Estrella Damm - Damm S. A.

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.43/5  rDev +56.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Estrella Damm has a very thick, white head and a clear, straw appearance, with lots of streaming bubbles and ample lacing. The aroma is of sweet, bready malt and clean water, and the taste is of lightly-toasted cracker, sugar, water, and bitter hops. Mouthfeel is light and watery, and Estrella Damm finishes crisp, clean, refreshing, and dry. This beer is a clear winner.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 17:46:21 | More by RonaldTheriot

chefelf

New York

4.18/5  rDev +47.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I'm not sure exactly how to characterize this beer. I'm surprised to find it with such low grades as I rather enjoyed it. It was different than lagers I've tried in the past. Perhaps it is a testament to my lack of knowledge on the subject and this is typical of Spanish beers.

I've had the gluten free version in the past and I found this one to be much better (not surprising).

I only bought a couple of bottles to test but I would surely buy this beer again. Right up my alley.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2011 00:19:58 | More by chefelf

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +42.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Now, this isn't a mind-blowing-tasting lager. I feel what it lacks bumps it up into that exclusive (ever-expanding) echelon of cheap lager I will swill gladly.

It has to have the prettiest, tightest head I've ever laid eyes on - when it comes to this style. Pouring it into my Euro pint, the super silky compact foam rose high up the sides of the glass and fluffed up in the interior. Wet white cotton candy. Great retention. Registers in the mid-single digits on the SRM - in other words, pale straw gold, clean. Really, it's a looker.

From there, I'll admit the rest - smell, taste, feel - made me immediately think of Carlsberg's beers. Did they use their yeast strain here?

It's funny, this mostly smells like other lagers I've had from Spanish-speaking nations (Quilmes, Modelo, San Miguel come to mind). Aromas and flavors here matched closely with a surprising emphasis on (grainy) malt accented with an essence bordering on a lightly bubblegum-phenol and maybe some hops in the background. All mellow.

Big part of the enjoyment of this beer is the quite clean, mineral-rich feel to the water. Drinks like it's good for you or something. A little bit more wetness(?) may be desired as its soft, foamy mouthfeel and somewhat parching dryness obscures its medium body.

What Estrella Damm has is fine balance in flavor, a neat look, and much drinkability. What it DOESN'T have (what it lacks - and why I like it) is a (cooked) corn flavor that's unavoidable or overbearing. Sorry I only bought a single, honestly. I wanted another.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 06:40:57 | More by Bouleboubier

BDIMike

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev +40.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance very fizzy and golden. Very thin lacey head.
Smells mainly of hops. Smells like a European lager.
Nice taste. Good balance of hops and malts, hides the usual skunky taste of European lagers. Ends dry with a thirst for another sip.
Nice and smooth. Very nice on the tongue.
Very drinkable. Smooth and dry. Great warm weather beer with taste.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2007 01:22:51 | More by BDIMike

ZenAgnostic

Texas

3.98/5  rDev +40.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - White rocky pancake batter head with good retention. Clear pale straw body with lots of visible carbonation.

Smell - Sweet with hints of cherry. Great for a lager.

Taste - Corn with an alcoholic finish. Clean aftertaste. Does not live up to the appearance and smell.

Mouthfeel - Very smooth clean finish. No off flavors.

Overall Drinkability - Good overall beer. Could use a little more complexity in the flavor. If only the taste matched the rest of the beer, it would be ace.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2011 09:19:29 | More by ZenAgnostic

bark

Sweden

3.9/5  rDev +37.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The colour is straw yellow; the finger thick head is compact and white. Lots of fine lacing.

The smell is malty with notes of white bread. With hints of mild bitterness. Clean and uncomplicated.

The taste is stronger than expected: Clean notes of malt with flavours of white bread and a fresh mild bitterness. The aftertaste got some sour notes of lime and some sweet hints. Some wheatmeal in the finish.

The carbonation is medium strong, yet very fresh. The liquid is somewhat smooth.

