REVIEW 172: NEGRA MODELO

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  Mexico

BREWERY:  Grupo Modelo S.A. de C.V.

STYLE:  Vienna Lager

ABV:  5.4%

PURCHASE:  Case (two 12-packs) of 24 12-oz. bottles, $32.99

SERVING:  12-oz. bottle, poured into pint glass. Not very heady; a standard (20-second) pour yielded only about half an inch, which disappeared quickly. I had to pour fast to produce a head with any worthwhile retention, and even then it was less than an inch.

APPEARANCE:  Amber-mahogany body and fairly see-through for a darker beer. Tannish-white wispy head (while it lasts). Conspicuous and faster than average bubbling action. The occasional strand of thin suds, but no real lacing.

AROMA:  Bready--in particular, the crust of a loaf of bread from your local supermarket--and not much else. I challenge you to run to the store and pick up a loaf of Wonder, Strohmann, or any mass-produced white bread of choice. Then take a blind smell test with this beer. Do it.

TASTE:  Despite the bubbling, the carbonation remains in check with this one, though it is formidable. Somewhat seltzer-like at first, with a thin and somewhat watery mouthfeel; makes for easy but ultimately uninspiring drinking. On the whole, the hop-malt balance is dead even early on, with hops gaining a slight victory at the end. Has the "cooked veggie" quality of an adjunct to a minor extent. Not very flavorful until the very end, when the aftertaste kicks in with what seems to be appleskin and tea notes. Comes off kind of like a Mexican version of Yuengling.

MUSINGS AND METAPHORS:  Bleh. There was a time when I honestly thought this was arguably the best Mexico had to offer, aside from perhaps Bohemia. (Admittedly, I have yet to come across a real craft beer from south of the border.) Something definitely has changed. Or maybe my palate simply evolved.

Still looking for that truly great Mexican brew, as this was, sad to say, disappointingly part of the pack.




GRADE:   C-

The pack.