Lhasa Beer - Tibet Lhasa Brewery Co.

WillCarrera

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a pale golden/straw yellow with good carbonation and a finger of fluffy white head.

S- Nose is pretty simple, a bready, light pale malt aroma with some hops that suggest just a little bit of citrus and spice.

T- The malts are pretty great here, there's some bready/biscuity that gives it a nice texture, also lots of grain. Hops are pretty subdued and are mostly grassy with a bit of citrus.

M- Light to medium bodied, good carbonation, clean and dry finish.

O- A well rounded, highly highly drinkable pale lager. This isn't my favorite style of beer, but for a pale lager it's actually pretty damn good, I would definitely choose this over any of the domestic macro pale lagers any day. This brew is definitely worth a try if you're looking for a simple, easy drinking beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2011 03:18:18 | More by WillCarrera

RochefortChris

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev +4.2%

05-13-2013 09:54:12 | More by RochefortChris

Michaeldmanley

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -3.3%

03-24-2013 05:17:42 | More by Michaeldmanley

KingSlayer

California

4/5  rDev +19%

02-28-2013 18:46:24 | More by KingSlayer

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.68/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A fizzy pour with a finger and half of head on a hazy, light straw colored body.
The aroma is nice. Honey and floral for the most part.
The taste is grainy with mild bitterness and a touch of honey sweetness.
A soft texture with moderate carbonation and medium body.
It's a euro pale lager unlike any I've had. Quite aromatic and good flavor.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 04:31:30 | More by Fatehunter

titusgroan

Texas

4.14/5  rDev +23.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

this one is growing on me - first time i had it i was not a fan but something about it keeps pulling me back. First off the bottle it comes is in super thick and heavy - great to keep around if you homebrew. for this review i poured this been in a 16oz glass. poured a cloudy yellow with lots of head and a very bubbly body. the foam settled pretty quickly but the carbonation kept jumping. a deep honey smell jump out of the glass. honey light malt and light spicy hops from first swig... goes down slightly sweet and flavor sticks around. delicious.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 00:24:33 | More by titusgroan

Pegasus

Texas

3.5/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Hazy medium golden in color, with a modest white head, which retains fairly well. The lacing is, surprisingly, Belgian-like. The carbonation is slight.

Aroma: Moderate noble hop presence, with some bread or cracker malt, almost like an understated Pilsener.

Taste: A pleasant and fairly robust noble hop presence pens the taste, again somewhat like a Pilsener. Moderately toasted malt throughout, like biscuit, or a lightly toasted bread. Finishes with a mild hop bitterness, which manages to linger on.

Mouth feel: Smooth and pleasant, just a touch thin.

Drinkability/notes: A surprisingly decent example. I began with modest expectations of this beer, but those expectation were greatly exceeded. Certainly woth a try.

Presentation: Packaged in a twelve-ounce brown glass long-neck bottle with a pry-off crown, served in a New Belgium Brewing chalice.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 01:14:33 | More by Pegasus

GMB

Japan

3.88/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This bottle of Lhasa Beer announces that it has been imported from the roof of the world.

The beer's body is light golden amber and slightly hazy. The pour fails to produce a head. So does a rigorous swirl at the half-way point. The very slight haziness probably indicates the presence of yeast residue.

The faint nose offers few clues as to the beer's flavor profile. The bottle lists Tibetan barley, Saaz hops, yeast, and "pure Himalayan spring water" as the beer's ingredients. On the basis of this and the beer's appearance, one can expect a mild, spicy flavor from the hops, a crispness from the water, and some complex undertones from the yeast.

The first sip delivers all this and more. The light, sweet malt nicely carries the mild spiciness of the Saaz hops. The yeast contributes flavors of green apple and perhaps a hint of lemon, which beautifully complement the sweet malt and provide a unique and absorbing counterpoint to the mildly peppery hops.

The least appealing aspect of the beer is its feel in the mouth. For the third time, vigorous movement fails to produce any foam to speak of. Alas!

Lhasa Beer does what all good pale lagers and pilsners do: it manages to be both crisp and complex. It perfectly balances sweet, aromatic, and sour flavors, and in doing so distinguishes itself from other beers of its kind. Delicious.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 23:59:09 | More by GMB

ToMakeEndsMeet

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +26.5%

08-28-2012 21:59:40 | More by ToMakeEndsMeet

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.05/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Review from 3/2010 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a light, clear yellow amber, slight head. Aroma of light fruit, hops, earthy. Appears to be an ordinary pale lager, but sour and hoppy. Light to medium body. No outstanding features. An unremarkable pale ale. I like the idea, but this is a miss.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 20:25:16 | More by LiquidAmber

scottfrie

California

3.25/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle into SA perfect pint. Thanks for the tick, Matt.

A: Pours a slightly hazy pale straw color with a couple fingers of bone white head. Head quickly faded into nothingness leaving a network of spotty lace down the glass.
S: Light notes of honey and pale grains fill my nose. Actually, honey is rather potent. Is this not brewed with honey?
T: More honey mixed with sweet malts and dry grains. Not exceptionally dry, but still crisp. Not much of a finish or aftertaste. Sweet overall.
M: Medium-light body, surprisingly low but even carbonation, with a very refreshing mouthfeel. Not bad actually. Goes down smooth.
O: Grainy and sweet. Not as terrible as others in the style. I’d have this now and again on a hot day. It is a bit too sweet for me to absolutely love though. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 00:37:50 | More by scottfrie

SLeffler27

New York

3.43/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear gold with a modest head and light lacing in a pint glass.