Clean, fresh, uncomplicated with some dry notes. Just what I want from a macrobrewed lager.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2008 18:26:00 | More by bark

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +37.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a bright golden color with moderate white puffy head.
Smell is light and fruity.
Taste is crisp and refreshing. A nice fuity malt flavor is followed by a firm bitter dryness. A great combination.
Finishes with more strong dryness.
A nice refreshing beer that is a notch above the beers made in the usa.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2007 23:40:03 | More by tgbljb

drxandy

Michigan

3.83/5  rDev +35.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz to flare pint, pours a golden hazy shade, off white head fades to lacing

smells of spicy hop zest, nice light malts, corn/adjuncts

taste is sweet malts, corn/vegetable, hop bitter zesty finish, good carbonation, a nice zesty lager, corn takes away from the goodness but has a great finish and more flavor than most american macros ehe

mouthfeel is of good carbonation, hop spice - not bad overall and easy to drink

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2008 04:18:06 | More by drxandy

thegodfather2701

North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev +33.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A-Clear gold with a fizzy white head that dissipates quickly.

S-Hint of what smells like Noble hops, malts, toffee, and honey.

T-Malt dominates with some Noble hops presence. Its crisp and refreshing.

M-Thin and carbonated.

D-Very drinkable due to its good flavor and low abv.

Overall, this beer reminded me of Super Bock. I really enjoyed drinking it. It tastes pretty good, it isn't offensive, and is easy to drink. This beer does not taste like an American Adjunct Lager, it tastes more like a Euro Pale Lager.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2011 21:29:31 | More by thegodfather2701

Halcyondays

California

3.75/5  rDev +32.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle,

A: Pours a nice golden with a solid white head, good retention, great for the style. Limited lace.

S: Grainy husks, hint of corn, adjuncts galore.

T: The beer gives a straight up malt flavour with a hint of corn on the palate, no DMS off flavours. Nice hop attack which was suprising, but very enjoyable and well done, grassy noble hop character.

M: Medium-bodied for the style, little overly fizzy, but a nice feel, clean and crisp.

D: Certainly one of the best adjunct lagers out there. I was certainly suprised by this effort, and would defintely drink it again if I wanted a Euro style lager.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2009 17:46:54 | More by Halcyondays

biorens

Spain

3.75/5  rDev +32.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A good beer with a thick head. Golden and clear.
Not much smell but a good taste. It starts with a medium-hard bitter flavor that is just equilibrated at final by the malt with a little fruity acid.
Good post-final with a sweet bitterness. Refreshing and nice tasty.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 00:54:18 | More by biorens

batty

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev +30%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

one of the classic on-top spanish beers, very common at any of their outdoor festivals, being sold on the street and in bars. one of the few macros i actually enjoy.

appearance is a very light, clear fizzy yellow. typical macro lager, but a high improvement on most in that the white head is relatively thick, dense, and sticks around quite well, at least with the on-top version.

smell is typical, a bit of sweet malt and hint of alcohol, not much else.

taste is why i think this is really an improvement over your typical macro lager - the beginning touch of sweet malt is well balanced with a relatively substantial hop presence. not just a hop extract end bitterness, but i can taste a bit of real hop flavor as well. reminds me much more of a pilsner than an american macro, in all honesty.

mouthfeel is typical, just a bit better than very thin. drink is high, pretty refreshing but with more flavor than your typical macro lager yields a pretty reasonable brew for a hot day or celebration.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2008 14:08:08 | More by batty

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.65/5  rDev +29%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear golden amber with a thin white head - nothing special, but not off-putting. Aroma is richly malty and has a strong fruity component to it. Flavor is mainly malty and has traces of apple and cherry and is rather sweet. Texture is very smooth and somewhat thick, fizzy and lively. Not great, but worthy of a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2009 01:07:10 | More by Cyberkedi

TryThemAllOnce

California

3.63/5  rDev +28.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Gosh, folks have been harsh on this beer, but I found it to be pretty good for its category (I prefer hoppy ales generally).

The head was nice, stayed for the duration, those that found otherwise were pouring into an unclean glass I'm sure.... mine laced all the way down nicely.

It does have a slightly thick, soapy mouthfeel as another stated here, but nothing too detrimental.

I just returned from S.A., and having tried Brahma (Brasil) and Balboa(Panama), this one had way more flavor. I was surprised that one reviewer compared Estrella to Corona....(this was way better in my view).

