Ok, this cold snap is starting to do my nut in. The river is frozen over, my toes are like ice-cubes and defrosting the car windscreen, forget about it. I don't know what psychological malfunction I have but I always seem to forget how bad it can get in winter time. Naturally in times like these I start dreaming about days gone by in more temperate climes.
Hopefully the selection for day 14 of the Beer52 advent calendar can help bring those memories to life.
Tulum
Style - Session IPA
Brewer - Varionica
Hops - not stated
ABV - 4.2%
The beer
I have been lucky enough to do a fair but of travelling in my time, not as much as some, but more than a lot of people. Don't get me wrong, this has usually been a hugely bootstring style affair, hostel, flop houses and overnight trains. But I've covered a good patch of the globe in this way and taken in some amazing sights along the way, including the namesake for today's beer - Tulum.
Perhaps we'll get to talking about the Mexican town in a bit, but first the beer. Tulum pours well, there's some body here, and everything settles into a nice rich amber. There's a little sediment in the bottle, so be careful pouring if you're not into that sort of thing. Anyway, all of that is capped off with a very inviting head, which makes for a very nice looking glass indeed.
On the nose there's a big strong note of orange, all zesty and blossomy. However, there's quite a bready note of yeast coming off this too, which is usually no bad thing but which in this case makes Tulum smell a little like Hoegaarden. This isn't too surprising as this is a wheat beer, but I don't really like wheat beers. I am therefore a little apprehensive.
Once I take a sip this is very bready on the tongue. It's also very sour, with lots of the tell-tale lactic notes that you'd normally expect from wheat beers. Despite the appearance of a solid body on the pour, Tulum is very carbonated and there isn't much of that glorious citrus aroma coming through on the tongue. I'm guessing it has all been burned away by fizz and tartness.
Like the locale after which this beer is named, I am a little underwhelmed. Tulum in Mexico is stunning, Mayan ruins jostling up against the blue Caribbean, what's not to like? Well, in my experience, cruise ship loads of over buffeted American tourists waddling around, talking overly loudly and dressed in ill-fitting and unsightly garments is what not to like. This was my overall experience in Tulum, fucking Gringos everywhere, not surprising given it's proximity to party central - Playa del Carmen.
Back to the beer, while this looks great, like its namesake, I feel this is going to give me the shits - most wheat beers do. And similarly like its namesake, I am not a fan at all. If you want to use beer to conjure up images of Mexico, stick to Tecate or Corona.
Score - 3/5
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