Hinano

Brewed by La Brasserie de Tahiti (Heineken)
Style: Pale Lager
Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia

Serve in Dimpled mug, Lager glass, Shaker

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   update pic

33cl I got this on my trip to San Diego. It was at Holiday Beverage or something. Bud or Corona it is not, but very close. Very clear yellow, very watery! I guess I’m supposed to be mowing the lawn right now?

Very clear, yellow color with tiny bubbles. Small white head with fair lacing and filming (probably not natural). Strong smell of cooked vegetables--and of the disgusting type like cabbage and beans--, or of cow tongue cooked in a pressure cooker(eeewwww) and rice. Very light body and somewhat chalky aftertaste.

<FONT SIZE=1>Bottle shared with <a href = http://www.ratebeer.com/View-User-30044.htm> Panzerfaust and <a href = http://ratebeer.com/ViewUser.asp?UserID=35128> Nigredo </FONT>

UPDATED: MAR 13, 2007 Pours a clear yellow color with a medium white head that diminishes rapidly but leaves a little lacing. Not very exciting appearance. Aroma is pretty bad, showing notes of vegetables, rice and slight cereally touches. There are clearly adjuncts in the character as most pale lagers. Little amount of hops. Flavor is slightly bitter, less watery than others from the same style but not good at all. There’s a lot of rice and corn to be found. At least it finishes with a small hoppy accent and it’s not as unclean as other macro pale lagers. It’s just fine as a refreshment. Texture is, obviously watery, no alcohol noticeable at all. Refreshing stuff but quite bad. Drunk just for the exotic origin. Bottle bought in my beloved Easter Island. :P.

330 ml bottle shared with <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/View-User-31163.htm&g and <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/View-User-35128.htm&g />

This had an average head.Aroma grassy,earthy.color straw.Nice,pleasant taste.I agree with some of the other reviews that I think this is about an average beer.Maybe a little bit better than coors,corona,but pretty close in color and taste.Slight bitterfinish.It’s a decent beer for a party,but not one that I would seek out.I would think you can find a cheaper priced beer that tastes just about like this.What can I say??!!it’s French!!(i’m half french too).

(12oz Bottle. 04/2006). Weak, almost non-existent aroma. Pale, straw. Fruity notes (as if it were fermented at too high a temperature). Relatively dry with a little bitterness and an unpleasant aftertaste.

500 ml can, bought in France. Pale golden colour, decent head. Weak aroma, some faint fruity and flowery notes. Fairly clean and "neutral" pale lager flavour, which means that there is not much taste, but not too many offensive off-flavours either. Some bitterness in the finish, becomes metallic in the aftertaste. This is swill for the South Pacific heat, not something for beer lovers to search out, unless you want another country in your ratings list.

Canned. Golden colour with white head. aroma is weak. This beer is there not much to say about.

(330 ml bottle: $1.49 at Holiday Wine Cellar in Escondido, CA) Best before 15-Jul-06. This apparently has become one of the latest "cult" beers in Southern California as it’s selling extremely well. Bright, pale yellow in color rather than straw or pale golden, with perfect clarity. The bubbly, white head settles to what absolutely looks like backwashed spit sitting atop the beer -- totally disgusting looking. I don’t remember ever saying this before today, but when the head fully dissipates, it’s actually a good thing in this case. Very light, minimally sweet grain is masked by mild grassiness and bitterness, presumably from hops, so there’s some respectable flavor and balance with this beer. No sign of cardboard, another positive aspect. Pretty sad that the absence of awful flavors is getting solid praise from me, but such is the way it is when you’re drinking a bunch of nasty swill in succession and then finally stumble upon a pale lager that isn’t totally nasty swill. The grainy, grassy nose is only mildly aromatic. Light bodied but not watery, crisp and clean, nicely carbonated. I wouldn’t buy this beer again, but I can at least respect that it’s not swill.

Can. Pale golden with a small, white head. Aroma is malt and hops with some alcohol notes. Lightly sweet and bitter flavor. Medium body and a light bitter finish with some metallic notes. (060210)

Hinano is evocative of that infatuation that Bligh’s crew fell under in that sensuous island. It is crisp, refreshing, though without body...a hint of citrus and very slight undertone of hops. It is not fizzy and weak tasting for the tropics by any means. To compare it with European or American brews is unfair. It speaks of the tradition of the place. Why drink anything else when in Tahiti Nui? Was that Hinano John Wayne was drinking in "Donovans Reef"?