I won't place this in my top tier, but certainly won't turn it down if offered by anyone :-)

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2008 20:56:24 | More by TryThemAllOnce

rickyleepotts

Arizona

3.63/5  rDev +28.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

I see this beer all the time, but I have never had it. Until I grabbed this to review, I didn't even know what Estrella Damm meant! Estrella means "star", but had no idea Damm came from the guy who started the entire operation. Cool story, and cool how they changed the name of the brewery to honor him. This is a VERY old recipe, and I am excited to try it. Not usually a fan of American Adjunct Lagers, but this one has a good brand and comes to us from Barcelona. Actually it comes to us from the Total Wine & More in Scottsdale, Arizona. But you get the idea.

This is our first beer from this brewing company, but there are several more on the list. Let's see how the Estrella Damm stacks up. Bottoms up, people!

In the Glass: The beer looks pretty boring in the glass. It is thin, and you can see right through it. Some bubbles are rushing to the top, but not much action. Very little to no lace is offered here. Before I stick my nose in the glass, know that I do not expect great things. I expect this to be slightly better than an American domestic product, but a tad bit sweet like I have come to expect from boring European lagers.

Nose: Smells like beer. It has a weak aroma, but what I am getting is grassy and smells like liquid bread. That is what beer is, anyway. Liquid bread! A deep second whiff gives me yeast and some more bread aromas. Expecting a lot of that from the flavor.

Flavor: The first impression is somewhat sweet. It hits your tongue and the sweetness sort of explodes across your palate. Then it drinks like any other American Adjunct Lager I have had, then finishes sweet leaving a linger aftertaste of yeast and bread. Considering my expectations here, I am VERY impressed with this offering. The sweetness sort of took me for a loop. Wasn't expecting that.

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is full, and flavorful ending with a smooth sweetness left on the tongue. There aren't a lot of bubbles, and it is a beer you could literally chug all day long. I bet this does well at futbol games in Europe and other foreign countries. This would be a good example of a domestic beer for countries like Spain, Italy, and France. I haven't been to Barcelona, but this will be the first beer I order when I step off the plane.

Aftertaste: The aftertaste is nice, dry, and bittersweet. The sweetness you get from the flavor hangs on and it just continues to get dry as I swallow. I bet the aftertaste hangs around a good 5-7 minutes. VERY impressed with this offering. Fun learning what "estrella" means and neat knowing the man that started this was named Damm. Consider this beer a learning experience all around!

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 20:42:25 | More by rickyleepotts

glid02

Georgia

3.6/5  rDev +27.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at a random bar in Figueres.

Pours a clear straw color with a one-finger bright white head. The head slowly recedes into a thin layer on top leaving thick lacing.

Smells of light pilsner malts with solid amounts of earthy hops.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Crisp pilsner malt flavors kick things off and are quickly joined by earthy and somewhat grassy hops. The hops carry through to a crisp ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a smooth thickness with moderate carbonation.

Drinkability is OK. I didn't have a problem finishing my glass although I'm not sure about another.

Overall I had this multiple times while in Barcelona but the tap version at this particular place was head and shoulders above the rest. Maybe it was the tap lines but it's certainly a different beast fresh. Worth a shot if you're near the source.

Serving type: on-tap

07-23-2010 03:57:50 | More by glid02

frankiepop

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev +27.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is a tasty beer with a hint of sweetness. A good balance between a light sweet maltiness and dry hoppiness to quench a thirst for a meal. A light golden brown hue. Good clarity. Good medium carbonation for easy drinking. I think the beer really rather fitting of the Spanish culture and food. A very good compliment of the wonderful cuisin of the land. This is not a big splash, but I do not understand some of the lower marks some have thrown against this beer. I find Estrella to be of fine quality.

This beer goes well with a Euro Soccer match, dontcha think?

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 06:35:57 | More by frankiepop

generallee

New York

3.58/5  rDev +26.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Presentation: It was poured from a brown bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: It has a bright golden yellow body with very good clarity and visible carbonation. The head is light and bubblely, bright white in color and fades quickly making only some spotty slick lace.

Smell: The aroma is very light with just a hint of light grassy/floral hops and grain.

Taste/Mouth Feel: The favor has a light grainy malt with mild but balanced grassy/floral hops and a slight citrus like acidity. It finishes cleanly and fairly dry. It has a light body with a light easy drinking texture and a somewhat fizzy carbonation.

