BOTTLE CONDITIONED IN MAJORCA

We have just returned from a weeks holiday in Majorca. It was a last minute job to escape the crappy weather, and not having been before, I wasn't expecting anything exciting beer wise. We stayed in the East coast resort of Cala Bona, (an hours coach drive from Palma Airport) . I was pronouncing it Cala Boner till I got wrong off the wife , can't think why.

Despite planning on drinking wine with most evening meals during the week, it was soon time after arrival to check out the local supermarkets for any decent beer. Sadly, it was mostly San Miguel and John Smiths. ( why go on holiday and drink John  Smiths ?)  However found some German Paulaner wheat beer so made do with that for the first few days, as most supermarkets just sold the same crap.

After half a dozen bottles of the same stuff, got bored and fancied a change. Venturing further afield one day, we found a larger store with a marginally better selection.

So I picked up bottles of Tramuntana Golden Ale and San Miguel Selecta. It's worth mentioning that the fridge in our hotel room was small and bottles could only be stored horizontally. Later that evening, allowing sufficient time to cool , I opened the Tramuntana. There was a woosh and the bottle just erupted, not unlike a geyser erupting in Yellowstone National Park. I managed to capture most of it in a glass. It was my fault ; I should have read the label more closely - it was in Spanish but closer inspection revealed the words :

Carbonatacion Natural

Cerveza Artizan

Craft Beer.

It appeared this was a bottle conditioned beer, brewed on the island. It didnt have an exceptional taste, just a standard pale ale. It was one of those drinks where you say, that was refreshing, then instantly forget what it tasted like.

Now as I said, we've not been here before so I don't know if this is a recent development or what. The beer itself was stored on the bottom shelf of the supermarket so not being sold in  prominent position.

I've been on the website, http://www.cervezatramuntana.com/which doesn't  tell you much. Still, a small victory I thought.

Finally the Selecta. This wasn't bad, not bottle conditioned but a very malty 6.2 % beer. I read a review on "Ratebeer" which said " Compared to the ordinary San Miguel, this is a masterpiece." Quite so