Puerto Rico Beers

[2pigs]

I'm headed to Puerto Rico. Is there any chance there are any local beers that are not American light lagers?

Brewery tours? Anything? Help?

[skahtboi]

I'm headed to Puerto Rico. Is there any chance there are any local beers that are not American light lagers?

Brewery tours? Anything? Help?

Beer Expedition lists these two breweries:

Ceveceria India (http://beerexpedition.com/pr/b_01191.shtml) The only information I can find on it (Wikipedia) shows its main beer to be Medalla Light, a "pale lager." Here is the BeerPal info on it: Medalla Light (http://www.beerpal.com/Medalla-Light-Beer/15229/)

La Villa de Torrimar (http://beerexpedition.com/pr/b_02523.shtml) I couldn't find any information on this brewery or its beers, and that could be because BeerMe.com lists it as closed.

[2pigs]

I found a brew pub in San Juan, which I'm headed to this weekend, I'll let everyone know how it is. http://www.oldharborbrewery.com/

One strange thing about the island is all the can beer is 10oz. Medalla Light is the light lager beer of the island. Not bad for the style, but more of a lawn mower beer.

[skahtboi]

Looks like an interesting place. We expect a full report.

[BrewDog]

Also, be on the lookout for the "Tropical" Foreign Export Stouts.
I can't say that I've had any myself, but the BJCP guidelines talk about several and I would be interested to hear a report back on them.

http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style13.php#1d

13D. Foreign Extra Stout
Aroma: Roasted grain aromas moderate to high, and can have coffee, chocolate and/or lightly burnt notes. Fruitiness medium to high. Some versions may have a sweet aroma, or molasses, licorice, dried fruit, and/or vinous aromatics. Stronger versions can have the aroma of alcohol (never sharp, hot, or solventy). Hop aroma low to none. Diacetyl low to none.

Appearance: Very deep brown to black in color. Clarity usually obscured by deep color (if not opaque, should be clear). Large tan to brown head with good retention.

Flavor: Tropical versions can be quite sweet without much roast or bitterness, while export versions can be moderately dry (reflecting impression of a scaled-up version of either sweet stout or dry stout). Roasted grain and malt character can be moderate to high, although sharpness of dry stout will not be present in any example. Tropical versions can have high fruity esters, smooth dark grain flavors, and restrained bitterness; they often have a sweet, rum-like quality. Export versions tend to have lower esters, more assertive roast flavors, and higher bitterness. The roasted flavors of either version may taste of coffee, chocolate, or lightly burnt grain. Little to no hop flavor. Very low to no diacetyl.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full to full body, often with a smooth, creamy character. May give a warming (but never hot) impression from alcohol presence. Moderate to moderately-high carbonation.

Overall Impression: A very dark, moderately strong, roasty ale. Tropical varieties can be quite sweet, while export versions can be drier and fairly robust.

Comments: A rather broad class of stouts, these can be either fruity and sweet, dry and bitter, or even tinged with Brettanomyces (e.g., Guinness Foreign Extra Stout; this type of beer is best entered as a Specialty Beer – Category 23). Think of the style as either a scaled-up dry and/or sweet stout, or a scaled-down Imperial stout without the late hops. Highly bitter and hoppy versions are best entered as American-style Stouts (13E).

History: Originally high-gravity stouts brewed for tropical markets (and hence, sometimes known as “Tropical Stouts”). Some bottled export (i.e., stronger) versions of dry or sweet stout also fit this profile. Guinness Foreign Extra Stout has been made since the early 1800s.

Ingredients: Similar to dry or sweet stout, but with more gravity. Pale and dark roasted malts and grains. Hops mostly for bitterness. May use adjuncts and sugar to boost gravity. Ale yeast (although some tropical stouts are brewed with lager yeast).

Vital Statistics: OG: 1.056 – 1.075
IBUs: 30 – 70 FG: 1.010 – 1.018
SRM: 30 – 40 ABV: 5.5 – 8%

Commercial Examples: Tropical-Type: Lion Stout (Sri Lanka), Dragon Stout (Jamaica), ABC Stout (Singapore), Royal Extra “The Lion Stout” (Trinidad), Jamaica Stout (Jamaica), Export-Type: Freeminer Deep Shaft Stout, Guinness Foreign Extra Stout (bottled, not sold in the US), Ridgeway of Oxfordshire Foreign Extra Stout, Coopers Best Extra Stout, Elysian Dragonstooth Stout

[2pigs]

Here's the deal,,,,, Great place. Old Harbor Brewery has 5 beers on tap. Very good food. But back to the beer.

They have 4 beers and 1 rotating beer.

One American/German light lager, very clean and crisp, a beer that is super light, great for the 90'F weather.

One Pilsner, which they claim is the best beer in the south? Not sure on the contest. Very clean and crisp but with a hint of german hops, not bad at all.

One Pale Ale, weak at best not very hoppy, but a nice change from the local brew I have had all week.

One stout which is on the dry side which was great, not like a Dragon stout which would be sweet to taste, but more like Guiness extra stout.

The rotating beer was a Beligan Ale 7.5% abv which was poor at best, I'm not sure what the brewer was going for but,,,,, it was still a nice change from the local beer.

I highly recommend this place. They had a great set up and a live latin jazz band. Growlers available and 22's to go. The pints were about 5.25.

When in Puerto Rico check it out.