Notes: This is my first beer from Spain and it is on par with any American Light Lager Style beer that I have had. This is nice but I look forward to trying more complex for Spain.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2009 15:44:33 | More by generallee

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev +23.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Pours pale golden yellow with quick fizzy white foam that vanishes quickly.

Smells like grains, light corn. Light clean taste with some body. Clean finish with a torch of hop sprinkled in. Moderate carbonation in the mouthfeel.

Good drinkabilit, unspectacular but good. Tasty lager.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2010 02:31:30 | More by KTCamm

djeucalyptus

Oregon

3.48/5  rDev +23%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass, unsure what to expect.... poured a crystal rich golden straw color with more amber than an average macro. A fairly fluffy head of eggshell color grew quickly and then fell fairly quickly, leaving a bit of lacing behind.

smelled like a clean macro lager, without too much of the funky corny and skunky notes. Crisp grains, a hint of green grass and a touch of herbal hops filled the aroma nicely. Clean euro lager aroma.

Taste of clean subtle malt and grain akin to unsalted crackers and puffed corn cakes. Some green hop zest definitely kicks in to open it up, and some grassy notes peek through as well. Nothing mind blowing, but it's fairly tasty.

Mouthfeel is clean and crisp with ample carbonation to keep everything moving smoothly. The hop zest gives an otherwise standard mouthfeel a smidgen of character.

Not bad at all. Clean and crisp, with some fair flavors for a macro lager. The freshness and green qualities that the hops and even malt bill provide makes it a pleasurable drink. Not necessarily one I would seek out, but definitely worth a shot, especially if exploring import lagers. This is definitely one to consider.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2008 18:31:04 | More by djeucalyptus

appenzeller

Washington

3.45/5  rDev +21.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A light gold, clear lager with a nice thin but tall head that dissipates quickly. Taste is light, crisp, minimal malts and hops but nicely balanced and finishes slightly bitter.

There's nothing special about this beer, but sometimes context matters. I can remember quaffing one or two of these in the Plaza at Granada or Toledo at midnight in the hot Spanish summer. Refreshing. Doesn't get much better than that.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2010 06:55:51 | More by appenzeller

konabrewer

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev +21.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Brought home in luggage from Spain, this beer was poured into a Duvel glass.
Straw colored with a tall thick head that disappeared by the time I rinsed the can out.
Smell was inviting for me, liking the corn and all.
Taste was mellow with a biting carbonation
Felt nice throughout and enjoyed it quite alot.

Excellent Spanish offering

Serving type: can

04-15-2004 01:10:46 | More by konabrewer

endovelico

Portugal

3.43/5  rDev +21.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed on 27/4/9 under Artificial low light. Best before date 07/09. taken from notes. Poured into a damm tulip glass.

Appearance: Forms a one thinger white fizzy head that fades into patchy cap. Golden orangy in color. clear.

Aroma: First impression is malty with very light caramel notes and slight adjunct smell. The nose is of medium intensity. As its warms up, it gets a light floral hop perfume.

Taste: Malty, slight adjuncty. light caramel sweetness. slightly earthy hop-like character.

Palate: Medium high carbonation. Medium low to low bitterness. medium to medium low body. lingering sweetness from the malt.

Drinkability: While within a style that doesn't lend itself to grand complexity its still relatively rich compared to most other beers of this style. For that alone i think it deserves a decent score. It is also very cheap.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2009 18:43:13 | More by endovelico

Stunner97

New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev +21.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Tried this beer as a sampler and it was a pretty decent example of a european lager. Could see this being a nice enjoyable summer time brew, good amount of sweetness yet nicely check with a little bit hop bitterness. Like most euro lagers highly drinkable and not extremely complex. Non the less alot better beer then many of the other example out there on the market today of lagers. Worth a try its good not life changing but a respectable lager.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2010 08:18:23 | More by Stunner97

jwhawkins81

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Aroma - Adjunct lager corn and vegetables. But also a floral hop aroma I wasn't expecting.

Appearance - Clear yellow with a decent sized white head and an OK amount of carbonation.

Taste - Interesting not as straight forward as I expected. A definite grainy flavor a lot of pilsner quality. Not too bad really.

Notes - Very drinkable and seemed to be a step up from the usual lager.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2009 22:23:58 | More by jwhawkins81