I am currently on the gorgeous island of Gran Canaria, where my Mum is from, for her undisclosed milestone birthday. My Auntie also likes a craft beer or two and has bought me a couple of her recent favourites from her local SPAR supermarket. The two she picked up for are both from DouGall’s brewery, which is a Spanish brewery (or cerveceria if we want to immerse ourselves in the culture) founded by Englishman Andrew Dougall in 2006 in the Cantabria region. Drawing from the English Heritage, Tres Mares (which means Three Seas) is an amber ale at 5.2% ABV and also happens to be gluten free!

Tres Mares pours an Autumn brown colour with a slightly tanned head. The nose isn’t too aromatic but does have slight raisin like qualities that come through. There is a touch of fruity sweetness coming through on the flavour. Dried fruits and and a little caramel compliment a backbone of strong bitterness that runs throughout the beer, and finishes on a surprisingly refreshing note.

A quick note on the bottle art: For a beer that translates to the Three Seas you may be wondering, as did I, what a snowy mountain is doing on the label. The name, and the subsequent illustration, is in reference to Pico Tres Mares which is a mountain peak in the Cantabrian Mountain Range. The bottle cap also translates to ‘Think Global, Drink Local’ and it certainly is important to support local businesses as much as possible.

When I first took a sip of this beer I wasn’t a fan to be completely honest. I was immediately hit with this bitterness, that while some might enjoy, isn’t what I personally like in a beer. However, as I kept drinking the other flavours really started to come through. Lots of raisin and dried fruit notes alongside a more classic malt like sweetness really helped mellow out the overall profile of the beer, and making it much more quaffable. To be clear however, if you’re not into bitterness in your brews, I’d probably avoid this one but otherwise give this Spanish based English style a go and let me know what you think!

Score: 7/10

Spain, it feels, is slowly developing its craft beer scene and adding other styles alongside their excellent lager selection. Are there any Spanish made brews that you recommend? I would love to hear about them!

Additional Information:

Style: Amber Ale

Hops: Not Available

Malt: Not Available

IBU: 55

ABV: 5.2%

Gluten Free: Yes!

Vegan: N/A

Location: Spar

Price: N/A