Shiner Kosmos Reserve - Spoetzl Brewery

jsprain1

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev +9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Dark golden, perfectly clear. Head is one finger and white. Retention is pretty poor.
S- The smell is light breadyness, a touch sweet, and a good bit of green apple and grassyness.
T- A bit duller on the tongue than on the nose. Crackery sweetness and a fairly assertive grassiness.
M- It's refreshing. Light body. Medium carbonation.
O- It's a decent pale lager that has some good flavor and is very easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 23:10:34 | More by jsprain1

Beerevity

3/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Light amber, very clear and bubbly.

S - Some malt and floral hops.

T - Tastes like a pale lager with slight hop additions. It could use more of everything, but the hops and caramelized malt bring a decent flavor.

M - Light-medium bodied, smooth with a good amount of carbonation.

O - Better than Shiner's flagship Bock and I could put a hurtin' on a six pack. Pretty sure Shiner accomplished what they set out to do with this beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 06:00:28 | More by Beerevity

BeerCon5

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a clear golden-amber color with about 1/2 finger of off-white fluffy head.

The scent was of grains and sweet malt.

The taste was of sweet, toasted grains, some caramel malt, and notes of yeast.

Light bodied, crisp feel, moderate carbonation.

Overall I thought this was a good flavorful beer. This would be good to drink on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 14:21:27 | More by BeerCon5

chinchill

South Carolina

3.18/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle served in a snifter.

A - decent looking, with a crystal clear, amber-copper colored body, and a small, short-lived head. Light carbonation is visible.

S - The nose is a rather weak malt with barely detectable hops.

T: Despite the claim to be an American Pale Lager, this is a mild lager, more like an amber than might be expected. It is a little hoppy but has a stronger malt component. Clean finish with a good, if momentary, mix of hops and malt.

M - Medium-light body; slightly dry finish.

O - Not bad, certainly, but rather pitiful and boring for something marketed as the special reserve beer of an established brewer.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 02:30:55 | More by chinchill

jmbranum

Oklahoma

4.45/5  rDev +33.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bought as part of the shiner "family reunion" six pack.

Nice bready malt aroma. Piurs a bright clear orange with a short white head and lots of lingering bubbles.

Flavor is very good, one of the best of an often mediocre style. Very balanced between malt sweetness and fresh crispness. Some hops but not too much. Just a little less than an american pale ale.

Medium mouthfeel.

I recommend this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 15:43:23 | More by jmbranum

swoopdog

Arkansas

2.03/5  rDev -39%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Drank this with a snifter a Pilsner glass would have been better but I was expecting more hop character

A - It's defined as an American Pale Lager but if you see it poured you don't get any of those characteristics. It's a copper colored pour with zero carbonation and almost no head or lacing at all much like the Shiner Ruby Redbird.

S - The nose is a weak/sweet honey or some sort of wheat malt I tried swirling it and I got a bit more of the same but still very weak.

T - The taste is very mild and doesn't really have a recognizable characteristic at all it's just a bit hoppy but its like eating a piece of white bread and trying to describe the taste lots of confectionary yeast flavors but its all melds together and provides nothing unique in terms of flavor.

M - Very sharp and clean tasting with some effervescence and bite.

O - I do not like the style I think its boring and flat. If you like Budweiser I would say try this I am pretty indifferent to this and wont be seeking this out again. The problem here is with all of the awesome stuff being done in craft brewing why is Shiner trying to make an average tasting beer without any characteristics at all? I am not even remotely ready to give up on this brewery they just need to retire this stuff though its been done a million times before.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2012 21:39:54 | More by swoopdog

EagleTalon

Arkansas

3.75/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours to a thin white head and dark golden hue. Aroma is sweet and hoppy with honeysuckle notes. Flavor is a nice balance of malty and hoppy, with some nice hints of floral and spice. Mouthfeel light moderate co2. Good call for those who like the flavor of shiner beers.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 23:53:26 | More by EagleTalon

FDNYemt

New York

3.43/5  rDev +3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I found this beer to be very hoppy, so if you are a fan of ipa's then you will find this beer to be quite enjoyable. I always love the history of original brews and found this to be a nice light citrusy tasting beer. light but flavorable. The color was a little lighter than I care for but is easily overlooked when the beer hits your tounge. overall a nice beer

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 23:22:43 | More by FDNYemt

shoeinc

3.58/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Decent beer. I was told by a friend it was a great beer, buuut, it was just OK.
It had a good taste, not sweet or bitter. Not a heavy beer, lighter than I like. Really tame with the hops.

Appearance: Nice Golden color, No lace (boo)

PS, my first review...

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 03:50:34 | More by shoeinc

BelgiumBill

Virginia

3.13/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

It poured an attractive clear amber gold with a short canvas colored head that faded to a ring and island in my Sam Adams glass. Virtually no stickiness.

The smell was of sweet grainy malt perhaps with a bit of toffee or butterscotch.

