Dama/LAB Extra Special Bitter Real Ale

Style: ESB Piracicaba, SP, Brazil ABV: 5.8 IBU: 44 500ml bottle

Tasted on 19/8/22 Best by 7/23 Price: 30R$

Here’s another ESB and there do seem to be plentiful these days, at last. This one is by Dama in there Lab series and has been made according to CAMRA’s parameters, apparently and it should be just right for this freezing cold August night with arctic winds chilling my cockles. It’s got a big frothy off-white head and it’s a lightly hazy dark reddish amber colour. It does really smell like an ESB with plenty of malt upfront with lots of biscuit, cake and toffee. There’s also a nutty aroma and the hops come through giving a light earthy tone. All in all it smells very balanced, clean and tantalising.

It’s got a medium body which slightly chewy and quite low carbonation. The malt is what hits you first with tons of biscuit, cake and toffee as well as nuts and healthy dose of brown sugar. The hop bitterness is quite subtle and it seems a bit more on the sweet side but there is also an earthy and leafy taste to it with hints of black tea and mulch. It’s not really boozy or warming and it’s the sweet malt which linger.

I think the balance is a bit wrong here, the aroma is very good but the flavour is a bit too much on the sweet side and it needs more of a hop presence.

Score: 3.5

Dama Sour Fruit Tangerina e Gengibre

Style: Fruit sour  Piracicaba, SP, Brazil   ABV: 4   IBU: 10   350ml bottle

Tasted on 28/5/20   Best by 1/21  Price: 17R$

I enjoyed the first of Dama’s sour fruit series so I’m looking forward to this one especially as it has tangerine and ginger in it, both of which I really like. Although, this chilly night might not be the best time for it.

It pours with a frothy bright white head which slowly settles and it’s a hazy mid orange colour. The fruity tangerine is really clear from first sniff and the ginger comes close behind and then it’s a light sourness with a hint of green apples and grapes. It’s fragrant but also light and it smells refreshing and juicy.

It’s fizzy and end effervescent in the mouth and it feels light and crisp. The tangerine and ginger are very prominent here and it tastes almost like a fruity beer cocktail. The sourness is refreshing and not eye watering and the ginger gives a light lingering burn but there’s almost no booze here or warmth.

It really would be perfect for a warm spring afternoon as it’s so light and crisp. It’s very pleasant and goes down quickly.

Score: 3.6

 

 

Dama Sour Fruit Jabuticaba com Chás de Melissa e Poejo

Style: Fruit Sour  Piracicaba, SP, Brazil   ABV: 4   IBU: 8   355ml Bottle

Tasted on 24/4/20   Best by 23/1/1   Price: 18R$

This fruity sour is made with jabuticaba, which seems to be getting more and more popular as a beer ingredient, plus a couple of herbs in the form of infusions (not teas, as Brazilians insist on calling herbal infusions, tea is a plant, got it). I’ve heard of both of these herbs but didn’t know the connection till now, melissa is lemon balm and poejo is pennyroyal, like the Nirvana song.

It has a big frothy white head and it’s an odd murky grayish brown with a russet glint. It has an unusual aroma and it goes with the label imagery of indians and tribes, it’s sour, fruity and herbal, with the waxiness of the jabuticaba mixing with the mintiness of the herbs and a lactic yoghurt tartness. it’s a bold and memorable aroma.

It feels soft and smooth in the mouth and thicker than I’d thought, maybe the fruit and herbs have thickened it up and the carbonation is on the low side. First impressions are positive; it’s sour but not not too acidic with some lemon and of course the waxy jabuticaba and the minty herbal infusion which lingers. It’s clean and refreshing and very much on the dry side.

I really like this fruity sour, it’s different and innovative and it works, i’d get it again and it isn’t too expensive either.

Score: 4

Dama Adventure Surf

Style: Triple IPA  Piracicaba, SP, Brazil   ABV: 9.5   IBU: 40   473ml can

Tasted on 15/5/19   Best by 21/2/20   Price: 30R$

I’ve had a lot of beers by Dama Bier but this will be my first triple IPA and at 9.5% it packs a punch but the IBU is curiously low at only 40, so it’ll be an interesting one as many similar style beers are much more bitter an aggressive than a paltry 40 IBU. but Dama could pull this off as they’re generally a quality brewery and I faith in them.

It pours with a light, fluffy bright white and it’s a lightly hazy, clear and pale amber. It smells clean and bright with lots of sweet and ripe fruit; mango, melon, peach, grapefruit and passionfruit, there’s also a light touch of pine and herb, giving it green and fresh leafy and plant like notes.There’s a light sweetness and syrup aroma under all the hops with gives a  structure and a balance. I wouldn’t guess it was such a strong beer as it isn’t boozy at all.

