Beer Styles

Estrella Galicia Especial is a pale, bottom-fermented lager of the kind drunk everywhere in Spain. It launched in 1972 and is the beer you order in Galicia when you simply want "una cerveza." In the glass, it appears golden yellow with a white, loose head.

It's a beer for thirst, heat, and conversation—not one whose details invite much pondering. The flavor is light and round. Bready malt leads, bitterness stays restrained, and the finish is short and dry. Under the BJCP competition guidelines, a beer like this falls into the International Pale Lager category, the style group for mild, pale lagers from around the world.

Standing in contrast is the 1906 Reserva Especial, whose name commemorates the founding year. According to the manufacturer, it's an extra lager with 6.5 percent alcohol and 15 degrees Plato—the scale used to measure the sugar content of wort before fermentation, in terms of original gravity. The color is amber, with roasted malt lending notes of caramel and a hint of coffee.

The 1906 range also includes Red Vintage and Black Coupage, whose names already hint at redder and darker variations. The main difference from its cousin pilsner lies in bitterness, since a German pilsner is noticeably sharper. The difference from an ale lies in the yeast, not the color. Anyone switching from Especial to 1906 notices the shift immediately in color and body: light gold gives way to warm amber, and the beer feels fuller.