Reggae Beer: Red Stripe

Today’s beer comes from the beautiful sunny island of Jamaica. Sadly, I haven’t been there yet (I got this beer in London though) but I can just imagine the following situation. I’m lying in the shade of a palm tree on one of the island’s sandy beaches next to the azure sea, of course, with an ice cold Red Stripe in my hand. Probably doesn’t get much better than that.

• Name: Red Stripe
• Brewery: Desnoes and Geddes (Diageo PLC)
• City: Kingston
• Country: Jamaica

This Jamaican lager pours out with the typical clear and golden color. It is topped with a finger of white head which takes its time settling down. The smell is quite bland with only some notes of malts and hops getting through. The taste follows the smell which is quite mild. But it is a very pleasant combination of sweetness and bitterness, making Red Stripe very tasty and refreshing.

The final word is that Red Stripe is very smooth and easy to drink, but most importantly, it isn’t anything near watery. A very nice surprise from Jamaica, I must say.

• Style: Pale Lager
• ABV: 4,7%
• Ingredients: water, barley malt, hops

RATINGS

• Appearance: 4,5 / 5
• Smell: 3,5 / 5
• Taste: 4 / 5
• Overall: 4 / 5

The Croatian Sensation: Pan Lager

Today I’m presenting my beer of choice during the summer holidays on the beautiful Croatian coast.

• Name: Pan Lager
• Brewery: Carlsberg Croatia
• City: Koprivnica
• Country: Croatia

Pan Lager is one of my favourite beers and one of the best lagers out there to enjoy it during the summer heat. It pours out with all the characteristics of a lager: clear, golden color and two fingers of white head which settles down quickly. The aroma is pretty neural, slightly skunky, slightly malty and slightly hopps – nothing special really. The taste is sweet and just a tad watery, but not too much. The finish is pleasantly bitter, with the hoppiness lingering on your tongue for some time.

In truth, Pan Lager is nothing special. Don’t get me wrong, it’s better than most of the lagers I have tried, but it’s best quality is the combination of taste and ice cold refreshment. Try one while lying in the hot Croatian sun, and you will understand what I’m trying to say.

• Style: Pale Lager
• ABV: 4,8%
• Ingredients: water, baley malt, yeast, hops

RATINGS

• Appearance: 4 / 5
• Smell: 3,5 / 5
• Taste: 4,5 / 5
• Overall: 4,5 / 5

Latin Polar Bear: Polar Pilsen

When I first saw this beer I immediately assumed it originated from one of the Scandinavian countries. So, you can imagine my surprise when I read that it was actually Hecho en Venezuela. I cannot really put Venezuela and polar bears together in my head, but never mind. Here is today’s beer, Polar.

• Name: Polar Pilsen
• Brewery: Cerveceria Polar
• City: Caracas
• Country: Venezuela

Polar, according to its looks, isn’t in any way different than other lagers out there. It pours out with a clear, golden color and is topped with a quickly disappearing white head. The faint, but sweet smell promises a typical lager taste, and Polar delivers something like that – a sweet and malty taste, which is complemented by a hoppy bitterness, and some sharpness in the taste, which isn’t too pleasant.

Not really the best tasting beer out there, and nothing you haven’t (probably) tried before, but still worth giving it a try. But to be completely fair, the best characteristic of this lager is its label with a cute polar bear.

• Style: Pale Lager
• ABV: 5%
• Ingredients: water, barley malt, hops, grains

RATINGS

• Appearance: 3,5 / 5
• Smell: 2,5 / 5
• Taste: 2 / 5
• Overall: 2,5 / 5

Na Zdrowie: Zywiec Jasne Pelne

Today’s beer originates from Poland, where I had it on several occassions during my New Year’s trip to Cracow. Although I have tried also several other Polish beers, Żywiec proved to be the best one among them, and is also one of the better lagers I have ever tried.