It does feel thick, creamy and chewy in the mouth and it’s quite fizzy and spritzy. The balance is about right here and although there is a lot of fruity flavours here from the hops the bitterness imparted is quite slight and isn’t biting. It’s a bit boozier in the mouth than the nose and it has some slight sharp vinous tanginess. There’s also quite a lot of sweetness coming in from the malt and I suppose the high ABV. I’m feeling the alcoholic warmth and buzz after only a few sips now and the flavours that linger on are the fruitiness and sweetness.

A beer like this (a triple IPA) should focus on drinkability and enjoyability and I think that this was what was aimed at here and it has been pretty much achieved. It could have been a much harsher and more aggressive beer which I had been expecting so it’s a pleasant surprise and one of the better beers from Dama.

Score: 4

Dama Bier New Flowers Series #5 – Rosa

Style: Brut IPA  Piracicaba, SP, Brazil   ABV: 7   IBU: 20   500ml bottle

Tasted on 6/3/19   Best by 11/19   Price: 28R$

Another one of Dama’s experimental New Flower’s series of beers, this time it’s the turn of Rosa, a Brut IPA; one of the newest IPA sub-styles which at least here in Brazil seems to be more popular than the other one; the Milkshake IPA, which is a good thing I think as  I prefer the former. It pours with a big fluffy pure white head which slowly sinks down and it’s a very pale, slightly hazy straw colour. There’s a fresh, fruity hop aroma which is ripe and sweet and reminds me of melon and mango and a bit of orange, there’s a light spiciness, with some fresh green pepper and a bit of a yeasty perfume of flowers, earth and pears.

It feels light and frivolous with medium carbonation which could actually have been higher for this kind of beer. So it is a beer which is far drier than it is bitter but has a fruity hoppy flavour and a subdued and light malt base, reminiscent of dry crackers. It’s perfumy, floral and lightly soapy. It has that dry and spicy flavour associated with Champagne but it isn’t so dry that it isn’t easy to drink. It doesn’t taste too boozy and is only mildly warming.

I kind of like these Brut IPA’s but maybe they aren’t any better than standard IPA’s but it nice to have a change and this is a pretty decent version which I think gets things right.

Score: 3.7

Dama Bier New Flowers Series #4 – Jasmim

Style: NE IPA  Piracicaba, SP, Brazil   ABV: 6   IBU: 30   500ml bottle

Tasted on 3/1/19   Best by   Price: 28R$

Here is the fourth in the Dama New Flowers series and it’s another New England IPA but this time a relatively gentle version at only 6 ABV and a mere 30 IBU, which should make it very smooth, it’s also brewed with mango and a single hop variety; Mosaic so it should be very juicy.

It pours with a lovely white, frothy and smooth head which reduces to a stable thin cap and it’s a dull, hazy pale amber colour. It’s very fruity and I’m finding it hard to distinguish the Mosaic with the mango as they are blending with each other to produce a very juicy aroma, which is fresh and clean and not at all heavy, there’s no resin or pine here, just ripe fruit. It’s a little bit on the sweet side and there is a fresh bread malt base on which the fruit aroma sits.

It has quite high and fizzy carbonation and it feels smooth and juicy in the mouth with a medium mouthfeel. Definitely smooth is the word to describe this beer and it has a neat balance between the fruity sweetness and just a bit f bitterness that cuts through to make it finish on a dryish note. It’s a very clean beer and refreshing and I guess the oats and wheat give it another kind of taste and feel apart from the smoothness, there is a light and slight tartness or grassiness akin to wheat beers. It doesn’t have much of an alcohol taste, in fact it has an almost session IPA feel to it.

I’m enjoying it and it’s well-made but I’m not blown away and there are better IPA’s and NE IPA’s, in fact I think the other one in this series was more to my tastes.

Score: 3.7

 

Dama New Flowers Series #3 – Eritrina

Style: Pale Ale  Piracicaba, SP, Brazil   ABV: 5   IBU: 40   500ml bottle

Tasted on 23/11/18   Best by 24/12/18   Price: 25R$

Here’s another beer in the New Flowers Series by Dama. A concept which matches native flowers with beers, this time it’s a west coast APA. I guess the label shows the flower in question but as I’m no expert in botany I can’t be sure.

It pours with a lovely fluffy bright white head and is a very pale hazy yellow. The aroma is indeed redolent of flowers and of course of fruit, citric and tropical but more orangey, limey and mango and there’s also a bit of dank resin in there. There’s also some light bready sweet malt. It’s a fresh and clean smelling beer but it’s also quite light and unobtrusive.

It’s light and crisp in the mouth with high sparkling carbonation. It has a dank and resinous flavour too with a bit of pine too. It’s fruity too but it’s unripe and green fruit. There’s a yeasty and almost briny flavour which isn’t unpleasant. It’s a very dry beer too without much sweetness coming in from the malt. However, it isn’t very bitter or harsh but due to the lack of sweetness you feel the dryness more.

It’s a nicely made APA and it’s refreshing and easy to imbibe; a worthy addition to the new flowers series.

