163. El Loco

El Loco

Company info:
Imported by: PLL Pty Ltd
Pyrmont, N.S.W.
Product of Guatemala

[No website listed]

Bottle size sampled: 355 mL

Alcohol: 4.6%
Standard drinks: 1.3

Cap type: Non-twist

Cost: I picked this up for $2.50 AU

Label info: N/A

What the label really means: N/A

The Hell-Cat review starts here

Label: We have yet another bottle-printed label this week and this one sticks to one that is very basic, with a simple three colours being used. It depicts ‘El Loco’ in large bold letters in front of a blue sea, topped with a setting sun and palm trees. If you’re looking for an original label, go elsewhere. This label has stereotype plastered all over its horrid clear glass. It reeks of desperation, mass marketing and cheap, cheap insides.

I give it a label rating of 2 out of 10.

AROMA: Zesty citrus aromas. I think I’ve had this one before..

Taste: GLASS – No, I haven’t tasted this one before after all. If I had, I would have sliced my own tongue out of my skull and mashed it into an insinkerator before dousing it in petrol and laughing maniacally as I throw a lit match in. From first glance of El Loco I had hoped for something remotely in the vicinity of Corona (and not that I’m a fan of Corona by any means). Instead, I am saddened to report, this is like Corona’s demented, psychopathic cousin with bad hair and adult acne. Imagine taking a 1/4 glass of Corona, and then topping it up with water – this is a little like El Loco. It’s a watered down, less flavoursome poor man’s Corona. It is severely lacking in any distinguishable flavours. Horrible.

I give it a beer from glass rating of 1.5 out of 10.

Taste: BOTTLE – Even more watery, tasteless and boring. The only reason I could possibly see for me to suggest you even look in the general direction of El Loco is if this is supplied free at your upcoming work Christmas party. Even then, demand it is ice cold and served with the juice of at least three dozen lemons. A complete waste of my time and efforts. I feel cheap, I feel used, I feel sick. But honestly. Take a look at this bottle. I knew what I was getting myself into when I bought this didn’t I?

I give it a taste from bottle rating of 1 out of 10.

Accompanying food: Spicy, chilli dishes be they Mexican, Guatemalan, or Asian. Something, anything, that can compensate for the lack of flavour in this drop.

Best season to appreciate: I guess a Summer beer at best.

All-nighter beer? Not for me. One of these and I felt my taste buds pack up and call it a night.

NEXT WEEK: TBC 

131. South Pacific Lager Beer

South Pacific Lager Beer

Company info:
South Pacific Brewery
Boroko, PAPUA NEW GUINEA

[No website listed]

Bottle size sampled: 330 mL

Alcohol: 4.5%
Standard drinks: 1.

Cap type: Non-twist

Cost: I picked this up for $2.99AU

Label info: ‘Since 1952’

What the label really means: N/A

The Hell-Cat review starts here

Label: This is a label that looks like it has stood the test of time since the beer’s inception in 1952. It’s simple, it’s clear, it seems to just work. ‘SP’ jumps out from the label in bold yellow text on a green background with ‘Lager Beer’ in red underneath, suggesting there are others in the SP family. At the top, a yellow strip highlights a coconut palm and the words ‘South Pacific’. For a label that I am assuming has been around for years, I think it works. Sure it makes you believe it’s a mass-produced beer, but this has its merits in that I am immediately thinking this is the beer of Papua New Guinean locals. It just has a certain local feel to it. It’s warm and inviting in the same way I imagine the PNG country and people to be.

I give it a label rating of 6 out of 10.

AROMA: South Pacific Lager Beer smells wheaty, slightly citrussy, subtle, and perhaps a tad boring…my spidey-sense is tingling for yet another generic lager.

Taste: GLASS – Interesting! This is a very surprising brew, and not at all how I imagined from the scent. It’s refreshingly crisp with a very subtle apple flavour that ensures this rises a tad above the generic lagers out there. I expected a lot less and was pleasantly surprised – mostly by the addition of the apple tinge. Sure, it’s not going to win any taste awards any time soon but it’s a step up from generic, being inoffensive and very

drinkable.

I give it a beer from glass rating of 6 out of 10.

Taste: BOTTLE – It’s just as good from the bottle, if not a little better due to the bottle shape – quite simply, it’s nice to hold. It fits well in the hand and throws back very easily. My only concern is that I’m feeling the brew is becoming a little bloaty.

