Heineken

Brewed by Heineken Nederland
Style: Pale Lager
Zoeterwoude, Netherlands

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

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UPDATED: SEP 19, 2005 New Review:
0.5l green (surprise surprise) bottle. Brewed by Brau Union Hungaria, Sopron, imported and bottled by Karlovačka Pivovara. Hm. I’ve seen recently some cans brewed in Netherlads, and I think some of it is brewed in Karlovac, so i might do a side by side of those. If I’m feeling particulary crazy. Big thick but fluffy white head. Goes away at a medium pace. Pale golden colour, noticable carbonation. Nose....not skunky !!! Well, that’s a surprise. However, skunk didn’t hide much in terms of aroma. Slightly sourish malt + dust nose, maybe some hints of white grapes if I stretch my imagination a bit. Some very slight traces of alcohol. Taste....hm. Some weak, unimpressive, but not offensive malt, some hints of hops (mainly present as a slight bite on the tongue and a tingling weak lemony taste, maybe some bready and metallic hints. It’s maybe one step above "watery". Aftertaste ? What’s that ? Unimpressive, but hey, I drank a green bottle of Heineken that wasn’t skunked, and that’s something that doesn’t happen often. My rating won’t change though.

Old Review:
It’s not one of the best European mass produced lagers, the smell was rancid, but the taste was passable. Nothing I would mind drinking again.

Nah I’ve never been a fan of ’ol heiney. Maybe it’s made from 100% malt but the aroma has always seemed off to me, always a little skunkiness. That doesn’t whet my appetite. It’s often available in Asia but given the choice I always pick the local brew. My fiancee prefers this though so I usually have to finish off the second half of her glass. Can’t let the nectar go to waste, no matter how off-putting it may be. I’m cheap like that.

This must be the golden mean of how a lager are supposed to taste. Not too bitter, not too foamy, not too sour. Works equally well in Tromso, Norway as in Kinshasa, Congo.

Well, it is drinkable. That is about the best you can say. Just a little bit above your mainstream lagers because it has that little bit of skunkiness that sets it apart. It will do in a pinch, I guess.

330ml bottle pours a pale golden color with a quick dissipating 2 finger white head that leaves a few spots of lacing. Aroma is grassy with light malts. Taste is much like the aroma with a bit of skunkiness. Light to medium body with adequate carbonation. A small step above the typical macro lager.

Tap @ Pub, Microkeg @ Home and Bottle @ Home

There is really nothing terrible nor great one can say about Heineken. It is inoffensive, simple and goes down easily; which is exactly the point. If you’re after a choice lager, this definitely isn’t what you want.

Leagues better than most macro lager, though.

I can’t believe I actually rate this beer lower than Bud, but I did. I always thought I just got some old beer, but I found out that that skunky taste was the hops they use. I find little to no malt taste and this is just not my style of beer.

Geschmacklich ist es hopfig, süß und leicht zitrusähnlich. Im Nachgeschmack süß-hopfig und vorallem süß-malzig, am Schluss leicht bitter. Fazit: naja Test vom 26.9.2009, Gebinde: Glasflasche Noten: 10,7,8,7,11,7 - 7,65

Bottle from a shop, probably Tesco. Out of the mainstream lagers probably one of the best.

Heine "road soda" courtesy of Wegman’s East Syracuse. Enjoyed out the can in my hotel room. Mostly malt centric with caramel and very faint biscuit. Bitterness cleanses on the finish. Not much of a nose. Light to medium bodied, this actually hit the spot on this slightly warm evening. Not skunky like the other times I’ve tried, GO BIG CANS!

There’s some pretty bad variations if it isn’t brewed in Holland, but the export version is very good lager.