Estrella Damm Inedit - Damm S. A.

dbalsock

Vermont

3.88/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Hazy with a light amber/orange body and thick, creamy white head. There's loads of carbonation and it stacks majestically on top of the beer.

Smell: Citrus, organe, pineapple and yeasties all come through on the nose. I think it matters greatly to be having this in Spain and freshly delivered from the brewery. I imagine these notes would be very dulled down by the length of a cross atlantic journey.

Taste: Blunted hops disappoint at first but the belgian yeast and tropical essence make up for that part. It has an almost biscuit aftertaste and a lingering unbalanced (almost stale) malt attack on the finish.

Mouthfeel: It is not as crisp as I want it to be, but th ecarbonation does alot to balance. The malt is a tad strong, although bland and seems refreshing at the same time. The mouthfeel is kind of a mystery to me.

Drinkability: It's terribly easy to drink and I wish it was on tap around here instead of the macro style lagers. If it were a tad more crisp it would be refreshing and have a higher score for drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2009 13:05:16 | More by dbalsock

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.2/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours just a slightly pale banana peel pilsner hay color. Very quick, bright white bubbly head that recedes to nothing. The bubbling is just awesome, almost frantic. Gypsum, banana, and chammomile aroma are subtley picked up the a deep nasal inhale. Parched pilsner malt and dry wheat start the flavor profile first. The middle has the yeast adding a banana peel flair to the middle. The finish tops everything off with some mild herbal hints of chammomile and grains of paradise. Very carbonated beer, but thin in palate. Brisk and refreshing, while at the same time, a little bland and boring. Overall, OK.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2009 05:19:57 | More by scruffwhor

medic25

Connecticut

3.13/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Good looking bottle; like a Champagne bottle. Pale yellow color with a thin white head. Minimal wheat aroma. Taste is like a bland impression of a good Belgian witbier. Very little of the coriander/citrusy flavor I expect from the class. Fairly light bodied, and quite easy drinking. Not something I'd go out of my way to buy again.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2009 04:23:42 | More by medic25

Buschyfor3

Kentucky

3.63/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Found a 750ml bottle at Rich O's and decided to split it with a friend to close out a great night.

A: A crisp, clear golden body - not much haze/cloudiness like I see in other witbiers. Thin white head without much volume recedes to clingy, wispy white lacing.

S: Slightly sweet, slightly spicy and musky. There are notes of orange peel, fresh lemon, some coriander, some white pepper, maybe a dash of nutmeg or grains of paradise. Then there is the musky grain note - fresh milled wheat, some cereal-like sweetness.

T: Faintly sweet fruitiness with flashes of lemon, apple, pear, and a plethora of citrus rind notes. The sweetness up front is followed by a quick flash of spiciness - white pepper and coriander are two flavors that come to mind. Overall taste profile moves from fruity sweetness to peppery spice and then dries like a champagne in the finish.

M: Huge crispness on the palate as there is enough carbonation that leaves a searing, prickly sensation on the tongue.

D: I found this wit easy to quaff because the alcohol was not very present at all. That said, however, there are a couple other wits that are just as easy to drink with bolder and more interesting flavor profiles, and they are easier/cheaper to acquire.

This beer was designed to be paired with food, and while we had Rich O's famous beer cheese and pizza, I don't think that we got to see this beer in its fullest because we weren't able to pair it with the selections of food it was meant to pair. That said, I still enjoyed this beer, but it would probably shine even more in the right environment with the right gourmet selections to highlight its unique characteristics.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2009 18:47:19 | More by Buschyfor3

MrHungryMonkey

Texas

3.1/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Nose is sour Belgian funky with a champagne-like fruitiness over a well-attenuated sharpness. Smells good.

Pours a translucent tangerine yellow with moderate head and fairly quick dissipation... kind of like champagne... is this a trend? At least it's supposed to be served in white wine glasses, not flutes. Looks solidly good.

Such carbonation! A solid pillar of grape-like fruit sits in front, wrapped in apple, pear, and some citrus fruit... tangelo maybe. Mild sourness, funkiness, and spicy coolness. Notes of shampoo (the professional non-scented kind) own the pre-finish (must be the liquorice). Slight dryness in finish.

