Cristal (Cuba)

Brewed by Cerveceria Bucanero (InBev)
Style: Pale Lager
Holguín, Cuba

Serve in Dimpled mug, English pint, Lager glass, Shaker

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UPDATED: JUN 13, 2005 (Bottle 35 cl) "La preferida de Cuba" - Cuba’s preferred, and you do see Cristal just about everywhere on the tropical island. Now it’s even exported round the world - even to Denmark. One worders what all the fuss is about. This is a standard light Caribbean lager, ok head, a bit of malt sweetness and a very limited bitterness. On tap this is much fresher and lively. Works OK on a hot day in Cuba (most days are....) but anywhere else....forget it. 010405

A pretty clean lager with some diacetyl. Reminds me of spanish ones. Although the slight butterness draws me towards plzen. Drinkable.

-- rated with ’lankku’

March 2009: Green 33cl bottle with a month of life left according to the neck. Poured into a ’La Chouffe’ stemmed tulip glass, I wanted to give the beer every chance of getting a decent score. Lives up to its name, crystal clear and very pale golden in colour. The white head consisted of large bubbles but these soon fell away to leave next to nothing sat on top of the body. Truely odourless, gets my standard 3 for a non-smelling lager. Sharp and crisp, not bad really. Not sure there is a great hop/yeasty/beery flavour, but it does have a taste that isn’t metallic, cardboardy or nasty. It is however thin and without any body. As I drink my way around the world I can’t help noticing how crap some lagers are, this is just above the worst pile, but not very far away. Plus points, it is my first ever Cuban beer, it is also going to be my last ever Cuban beer (unless someone buys me another one!).

350ml bottle. Clear golden colour with average, quickly fading macropore white head. Grainy aroma, monotonous taste not far from water.

Originally rated January 2005. Heading down to Cuba in a week, I decided to grab this brew which is self-proclaimed as "La preferida de Cuba". It poured a light golden colour with a small white head, but some good lacing. The nose was rather malty and the taste started on a bitter note and then finished on a clean grassy mouth. Good carbonation, and probably very good for the Cuban heat as a refreshment. Other then that, nothing special. Sampled from their green 330ml bottle.

Bottle. A beer like this can be everything or nothing depending on the context.

On bottle in Cuba Light golden color, some foam Light body & complexity Short aftertaste It works at the beach in Cuba, but not anywhere else

caramel, grass, earthy, light sweetness, lightly bitter, light body, roasty, oily feel, medium sweetness,

Labeled Palma Cristal. Mild smell of hops. Pale golden colour, foamy small head. Watery, a faint of sweetness. Very light aroma. Decent palate.

pale, thin head, thin carbonation. watery mouthfeel with little taste and a tiny little bit of hops in the finish. It’s made to drink in mass quantities while sitting in a pool in the Cuban sun so it’s not a bad beer for that purpose. Considering the wide range of local beers available in Cuba (two - I think?), it’s best to just sit back and enjoy this one without comparing it too much to beer in the rest of the world.

This one is the typical lager for the masses, no hops, no head, almost no flavor. If in Cuba, better to try Bucanero