Score: 4

Dama Bier New Flowers Series #1: Íris

Style: New England IPA   Piracicaba, SP, Brazil   ABV: 6.5   IBU: 60

Tasted on 15/9/18   Best by 2/9   Price: 25R$

This is a collaboration between Dama Bier and Dogma and appears to be part of a series of new beers they are launching or testing out. Here we have the beer style of the moment, the NE IPA, of which I’m ever so particular about.

It has a massive bright white fine and creamy textured head which is pretty stable and long lasting and it has a very pale and ever so slightly hazy amber colour. It’s very fruity and fragrant and not at all aggressive, rather it has a juicy and sweet fruitiness with tons of citric fruit; grapefruit, lime and tangerine come to mind as well as the omnipresent passion fruit in these kind of beers. It’s also lightly grainy and grassy and looking at the ingredients I see that it contains malted wheat as  well as oat which may be there to soften and sweeten things.

It is soft, satiny and smooth in the mouth and the carbonation is middling. It’s a very fresh and balanced beer with a decent hop bite which is probably about right, enough for a nice kick but not an ice-pick to the forehead. At the forefront is the juicy fruit as suggested by the aroma but it has a softness to it which must be the oats and a light grassy and breadiness which should be the wheat. There is quite a lot of sweetness to it too but the aftertaste is a dry and resinous.

It’s another fine example of its style and it’s just what I fancied and it has met my expectations. It’s tasty, easy to drink and enjoyable so thumbs up.

Score : 3.9

 

 

 

Dama Bier Tupi

Style: Rye IPA   Piracicaba (SP), Brazil   ABV: 7.5   IBU: 70   600ml bottle

Tasted on 28/2/18   Best by 26/9/18  Price: 22R$

Although it just bears the name Dama Bier, it seems this is a collaborative beer with Tupiniquim hence the name and the label which depicts a strange looking goddess which is half blue macaw and half woman. I’m looking forward to this beer as I like both breweries and I’m in the mood for a good IPA, let’s see what the Rye aspect will bring it. Oh and I do love these big 600ml bottles.

It’s quite a pale IPA, slightly cloudy and a light apricot colour with a neat foamy white head. On first sniff it’s nice and aromatic, with lots of fruity notes, some fresh unpeeled range and grapefruit with some melon and passion fruit. There’s some piney resin and green leaves too. There’s a light biscuity and bready malt base giving some light sweetness. There’s a touch of grain in the nose from the Rye I suppose and a light peppery aroma. It’s a balanced and fresh smelling beer.

Obviously, it’s hop heavy with lots of upfront fruitiness as noted above and the bitterness is clearly evident here. There’s some herbal and peppercorn in the flavour too. But the Rye flavour is clearer in the flavour than the aroma giving it a cereal and grain flavour and a light tartness and sharpness. It’s a very drinkable and enjoyable beer and it’s well made and executed but somehow I was expecting something more. Instead it’s an almost sessionable IPA which is no bad thing. It doesn’t seem to be so strong in either alcohol or bitterness; I could drink a bunch of these. Even the aftertaste is pleasant and subdued.

It’s a very decent if not amazing, balanced and almost light IPA. It’s tasty and really drinkable and better than many American IPA’s.

Score: 3.7

Rated while listening to The Modern Lovers – Modern Lovers

 

Dama Bier Dama Y-Îara

Style: Imperial Pilsner   Piracicaba (SP), Brazil   ABV: 7.2   IBU: 55   600ml bottle

Tasted on 2/2/18   Best by 11/10/18  Price: 18R$

Here we go with another beer by Dama Bier. This time an Imperial Pilsner, which is not the most common of styles which is why I’m reviewing it. So it should have elements of IPA’s (specifically the high hop content and varieties of hops used) and of Pilsners (the malts, the yeast and the brewing process). It’s a style that can be very tasty and refreshing. From what I’m reading this has Czech and German hips but is dry-hopped with I think more new world varieties.

It looks like a Pilsner with a nice foamy white head and it has a golden amber colour with a lot of bubbles. It also has a Pilsner aroma, a familiar white wet yeasty dough mixed with light lemon and a bit of fresh grass. From its aroma I wouldn’t guess it was so strong, the other Imperial Pilsners I’ve had have definitely erred on the hoppy IPA side but this is most certainly a lager. There is a bit of mandarin citrus, which coincidentally is the name of one of the two varieties used for dry-hopping (Mandarina Bavária). Anyway, it’s a clean and fresh aroma.

The carbonation is high but not too much and it’s clean and soft in the mouth. First and foremost this is a Pilsner and a tasty one at that. It has sweet bready malt and herbal and lightly floral hop flavouring and bitterness but it’s certainly more bitter than most. It does have a slight citric fruitiness; lemon and mandarin. It doesn’t stray into IPA territory at all which is surprising but maybe not a bad thing. It doesn’t taste that boozy at all really, I wouldn’t guess 7.2 and it doesn’t even feel that warming.

It’s a well-made, clean and refreshing strong lager, which really is what it says it is. Another good one from Dama Bier.

Score : 3.8

Rated while listening to Edu Lobo – Messe Breve