Tasting Chibuku Umqombothi – Cape Town (South Africa) at Woodstock Brewery.
One more post about my time in Cape Town for the African Beer Cup 🙂 During one of our brewery visits with the group of judges we got to taste Umqombothi.
Fellow judgeApiwe Nxusani-Mawela (Tolokazi brewing) had brought us some Chibuku, a commercial version of this traditional South African beer. This type of beer is made from corn, corn malt, sorghum malt, yeast and water. It is quite low in alcohol (less than 3% normally). It is traditionally brewed by women, for which they actually distance themselves from the rest of the village during the whole brewing process.
This beer has probably been made for thousands of years and is brewed in each tribe/ village according to a recipe that has been passed down for generations. Apiwe is actively trying to keep this traditional beer and the traditions surrounding it alive by organizing talks, masterclasses and brewing competitions. Beer heritage like this is important to keep alive for future generations.
Now for the tasting. As you can see in the photo Umqombothi looks nothing like any modern beer at all. The beer looks grey-white and milk-like and has a heavy and quite sour aroma. The mouth feel is quite thick, creamy and even a little gritty, reminding me a bit of slightly sour thin yogurt, followed by some grainy, corn-like flavours and a little fruitiness. Surprising for sure, but also refreshing and after a few sips to get used to it, I definitely enjoyed it. For me it was very special to taste such a different beer and to learn about its heritage.
A must-try when you visit South-Africa. I surely will try to find some more Umqombothi on my next visit to Cape Town.
#africanbeercup #umqombothi #beertradions #beerlovers #southafricanbeers
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