly happy at the thought of new competition, but in the spirit of capitalism (and we all have that spirit, right?) they should pull up their pants and get to work.  One famous American brewery went about it by establishing its cool jock cred, while buying up small breweries all over the place.  Its counterpart, at least in this part of the country, hangs out at Beer Weeks, has draft beer workshops, and owns a moderately significant percentage of (American) craft beer Founders.  It also produces some crafty looking beers itself, which I haven't taken the opportunity to try - until now.  Why not?  It's a season to be generous.  A whole collection of special Mahous were sitting in the refrigerator, so I grabbed the red label.  Seemed like the most festive.  It's proudly called Cerveza Extra, with the year 1890 on it, like this is the real Mahou classic.

Signed...

...engraved

It's a nice color, a bit of a dark gold, looking very much a beer with a little something extra in it.  Good head, too.  The smell is a little bit wheaty, slightly sweet, but not odd for a lager.  It is lagerish in taste, with a little heavy honey rolling in after the first taste.  That note of grass is there, recalling German beers, but there's also a bitter-sour finish that cleans up the first sweet notes nicely.  I find it a bit heavy, especially considering what the regular products are like, but it's really not bad for the dark evenings of December.  Could use a little something salty with it, though.  Some nice pretzels would go well.

It says it's inspired by the decorative paper factory started by Casimiro Mahou, and that the ice and beer factory is (was) on Amaniel.  I've been down there, quite recently in fact, and there's no brewery down that way now.  The only one in the area these days is the possibly not uncoincidentally named Fábrica Maravillas on Valverde.

Supplier: Birra y Paz
Price: €3.85