Xingu

Brewed by FEMSA Cerveja Brasil
Style: Schwarzbier
Jacareí (SP), Brazil

Serve in Dimpled mug, Lager glass, Stein

A bubbly brown head that leaves a ring around the glass with some lacing, and a black body (duh). The aroma has some apples and a bit of malt. The taste is toasted malt with a bit of sweet apple and a smooth body.

In bottle. Pours a dark brown colour with a red glow. Thin tan head and aroma of treacle, toffee apple, caramel and butterscotch. Similar butterscotch flavour upfront with moderate carbonation an CO2 prickle and a foamy mouth-feel. Caramel lingers and this is the predominant flavour overall. Not overly malty. Just prickly caramel.

I have loved this dark, yet light little beauty for a couple of decades now, although I do not see it often. It is very light bodied for a black beer, and has a very pleasing sweet after taste. It is a good beer to give to some one who thinks they do not like dark beers in order to open the doors of their mind to a new thing. If you were blind folded, you probably would guess it to be a nut brown

Xingu Black Beer Pours dark brown to black with small tan head and low retention. Aroma of chocolate malts with anise and a lingering sweetness. Clean aroma. Flavor is clean and malty with a nice spiciness akin to anise without the bite. Mellow bitter and chocolate notes. Pretty good overall with a nice roastiness without being burnt.

The first time I had this beer was in the early 90’s. The most recent time before tonight was at Christmas time 2010. Yep, opaque, bready, not very much on the mouthfeel. If there isn’t a better beer available to quaff, this is ok. The Brazilians dont make great beer with a very few great exceptions. Glad I only paid $1.50 for this bottle at World Market in Redding, CA.

From bottle. An interesting unoffensive dark lager with some fruit and citrus as well. I was not expecting much with this one, and it was the only brew offered at a coffee shop that wasn’t one of the macro swill variety. Overall, impressive just because of the surprise factor. Decent mouth feel.

UPDATED: JAN 8, 2012 Tasted from bottle into nucleated pint glass. Dark brown color with creamy tan head. Mellow, roasty malt-sweetness. Appropriate hop balance, but little leftover bitter flavor. Little complexity, overall impression is very mild. Light-medium body, moderate carbonation, neutral finish. Smooth and refreshing for such a dark beer.

12 oz. bottle from a shaker. Pours a deep brownish black color with absolutely no head even on a glugging pour. Aroma is molasses. Taste is sweet molasses. Incredibly simple beer. It is all dark sweet malts. No hops, and basically no carbonation. It is truly an ode to the dark malt.