Ron's beer review from Roatan, Honduras part IV

The final Honduran beer on the island of Roatan is called "Barena".  It is made by the same brewing company as the other three beers I have reviewed, Cerveceria Hondurena, SA / BevCo LTD.  Apparently this brewing company has quite the lock on the islands and mainland of Honduras.  

Much like Salva Vida, Barena falls into the American Adjunct Lager category. However I found it only just better than Slava Vida. Barena pours a golden pale yellow with a thick white head that doesn't linger. It smells of sweet malt and tastes of adjunct grains (corn) with almost no hop profile to speak of. The only thing that makes this a bit better is that it is usually served with a lime. That lime flavor either pairs well with the beer's flavor or overpowers it. Either way, it is way better with the lime!  Much like the other three beers I have reviewed from the island, they are pretty refreshing when you are on the beach or coming back from a long day of diving so they are good for that. 

Slangevar! 

-Ron

Barena Lager

Ron's beer review from Roatan, Honduras part III

Beer number three is called "Salva Vida" which, translated into English, means "lifeguard". Slava Vida is celebrating its one-hundredth anniversary this year! To celebrate the brewing company (Cerveceria Hondurena, SA / BevCo LTD) is putting old labels on the bottles and stating what year the label was from. That's a fun look back at a hundred years of brewing history. My picture below has two such labels. 

The Salva Vida Lager falls into the American Adjunct Lager category. That means it's in the same category as Budweiser, Coors, Corona, and a host of other common and popular beers including Ferris' favorite... Pacifico Clara. The beer pours a watery straw color and has a thin white head. It isn't as aromatic as you would expect, but it does taste of a hint of malt with the tiniest bit of hops. It has a lot of grain filler crispness to it as well as a high amount of bitterness. I like this beer much better than the "Imperial" from the last review but the "Port Royal Export" is still my favorite Honduran beer. I will also say that after a long hot day of diving, this beer hits a bit of the spot, there are better beers for this but not many on the Island of Roatan. 

Guess what!  I found a fourth beer on the island, so you will get another review of an Honduran beer! 

Slangevar! 

-Ron

Salva Vida bottles with the anniversary labels

Ron's beer review from Roatan, Honduras part II

The second beer I had a chance to try is called "Imperial". It is made by the same brewer as was "Port Royal Export" which is Cerveceria Hondurena, SA / BevCo LTD. The only difference that I could find was that this beer is made in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, whereas the others aren't specifically listed and they have different addresses. Regardless, we are going to see a theme here as all of the Honduran beers are made by the same brewing company. Imperial fits into the Pale Lager category and falls a bit short of this mark. The pour is a very watery straw color with very little head. It is very light on any malt flavors and the hops are all but nonexistent. The finish is bitter and dry. 

That being said,  there was something very refreshing about having one on the boat back to shore after a long day of diving!  If you come across it, give it a sip but don't cross the road to try it. 

Another review soon! Check back! 

Slangevar! 

-Ron

Imperial Pale Lager

Ron's Beer Reviews from Roatan, Honduras

The beers of Roatan are few in number but vary widely in taste. There are no American beers on the island, only beers brewed here in Honduras. There are only three to choose from, so you have to pick one you like and stick with it.

The first one I had was a Port Royal Export which is a Dortmund Style Lager brewed in Honduras by Cerveceria Hondurena, SA / BevCo LTD. Dortmund style lagers were made popular in the 19th century in Dortmund, Germany. It was created by a brewmaster named Helmut Lutz (great name for a brewmaster). Made popular in the 19th century in Dortmund, Germany, these pale golden lagers have a clean and crisp taste with a bitterness like a German pilsner. All in all, a great summer beer to have on a hot day or in the shower after a long hard day!  Slangevar!

- Ron

A Port Royal Export