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Stingray Dark: A Beer for the Cayman Islands to Call its OwnApr 02 '05 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line This is a very tough beer to find, brewed and sold only in the Cayman Islands. It's pretty good tasting and most will enjoy it.
Traveling around the United States and the world brings with it many nice surprises. Besides the different scenery and the new and different cultures, there is also the opportunity to sample some new beer. Often, the beer one can discover on a vacation is among those that are so uncommon, they can only be found in the local area where the beer is brewed. Such is the case with this hard-to-find beer, Stingray Dark, an amber- style brew from the Stingray Brewing Company, located on Grand Cayman Island in the Caribbean Sea. Basic Characteristics of This Beer: This beer pours to a copper/orange color with an aroma that is slightly “skunked” and a little nutty. The nose isn’t offensive in spite of its initial skunkiness, and there is enough foam and other positive appearance qualities to easily compensate. Flavors present in this beer include caramelized malt, hazelnut, and a touch of smokiness. The hops finish the beer off with a slightly peppery/earthy combination. The taste remains sweet overall and the aftertaste is pleasant, featuring a citrus flavor. The beer is very smooth and easy- drinking, the type of beer you expect in a warm- weather climate. Stingray makes this beer as an amber/dark brew and while I have seen it labeled as bock beer in some web sites, it is best listed under the generic label “amber”. It is a little stronger than average, too, with an alcohol level of 6 percent by volume. Food Compatibility: This beer would make a nice match for sharp cheeses, whitefish, hamburgers, pizza, peanuts, cheese sticks, and most other pub fare. It has an agreeable taste that makes it compatible with all sorts of foods. Final Thoughts: Stingray Brewing is one of only two breweries located in the British Cayman Islands. I recently took a trip to the Caribbean islands recently and stopped by Grand Cayman Island to take a tour. Right away, as the bus was driving, my eyes became fixated on the word “brewery” on a small building. It turned out this was the Stingray Brewing Company. Having never sampled any beer from this company before, I was anxious to give it a try. This company makes only two or three beer products and I was able to get my hands on some at a nearby restaurant located in the center of the capital city of Georgetown. I didn’t have much time to spare, so I was only able to sample one. I chose the dark over the others because it seemed like the one with the most potential. And having tried it, I can say that this beer is a good one. My initial impression of this beer was that it was more direct than complex and not really anything special. But the more tastes I took, the more interesting it became. What caught my attention after a few minutes was the pleasant aftertaste. I couldn’t taste much fruit flavor at first from the hops- they seemed like ordinary bittering hops to me. But then, I was able to taste some citrus- mostly orange- in the aftertaste. This, added to the medium to light body, made this an enjoyable beer for a warm- weather climate like the Cayman Islands. If you are anxious to try this beer, it’s going to cost you quite a bit of money to get your hands on some bottles. As far as I know, this beer is sold only in the Cayman Islands. I have never seen nor heard of it anyplace else, and that includes the other islands of the Caribbean. If you’re anxious to sample it, you will likely have to plan a vacation trip here since there is no other venue to make a purchase. This isn’t the greatest amber/dark beer, but considering how bland many Caribbean beer products can be, I think this one is pretty tasty. I’m going to rate Stingray Dark 3.5 out of 5 stars. It provides enough positive taste qualities to make it a notch above average and it’s certainly a beer worth trying if you’re lucky enough to come across it in your travels.  |
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