Del Norte Mañana

Brewed by Del Norte Brewing Company
Style: Vienna
Denver, Colorado USA

Serve in Lager glass

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Pours a brownish color with a small head with a molasses and crystal malt aroma. Medium-high carbonation with a dry slightly sweet brown sugar and heavy malt taste. I think the aroma is a little better than the taste. But this is one of the better ambers I have had and definitely the best Mexican style beer I have had.

I was first introduced to the Del Norte Mañana under exceptional circumstances. And by exceptional I mean exceptionally awesome circumstances. The Mañana made an appearance near the end of my very first homebrewer’s association meeting, where I was graciously hosted as a guest, and given pint after pint of unique, lovingly crafted brews. I was made to be a king, and there upon my kingly table were overflowing glasses of sour red ales, black IPAs and a fallout shelter’s worth of drinkable goodies. Many of these beers were introduced with dramatic flourishes and bows, followed by pronouncements of their most noble and scientific origins, each given a list of accolades detailing their painstakingly long and tedious birth. The Maãnana was anonymously abandoned on the counter, left sitting in a cardboard six-pack holder, looking intimidated in its flimsy basinet. An elderly man shuffled up to me and parted his beard to declare that this beer was a lot like Corona but better, and that it was a shame restaurant’s did offer it. He then shuffled away, fading into the crowd, presumably to offer more prognostics to unsuspecting students. I took the bottle and gave it a pour, and found that the old man was entirely wrong. The margin between the Mañana and the Corona was larger than small. The beer looks a lot like whisky, though with a much fuller light brown head, and a mild coffee aroma. The flavor is intense and deep (the greatest disparity between it and Corona) with a sweet, warm honey flavor, and a tragically brief aftertaste. Some deep thinking leads me to conclude that both the aroma and flavor feature heavy undertones of mesquite wood, piled on top of a mild, soft carbonation. This would make an excellent session beer, and I see it paired well with that Mexican restaurant food too, but a close observer will find very little overlap between this brew and a Corona.

Had this beer at the All Colorado Beer Fest on 11/10/2007. Aroma is faint with some malt tones. Color is a golden amber with ok carbonation and a good head. Taste comes in on a light body with a nice sweet malt flavor and mild bitterness. I think this is the best Mexican-style beer I can remember having.

Sampled from the bottle right at the brewery. Solid amber beer with a nice creamy body. They’re going toe-to-toe with Dos Equis Amber with this and come out a winner by a mile -- well made malty brew. (#3516, 2/19/2009)

Amber, very nice head. Aroma is a bit of rind of lime. Taste is lots of roasted malt and not very much bitterness. There’s some toast or crusty, earthiness going on. I’m enjoying this brew as I was expecting something more industrial.

12 oz. Clear brown-copper with a small ring of bubbles. Nose is toffee, dry grass and a touch of dark cherry. Taste is the same mix, plus some earthy chocolate and roast. Light-medium body is well balanced, has low carbonation and is pretty drinkable.

sample from bottle on 11/16/11. copper pour with a small white head. slight nutty aroma with a light metallic note as well as lingering caramel malt and bread notes. medium body with caramel malt, light fruits, bread and figs. sweet finish with grapes and caramel.

bottle, amber color with thin foam , tried to make this more bready, malty and succeeded pretty well, has a faint green celery note but not a bad vienna

Aroma - very faint maltiness; Appearance - copper color, fluffy head, great lacing; Flavor - sweet malt front, subtle caramel, mild back with a slight tang, dry finish; Palate - smooth for the style, good body; Overall - unique brew, not typical of the style, more flavor than typical Mexican swill yet less than a good vienna, solid effort.

From the Jug at the GABF, Colorado Convention Center 12/10/2007 Hoppy aroma. Golden coloured smooth on the palate and hoppy with a crisp malt finish.