Review: Negra Modelo

Several months ago I reviewed Modelo Especial Lager. At the time Modelo was becoming one of the more popular import-style lagers on the market. Fast forward to now: I've definitely noticed more people buying it over Corona lately as people are only starting to realize that it's being brewed in Canada and not Mexico. I was meaning to review Negra Modelo a long time ago but life happens and I don't tend to drink dark lagers in the summer, so reviewing this now makes more sense (it's currently a warm day in January).

From their website: Negra Modelo is a medium bodied Munich dunkel-style lager with slow roasted caramel malts that is brewed to prove dark beer can deliver both full flavour and refreshing taste. 5.3% ABV

Appearance: Amber-coloured body with a moderate amount of carbonation in the body and a thick off-beige head on top that diminishes to absolutely nothing within seconds. 

Aroma: Sweet but not too sweet. It's got notes of caramel/toffee, a tad bit of a nuttiness, a bit of a toasted malt profile - so not quite a coffeeish aroma in this beer, quite subdued even. Not at all aggressive but it's very welcoming at the same time.

Taste: Again, sweet but not too sweet. There's a good caramel sweetness going on that hits the palate and goes away to leave behind just a a nutty aftertaste. For the mouthfeel I get a bit of a carbonated tingle and then a slight tinniness to it, while the aftertaste is a slight nutty/slight caramel flavour to it.

Overall Thoughts: Very straight-forward dark lager and you know what? If someone handed this to me back in 2004, it could have been my favourite beer at the time rather than whatever lager trend I was hopping on that week. Very approachable, smooth, definitely sweet and a bit nutty - quite welcoming for not only the craft beer geek but also those who may be at the beach wanting a cerveza but something with a bit more personality to it. This actually reminds me of the very brief period when I was a fan of Dos Equis Ambar.. that was almost a decade ago.