I should have known that a beer with an arrogant advertisement-dogtag wouldn't live up to its smug claims. How does Damm know this is the first beer specifically created to accompany food? There are numerous beers that can be paired with the utmost respect to the 'best cuisine', which must be high-talk for good food.

Maybe Damm is just joking; maybe this beer and all of its audacity is just a joke...

Avoid.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2009 01:39:38 | More by MrHungryMonkey

albern

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This isn't a stellar witbier, and I would have pegged it as a very bready, lemony, and fizzy lager, but witbier it is. This was a nice change up beer, quite light, a bit floral, very refreshing on a hot summer day. The beer isn't brilliant, but it was enjoyable at the time for what it was.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2009 22:03:30 | More by albern

aforbes10

Iowa

3.98/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from one of the Sacramento BevMo!s. Interesting bottle with an odd, dubious-claim-filled tag ('the first beer brewed to be paired with food"). $9.99. Pours with a massive white head...just all foam at first. With a more careful pour, a yellowish to light brown body is revealed. slightly cloudy. Smells vaguely of citrus and tangy wheat. Flavor is very clean and interesting. Mild tangy wheat with oranges and some yeastiness. Mild and dry. Not quite medium bodied, but not noticeably thin either. drinks quite well despite the pretentious bottle...still, not quite worth the price tag.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2009 02:40:48 | More by aforbes10

Dotcubed

Arkansas

4.2/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I got excited when I saw this ElBulli inspired creation.

Looks like a farmhouse, pale yellow with only a light layer of lace.

Smells very unique, licorice & some funky malt. Figs? Very distinct.

Tastes, kind of blah. Watery, fruity. White peaches? Tartness Tame and unremarkable. Very pallet cleansing. They set out to create something that goes with lots of foods & I think they've succeeded. But, it is more like a dry prosecco. They made beer that does the same job as white wine but with malt.

While a great all around beverage it lacks the roasted notes that I like in beer. Very smooth, malty.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2009 03:28:39 | More by Dotcubed

GratefulBeerGuy

New Hampshire

3.4/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750 ml bottle poured into a small wine glass as suggested.

Many crazy, rushing bubbles originate from a globby white substance at the bottom of the glass, is it yeast? I've seen floatie bits of yeast but never one big chunk! It will remain a mystery until I finish the liquid! The color of pure golden bricks and a large, all-white head with decent retention from the crazy-ass bubbles. fine lacing in the wake of the flood.

Sweet and wild fruits greet the nose, raspberry and tart wild strawberries. Corriander and wheat malt, corn husks, herbal and zippy heat.

A light corn and wheat malt is a thin but effective flavor. Veery light bodied, zippy with a good amount of earthy goodness from the corriander and herbal hops. Slight spices and lemmon zest follow up with a not very complex range but very drinkable. It's light and herbal for summer.

Not exactly the holy grail of beers from the spainards but not bad at all.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2009 02:37:20 | More by GratefulBeerGuy

ricke

Sweden

3.28/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Pale yellowish orange, actually too pale considering the style. Slightly hazy. A white fluffy head of small bubbles settles into small lacings.

S: A rather sweet smell. Malts and wheat reminiscent of white bread. Lemon peel, orange, coriander, grass, fruity bubblegum, some general spices. All in all, a very light smell and I had to struggle to detect the different components. Rather anomymous, but still kind of pleasant.

T: Not as good as the smell, and rather thin in general. Almost a copy of the smell, but not as complex and weaker. According to the rather cheesy info sheet hanging around the bottle neck on this one, the beer is a blend of lager and wit and in the taste the lager really comes forth with a quite boring and bland character. Sweet malts with prominent wheaty notes. Sweet citric notes and orange, coriander, faint grassy hops. One or two earthy notes. Sweet flavor of bubblegum. The finish is short and slightly mineral-like with notes of spices.

M: Very light body, feels bland in every aspect. A boring mouthfeel.

D: As notes, this is supposed to be a blend of lager and wit, but actually it comes out more as a wit diluted with lager. It doesn't taste bad or anything - actually it's kind of refreshing and it has some nicely tasting flavors - but it's just boring. The smell is definitely the highlight of the beer, and not even that is more than ok. It is no way near of living up to the boasting presented in the cheesy note around the bottle neck.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2009 23:15:07 | More by ricke

sanhedrin

New York

2/5  rDev -44.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

A decidedly average brew in every way. Looks fine, but I really don't care what my beer looks like. Not much in the nose. Mouthfeel a bit fizzy, like seltzer. Flavor was wan, expected much what with all the spices. Very, very light. No body whatsoever.

