When I think of Imperial Stouts, I think of beers that could substitute for a meal. They are thick, creamy, and full of flavor. Minerva's Imperial Stout has a decent flavor, but it is so watery that I would hesitate to even call this a regular stout. Maybe a black lager instead? It isn't a bad beer by any means, there are nice aromas of chocolate and coffee, and you can really taste the toasted malts. It is actually a fairly drinkable beer that I wouldn't mind having again, but if people buy this and think this is what an imperial stout should be like, that is really unfortunate. 
Minerva's white ale pours with little head. The beer itself is a pale yellow, slightly cloudy, and just lightly carbonated. It was very drinkable, had a fruity aroma and slightly fruity taste, but finishes dry and bitter. The Diosa Blanca is not the best example of a white ale, but certainly passable and I wouldn't mind drinking this again. Another example of Minerva transforming what could have been an amazing beer into something bland and boring.
I love Cucapá. If given a choice among Mexican craft brewers, I'll pick their beers over any other. But, I do not love this beer. Cucapá's Obscura is little different than the myriad brown lagers that litter the Mexican landscape. It is light, watery, and very boring. The only thing that makes this better than a Bohemia Obscura or a León is that Cucapá's version has a more noticeable roasted flavor. But that is it. I'm being harsh because I know Cucapá can do better. For what it is, this beer is very drinkable. However, I would prefer to drink just about anything else.
Cervecería Pública Condesa has been producing this brown ale since 2009. It is a decent example of a brown, although a little bland and watery for my tastes. It is certainly drinkable and much better than any cerveza obscura you are going to find by the two major companies in Mexico, but it is not the finest example of a brown. 
The picture says most of what needs to be said about this beer. It looks like a porter, but is extremely sour. The pepper is definitely apparent and makes the sourness all the more unbearable. Three people could not even drink half of this beer.
Similar in style to most Mexican lagers, just done a whole lot better. Why drink a Bohemia when you can drink this?
I took this particular photo at Lucille's in Colonia Roma. The Reserva Especial is sometimes called "Maple" depending on where you drink it (such as at Al Andar). Maple is a fitting name, because this golden-colored ale does have a pretty strong sweetness to it that resembles maple syrup. It also has a slight caramel flavor. I am not very familiar with Scottish Ales (the ones I have tried I didn't like), so I can't say much about how close this resembles that particular style. However, it is fairly drinkable. The sweetness makes it difficult to have more than one, but if I drink Tempus beers, it is a toss-up over whether I choose the Reserva Especial or the Doble Malta. Both beers are drinkable, but not particularly exciting. I look forward to the day Tempus branches out into other styles that are more appealing and original. 
First, sorry for the blurry picture.
Tempus Imperial Altbier
This beer by Calavera (Tlalnepantla, Estado de México) was pretty disappointing. The beer itself is a deep golden belgian style ale with absolutely no head and very lightly carbonated (even though on the bottle it says the head is "dense and creamy"). You can tell they are trying to imitate belgian style ales with the spicy aroma and flavor, but the overwhelming flavor of this beer is just alcohol. You also get the alcohol flavor in the nose and the finish. Not very pleasant at all. On my first few drinks, I thought it even tasted a little salty. I have never had a beer that I thought tasted salty before. Calavera needs to spend more time on their beer recipes and less on their bottle designs. Maybe if I hadn't been sampling a bunch of real Belgian beers recently I'd be a little more kind, but this beer is an extremely poor substitute.