• Name: Żywiec Jasne Pelne
• Brewery: Żywiec (Żywiec Group – Heineken)
• City: Żywiec
• Country: Poland

Żywiec is a perfect example of Polish brew making and its high quality. They sure know what they are doing. The appearance is as expected – a clear golden color topped with a quickly settling white head. The smell consists of grainy and malty aroma, and is also similar to other lagers. Unlike some other lagers, Żywiec offers quite some taste, which is typically sweet due to the malts, although there is also some hoppy taste present. It finishes with a moderate and pleasant bitterness.

It’s a very fine and refreshing beer that comes with a very decent carbonation, making it very smooth down your throat. There is no problem having a cuple of these in a row, so do look for it when in Poland.

• Style: Pale Lager
• ABV: 5,6%
• Ingredients: water, hops, barley malt

RATINGS

• Appearance: 4 / 5
• Smell: 4 / 5
• Taste: 4,5 / 5
• Overall: 4 / 5

The Swiss Hunter: Schützengarten Lagerbier Hell

Switzerland is famous for their cheese, chocolate and watches. But I have never heard of a Swiss beer, at least ot until a friend of mine brought me this one from Switzerland. Luckily, he travells there every year, so I’m already looking forward to tasting some new Swiss beer samples.

• Name: Schützengarten Lagerbier Hell
• Brewery: Schützengarten Brauerei
• City: St. Gallen
• Country: Switzerland

This beer is really nothing you haven’t seen before with some other Euro lagers. The body has a clear golden color and is topped with a white head. Although the head is initially very decent, it settles down pretty fast. The smell is also characteristic of a lager – a slightly malty and hoppy aroma, but otherwise pretty much a neutral smell. The taste follows the aroma – a sweet malty beginning finishes with a slightly bitter aftertaste. The slightly watery taste and a moderate carbonation make it a refreshing beer, but nothing special taste-wise.

• Style: Premium Lager
• ABV: 4,8%
• Ingredients: water, barley malt, hops

RATINGS

• Appearance: 3,5 / 5
• Smell: 3 / 5
• Taste: 3 / 5
• Overall: 3 / 5

The Golden Pheasant: Zlatý Bažant

Last year, my friends and I, decided to go on “just dudes” trip to Bratislava, with the goal to party and have as much fun as possible. The goal was easily achieved – Bratislava isn’t nicknamed Partyslava for no reason.  The thing that really helped to achieve our goal was without doubt the local Zlatý Bažant.

• Name: Zlatý Bažant
• Brewery: Heineken Slovensko
• City: Hurbanovo
• Country: Slovakia

Zlatý Bažant is a very nice Euro lager which pours out with a clear, golden color. It is topped with a very decent and quickly disappearing white head. It has a pleasant hoppy aroma with the addition of malty aroma. The taste is very clean and smooth. It is dominated by the light hoppiness, making this beer very enjoyable. The slightly bitter aftertaste and a very decent carbonation make Zlatý Bažant very refreshing.

The final word. Zlatý Bažant is a very pleasant beer, and it is very easy to have a couple in a row. It’s not the best beer you can get, but it still is a very decent choice. So, when you go partying in Partyslava, do have a couple of these.

• Style: Bohemian Pilsener
• ABV: 5%
• Ingredients: water, barley malt, hops

RATINGS

• Appearance: 4 / 5
• Smell: 4 / 5
• Taste: 4 / 5
• Overall: 4 / 5

I AMstel: Amstel Lager

Today’s beer in one of the several famous Dutch beers popular and accessible all around the world.

• Name: Amstel Lager
• Brewery: Heineken Nederland
• City: Zoeterwoude
• Country: Netherlands

Being a Dutch beer, I expected Amstel to be better than the average beers on the market, but then again, Heineken is also Dutch, so… But luckily, Amstel is better than other average lagers, not by much, but still. It pours out of the bottle with a clear and golden color, and is topped with a very small and not long lasting white head. It has a pretty neutral smell – I can only point out some grainy aroma. The taste is a mixture of malty sweetness and hoppy bitterness. It has a light and clean taste, which finishes with a decently bitter aftertaste.

So, what to say about Amstel then. It certainly is better than Heineken, actually much better, and much less watery. It probably isn’t the best Dutch lager, but what I’ve tasted so far, it certainly is among the best ones.