I give it a taste from bottle rating of 6 out of 10.

Accompanying food: Spicy chorizo, haloumi and smoked baked beans. A good breakfast beer perhaps?

Best season to appreciate: Definitely a Summer, tropical brew.

All-nighter beer? The bloatiness concerns me…I think I’d have to try a few more to see if I could go all night, but at this stage I’ll say no.

NEXT WEEK: Marston’s Oyster Stout

121. Duke Premium Lager

Duke Premium Lager

Company info:
Burleigh Brewing Company
Burleigh Heads, Q.L.D

[www.burleighbrewing.com.au]

Bottle size sampled: 330 mL

Alcohol: 4.8%
Standard drinks: 1.3

Cap type: Non-twist

Cost: $TBC

Label info: ‘Ever loved a place so much you wish you could bottle it? That’s how we feel about Burleigh Heads. And it’s the reason we created Duke beer. Why Duke? Find out at dukebeer.com.au’

What the label really means: I do admire the guy’s from Burleigh Brewing and their love for Burleigh Heads. They seem to prattle on about the damn place on every label – and it works.

The Hell-Cat review starts here

Label: I’ve said time and time again that I cannot stand the colour blue on a beer label. When I say that, I am particularly referring to this shade of blue. It’s a blue that is put to use on so many different beers (eg. Quilmes) and to detrimental effect, as opposed to the sweetly subtle and nostalgic blue of Burleigh’s ’28 Pale Ale’. It just doesn’t work. What’s also wrong with this label for me is look behind Duke and you can make out a faint star image. It conjures up images of bogans with Southern Cross tattoos. Sorry guys, you’ve lost me with this one.

I give it a label rating of 4.5 out of 10.

AROMA: A heavy citrus, earthy aroma. Unfortunately it’s already making me think of those same old, generic lagers that every brewery seems to trot out.

Taste: GLASS – Following the sniff, I totally expected this would taste just like many other generic lagers on the market. But, thankfully, and surprisingly, this one has a bit more heart, a bit more depth. It has earthy pilsner hints that swirl through an undercurrent of enjoyable citrusness. It’s finely carbonated making the brew quite smooth. It rolls off the tongue with the sweetest of ease. It won’t win any awards for complexity of flavour but it is enjoyable none the less.

I give it a beer from glass rating of 7 out of 10.

Taste: BOTTLE – Sample this baby from the bottle and it becomes a tad bland, lacks the all-mouth feel and becomes a little carbonation heavy and boring. Stick to the glass I say!

I give it a taste from bottle rating of 5 out of 10.

Song of choice: Try this alongside The Lyrical Madmen’s track ‘Hungover‘

Accompanying food: Spicy Asian dishes may just make this beer come out of its shell.

Best season to appreciate: More of a Summer brew.

All-nighter beer? Look, the brew is so easy to drink I have to say yes it is an all-nighter, session beer. Perhaps my only issue would be that it’s a little dry and sticking to this all night may in fact be a challenge.

NEXT WEEK: One Fifty Lashes Pale Ale 

119. Schnitzer Bräu German-Hirse-Premium

Schnitzer Bräu German-Hirse-Premium

Company info:
Schnitzerbräu GmbH & Co
Innis & Gunn
Offenburg, GERMANY

[www.schnitzerbraeu.de]

Bottle size sampled: 330 mL

Alcohol: 5%
Standard drinks: 1.4

Cap type: Non-twist

Cost: $4.69

Label info: ‘Alcoholic beverage, brewed with millet malt, gluten free’

What the label really means: In various spots across the label, Schnitzer Bräu reminds us that this is an organic, gluten free brew. This has huge appeal to the gluten-intolerant community and suggests a deliciously all natural drop inside. Hardly inventive marketing prose though is it?

The Hell-Cat review starts here

Label: The large ‘Schnitzer Bräu’ text is the main feature on this label with ‘German-Hirse-Premium’ running underneath it. But look closer, up at the coat of arms image at the top and you’ll see two amazing griffins posed beside the shield, their claws grasped in anguish. It is these suckers that should be the focus of the label and not crowded text, or symbols that I think assure this beer’s organic accreditation. As it stands, griffins aside, it is a very boring dull label that simply doesn’t work. Very disappointing.

I give it a label rating of 4 out of 10.

AROMA: A strong hoppy, floral aroma. It smells fresh and citrussy. I have high hopes for this brew.

