Carling Black Label

Brewed by Molson Breweries (MolsonCoors)
Style: Pale Lager
Montreal, Canada

12 oz can. A twelve spot of this is cheaper than Pabst, so we figured we were in for some fun. Aroma is cheap beer. Body is light yellow. Taste is smooth, weird tinny after taste at first. But after 4-5 of these billies it disappears. Probably wont buy this again.

Canned. Pale yellow in colour. A malty clean nose with a watery taste. Anonymous is a great way to describe it.

It’s a golden beer with a nice head. the aroma and flavour is very weak, and if there are any bitterness at all, then it’s very, very weak. It’s not an offending beer that tastes bad, it’s just extremely anonymous and boring...

Cheap, nasty and smells like it’s still in the can in the glass. I have to drink this every United match I watch at my local. Shed a tear for me. This drink is everywhere in England and it’s piss weak and flavourless. Boo my country.

Pours a perfect sized head with a fair aroma. An enjoyable tasting lager. I remember the first time I had a black label it tasted like a dirty penny but this time around it tastes like a good contending lager however I know it is a still a step behind the major brewers in taste.

Great beer. I’m not a beer snob and I hate anything imported or heavy so this is a great beer for me. Ver similiar to Miller High Life in that it has a tangy taste. Drink after putting in fridge for a day..into freezer for 15-20 minutes and then into a frosted glass. Great beer for a refreshing cool down. Hard to find in VA so I get it from MD or PA. Can be found in VA in Newport News or in MD in Rockville.

Canned 50cl. It pours a golden beer with a big, thick and creamy white head. Quite a nice appearance. Hoppy, earthy, grainy nose. Grainy, hoppy taste. Some lemon. Biscuitty, dusty, earthy hops. Light bodied. Creamy. A hint of glue. Sulphur and hay in the palate. Slight dry finish with a hint of lemon. Beautiful lacing.

Well, the whole business of what Carling Black Label is and who makes it has left me thoroughly confused. All I know is that the stuff I’ve had comes in a red can with a black label and a little Canadian maple leaf, with "G.Heileman, Milwaukee WI" given as the brewer. So there. I will proceed on the assumption that this rating belongs here. Anyway, the beer itself is far too mediocre to warrant all this fuss, and I don’t know why so many different breweries and countries would be desperate to make and market it. The 12 oz. can design is very distinctive, a classic mid-century nostalgic look. The aroma from the can was sour and slightly stinky, but much cleaner and somewhat sweet in a glass. It poured with a thin white head that sank fast but left a little lacing. The body was a very pale gold, with a bubbly ginger-ale look. The first sip was very sour and bitter, but some slight sweetness came through after a while. The overall effect was very ’beery’ and a little bland, but with a bit more character than a Schaefer or a Modelo. The carbonation was noticeable, but the palate was thinnish. The alcohol was suprisingly vocal despite the low ABV. Indeed, I well remembered the sneaky kick from my high school experiences with this stuff. It’s dirt cheap, the most inexpensive thing in my local deli. That’s the kind of beer this is: a cheap and moderately potent brew, most suitable for high school kids and those who can’t afford anything better. I remember porches in my town littered with CBL empties; when I purchased my first illegal six, I went for this stuff. It ain’t the worst thing I’ve had, and I’ll always have some nostalgic affection for it. (Who can forget the scene in Animal House when Boon orders "Double Rock and Rye and seven Carlings"?) Just take that into account when you look at this rating.