Instead of comparing each category to the style, which now seems somewhat redundant and has the added effect of handcuffing me, I pulled the style considerations out into their own category. It gets a small chunk of points because, let's face it, the experience of the beer is more important for the average consumer than how well it fits into a particular style. I know I'm usually thinking, "that's pretty decent, maybe I'll pick up a case," not "well, the SRM is a little off, and it's got too much head for it's style, so it's just awful." You get the idea.
Anyway, my stock is somewhat dwindling from my recent samplings (again, I don't normally drink a beer every single night, and when I do, more often than not it's the same beer night after night, since I usually get a cheap case of something drinkable). So, the only Lite American Lager I have on hand is Yuengling Light Lager, in cans. It got a very brief spot and no actual review on my St. Patty's Day post, since I generally don't have good beer after good beer (with only a few exceptions). It seems like a bit of a waste to me -- after you start to get tipsy, it's hard to pick out and appreciate the complexities and subtleties. And even if you think that you can pick up on them, you really can't be sure that your palate isn't playing tricks on you, or that you aren't tasting the aftertaste of the first along with the second. Plus, that's a very expensive way to drink, and I'm not made of money (hence the deal-shopping at distributors).
Appearance: 7/10
The appearance doesn't really wow me, but it doesn't turn me off, either, the way most light lagers do. It looks like a drinkable beer. It pours with a decent head, but the head falls quickly and leaves no lacing on the glass. It is a little darker than most other beers in its category, which is a nice deviation.
Aroma: 16/25
The aroma is fairly faint and smells a bit like malt and a bit like adjuncts, so again, not overly impressed. It's mostly a cereal-grainy kind of scent, with no hop character.
Taste: 21/40
The flavor is very thin and bland. It's more mouthfeel than flavor. There is a bit of maltiness, more of the dull adjunct flavor, and a slight nutty finish. I honestly get more taste out of the grainy aftertaste than when the beer is actually in my mouth. It's hard to give much of a description of a basically nondescript flavor profile.
Mouthfeel: 6/10
The mouthfeel prevents some of the flavors from reaching the tongue. The carbonation is so active that there's more of a stinging sensation in the mouth than any real flavor.
Style: 4/5
For a Lite American Lager, it is a little darker than the expected SRM range. Aside from that, though, it does meet the rest of the style's expectations fairly accurately, as far as I can tell.
Drinkability: 7/10
If I want something cheap and basically drinkable, this is my light lager of choice. A case of cans runs me less than $20. It doesn't have the same shitty flavors I find in the other light lagers (it has a different, slightly less shitty taste), so in my book it's a slim step above the competition.
Overall: 61/100
Since I revised the rubric, I don't feel terrible about this scoring lower than the Miller Lite did on the old, clearly flawed rubric. (I redid the Miller Lite one, just for shits, and it came out around 55 on this scale.) This category in general, and this beer specifically, define the term "adult soda" best. You can have it whenever, it goes with any kind of meal (if you're drinking a beer like this, you probably aren't thinking about food pairings), it's a good thirst-quencher while doing yard work, and it won't break the bank. And, since you don't really get tipsy off of it (at least I can't, anyway), it isn't like drinking real beer. Just don't be stupid about having some and then using power tools or getting behind the wheel.
On to better beers... Cheers!
No comments:
Post a Comment