Taste: GLASS – First sip of the Schnitzer Bräu and I immediately realise any hopes I had raised for this are immediately dashed. It’s a finely carbonated, citrus-infused lager that is incredibly watery, and lacking in any predominant flavours. Frankly I am finding this brew to be a complete waste of time. It’s so bland I am nearly falling asleep as I slowly sink deeper into my bean-bag of despair.

I give it a beer from glass rating of 4.5 out of 10.

Taste: BOTTLE – Wow! Very surprising! Surprising that this beer has suddenly become even more dull than drinking from a glass. Without the accompanying aroma to carry the beer along it’s even more bland and watery. Very, very disappointing.

I give it a taste from bottle rating of 4 out of 10.

Song of choice: Try this alongside the ever-scmultzy Elton John track ‘Your Song‘

Accompanying food: Something incredibly spicy such as Mexican, Thai or other Asian cuisine may just resuscitate this brew long enough for a small spark of life. But I wouldn’t bank on it.

Best season to appreciate: I guess this is more of a Summer thirst quencher due to its half-arsed citrus undertones.

All-nighter beer? No thanks, no sirree bob. It’s too watery and un-flavoursome that I refuse to have more than one.

NEXT WEEK: Toohey’s Old

67. Budějovický Budvar

Budějovický Budvar

Company info:
Budějovický Budvar, Národní Podnik
České Budějovice, Czech Republic

[www.budvar.cz]

Bottle size sampled: 330 mL

Alcohol: 5.0%
Standard drinks: 1.3

Cap type: Non-twist

Cost: I picked this up for AU$3.99

Label info: ‘The original, world renowned Czech lager, imported from the historic city of České Budějovice in the Czech Republic’

What the label really means: This label description has clearly been written by a marketing exec that has not only not tried the beer but also someone that is pretty freakin’ lazy. Probably someone from Milwaukee.  I mean, come on! Surely, sight unseen they could write something a bit more appealing. I’ll have a crack at it and you be the judge: ‘When the words Budějovický Budvar are spoken aloud, it is said that a thousand thunderous voices will boom from above, singing in unison their heavenly commands. Commands pronouncing that we sip, share, enjoy. Budějovický Budvar – it’s heaven sent gold’.

The Hell-Cat review starts here

Label: The label suggests a regal, traditional, classy kind of beer. It’s reinforced with fancy golden foil on the neck and a mock wax seal. Now, I’m not a fan of foil on beers. I hate the added effort of peeling it away from the rim and the untidy look it produces. I’m also not a fan of yellow gold. But, those points aside, there is a very impressive coat of arms behind the beer name – if only that were bigger and more pronounced. Points for trying but otherwise a bit too tame.

I give it a label rating of 5.5 out of 10.

AROMA: Pleasantly hoppy, with a strong citrus under-current. Very inviting.

Taste: GLASS – Surprisingly smooth, this baby slides back with the sweetest of ease. With barely noticeable carbonation, it’s a mild, citrus infused lager with a comforting hint of bitterness. Not bad at all.

I give it a beer from glass rating of 6.5 out of 10.

Taste: BOTTLE – Drink it from the bottle and you’ll find Budějovický Budvar is just as enjoyable and just as smooth. This is really quite a fun, uplifting beer and it grows on me the more I drink it. My complaint with it is that it drifts into generic lager territory, and put up against others of its class you’d be hard pressed to identify it in a blind tasting. Still fun.

I give it a taste from bottle rating of 6.5 out of 10.

Accompanying food: I reckon Mexican food would accompany this beer well. Being such a smooth beer, it would really work itself into a lather. Or something.

Best season to appreciate: This is definitely a Summer thirst quencher. Probably one of the most quenching non-dry beers I have tried in recent times. Roll on Summer.

All-nighter beer? Absolutely!

