Lagerboy Speaks – Estrella Damm

Some beers have a connection to a specific city that lift them above any others that can be found there – such as Budvar and Prague, Anchor Steam and San Francisco, or Newcastle Brown Ale and…er…Newcastle. Another of these is Estrella Damm and Barcelona. The Catalan capital is written on the distinctive red label no fewer than eight times, cementing it as ‘La Cerveza de Barcelona’. Lagerboy always wonders what it is about a particular brew that staples it to a city – especially one as large and vibrant as the City of Counts.*

In 1876 a German by the name of August Kuentzmann Damm (and there’s always a German somewhere in the history of a major European brewer) founded a brewery in the coastal city, and immediately started producing a lager, which he named after the Spanish word for star. The label says – ‘as it’s name suggests, the brand has become a star to the people of Barcelona. It has evolved with the city reflecting it’s character – sophisticated and passionate yet at the same time relaxed and welcoming’. Modesty indeed. The official website continues – ‘generations of master brewers have perfected this lager until it has become a landmark in the world of beers.’

Well, despite the dubious attractions of ‘a creamy hops-flavoured froth and refreshing taste’, Estrella Damm is a staggeringly unexciting beer. Honestly, it cuts right down the middle in every category. It’s 4.6%abv, a bit soapy, there’s some initial carbonation, and it has a mild straw colour about it. There’s nothing to like about it – but there’s also nothing to dislike – it’s bladder-fillingly bland. Maybe in the shaded streets of Barcelona it’s a winner, but taken out of context – it’s as boring as beer can get.

* No, me neither.