Do they still make Noche Buena?

[Beerbeque]

I used to love Noche Buena beer years ago but I haven't seen it in ages. It was a Christmas beer brewed by Dos Equis that had a Poinsettia on the label. Does anybody remember that beer?

 

[ian-atx]

Only time I have seen this beer recently (as in the past 3 years or so) was when someone brought some up from Mexico, or border area Texas. Perhaps other parts of the US get it?

 

[Yeastmonkey]

Noche Buena was my favorite holiday brew. I haven't seen it years. I hear that it is only available in Mexico these days.

 

[bob1852]

Only time I had it was in San Luis Potosi, Mexico in ~2002.

Great beer, and I've seen some clone recipes around - can't remember where...

 

[niquejim]

It's in a Dos Equis mix pack at my Costco....so they still make it

 

[GodsStepBrother]

I live in El Paso TX, my uncle brings me two twelve packs every x-mas. They go down pretty easy. Anyways to answer your question they do still make it, but it only gets released in decemeber. I havent seen it in the states though.

 

[GoldMiner]

It's in a Dos Equis mix pack at my Costco....so they still make it

+1.

Just came in yesterday.

 

[scaryeyes]

Noche Buena is availible in all Mexico from late october and to maybe half of januar. Depends on the warehouses.... The recipe varyes a little from year to year, but thats common with season beer.
Its the brewery Cuautemoc Moctezuma, the same that brew Dos Equis, Bohemia, sol, Indio etc. They now have joined a part of Heineken, so maybe its gonna be easier to find it outside Mexico. But its a beer of pride, so maybe this is the only one thats never gonna be exported.
There is another recipe in the book Beer Captured. When I have brewed one batch thats spot on, Im gonna have a recipe here for you.
Its not very accurate yet because Im in sweden, and dont use the same malt or hops. But I use the white labs mexican lager yeast. Hope its close...

 

[cabal09]

Damn, I thinks I still have acouple in my fridge.

 

[Caucasian]

I think there's a recipe in charlies book, joy of homebrewing

 

[scaryeyes]

Damn, I thinks I still have acouple in my fridge.

I still have six left. My wife is going back to mexico in late october and bring me some more. Just in educational purpose.....

 

[Joebeer1]

Noche will be in the states in the fall. In Chicago anyway.

 

[Caucasian]

Page 179 of the 3rd edition complete joy of homebrewing.

 

[scaryeyes]

I now have two 9-packs (they come as that now) in mexico. Its a little draw-back that Im in sweden, on the other side of the world right now. But my latest beer I brewed is getting closer. Now its getting interesting here.
Im sitting here compositioning my recipes under heavy influence of alcohol, just like I do with music. In some strange way its getting better this way. This time its gonna be a pilsner. A Bohemia Clasica clone. I believe its the same hops as Noche Buena. The simpliest recipe ever!

9.5 kg pilsner
170g Bobek 30 min
Mexican lager or bohemian lager yeast

Mash at 50 deg C at 30 min and 69 deg C at 30 min, Mash out at 78

Why make it so difficult?

 

[zmurda]

i saw some 2 days ago here in houston at heb. there was about 5 12 packs.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

There is a lot of it available in the Dallas area. I tried one on Friday. It tasted like a marzen-style lager with dos equis skunk. I don't know how you skunk a dark beer in brown glass but they sure figured it out. I was disappointed by it.

 

[chemman14]

you guys like this stuff? i thought it tasted like complete crap

 

[scaryeyes]

you guys like this stuff? i thought it tasted like complete crap

A great way to take the entouthiasm off from a thread. If you think so, dont read about it.

 

[weirdboy]

I just had some on Saturday, so yes absolutely.

 

[scaryeyes]

If anyones interested, heres something between Noche Buena and Negra Modelo.
I would change celeia for bobek straight off in my next batch. And raise my effeciency up to 70, cause of my new brewmachine. That would make a 6% beer and I think it would be closer to what Im lookin for.
I used rice flower and corn flower and just boiled it for half an hour, then mashed it with the pilsner malt on the side for an hour at 70 degrees celcius.
Very fine beer anyway.


Boil Size: 38.48 l
Post Boil Volume: 38.48 l
Batch Size (fermenter): 35.00 l
Bottling Volume: 33.00 l
Estimated OG: 1.052 SG
Estimated Color: 34.9 EBC
Estimated IBU: 29.8 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 60.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 63.4 %
Boil Time: 70 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
4.70 kg Viking Münchermalt (18.0 EBC) Grain 2 47.0 %
3.40 kg Viking Viennamalt (7.0 EBC) Grain 3 34.0 %
0.10 kg Viking Crystal 300 (300.0 EBC) Grain 7 1.0 %
0.20 kg Chokladmalt (Castle Malting) (900.0 EBC) Grain 6 2.0 %
165.00 g Celeia [3.70 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 8 29.8 IBUs
1.6 pkg Mexican Lager (White Labs #WLP940) [35.4 Yeast 9 -
0.40 kg Rice, Flaked (2.0 EBC) Grain 5 4.0 %
0.70 kg maize (2.0 EBC) Adjunct 1 7.0 %
0.50 kg Viking Pilsner Malt (3.7 EBC) Grain 4 5.0 %


Mash Schedule: Temperature Mash, 2 Step, Medium Body
Total Grain Weight: 10.00 kg
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Protein Rest Add 25.64 l of water at 55.7 C 50.0 C 30 min
Saccharification Heat to 66.7 C over 15 min 66.7 C 60 min
Mash Out Heat to 75.6 C over 10 min 75.6 C 10 min

Sparge: Drain mash tun, Batch sparge with 1 steps (22.85l) of 75.6 C water
Notes:
------