NEXT WEEK: Hop Rocker

61. Kozel Premium

Kozel Premium

Company info:
Plzeňský Prazdroj
Plzeň, CZECH REPUBLIC

[www.kozel.cz]

Bottle size sampled: 500 mL

Alcohol: 4.8%
Standard drinks: 2

Cap type: Non-twist

Cost: I picked this up for AU$3.99

Label info: ‘N/A’

What the label really means: N/A

The Hell-Cat review starts here

Label: Brilliance. Sheer brilliance. A truly remarkable design that has me in fits of laughter as I stare at the goat’s smug beer drinking face. Look at him as he stands up tall, his horns twisting back from his skull, his beard flapping him in the chest, his evil rectangular pupils with a glint of cheekiness to them. And then look at the frothy golden beer perched between his useless hooves, and laugh. For it is us, the far superior human that has the final laugh as we realise he will be unable to drink the golden nectar. We laugh at his puny existence portrayed with all the innocence of a small demented child trying to open a can of tinned spaghetti with chopsticks. We laugh and nod, knowing that this beast will produce milk for us, and plow our fields, and other things that goats do. But they will never take our beer. Oh no, for we will rule them with an iron fist and pound them into the grou….woah. Sorry ’bout that, folks. Got a little carried away in the mysticism of a goat standing before me with a beer. Beautiful in every sense of the word.

I give it a label rating of 8 out of 10.

AROMA: Zesty, citrus infused, hoppy freshness.

Taste: GLASS – This is a citrus tasting Czech pilsener that is very light in colour and flavour. It has an enjoyable freshness that permeates throughout the glass, making it very smooth and very easy to drink. The downside to this beer is that it’s possibly a little bland, particularly in after-taste that really leaves you with nothing. But, overall I am enjoying this tasting.

I give it a beer from glass rating of 7 out of 10.

Taste: BOTTLE – Kozel Premium, for my money, is slightly better when consumed from the bottle. It suggests to me that this beer is designed as more of a ‘throw-back in copious quantities’ kind of beer. Great!

I give it a taste from bottle rating of 7.5 out of 10.

A word from the wife: “Big robust taste, yet easy and pleasurable to drink”

She gave it a taste rating of 7.5 out of 10.

Accompanying food: I suggest this is another fine accompaniment to spicy food such as Vietnamese or Thai. It’s so light in flavour that I feel it really needs something spicy to bring out the flavour, and conversely it would act as a heat softener.

Best season to appreciate: Definitely Summer. It has a real fresh, thirst quenching taste to it.

All-nighter beer? Yes, for sure! I could easily drink this all night.

NEXT WEEK: TBC

60. Bluetongue Premium Lager

Bluetongue Premium Lager

Company info:
Bluetongue Brewery
Cameron Park, N.S.W

[www.bluetongue.com.au]

Bottle size sampled: 330 mL

Alcohol: 4.9%
Standard drinks: 1.3

Cap type: Non-twist

Cost: I picked this up for AU$3.50

Label info: ‘Flat out like a lizard drinking. That’s us. Busy taking the time needed to brew an exceptional lager in the traditional method. Bluetongue Premium Lager’s fresh, full flavour comes from soft Hunter water and the finest local malted barley. Tasmanian bittering hops combine with the late addition of noble German Hersbrucker hops to create a deliciously crisp bitterness and a tantalising floral aroma’

What the label really means: Stone the flamin’ gallahs this bonza little beauty is trying its darndest to sell itself to the overseas market. I’m not arguing with it and they should totally be proud of their Aussie ingredients but it comes off as a little bit try-hardy to me.

The Hell-Cat review starts here

Label: I’ve said it before, blue just doesn’t work on a beer label. It makes me think of mouth wash or chewing gum. Sure they are trying to capitalise on the use of an infamous Aussie reptile, the bluetongue lizard but is it to good effect? Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of the bluetongue lizard. They are notorious for hanging out in backyards and keeping ferocious snakes at bay (why isn’t this depicted?) so they certainly have earned their spot as reptile least likely to be eradicated by pensioners. But, does the blue need to be carried onto the rest of the label? I don’t think so, and it’s a major reason I have put off reviewing this beer for so long.

I give it a label rating of 5 out of 10.

AROMA: This drop smells delicious. It’s an enticing fusion of citrus and wheat.

Taste: GLASS – A very crisp citrus fused lager with a dry, bitter, after-taste. It’s not as bad as I imagined it would be, but it’s not great. It’s hardly distinctive and not particularly memorable. It’s in danger of being a little generic lost in a sea of Aussie lagers.

I give it a beer from glass rating of 6 out of 10.

Taste: BOTTLE – From the bottle, Bluetongue Premium Lager becomes a little more bitter, a little more dull, and a little more watery. Not good. Insist on a glass for this.

I give it a taste from bottle rating of 5 out of 10.

Accompanying food: I think this beer would actually be enjoyable accompanying heavily spiced, chilli foods. Particularly Asian dishes.

