Heineken Lager Beer
This is my second beer review...and about my 6th brand of beer to try, and of those...my third pale lager. I found this beer overall to be "decent." My only other review up to this point was on Miller High Life...so I may end up comparing the two a bit as I've found them somewhat similar. Appearance: Ok, it's the coolest looking bottle (for me) there is...hands down. Very cool labeling. I'm sure the college kids like it if not just for that alone. I kept the bottle cap. I love the green bottle although a green or clear bottle isn't the best idea because it allows light to get to the beer. I got a nice, very white 2" head off of my semi-aggresive pour into a standard glass. However, the head dissipated surprisingly quickly...as compared to the Miller High Life...which poured much less head, but it stayed longer than the Heineken. The Heineken had some lacing that stayed for a while, but not as much as the pale lagers I've had previously. It didn't appear very carbonated, but had a slightly darker (really slightly) yellow tinge than the rest of the pale lagers I've had. Smell: I couldn't detect much in this one...slight alcohol smell...a very slight hint of sulfur (probably classic "Skunk", but not very bad). Overall, not offensive, but not exciting either. Taste: This beer is slightly watered down tasting and unobtrusive, and I'm still at the point where I like that as I'm still getting used to beer. It isn't very bitter, and the skunkiness wasn't really there for me even though many reviewers talk about it. It was neither bad nor great. A very standard Macro Lager taste that would go great with a "meatn' three" type of meal or to quench your thirst on a hot day. I'd like to try this one in a pilsner glass to try and retain some of that head and explore the tastes more. This taste was similar to Miller High life but not quite as bitter. I wish it had just a tinge more bitter right at the end. Mouthfeel: This feels a little more heavy in the mouth rather than a light and dry feeling that other lagers have left for me, but very very smooth. It's a light bodied beer...very very drinkable. I only ever drink one beer at a time but if I ever wanted to put down a few...it would probably be this one. It does get a little rough towards the end (skunky?)...and it's funny...as it warms it gets rough...I even tried it a second time alongside a Miller High life at the exact same temp (39-40f) and in the same glass...and the Heineken tasted warmer even though it wasn't really. I recommend this beer ice-rippin' cold...and it's funny....the manufacturer seems to constantly be telling us to serve it cold...I suppose I see the reason for that. There is not very much carbonation in this beer...it seemed pretty flat right out of the bottle for me. Overall, I would rate this as an average, but good beer. Not my favorite, but it won't ruin my day if it's all that's available.