I wouldn't complain if someone handed me a cold glass on a hot summer day, but I wouldn't be terribly excited either. Certainly won't pay for it again.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2009 20:14:45 | More by sanhedrin

rallison

California

3.25/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A Spanish beer? Expectations are not high, but might as well give it a try. Classy bottle and not too pricey ($9ish for 750ml).

Hazy golden pour with a good, lasting white head. Smells of spices and grass with an herbal, medicinal quality. Not bad, not great.

The taste is rather light with some wheat notes to soften the flavor and some herbal notes against a simple, lackluster body. Light hop bite.

Watery mouthfeel that could really use a kick from some decent carbonation or else a more interesting, more complex body. As is, lacking, but there is some promise too.

Of the Spanish beers I have had, this is probably the best. Then again, this is probably the only craft Spanish beer I've had. Fun to try though...and, if in Spain, and if not in the mood for wine, on a hot summer day, I could see reaching for this.

Edit: Oh...licorice...that's the flavor on the back of the tongue that I couldn't place. Interesting. Unique twist.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2009 02:39:10 | More by rallison

froghop

Washington

2.58/5  rDev -28.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

poured into a wine glass as recommended on the tag, a golden yellow with a small white bubbly head, and some lacing.

smell was faint, some fruit, and some spice.

taste of weak fruit, grain, coriander, and some other spices, as the tag said it was better with food, but still lacking something.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2009 23:32:40 | More by froghop

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: small head, cloudy, bright light yellow, high carbonation

Smell: coriander, lemon, and orange

Taste: coriander, lemon, and orange

Mouthfeel: crisp, dry, highly carbonated and light bodied

Drinkability: This is another inoffensive highly drinkable wheat ale. The carbonation stands out and the flavor profile is good. I will probably not buy another bottle of this, but would look for it on draft. I think it would make a good starter beer for the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2009 16:29:49 | More by tigg924

Brad007

Vermont

2.38/5  rDev -34.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Pours a cloudy whitish-yellow color with a one-finger head into my goblet.

Aroma is full of citrus and coriander in the nose. A bit harsh, likely due to the alcohol. Citrus is definitely present.

Taste is a bit sweet and full of citrus notes upfront. Seems like it has faded or something.

Mouthfeel is a bit weird. Doesn't quite match the beer as it's just way too light and watery. There's not much, if any flavor left in the mouth from this.

Average at best. Hardly drinkable as well. Too watery. Avoid.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2009 18:38:44 | More by Brad007

adamette

Ohio

3.28/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Tasted last night. Review from notes. Poured into a small glass at my Uncle Dave's House in Peninsula, Ohio.

A Kind of disappointing look of maybe an american lager with an off white bubbly head (although it was a 4 inch generous, long lasting head of about 3 minutes) over straw yellow translucent body with some carbonation rising up. Minimal amount of sediment (yeast, wheat?).

S Light wheat and spices of coriander, maybe cinnamon but none of it really strong. This smells a bit wimpy.

T Basic Witbier really. There is the nice texture of a Witbier and even some of the spices that come through in the last 1/3 of the taste spectrum but I was hoping for something "bigger" than what I got.

M Light to moderate with some grain feel and plenty of carbonation. Mouthfeel was a bit above average.

D Really quite good at reasonably low ABV and a pleasant enough beer.

Notes: Glad to have tried it but I will not likely buy it again. Just too boring.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2009 02:39:48 | More by adamette

atis

Finland

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500 ml bottle from Barcelona. I normally do not drink Estrella, but had to try this, it cost unusually high 2.40 Eur therefore my expectations were rather high.

Pours light hazy pale golden with foamy white head with good retention, leaves excellent patchy Belgian lace. Aroma is spicy citrusy malt with mild yeast and weak perfumy hops.

Taste is spicy and orange and lemon malt, some wheat with dry finish, but I expected flavour to be more pronounced. Mouthfeel is light with average carbonation.

