Like much of Spain, the Canary Islands are not particularly known for their craft beer. While you won’t ever find a artisanal beer, as they call craft in Spain, on the taps of your typical bar it appears, in Gran Canaria at least, that you can find local breweries on the supermarket shelves. Today’s review comes from Jaira, a brewery based in the capital of Gran Canaria, Las Palmas. Buchito, meaning a small amount of a drink, is a wheat beer that I picked up from SPAR while on holiday!

The beer pours a cloudy, golden yellow with a lovely, fluffy head. The aroma of the beer is full of punchy orange peel and that traditional clove like scent you find in wheat beers. The body of the beer was surprisingly more mellow that expected, although by no means not tasty. The classic citrus zest and fruitiness you expect comes through clearly and the beer has a nice refreshing fizz to it, making for easy drinking.

A quick note on the bottle art: I’m not entirely sure why American war propaganda symbol Uncle Sam is on this particular label holding a beer but he is. It does seem like a slightly bizarre choice considering the style but perhaps the aim for this beer was an American style wheat beer rather than the traditional German.

The Canary Islands are not a place that I typically expect or even look for craft beer. The majority of people are also not particularly interested in it at all. So when I do stumble across it, I am always curious to see what these local breweries are creating and how they taste. Particularly in a place like the Canaries that are so far from any typical hop supply chains! Wheat beers are a style I don’t drink very often so I don’t pretend to have a highly informed opinion on them. However, I know what I find tasty and this was pretty good and comes across as a solid example of the style. Soundly flavourful and appropriately refreshing in the heat. A beer I’d certainly try again and if you happen to be in a SPAR in Gran Canaria, worth a pick-up for the couple of Euro’s it cost me.

Score: 6.5/10

As mentioned I haven’t had many wheat beers, so if anyone has an recommendation for good wheat beers I can get in the UK I would love to hear them! Can either be longstanding classics or UK brewed craft, would simply love to try more of the style and get a baseline of what a good one is.

Additional Information:

Style: Wheat Beer

Hops: Not Available

Malt: Not Available

IBU: 24

ABV: 5%

Gluten Free: No

Vegan: Yes!

Location: Spar

Price: 2.50 Euros