• Style: Pale Lager
• ABV: 5%
• Ingredients: hops, water, barley malt

RATINGS

• Appearance: 3,5 / 5
• Smell: 3,5 / 5
• Taste: 3,5 / 5
• Overall: 3,5 / 5

From the Belgium’s Monasteries: Leffe Blonde

This beer here was probably the first “abbey” beer that I have tasted, mostly because it is also one of the most famous beers that are produced by the monks. I’m not really a fan of this style, but anyway… Here it is.

• Name: Leffe Blonde
• Brewery: InBev Belgium
• City: Leuven
• Country: Belgium

This monastery ale pours out with a clear golden color, and is topped with a decent white and lasting head. It has a sweet and fruity smell, although there is also a faint presence of alcohol smell in it, which in not so nice. The taste is quite strong and very yeasty, which again is not quite what I like. You can also taste some grains, and the taste is complemented by the addition of alcohol, which should be less obvious.

All in all, Leffe Blonde is not really my cup of tea (or glass of beer, however you want it). I know it is highly appreaciated amongst the beer experts and lovers, but for a ordinary fellow like me, it’s just not right.

• Style: Belgian Ale
• ABV: 6,6%
• Ingredients: water, light malt, yeast, hops, corn

RATINGS

• Appearance: 4 / 5
• Smell: 2,5 / 5
• Taste: 2 / 5
• Overall: 2 / 5

When in Rome… : Peroni

A couple of days ago I have returned from a weekend break in Italy, which is also home to today’s beer. Although I had this beer on several occassions before, I still give it a try whenever I’m in Italy.

• Name: Peroni
• Brewery: Birra Peroni Industriale (SABMiller)
• City: Rome
• Country: Italy

This Italian lager pours out with a clear golden color and with a thin, quickly disappearing white head. The aroma is very weak and neutral. There is only a slight addition of grains and a touch of hops. Now, what to say about the taste? Well, the truth is Peroni doesn’t offer much of it. There is just the initial sweetness, which is followed by almost nothing. It all finishes with a slightly bitter(ish) aftertaste, but that’s just not enough.

Peroni is definitely not the best Italian beer out there. But, when walking around Italian cities and the heat is on, even Peroni get the job done perfectly. So my suggestion is, give it a try. You may not be exicted about it, but it is still a decent refreshment, which goes perfectly with the Italian culinary specialty, pizza.

• Style: Pale Lager
• ABV: 4,7%
• Ingredients: water, barley malt, corn, hops

• Slogan: “Chiamami Peroni, sarò la tua birra!” (Call Me Peroni, I’ll be Your Beer!)

RATINGS

• Appearance: 3,5 / 5
• Smell: 2,5 / 5
• Taste: 2,5 / 5
• Overall: 2,5 / 5

Una Cerveza de Andalucia: Cruzcampo Pilsen

This beer brings back a lot of memories of my last year’s holiday in the Spanish south, in Andalusia. I always try to drink local beer, so when I was in Seville, I naturally tried Cruzcampo. I remember it was an extremelly hot day, and Cruzcampo was just the best thing at that moment.

• Name: Cruzcampo Pilsen
• Brewery: Grupo Cruzcampo (Heineken España)
• City: Sevilla
• Country: Spain

Cruzcampo pours out with a pure golden color, and the glass is topped with a very decent, although not long lasting white head. The smell is very weak, and the only things that can be pointed out, are the aromas of grains and some hops. The taste is very nice – it starts with the malty sweetness, which is immediately replaced by the hoppy bitterness. The aftertaste is bitter as well, but still in reasonable boundaries.

Cruzcampo is just slightly watery, making it very easy to drink, and also, most important during the Spanish summer, extremelly refreshing. You definitely won’t regret getting this one. It may not be the best beer in the world, but it’s still pretty good.

• Style: Pilsener
• ABV: 4,8%
• Ingredients: water, barley malt, maize, hops

• Slogan: “No pierdas el sur!” (Don’t miss the south!)

RATINGS

• Appearance: 4 / 5
• Smell: 3,5 / 5
• Taste: 4 / 5
• Overall: 4 / 5