Sagra Iberian Pilsner US Edition

Origin: Spain

Type: Pilsner

Color: Golden

Alcohol content: 5%

Recommended serving temperature: 7ºC/45ºF

Brewery: Cerveza Sagra

Webpage: http://www.cervezasagra.es/

I have decided to write today about a very tasty little Spanish pilsner, which is brewed specifically for the US market, the Sagra Iberian Pilsner US Edition.

Normally, the beers I tend to write about are relatively easy to find in their country of origin and a little less so in other countries. In this case though it is exactly the opposite. I am looking at Cerveza Sagra's website and the Sagra Pils is not on there anymore, while they still brew a special edition for the US. To add another twist to this weirdness, I got this beer in Spain from my beer of the month club.

The Sagra Iberian Pilsner is of a deep golden color and develops little foam. Its carbonation however is easily noticeable in the middle of the glass and makes itself felt in your mouth. It is a very pretty beer to look at. The deep color and the fine carbonation hypnotize like only the Fox channel previously could.

Its smell is predominantly fruity, with hints of, banana, lemon and peach. This eclectic little mix of fruits makes for a very summery and fresh smell. However, it also kind of reminds me of the traditional Danone fruit yogurts, not the modern healthy looking ones with pieces of fruit in them, but the synthetic looking ones that kids actually like. This resemblance is also spurred on by a bit of sweet maltiness, which helps to soften the slight bitterness of the lemon.

The taste of this beer also follows the smell, giving out a sweet and fruity flavor which is very enjoyable and easy to drink. Towards the middle, nevertheless, this beer loses some of the sweetness and becomes a bit drier, finishing with a distinctly dry taste and a slight hint of alcohol.

All of this makes this one of the most aromatic and flavorful pilsners I can recall tasting. I would recommend trying this with some equally flavorful seafood, such as salmon for example, which will not overpower it, keeping you from enjoying the taste, but will still have enough kick to stand up to it. 

In any case, it is always a good bet to have this beer by itself in the middle of a warm day as a refreshment or a pick me up, taking your sweet time to savor the taste.

In doing so, you might want to raise your glass in honor of Iberian Beer United, or IBU, the importer who has made possible its appearance on the US market.