Welcome to the first night of our Cinco de Mayo tasting! For the next five nights, we will be tasting 25 different Lager beers from around the United States and the rest of the world, doing five beers a night!
So, please, go get your favorite beverage, sit down, kick back and enjoy as we do our tasting!
Our first beer is…
BEER: Corona Extra
BREWERY: Cerveceria Modelo, Mexico (Imported by Crown Imports in Chicago, IL)
ABV: 4.6%
MATT: 3.75/5
DANIELLE: 3.75/5
LOOK: Crystal clear (before adding the lime, that is)
SCENT: Strong hoppy scent with wheat
MOUTHFEEL/TASTE: Sweet wheat, corn — offset by very bitter hops.
FINAL REFLECTIONS: Oh, Corona, my old friend…it’s been a minute since I’ve had a Corona and it’s strange to revisit this beer after I fell into the craft beer scene. We both scored this one high probably based more on nostalgia than anything else. The issue I have with Corona is that it’s fairly aggressive for a laid-back lager, which I’m guessing is why most people who consume it squeeze some lime into it. Even without the lime, though, it has a nice flavor. It’s crisp and drinkable, even after all these years.
BEER: Buenaveza Salt & Lime Lager
BREWERY: Stone Brewing – Napa, CA
ABV: 4.7%
MATT: 4.5/5
DANIELLE: 4.75/5
LOOK: Crystal clear and gold
SCENT: Faint lime and salt
MOUTHFEEL/TASTE: Sweet wheat, corn, lime that isn’t overwhelming and just a hint of saltiness
FINAL REFLECTIONS: I think this is our fourth go-round with Buenaveza and it’s always an amazing beer to drink. My only gripe with it is that it’s a gimmicky beer which adds artificial flavoring — but when the initial brew behind it is this good, it’s hard not to applaud it.
BEER: Taco Truck Lager
BREWERY: Dust Bowl Brewing Company – Turlock, CA
ABV: 4.7%
MATT: 3.75/5
DANIELLE: 3.5/5
LOOK: Crystal clear and gold
SCENT: Sweet corn, wheat, faint hops, slight bubble gum
MOUTHFEEL/TASTE: Slightly thick mouthfeel with a nice wheat/corn flavoring to it and a nice, sweet finish. Crisp and refreshing.
FINAL REFLECTIONS: This is our second tasting of this beer and I liked it the second time around. The complexity isn’t all the way there for me, but this is still a nice, easy-going lager that would go nicely with some tacos, per the beer’s title. Might need a touch of lime (not too much) to complete it, but this is a nice lager that stands on its own.
BEER: Longboard Island Lager
BREWERY: Kona Brewing Company – Kailua-Kona, HI
ABV: 4.7%
MATT: 5/5
DANIELLE: 5/5
LOOK: Crystal clear and gold
SCENT: Sweet corn, wheat, citrus, floral notes
MOUTHFEEL/TASTE: Slightly thick mouthfeel. Sweet corn, honey, citrus, and wheat are on the tongue. Blossoms in the aftertaste. Nice finish.
FINAL REFLECTIONS: We have done this beer before and it’s always a treat. Deeply complex, the sweetness of the wheat is just amazing and the floral aftertaste along with the crisp, refreshing finish make Longboard one of the greatest lagers ever made, absolute perfection in a glass.
BEER: Sapporo Premium (Japanese Rice Lager)
BREWERY: Sapporo Brewing – Tokyo, Japan (Brewed in Vietnam, Imported by their Wisconsin location)
ABV: 4.9%
MATT: 4/5
DANIELLE: 4.25/5
LOOK: Gold and clear
SCENT: Sweet corn, honey, some citrus
MOUTHFEEL/TASTE: Rice, sweet honey, crisp finish, slight hop bite, wheat
FINAL REFLECTIONS: Sapporo is an old standby that’s more than 100 years old. No, it’s not the best Lager on the market — but it IS one of my favorites precisely because it’s more complex and drinkable than a Budweiser American Lager. There’s some honey blossom and rice you can taste on the tongue and that sweet corn and crisp finish make this a great drink. Pairs great with sushi and is a go-to for serving Sake Bombs.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Tonight, we tasted the best of the best: five classic Lagers we’ve rated before and have a deep love for. It was nice to taste the difference between each and every single one of these and remember just why we love them so much.
HEAR OUR FINAL THOUGHTS!:
TOMORROW: We continue with Night 2 of our five-day Cinco de Mayo tasting! Join us then!