Monks, Goats, and a big mug o' beer: what more do you need?
Jun 20 '01
The Bottom Line Moza's a great put-down to anyone who disses all Latin American beers. I've not had a Latin American beer to equal it.
Ever have something that's too good to try...for the first time?
I've been keeping this bottle of Moza Bock in my Dedicated Beer Fridge for over a year now, almost two years. It's real cold in there, just above freezing, because sometimes I do this, and I want the stuff to at least have a chance at staying reasonably fresh...while I agonize over whether or not to drink it.
I have that collector's problem: do I drink it, and experience it, or do I keep it, and have that little thrill of ownership every time I open the door? It's rare, but I don't know if it's good!
I've only ever seen Moza Bock at Beers of the World, in Rochester, NY, which is where I got this bottle. I've since learned that it's available in ten states (ah, none of which is New York, but I'm not telling). It turns out that the brewer, Cerveceria Centro Americana, of Guatemala City, Guatemala, has a pretty good English website ( www.cerveceria.com ), and it's interesting stuff; take a look.
You probably already know: I've opened it. The label on the brown bottle is quite direct, a grinning monk hoisting a foamy tankard to two rearing, thirsty goats. "Suck this, me caprine hearties!" The cap is curiously unrelated to anything on the bottle: an 8-pointed starburst of pearls with a crown in the middle with the word "Florida" in red script across it. Hah?
Better enjoy it. Moza pours beautifully, with a pert cap of light beige foam sitting atop a cola-dark beer. It smells clean, malty, with just a hint of coffee and fresh earth. Tastes a little corny, but it's heftier than Shiner Bock. This is surprisingly good, in a Yuengling Porter kind of way. It's not that bock-like, at 4.5%ABW, but it's sure tasting good. There's nothing complex about it, other than a slightly sour hitch that's quite refreshing. An easily drinkable beer, with a quite a bit more ooomph to it than the general run of pee-colored Central American light lagers.
Was it worth the wait? God, how can you ask that?! It wasn't about the worth of the beer! It was about having it. Now I have the experience, and perhaps I will hold it to me like Tijuca, a Brazilian beer that I bought so long ago that I kept it in my dad's DBF, but still remember fondly for its spicy flavor. Or perhaps it will fade in memory like a number of beers, tried and forgotten. I don't know. The bottle is concrete, unavoidable, there whenever I opened the door. The experience is what the beer makes it.
What's a beer experience worth to you?
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Epinions.com ID:
beerfly
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Member: Lew Bryson
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Reviews written: 88
Trusted by: 82 members
About Me:
One bourbon, one Scotch, one beer, eh? I'll take Kentucky Spirit, Scapa, and HopDevil.
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