Inedit

Estrella Damm Brewery

I got a wee bit excited this weekend during a trip to the liquor store. okay, fine, that's nothing really new. I was searching, as always, for something new to try when I saw this nice and simple looking 750ml bottle. it had a promotional booklet draped on its neck that sold me in two words: Ferran Adria. for those non-foodies that are not familiar, Adria is a chef that associated with starting the molecular gastronomy movement. this movement deconstructs the ingredients of classic dishes and reinvents the dish by using the same ingredients but preparing them in an entirely new way. conversely, a classic dish can be made without using ANY of the original ingredients. if you've gone to a chichi restaurant and had asparagus or espresso or whatever "foam" on your plate, he is to blame for that too. anyway, Indeit was developed by Adria and his restaurant's chefs and sommeliers in cooperation with the Spanish brewery Estrella Damm to be "specifically paired with food". it is described as a brewed blend of lager and wheat beer styles. I'm a little skeptical of the quality of this beer as the Spanish beer that I have tried before were essentially the same as the previously reviewed Portuguese beer - lagers that are easy drinking. light lagers are not exactly my love in life, but I should give this one proper respect. so, I figured that having people over for dinner was a perfect excuse to sample this bottle of Inedit.

the Inedit pours a very light straw colour, with a healthy amount of pillowy head, and has the distinctive murkiness of a wheat beer. the aroma is equally light, but there is a faint candied lemon sweetness. on the first sip, I tasted slight notes of citrus and a little bit of yeast. Tippler Ben has said this of previous pours, but he got a 'gunpowder' taste from this beer. I'm not exactly sure what he means by this, but I like it - it makes the beer sound far more dangerous and risque than it actually is. Tippler Carlea enjoyed the easy-drinking and refreshing nature of the beer and I'd have to agree with her, so refreshing that you could quite easily finish the big bottle yourself. the big standout with this beer, was how it finishes extremely clean. this element worked well with dinner, in that it was a sort of palette cleanser for the next bite of food. personally, I prefer a beer to match the tastes of the food that I'm eating. I'm guessing that Inedit was crafted to be paired with more complex menu items in attempts to showcase the food. unfortunately, this beer, while perhaps showcasing our lasagne, didn't allow itself to shine. my contention is that a perfectly paired beer, will raise the level of both the food and drink.

everything about this beer, appearance, aroma, and taste, is minimal. I'm wondering if these elements were made gentle and subtle as to not interfere with food, or whether it's just gutless. I would suspect that "the world's greatest chef" would would have an equally great palette for both food and drink, so the former must be true. although Inedit is a thoroughly drinkable and refreshing beer, I expected something a little more experimental from the man that makes caviar from green apples.

B-
750ml bottle, 4.8% alc/vol