Dos Equis XX - Ambar Especial (Amber)

12 ounce bottle into lager glass; bottled on 12/28/2017, best before 12/2018. Pours fairly crystal clear deep orange/copper/amber/light reddish color with a 1 finger dense and rocky cream colored head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice dense spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of cracker, brown bread dough/crust, toasted biscuit, and brown sugar; with lighter notes of caramel, nuttiness, wood, pepper, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Some fruity/yeasty aromas, but not overwhelming. Nice and pleasant aromas with good complexity of bready malts and light earthy hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of cracker, brown bread dough/crust, toasted biscuit, and brown sugar; with lighter notes of caramel, nuttiness, wood, pepper, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Light herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of cracker, brown bread dough/crust, toasted biscuit, brown sugar, caramel, nuttiness, wood, pepper, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice robustness and complexity of bready malts and light earthy hop flavors; with a solid malt/bitterness balance, and no cloying flavors after the finish. Fairly crisp/clean finishing. Very clean on lager flavors, with minimal fruity/yeasty notes. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and light-medium body; with a very smooth, fairly creamy/bready/grainy, and lightly sticky mouthfeel that is good. A bit thin, but not too watery. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 4.7%. Overall this is a very good Vienna lager. All around nice robustness and complexity of bready malts and light earthy hop flavors; very smooth and fairly crisp/clean/refreshing to drink with the mildly bitter/drying finish. Very flavorful for the low ABV. Very clean and nicely rich Pils/Vienna/Munich malt flavors; with mild earthy hop presence/balance against sweetness. A very enjoyable offering, and well made style example.

Copper color with typical beer aroma. Taste is lighter for amber beers, a little caramel malt sweetness that finishes bitter, reminds me of many European lager beers.

Kan je wel ambar op je blik zetten, maar dat maakt het nog geen amber-bier. Gewoon een pilsje met een smaakje. Zes betses, woa!

So you want to talk to talk malt and hops and brewing technique, go to another beer. I just finished mowing the backyard on a 97 deg Texas afternoon. I want to talk cold and smooth and tasty. I pop the lid on the ice old 12 oz bottle, push in a slice of lime and slam half of it. Delicious. Mexican beers need to be consumed in the context of Mexican beers. XX Amber is one of the best ones. I’ll step off the soapbox now. 6/29/18. Since first rating this beer, it has been my standard at the bar inside a local Mexican food restaurant that I frequent with friends to watch sports. My appreciation has grown and likewise I’m kicking the rating up a bit.