Overall, I have always been convinced that most of Estrella's creations are bad. But if only all of their beers could be this good....

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2009 20:57:59 | More by atis

Seanibus

California

3/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The brewers bill this as a beer designed specifically to go with food, and I see where they are coming from. This is not a beer you sit and sip by itself (an anti-session beer?). It does have a white wine-like character to it.

Pours cloudy golden with a huge fluffy head. Malty, wheaty aroma, slight citrus and spice. Nice lacing. The flavor is sour wheaty, astringint, with a hint of spice, apricot and citrus. The mouthfeel is thin with a little sourness in the back. White wine like. Light. As it warms, apple notes become quite pronounced.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2009 20:53:02 | More by Seanibus

ATPete

New Jersey

3.18/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml

Pours a mostly transparent pale yellow color with slight haze and a medium sized pure white head. Tons of sweet banana in the nose. Soft characteristics in both aroma and flavor, bubblegum, ginger, lemon skin, toasty wheat is pretty subtle, fruity yeast. Good body, could use a touch more carbonation IMO. I like the idea of a "food beer" i think it should be a little more neutral however, the banana /bubblegum flavor is almost overpowering and boarding on artificial.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2009 21:48:16 | More by ATPete

deapokid

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Got a glass of this at Amada restaurant in Philadelphia on Saturday. I'm almost positive it was poured from a bottle and not taken from a tap.

Visually, it resembled the light orange/yellow look of a wit with aromatic notes of cinnamon and nutmeg. When held up to the light, a decent amount of sediment was noticeable and the head was definitely thick and lacey, without being too overpowering.

Its flavors boasted hints of lemon, wheat and banana, which all went strikingly well together. It went down very nicely and the bartender served it at a nice temperature (a bit above room), since most places would serve this a little colder than necessary. Although noted as a witbier, I feel like it more closely resembles a saison.

Carbonation was a bit high, reminding me of a hefeweizen, but if felt great hitting the tongue and it definitely didn't take a lot of work putting a few glasses of it down.

This is a nice surprise from Spain, a place I usually wouldn't expect to find a high quality ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2009 17:31:16 | More by deapokid

tmoneyba

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from Champane Wine.

A - Poured clear pale color with a huge frothy white head that mostly lasted with good lacing.

S - Moderate yeasty grainy aroma.

M - Medium body with a smooth texture and soft carbonation.

T - Medium citrus sweet flavor with a medium sweet finish of moderate duration.

D - Drinkable but only worth having once.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2009 14:51:29 | More by tmoneyba

Beerman3000

Connecticut

2.68/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

This beer has a little booklet attached that says it was brewed specifically to go with food. Also says it is brewed with coriander, orange peel, and licoroice. Use of both barley and wheat along with bottle conditioning alludes to a Belgian style of some sort or other. Seems to be dated 07/09, so should be fresh. Hazy, lemonade-like yellow color, like a witbier. Big, puffy, white head -- velvety and natural. Unusual, bright, slightly citrus-peely (but not sour) nose. Also some sweetish, vanilla tones, and just a hint of toasting. A tad of white pepper like dryness. Light, fizzy mouth feel - quite champagne-like. Not much flavor. Rather offish, actually, with dull cardboardy notes. I cannot detect any of the advertised spices. Label does not indicate % alcohol, but I'd guess around 4-5%. Great nose, good body, poor flavor. This beer seems as though it has been poorly handled and has been damaged. And I dropped $10.50 for this sucker at Whole Foods! I'll have to try it again from another supplier.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2008 05:36:09 | More by Beerman3000

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a foggy yellow with a white head. Nose is airy. Flavor is very interesting. Nice and complex enough, but light enough that it keeps it food friendly (as it's intended to be.) Interesting aftertaste that's worth noting. Almost like a light honey thing. Floral and spice tones are evident. But the honey just hits on numerous fronts and I like it. Almost seems like there's a bit of vanilla there as well. Even and nowhere near overpowering citrus is there as well. Carbonation feels a bit unusual. It's almost like champagne in a way? Definitely not typical, but it's not outlandish. Liquid is slick and smooth. This is an exquisite beer. Portrays many characteristics you normally see in other beers but delivers it in a more refined way with layers of character.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2008 06:34:06 | More by RblWthACoz