Review: Ocho Reales Reserva Imperial Ale

Ocho Reales Reserva Coleccion Especial de Nuestro Maestro Cervecero Imperial AleOcho Reales Reserva Coleccion Especial de Nuestro Maestro Cervecero Imperial Ale. My parents picked this up for me while they were in Mexico a few months ago. 

From the website: Craft Beer, copper color, elaborated with only four ingredients: 100% malts, mix of pale malts and roasted and smoked malts. Water. Our own Ale yeast. Hops: A mixture of American and European varieties giving a high bitterness degree with fine, intense, pleasant scent and intense flavour.
6.5% ABV

Appearance: Pours a dark red ale, reminiscent of an old classic English Pub Ale. Lots of carbonation in the body and a light amount of beige head on top of the beer.

Aroma: Sweet, malty, biscuity and tad earthy. I get a heavy dose of caramel, a tad bit of nuttiness, bit of a raisiny/fig presence to it. 

Taste: Quite a sweet-forward caramelly ale with a toasted malt presence that gives of a slight bitterness to it, slight amount of American/Euro hop presence that has a bit of a piney bitterness but also a hint of grassiness. Dark, not too heavy. Slightly burnt malt aftertaste, fairly dry on palate.

Overall Thoughts: While I haven't had it in several years but I think the closest contemporary you may find this beer is Modelo Negra or an English Ale meets a Bock. Quite sweet, tad nutty and bitter hoppiness at the end.

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