I love spicy foods - give me something that will nuke my mouth and make it inhabitable for years to come, and you've got one happy man. Tina, my beer muse, stopped by Sunflower Market last night and got this dandy six pack, Sierra Blanca's Rio Grande Pancho Verde Chile Cerveza. I was curious about what other folks thought of this beer and on Beer Advocate, it's mostly negative...probably because almost all of the reviews were from East Coast people, who don't "get" chile and its addictive properties. I don't get them either, so it's all good. Anyway, I think this is a beer that New Mexicans (or neighboring areas) will appreciate - may not be everyone's "thing" but if you're a chile-head, give this one a try.Appearance - 3.0/5.0 - A light lager beer, with a reddish tint to it. Very wispy head, sorta disappointing in that regard.
Smell - 5.0/5.0 - Wow, it does indeed smell of green chile. It's peppery, but not so where your nostrals burn. There is some sweetness too, I'd guess from the malt.
Taste - 4.0/5.0 - Peppery green chile taste. Smooth, crisp and I'd definitely call it "cerveza". Makes me think of fresh roasted chiles and NM. Some heat at the end, but only enough to give it a chile flavor, not chile heat.
Feel - 4.0/5.0 - Smooth, some chile aftertaste, but not all that much. Crisp tasting - would be awesome with some enchiladas or tacos.
Drinkability - 3.5/5.0 - I'd definitely have it again, but it would likely be with New Mexican food or in the summer.