Light hop aroma with spices and equal part sweet malt.

Clean and crisp as expected. Hops are a bit sharp as is the sweetness. This beer oddly had no finish.

No discernible alcohol. Light carbonation and a medium body.

Lhasa is a fine, light flavored beer to be consumed with food, but adds little to the overall experience. Given this style, Lhasa is clearly on the higher end of my experiences. I enjoyed it with friends on a relaxing afternoon.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 21:09:31 | More by SLeffler27

warpedrevolution

Washington

3/5  rDev -10.7%

05-15-2012 05:43:09 | More by warpedrevolution

StoicBeast

California

2.5/5  rDev -25.6%

01-29-2012 10:22:58 | More by StoicBeast

ygtbsm94

Virginia

2.5/5  rDev -25.6%

01-29-2012 07:53:21 | More by ygtbsm94

animal69

Louisiana

2.5/5  rDev -25.6%

01-15-2012 22:03:02 | More by animal69

FosterJM

California

3.4/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

1034th Review on BA
Bottle to Pint
12 oz

Not sure year, No dating. Assuming 2011 but don't know how long it sat at Cost plus before getting as an Xmas present in part of Beers of the world box.

App- A very clear yellow with some wheat colors flowing. A nice loose capped one finger head with some minor stick to it.

Smell- A good bit of the saaz comes through in a flower, bitter, spicy intermixing of notes. Its not the best but not the worst of lagers. No skunk or herb notes to it.

Taste- A very pleasant suprise. The saaz really does add a nice dimension to this beer. It's not at all like I remember and leaves a better flavor profile. You can tell its a lager but with a bit more body and layering of flavors than most.

Mouth- A nice lingering light/medium body with a lighter medium carbonation level. A little bit of that saaz bitter peppery wheaty flavor remains.

Drink- In the grand scheme of things, not a half bad lager and really I am not so much a fan of lagers. They are off flavored and skunky. This was good, well balanced and a bit brighter.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 02:53:51 | More by FosterJM

jonstep

California

1/5  rDev -70.2%

12-30-2011 02:50:00 | More by jonstep

duff247

Texas

3/5  rDev -10.7%

12-18-2011 06:30:41 | More by duff247

cantfindme

North Carolina

3/5  rDev -10.7%

12-10-2011 01:31:59 | More by cantfindme

nmann08

Maryland

3/5  rDev -10.7%

11-25-2011 16:35:42 | More by nmann08

KidRagnarok

California

4/5  rDev +19%

11-15-2011 04:15:43 | More by KidRagnarok

Jemonster

California

3.33/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: Pretty cloudy for a pale lager. Loose white head and pale gold body. Tiny bubbled carbonation.

S: Fresh and clean. I wouldn't mind smelling like this beer! It reminds me of getting out of the shower. Clean herbs and citrus brightness like lemons and calamansi.

T: Bolder and more complex than I thought based on the smell, type, and appearance. It's got some bitter, grapefruity hops up front and a kind of shadowy sweetness. Taste is much stronger than it would seem. While complex, there seem to be a lot of similar things going on here...grapefruit, bitter greens, and a little spiciness come into play.

M: Crisp and thin. Has the mouthfeel of a summer beer although it has the flavor of a fall beer.

O: Interesting for sure. Don't personally love it, but I can see some strange appeal. Something about it makes me want to drink more...

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 07:38:02 | More by Jemonster

dchobbs

Texas

4.3/5  rDev +28%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beer bought at Spec's in NW Houston. Poured into pint glass. First off...beer was almost 23 months old, so it had some pretty odd things going on.

A - very very cloudy. Despite the long age, head rentention and appearance were creamy color and acceptable for a lager.

S - intriguing is a good way to put it. The malt had a very earthy smell of wild cereals and bamboo. Yes bamboo. Yeast was very mild, as was hops.

T - for a lager, I thought it was great. Surprisingly, not skunky, though if you hold an empty bottle in your hand it has the weight of 2 Miller Lite/Bud Light bottles. First impression is of wild vegetation from the hops (feint), cereal from the malt, and a yeast that provides slight spice/character through an entire sip. Actually, really really great for a lager.

M - very dry, good carbonation, but a bit light for a European-style lager.

O - Very drinkable, very interesting, very fun. For the $3.99 I paid for a six pack, this was an excellent beer...at $7.99 or 8.99 I might have been more critical.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2011 23:38:44 | More by dchobbs

UCLABrewN84

California

3.23/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Part of a Beers of the World pack from Cost Plus World Market.

Upon opening this one, I got a huge gusher all over the floor of my man cave. Pours a slightly hazy light yellow with a very puffy 2 inch white head that settles to a film on the top of the beer. Random chunks of lace stick to the sides of the glass on the drink down. Smell is of grass and some odd spicy notes. There is a bit of a rotten smell going on too. Taste is of grain, grass, and some spicy/zesty hops. This beer has a very low level of carbonation with a smooth but slightly thick mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good European lager but nothing too fancy.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 01:29:27 | More by UCLABrewN84