Best season to appreciate: This is a beer better suited to the warmer months. However, the distinctive dryness of this beer means it is no thirst quencher.

All-nighter beer? The dry-ness and bitterness seemed to intensify throughout the tasting with a real back of mouth disturbance. I don’t think I could drink too many of these.

NEXT WEEK: Kozel Premium

55. Menabrea Birra

Menabrea Birra

Company info:
Birra Menabrea
Spa, Biella – Italy

[www.birramenabrea.com]

Bottle size sampled: 330 mL

Alcohol: 5.1%
Standard drinks: 1.3

Cap type: Non-twist

Cost: I picked this up for AU$3.60

Label info: ‘N/A’

What the label really means: N/A

The Hell-Cat review starts here

Label: Menabrea Birra host’s a very regal looking label with a predominantly silver background. A golden coat of arms displaying two lions sits above the Menabrea text. It’s an ok label. Sure it suggests a classy beer, sure it suggests a long history, sure it suggests quality. But it’s very safe. Perhaps a little too safe. Am I asking too much to see one of those lions ripping the head off of one of the Mario Brothers?

My other problem is the word ‘Menabrea’. It sounds too much like ‘membrane’ and makes me think I am about to consume a bottle of sheep guts preserved in formaldehyde.

I give it a label rating of 5.5 out of 10.

AROMA: A mesmorising, zesty, citrus aroma.

Taste: GLASS – Good, non-offensive, citrus tasting. Sure it’s smooth, sure it’s easy to drink, sure it’s quite tasty. But my problem is, it’s hardly original. In fact, it’s almost a little too generic. I didn’t have my hopes raised high, I just wanted something memorable. As it stands, Menabrea Birra will easily be forgotten by me amid a sea of ever-pleasing lagers. And, like the time I sang the Proclaimers hit ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)’ at karaoke, it’s best left unspoken.

I give it a beer from glass rating of 6.5 out of 10.

Taste: BOTTLE – Becomes watery, flavourless, and very boring. Definitely one for the glass.

I give it a taste from bottle rating of 5.5 out of 10.

A word from the wife: “Sweet, citrus-like, easy to drink”

She gave it a taste rating of 7.5 out of 10.

Accompanying food: This beer may work well with some fatty, pastry goods such as meat pies or sausage rolls. I’m not sure why. I just have a hankering for something like that while sipping this beer. Perhaps I’m pregnant.

Best season to appreciate: Definitely a warm months, thirst quencher. In fact, I am sure this would work very nicely chilled and consumed at the beach.

All-nighter beer? Menabrea Birra goes back so well it could be an all-weekender! But would you be yearning for something else at the end of it? I believe so.

NEXT WEEK: Byron Bay Premium Ale

29. Bluebottle

Bluebottle

 

Company info:
Bluebottle Beer
Pyrmont, N.S.W

[No website listed on bottle]

Bottle size sampled: 330 mL

Alcohol: 4.3%
Standard drinks: 1.1

Cap type: Non-twist

Cost: I picked this up for AU$3.60

Label info: ‘Bluebottle is made for seafood. We designed it this way. A seductive blend of lifted aromatics, light bitterness and a citrus sting to enhance the flavours of the sea. The perfect complement to a seafood dining occasion, in fact the perfect complement to any occasion. Australia’s premier food and brewing experts have made sure of it’

What the label really means: Drink this with seafood, drink this with seafood, go on, try some seafood with it, you really should eat the seafood, slurp it back with some seafood. Seafood, seafood, seafood. Give me a break, we get it! Round of applause for the seafood accompaniment.

The Hell-Cat review starts here

Label: Bluebottles are a particularly nasty animal that inhabit the sea and whip hapless swimmers with great ferocity. They can turn a trip to the beach into a trip to a bottle of carefully applied vinegar in next to no time, and I hate them. I can’t think of a single person that would ever lay claim to liking the most hated animal on earth. No good has ever come from bluebottles. Already I am offside with this beer. 
On this label is an outline of a bluebottle beast, with its poision filled tentacles. ‘Bluebottle’ is written in big letters across the label, followed by a rather non-descript ‘beer’. I don’t know what it is but the label seems hoity toity, high-falootin’, and one destined to make this beer served on silver platters on yachts, or behind a trendy city bar with a $12.00 price tag. 
Now for those regular readers that are asking what my problem is (ie, I ask for tough looking beer labels – surely this is one?), I would need to see the bluebottle in action for it to be considered a worthy label. I’d like to see a depiction of the tentacles stretched across the face of a screaming kid, or under the bikini top of a struggling to stay afloat pensioner, not just hanging there as a reminder of our hatred for its species.