On the flavors - the malt took a backseat to grains and some hoppiness biting in. There was not much depth or dimension to the flavors.

The mouthfeel was clean and quick with the hop bite.

Overall, easy drinking but lacks much flavor or character.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 01:02:20 | More by BelgiumBill

Lawl3ss

Texas

3.8/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Chilled 12 oz. bottle poured into a stemless tulip pint. "Best by" date 6.16.12 - indicates bottling date of 2.17.12 according to freshbeeronly.

Look- Pours a nice clear deep gold with two fingers of effervescent eggshell head that settles fairly quickly but never dissipates entirely. Leaves some very nice Brussels lacing as the glass empties. It's an interesting hue, and straddles the line between the lagers I'm familiar with and a light bock, without any hint of the bright "American lager" yellow I'm accustomed to.

Smell- Smells like Shiner, but perhaps a little cleaner. One-dimensional light toasted malt, akin to oyster crackers. Swirling brings out a very faint hint of hop spice and a stronger toasted/lightly burnt biscuit aroma.

Taste- Starts and finishes with a mild but noticeable cedary hop bite. Still decidedly malt-forward, spanning the white bread to light graham cracker spectrum. No off tastes and surprisingly flavorful for the style.

Mouthfeel- Medium to heavy for a light lager, relatively light carbonation. It's got some chew to it, but definitely remains on the "crisp and refreshing" side of things.

Overall- Quite nice, tasty for the style and refreshing. One of the better American lagers I've had, to be sure. Distinctly Spoetzl, I only wish their more available bock was on the same level. I'd definitely be willing to buy it again, but I'm pretty sure you can only get it in the assorted packs.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 04:20:42 | More by Lawl3ss

GossageBrewery

Missouri

3.63/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured this American Pale Lager from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Poured a clear copper color, produced an average white head, nice retention and it leaves a nice amount of lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of malted grain and a suggestion of bittering hops. Medium in body, this Pale lager is crisp, clean and has a nice base of malted grain, sweet caramel, and some hops. The finish is semi dry and the aftertaste leaves you wanting to take another gulp. Overall it is only as exciting as an American Pale Lager can get but I would take this over one it's evil macro brewed breathern. Prost!

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 23:53:33 | More by GossageBrewery

acevenom

Louisiana

3.35/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours golden amber with a finger length white head that dissipates quickly. There appears to be plenty of carbonation from the bubbles. The smell is of slightly sweet malt with some hop aroma. I could taste some of the malt flavor with the hops coming in at the end. It's very carbonated with a light body. There is some lacing left behind on the glass. Overall, I'd say this is a decent offering from Shiner. It's a standard lager that goes down decently well.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 22:55:13 | More by acevenom

zeff80

Missouri

3.45/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured out a clear, golden amber color with a good deal of bubbles from the carbonation. It had a one-finger, off-white head of bubbly foam.

S - It smelled malty and floral. Not much else.

T - It tasted of bready malt with sweet caramel. A very slight bitter bite.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A light bodied lager with a dry finish.

O - This is an okay pale lager. Nothing I need to stock up on but worth a try because I appreciate Spoetzl Brewery.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 13:46:50 | More by zeff80

ronniebruner

Arizona

3.23/5  rDev -3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

First thing I noticed when I poured this beer was it is slightly darker than most other American lagers. It has an average amount of head and lace, an aroma thats a bit sweet with a little bit of hops. The beer is over carbonated but a bit bitter. Not a great beer, but a worthy effort.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 04:22:15 | More by ronniebruner

Bockrules

New Mexico

3.18/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

poured from the bottle into a pilsner glass

A - Pours a perfectly transparent deep gold that is immediately recognizable as being darker than all macros. A steady stream of bubbles rises to the dense, thee finger, white head. Head is gone half way down the glass. Leaves behind a few splotches of lacing here and there.

S - A little bit of sweet malty notes upon opening the bottle, not much. A few grass notes come out in the glass.

T - A bit of alcohol upfront. The body strikes a good balance between light malt and grassy hop notes. Goes down clean with a slightly grassy finish.

M - Light bodied, yet thicker than any macro with moderate carbonation.

A remarkably unremarkable beer here: Nothing offensive or out of place, nothing memorable. Take your ordinary adjunct lager and remove the adjuncts and this what you get: one dimensional and no corn of cereal flavors. Goes down easy enough and makes for a superior alternative to the big three.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 07:39:28 | More by Bockrules

Kornoms

Texas

2.5/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Appearance is an orange-yellow and relatively transparent. Fairly weak smelling, with a notable absence of hops (for a dry hopped beer). Tastes like a fairly standard lager with a bit of hops that come through near the end. Feels fine in the mouth- just an ok beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 01:41:34 | More by Kornoms

gtermi

Texas

3.53/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a clear amber/copper body with a very thin head. The head never really develops.

