Monday, December 28, 2015

Grupo Modelo - Negra Modelo

For the Fourth Beer of Christmas, we slipped across the southern border for my favorite beer from Mexico.

Grupo Modelo
Negra Modelo
While I rarely buy this to drink at home, it is a frequent purchase at Mexican restaurants. It goes nicely with most Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes and is generally available. It's also a far cry better than most of the Mexican selections (Corona, Tecate, Dos Equis, etc.)

Crystal clear and medium brown, Negra Modelo pours up with a fine body of carbonation that barely stuck around long enough for me to snap photos. While the carbonation did stick around, there was little to no lacing.

The aroma is sweet - a combination of malt and caramel. Mild and not particularly impressive, you'll barely notice the smell unless you attempt to find it. Especially if you're in a Mexican food restaurant with the chilis and fajitas wafting in the air.

The taste is extremely smooth and refreshing. Lightly sweet, like the aroma, the beer is also a bit thin in the body, almost watery. This, of course, makes it very thirst quenching. However, unlike many of it's Mexican counterparts, Negra has a partially concealed complexity that won't be obvious unless you're focused on it. Hints of lemon and toasted bread abound.

Crisp carbonation finishes the drink and leaves a mild, semi-sweet taste - perfectly cleansing the palate for another bit of enchiladas.

The flavor is good and I wouldn't mar it by putting a lime in it. Unlike it's cousins, you don't need to mask the taste of this beer. Next time you're at your favorite Mexican, Tex-Mex, or New Mexican restaurant, trade in your Corona, Tecate, or Dos Equis or this one. Now, in all fairness, Dos Equis is also good and it's my 2nd choice at Mexican restaurants.

Stats
Brewer: Grupo Modelo (Parent: Anheuser-Busch InBev)
Location: Mexico City, Mexico
Website: http://www.gmodelo.com.mx/
Style: Munich Dunkel
Alcohol Content: 5.4%
Interesting Note: In 1993, Anheuser-Busch bought a 14% stake in Grupo Modelo and continued to make further purchases until they hit 50.2% in 1997.  In 2013, Anheuser-Busch InBev purchased the remaining 49.8% and Grupo Modelo flies under the flag of the world's largest brewer. I'm a little tired of AB InBev. Between their attempts to force the market to submit to them and their continued purchases of craft brewers, they are squeezing the life out of craft brewing. AB InBev owns Modelo & Corona. Heineken owns Dos Equis and Tecate. Does this mean I'll stop drinking Negra Modelo? No. But it does mean that I will try a little harder to find an alternative so I can support the small breweries that bring such variety to my palate.

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