I give it a label rating of 4 out of 10.

AROMA: A good wheaty, citrussy smell.

Taste: GLASS – Bluebottle beer is a lager and it’s a really light coloured beer, that pours a good head. Upon first sip I note that it is also light tasting, very fizzy, and very citrussy.

I am not particularly fond of this beer as it is so light in flavour that it’s almost like drinking lemon flavoured fizzy water – it’s a bit like Corona. I’m not that keen. NB: No I am not sampling this beer with seafood but I feel if this is a worthy beer it should stand well on its own. Unfortunately it doesn’t.

I give it a beer from glass rating of 5 out of 10.

Taste: BOTTLE – Much the same as drinking this from the glass, and again there isn’t much to write home about.

I give it a taste from bottle rating of 5 out of 10.

A word from the wife: “Soft, lingering honey taste…rather pleasant.”

She gave it a taste rating of 6.5 out of 10.

Accompanying food: SEAFOOD! I guess I have to say that….but I’d like to also suggest a hot and spicy pizza also (for taste!). A seafood pizza would also be nice I imagine.

Best season to appreciate: A Summer brew… particularly for all you yachties.

All-nighter beer? It’s easy to go back, so yes it could easily be an all-nighter beer. But, I have a feeling I’d be wanting something with a bit more ‘bite’ ASAP.

Other notes: In tiny writing on the bottle, the following is mentioned ‘Your purchase helps support OceanWatch Australia’. If you know what OceanWatch is (I don’t) and supporting them is something you are keen to do, well…good for you…drink away.

NEXT WEEK: TBC – suggestions welcome

25. Labatt Blue Imported

Labatt Blue Imported

 

 

Company info:
Labatt Brewing Company
TORONTO, CANADA

[No website listed on bottle]

Bottle size sampled: 355 mL

Alcohol: 5%
Standard drinks: 1.4

Cap type: Twist

Cost: I picked this up for AU$3.70

Label info: N/A

What the label really means: N/A

The Hell-Cat review starts here

Label: Not nearly as boutique as some of the beers I have reviewed, this is one of the big players in the Canadian market and indeed North America. It’s a mass produced beer and as such not a great deal of effort has gone into the design of this label. I do like the fact it has the Canadian maple leaf on the label, but the blue and the gold really don’t do it for me. Where is the tough image of a Mounted Police officer charging at a bear? Where is the image of snow capped peaks being attacked by a wrecking ball? Where is the image of Wayne Gretzky destroying an opponents face with his fist? Come on Labatt, surely you can do better!

I give it a label rating of 3 out of 10.

AROMA: A good, strong, wheaty smell. 

Taste: GLASS -Being a mass-produced beer I really should have expected this, but I was a little taken aback when I found the beer to be quite bland. The aroma lead me to believe that this would be a good wheaty beer, and yes it’s definitely a wheaty pilsener but it’s also quite citrussy, and neither flavour is particularly dominant. It’s a mild, easy to drink beer but I really expected more, and just like my 2nd grade report card ‘there is so much potential, but very little talent’.

I give it a beer from glass rating of 6 out of 10.

Taste: BOTTLE – Yeesh! This is not a beer to be consumed from the bottle. It loses all its taste and becomes like mildly flavoured water. Even this revelation surprises me as I totally expected it to be a head back, throw down. 

 

I give it a taste from bottle rating of 4.5 out of 10.

A word from the wife: “Quite delish and mellow tasting”

She gave it a taste rating of 7 out of 10.

Accompanying food: I’d love to have a few of these with something really spicy. Some hot and spicy buffalo wings and I suspect this beer would take flight.

Best season to appreciate: Definitely a Summer thirst quencher.

All-nighter beer? If you’re looking for a beer to drink all night, and don’t mind not getting much ‘oomph’ then this is it.

Other information: Being an ‘imported’ variety of Labatt Blue, this review holds no reflection on the beer sampled in Canada, from the source. Having spent much time in the US and Canada, this was once a staple draught beer of choice for me and I am sure to enjoy it once more when I return.

NEXT WEEK: Barons Black Wattle Original Ale