North East Beer Review

A beer I found to be quite interesting with Damm Complot IPA. I saw that this was brewed using 8 hops and I was unaware of Damm’s tendency to produce IPAs. Purchased from a Mediterranean restaurant I thought this would be a great beer to cover due to a Macro brewery making an 8 hopped IPA. So what did I think? During the course of this review I will cover the history of Damm and this IPA, the pour, the taste and aroma and finally my verdict.

A brewery with 150 years of history

Damm is one the most popular and best known breweries within Spain. With roots back to 1876, it was founded in Barcelona by Alsatian brewer August Kuentzmann Damm and his cousin Joseph Damm. They brought with them the brewing traditions of Alsace and set about establishing a brewery in their new Mediterranean home. The climate had a big impact on the brewers who opted to move away from heavier central Europe based brews to a more lighter style lager. This is known as the ‘Mediterranean lager’.

During development during the late 19th and early 20th century, an early release was their Bock-Damm and by 1905, another milestone was reached Damm opened its famous brewery on Carrer Rosselló ,known as La Bohemia. In 1910, Sociedad Anónima Damm was formally established in Barcelona. During the following decades the company expanded considerably, increasing production and developing new beers. Estrella Dorada was launched in 1921, and the brewery continued to grow its presence across Catalonia and eventually throughout Spain. One of Damm’s most famous beers, Voll-Damm, appeared in 1955. The brewery also became increasingly involved in advertising, sponsorship and wider Spanish culture as the company expanded during the second half of the 20th century.

The original brewery on Carrer Roselló was eventually too small for production and in 1992 now breweries were established in Santa Coloma de Gramenet and El Prat de Llobregat. However, the old brewery is preserved as part of Damm’s brewing heritage. Despite Estrella Damm being by far and away ,the most famous Damm brew, Damm’s portfolio has increased over the years to different styles and alcohol free options.

Damm’s approach to brewing is by placing a significant emphasis on controlling its ingredients and production. The brewery uses its own maltings and has preserved its own yeast strain for generations. Despite being closely connected to Barcelona and Catalonia, Damm have expanded with brewing operations being located in the UK within Bedford. With 150 years of brewing history behind it, Damm has therefore evolved considerably from the small Barcelona brewing venture founded by the Damm family in 1876.

Damm Complot IPA has deep connections to Catalonia, especially the town of Prades. Damm began working with hop growers in the area and investigated what could be successfully cultivated there. The region’s climate and soil were considered particularly suitable for hop growing, with similarities to established hop-producing areas around the world. After years of testing, Nugget was determined to be the most suitable for the area. Despite work beginning in 2014, Complot was released in 2018 and is known as the Mediterranean IPA due to being the first IPA to be brewed using Mediterranean hops. What makes Complot interesting is the fact it uses eight different hops which all play a role in the taste. These hops are Nugget, Summit, Willamette, Citra, Centennial, Simcoe, Amarillo and Mosaic. This hoppy IPA carries an ABV of 6.6%.

A bright and glowing pour

Complot IPA pours an almost golden to orange colour which glows when the light catches it. It has a noticeable haze in the glass. A fine off white head forms a cap on this beer which lingers throughout the drinking experience. There was little to no lacing observed. The carbonation was moderate although you could see steady streams of bubbles rising throughout the beer. Overall, this is an extremely presentable pour which invites you for a sip.

A juicy flavour profile.

Aroma

The aroma of Complot IPA opens with a burst of tropical to citrus fruits. The hop character from this adds flavours of orange, grapefruit and a touch of pineapple. Beneath the fruity nature, is a herbal to floral edge which is accompanied by a malty sweetness. Overall, this isn’t overwhelmingly aromatic IPA, but instead adds a delicate hop note to make this inviting.

Taste

The first sip brings a vast combination of tropical and citrus fruits, with notes of mango and orange accompanying a note of grapefruit and lemon. There’s a delicate bitterness which adds a pleasant depth on the palate. The malt base of Complot offers a light sweetness along with the hoppy nature. As the beer warms, a subtle herbal and floral edge adds an extra level of depth to the brew. The finish is crisp and dry with a lingering citrus-led bitterness. Overall, this is a surprisingly light and refreshing IPA despite its 6.6% ABV. This is also quite balanced despite its hop formulation.

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Time for my verdict

As of recent I have stayed clear of a macro IPA having become disillusioned with many of the more popular ones. However, this one was different as I felt the quality of this IPA, brewed in the same brewery as Estrella Damm in Barcelona. This has had the care and time put in to it and I consider Estrella Damm to be one of the better Macro brewers out there. This was a light and refreshing brew which would be perfect for the Spanish climate and the UK at the moment. Overall, I rate this a decent 4 out of 5.

Where did I purchase this beer?

I bought this from Mambos in Ponteland, just past Newcastle airport.

Thanks for reading my review. If you enjoyed my review you will love my review of Garage Beer Co Palomar.