Retro Night!

Well Not too retro but more common to say the least. In a two for one blog I'm going to try two beers that are readily available just about anywhere, instead of my unusual picks from the LCBO . First up:

Beer # 9 Dos Equis Lager Especial

Fresh from the "Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma" www.cuamoc.com or www.dosequis.com it's the brewery that brings us such international stars as Carta Blanca, Sol (the original German-styled Lager brewed in Mexico predating Corona by 50 years!!), and Tecate. The brewery also produces Coors Light under licence for the Mexican market and the flagship beer of it's international Parent Company Heineken.

Presented in a (sunlight damaging... keep your Dos Equis in the dark!) green bottle standard 12 oz or 335 ml size. It is a refreshing 4.5% ABV German-styled lager well suited to its hot climate origins. Clear gold in colour with an almost non-existant head of medium sized bubbles that fade out to a skim of white across the top of the beer. Grain and citrus dominate the nose giving up almost nothing else in the way of aroma. First sip wet grain with a sugary finish mild citrus. Very low amount of hops no bitterness very dry aftertaste. Does not evoke the rain-watery Darjeeling tea flavours of a traditional Euro-lager. Very gentle and soft mildly cleansing, leaving me wanting a spicy burritto.

Overall results: (Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional)

Taste: Pass (Euro-lagers tend to be bland but this one is decent)
Cost: Pass
Colour: Pass
Beer Style: Pass
Re-order: Exceptional (Give me the above mentioned spicy Burrito and a beach in the Mexican riviera I'd drink it til the cows come home)
Experience: Pass

Final Thought... I will make this a high pass. Note quite exceptional because it is a working man's beer nothing stands out above the crowd. It's a beer you come home to, dig out of the bottom of the fridge, and flop onto the couch with. Just like your favourite old pooch and a pair of slipperes a very reliable beer. Just don't expose it to too much light or it WILL go skunky!







Beer # 10 Molson Stock Ale

Never been a fan of the "Big Boys." Over-commercialisation of the brewing process has never been a good thing. Molson Coors is a giant among brewing circles, one of the largest right up there with SABMiller and AB InBev. The Pint Jockey's opinion is that brewing should be local and the best beers should always come from within walking distance.

I digress.

 
Molson was formed in Montreal in 1786 and is the oldest continuously operating brewery in Canada. It became the fifth largest Brewing company in the world when it merged with Coors of USA. www.molsoncoorscanada.com Incidently The Golden Colorado Brewery which is Molson Coor's Flagship Brewery is the largest brewing facility in the world.

Darker gold in colour and a heavy malted molasses and licorice nose. White head with tiny bubbles disapeers quickly. First sip gives us lots of grain and malt slightly chemical notes. Not a lot of character.


Overall results: (Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional)

Taste: So-so
Cost: Pass
Colour: Pass
Beer Style: Pass
Re-order: So-so
Experience:So-so

Final thought. Commercial beers just really are not worth it. Bland, tasteless,  brewed without character to appeal to a larger audience. Think Global... but drink local.

The 18 year old Ola Dubh is up next! Stay tuned

Cheers
CJT