The Beers of Aruba

Recently returning from the island country of Aruba, I knew I had to do a quick write-up of the beers I tried on my trip. The island, along with many others in the Caribbean, is in a unique position of having heavy European influence as well as locals who want to assert their (relatively) new-found independence. This leads to a variety of imports that we might not find easily in the United States as well as national breweries whose beers are unavailable off the island. These are my findings:

Balashi
ABV: 5%
IBU: Low
Arubans pride themselves on their water, and rightfully so. It all comes from the sea, through one of the world’s largest (or perhaps the largest) desalinization plants. The result is a fresh, soft water that provides the backbone to this beer. Balashi is refreshing — especially in 90 degree heat — and it has a buttery aftertaste that keeps it from being your average pale lager. With that said, this is the beer to drink in Aruba, and after the fourth or fifth one on the trip, the magic wore off.

Polar Pilsener
ABV: 5%
IBU: Lower.
The national pilsener of Venezuala is the second most common beer in Aruba, beating out Amstel, Heineken, and Budweiser. I really don’t understand why; this was straw water. It does not put anything past the line drawn by the cheap, domestic beers here in the States. I quickly switched over to Balashi and Amstel.

Guinness Foreign Extra Stout
ABV: 7.5%
IBU: Delicious
Guinness exports the basic wort (beginning stage of beer) of its product to projects across the globe, letting the local breweries add their own touch to the basic recipe. This means that Foreign Extra varies in alcohol content, bitterness, and flavor depending on where you get it. In Jamaica, for example, a smoother, lighter version with 6.5% alcohol is offered. The one I had in Aruba is the more common, 7.5% ABV. My impressions were all favorable. Foreign Extra is basically a stronger, fuller version of the Guinness Extra Stout we are so familiar with. There is nutty chocolate on the nose and a little more bitterness than usual, as well as heavier chocolate and hop flavors. To me, this is what Guinness is supposed to be: the smooth, dry stout that epitomizes the style.

I really would like to find out the IBUs for these. If you have any specs on these beers or maybe on a homebrew clone, your comments would be appreciated.

Drink well,
Mr. Sober