S: Maybe I am crazy, but it smells just like a boring lager. It has the strong corn smell with a tiny bit of malt. It just doesnt smell good to me at all.

T: Corn and malt for the most part. There is a bit of caramel sweetness too. Actually a decent tasting beer.

M: There is a strong amount of carbonation in this beer, but its not bad at all. I think it would be better if it had a little less, but I can't really complain.

O: I really don't care much for Spoetzl Brewery beer, but this one is halfway decent. I still don't think it's good by any means, but for sure decent.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 07:12:09 | More by gtermi

LtCracker20

Connecticut

3.78/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a clear and bright golden yellow body with a good 2-finger white head that shows some very good retention. Almost champagne-like in the head's consistancy.

S- Pretty bready, and I can almost smell how carbonated this is (I know...)! Another yeasty aroma's there as well. Little spicy (black pepper) and grassy as well.

T- Very clean, as in no flavors overpower the others, but take turns on the palate. Some sweet maltiness, yeasty, and bready. The flavors are very quick; no linger at all. Would've liked them to stick around a little longer.

MF- You know, I'm actually very surprised at how well this feels. It's pretty damn creamy, while the carbonation level keeps it relatively on the lighter side.

O- After reading some of the reviews, I went in without expectations and came away pleasantly surprised. For the style, I am very impressed with this, let alone as "just beer" it's pretty good and could definately be an easy drinker.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 00:37:59 | More by LtCracker20

Doppelbockulus

Florida

3.58/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Golden color, which is not at all what the bottle suggests. This is a good lager with a lot of lighter qualities.

Smells immediately of wheat and a little yeast and citrus. There is something tangy in there, as well.

Tastes way better than I had expected. I like it. I was expecting hops, but thankfully that isn't what I get. A little hay and tartness. It is clean and crisp with a light floral character at the end. There are some flavor similarities to an orange cream ale, even though that isn't at all what this beer is.

Clean feeling with the perfect amount of tingling.

Very pleasantly surprised.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 23:42:33 | More by Doppelbockulus

ABVerageJoe

North Carolina

2.58/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 1 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A - A medium-dark yellow. Honestly if it were side-by-side with a pint of urine I wouldn't trust myself to tell the difference visually. Slight white head which didn't leave much lacing. Looks like a lager.

S - Smells like not much of anything. A touch malty, but the lack of smell makes me think that it will be watery.

T - Plain lager flavor for the most part, a slight hint of hops, but not very flavorful.

M - Smooth and clean up front with a dry carbonation finish, a little bit of a bite on the back of the tongue and throat due to the dryness and carbonation combo. Little aftertaste/post-mouthfeel.

O - This beer is alright, but a bit bland. There is nothing that inspires me about this. It says on the bottle "hop-jacked lager" and it doesn't taste very hoppy. If it's not hoppy, I'm not hoppy.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 01:07:40 | More by ABVerageJoe

Cuttooth

North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev +6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Yellowish-orange appearance, about average for a lager. Poured a one-finger head that disappeared really fast. Has a low profile smell of hops and maybe corn. Pretty good hop flavor, tastes similar to the smell. Really crisp and has great drinkability, you could definitely drink a lot of these.

Overall, this is a decent beer from the Shiner family six pack. Unoffensive is probably the best word to describe this beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 00:48:57 | More by Cuttooth

bubseymour

Maryland

3.68/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - golden and clear with small 1 finger head

Smell - bready, malty...some adjunct smells

Taste - a crisp refreshing beer. Sort of pilsner like but missing the distinct noble hop flavors of a German/Czech beer. A slight sour/metallic flavor that is interesting.

Mouthfeel - good

Overall - sessionable and decent lager

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 23:49:00 | More by bubseymour

y2jrock60

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A- Yellow with a hint of orange. The head dissipates quickly.

S- Almost no aroma, there are hints of sweetness and a mild citrus hop.

T- Sweet with a nice citrus hop aftertaste. It's definitely more bitter than most macros.

M- Light-medium bodied with high carbonation.

D- Not bad for an American Pale Lager.

Better than I expected after pouring. This beer has a nice sweet citrus bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 04:25:57 | More by y2jrock60

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

2.55/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A. Gold tinted yellow in color, transparent without murk or haze. No head is present, just a transitory burst of soda fizz.

S. Cooked vegetables (mostly corn) and wet hay on top of a very very very faint biscuit malt scent.

T. Gentle earthen-tinted diluted biscuit malt with an annoying metallic aftertaste that lasts for entirely way too long.

M. Carbonation is... slightly too soda-like for the style. It's entirely possible that the overly-fizzy nature of the carbonation combined with the lighter body is the culprit responsible for my lack of a significant head on presentation.

I don't understand why this beer is called "Reserve" when usually that signifies that the beer is the brewery's cream of the crop. In this case, the beer is entirely bland and forgettable, so why is it considered to be their "Reserve?"

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 21:40:15 | More by WastingFreetime