laZorra artisanal beer
artisanally-made · special beer
Herbs & Honey Pale Ale style
[ the artisanal beer of the Sierra de Francia ]
artisanal beer from the Sierra de Francia made with only natural ingredients, local herbs and Holm Oak honey
la Zorra
beer
cerveza especial 2020 special beer
Herbs & Honey Pale Ale
artisanally-made
production
Bottled Jun2020
A.B.V. 5,7%
Drink at 5º ó 6ºC
Cardboard Box Size 12 botellas
brewing
The brewing process for our La Zorra Beer begins with selection of pale malt with different levels of kilning, from various producers to ensure the beer has balance and an identity of its own. After weighing, the malt is mashed and becomes wort.
The wort is filtered in a process called lautering which separates it from the chaff (the unwanted portion of the malt), and boiled with English hops, which impart bitterness and add aroma to the beer. We add Holm Oak honey, that, along with the herbs that are added later, provide the important ‘Serrana’ essence that we desire in our beer.
Next, we perform a whirlpool clarification technique on the boiled wort. This is done by swirling the wort (after adding all the hops), allowing centripetal force to pushes the hops to the centre of the vat. We can now open the tap on our vat and let the wort out, while leaving the hops behind. The vat has to be drained slowly to ensure that the whirlpool’s swirling cone isn’t disturbed. This technique eliminates the hops and accumulated proteins that were formed earlier in the brewing process. Now, the ‘Serrana’ herbs are added: thyme and fennel which give our beer the flavours and aromas that make it a unique and spectacular drink, the Beer of the Sierra de Francia.
Next, the wort is moved to a fermentation tank where the primary fermentation takes place as yeast transforms the sugar in the wort into alcohol. The beer is kept at a constant 20-22ºC, making our beer an ale.
After primary fermentation, the beer is bottled. Secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle for about 35-37 days, where the remaining sugars are transformed into natural carbon dioxide gas. The beer is naturally carbonated, and no CO2 is added.
The second fermentation, which takes place in bottle, and the absence of filtration makes our brewing process special, allowing us to produce a naturally carbonated beer which maintains the natural yeast sediment.
La Zorra is a Special Beer as the original hopped wort extract – percentage of solids (minus the water) in the wort – is above 13%.
tasting notes
AROMAS
La Zorra Herbs & Honey English Pale Ale is a very aromatic beer. Notice a touch of malt and a hint of caramel mixed with the powerful smell of Holm Oak honey. Notes of sweetness and moderate fruitiness. The scent of hops competes with thyme and fennel, creating a complex fantasy.
APPEARANCE
Light amber yellow in colour with copper flashes and brilliant clarity. The head is pale white and delicate due to the low level of carbonation.
TASTE
Medium to high bitterness. Moderate esters (fruity flavours that result from the combination of organic acids and alcohol during fermentation). Medium to low hoppiness, with hints of pitch and flowers. Medium maltiness, with a dry finish. Flavours of honey, hints of rolling mountains and notes between sweet and bitter are reminiscent of lightly burned caramel.
MOUTHFEEL
This is an easy-drinking beer. Medium bodied with medium alcohol (5.7% A.B.V.) and naturally carbonated (lower carbonation than an industrial beer). English Pale Ale is the lightest of bitter beers.
who helps us make our artisanal laZorra beer?
Arantza and Raúl, founders of Las Cervezas Bizarra in Salamanca (Gold Medal in the 2019 Barcelona Beer Challenge), work with us during the brewing of our 100% natural Pale Ale, without added CO2 or chemicals.
Raúl Martín
Our brewer Raúl Martín, who was previously an artisanal metalworker, redirected
his creativity towards the creation of artisanal beers.
Over time, he has become a guru in the making of artisanal brews.
