Sullerica

Sóller has a very special flavor

Nine hours is the time it takes to brew a Sullerica beer. One sip was enough for us to fall at their feet.

Author: Joan Ramis Boscana

Going to Sóller is becoming a kind of routine, a habit we don't mind at all because the town is a mine of projects that exude tradition, innovation and respect. Initiatives with deep roots in this land that sits on the plain of a valley protected by the mountains. It is past midday when we cross the streets of the center, and we take the opportunity to approach Miga de nube to book a table. On the menu that they have hanging next to the entrance, there is a drink that catches our attention because it is an offering at many restaurants in the area. Its name is Sullerica, a craft beer that makes the gastronomic offer of many bars and terraces bubble. As we have two hours ahead of us, we decide to go to the facilities to meet the managers and, incidentally, to immerse ourselves in its foam.

Hardly anyone would say that the golden color of Sullerica comes out of the Camí des Camp Llarg, a street that goes somewhat unnoticed and is bounded by a stone wall. On that wall, the branches of some orange trees lean out, a tree that in Sóller is almost sacred, and that in May exhales its perfume all over the coordinates of the region. The owner of this fragrance is the orange blossom, the essence on which the first beer brewed by Guillem Coll rests. A curious mind, a nonconformist. The person who puts his knowledge and talent at the service of Sullerica. His project saw the light in 2012, a business fermented with a dose of love with Maria Bel Rotger, his partner. It is in their bakery where she attends us, the space where the magic happens so that the tastings that both organize can take place. Maria Bel tells us about the functioning of the machinery around us, revealing the advantages of a system in which nothing is wasted: the leftover malt is collected by some local farmers and the water is reused for the next brewing process. While she explains this genius of the circular economy, she pours a beer for us to taste.

It is the Original Sullerica, the product that put them on the map of Mallorca and that colors up our glass with a chestnut tone. We take a sip, a drink that goes down our throat with a soft, almost silky texture, and on the palate leaves a floral flavor whose culprit is the lemon verbena. It is appreciated that the rosemary is noticed just enough, that it does not overshadow the rest of the ingredients with the power of its flavor. To compensate for the subtlety of this Original, we tried a 1561 that is an ode to extreme travel in short periods of time. It settles in our mouth with a pleasant sweetness, but then proves to be a restless ass and takes a bitter shift. A transformation that is given by its character, as it is a seven proof IPA that has been brewed with green olives. From Sóller, of course. And to close this half-improvised tasting, we finish with a beer that has been called Valenta. Another IPA that claims its strength with less vigor than the previous one, but maintains the sparkle of this family of beers with a greater degree of freshness. Seasoned, of course, with rose petals.  

Sullerica has a catalog of five products, and we have missed tasting the Blanca, which has xeixa wheat and lemon peel. We have also missed tasting the Fosca, its most prized beer, which is mixed with pure cocoa and has the color of the night. The good news is that the points of sale of this project are spread all over the island, from Agromart supermarkets to stores as specific as Sa Madona de Ca'n Xinet. We are talking about a craft beer with a Mallorcan identity that has body, aroma and is achieved through a perfectly controlled and natural brewing process. Nine hours is the time it takes to brew a Sullerica beer. One sip was enough for us to fall at its feet.