Caybrew - Cayman Islands Brewery Ltd.

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

My brother brought this back from his honeymoon in the Caymans:

Date is rubbed off

Into a pilsener:

A: clear yellow body, carbonation is seen rising at a fairly rapid rate , one finger white foamy head that dies fairly quickly, no lacing

S: light hops and malts combined in an odd sort of skunky way

T: skunky - slightly bitter from the previously mentioned flavors

M: light, sessionable, carbonation is felt but is not bothersome

O: well, its a Euro Pale Lager so its good for the style, good for me, perhaps slightly comparable to a Stella, wouldn't mind doing a blind taste test between the two just to see if I notice a difference

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 20:06:37 | More by kangarooAdam59

diverite

Connecticut

3.03/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer smells a bit sweet and slightly malty.

Color is light yellow with a nice 2.5 finger head that dissipates to less than 1/4 inch after a few minutes. Clumpy lacing remains on the inside of my glass for the duration..all is well with apperance here.

Taste is of bready malt, slightly sweet with a sharp finish reminicient of Euro beers, but not like the sharp skunk of a Heinekin...more like that of a beer with more quality. Other reviews mention the macro quality of the beer, which is there for sure, but its much better (in my opinion) than Bud, Coors, or Miller.

The overall quality of this beer is pretty good, but not great. It tastes fresh and will quench your thirst. Its very drinkable. I will order it again when in the Caymans.

Serving type: on-tap

02-28-2012 22:11:56 | More by diverite

streetcommander

Virginia

2.25/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

I've had a couple (40-50) in the past couple days. Good for an Island style lager but definately not anything to call home about. They are one notch above BMC swill.

Yellow with white quick vanishing head, good carbonation. Had mine out of cans and bottles and the both taste the same. Has a strange modeling clay flavor similar to a Yuengling. Most people call it a malty flavor but being an avid hombrewer I have to disagree, malt does not taste like modeling clay, at least not any malt I have purchased and brewed with.

They equip it with that nasty skunk flavor which again everyone has been attributing to UV violation but I have to again disagree. I think it is coming from the hop species they are using. The Uropean lagers all seem to have it and it's nasty. Nobody who shoud be in bussiness would intentionally skunk there beer...I hope?!

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 23:26:04 | More by streetcommander

GallowsThief

Florida

2.95/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Purchased in the Grand Caymans and transported home. Had a few there but I was in no shape after multiple towers of mixed drinks to review. Or taste it.

A – Almost transparent straw yellow. One of the lighter brews I have seen in awhile. Quick foamy stark white head that leaves in a rush.

S – Very malty smell. Corn. Sweet.

T – Has a grainy taste with a bit of malty sweetness like the nose. Not much else.

M – Clean and light bodied. Good carbonation.

O – If you are in the Caymans hell grab a few. This is not memorable but it’s a great brew for drinking on a steamy hot day. Perfect island beer.

Serving type: can

08-07-2011 22:19:50 | More by GallowsThief

SWMeyer4141

Texas

2.58/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I've been craving some light bodied lagers lately, preferably not a BMC, and a buddy of mine just got back from the Caymen Islands and brought back some caybrew.

Poured into a Pint Glass.

Appearance-Straw yellow. American Adjunct looking. Very watery appearance. 2 Finger head thats gone in a blink. No lacing.

Smell-Grain, sour bread.

Taste-Grainy, Sweet malts, very lightly hopped

Mouthfeel-Pretty Crisp. Nicely carbonated.

Overall-Just another light bodied Lager, you know what your getting.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2011 02:00:49 | More by SWMeyer4141

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

2.9/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

The CANQuest (TM) lives! My uncle came by with a few boxes for me and my first reaction was incredulousness since I was only expecting a couple of boxes. I opened one to discover this gem along with a Cigar City BC bottled beer to keep it company! It came with a handwritten note from GallowsThief explaining that he had recently been traveling in the Caribbean and thought of me and my madness. Wow! It is moments like this that reaffirm my devotion to CANs.

It was a pretty innocuous looking red, white and blue CAN without much to impart other than: "Brewed and packaged to the highest international standards by the Cayman Islands Brewery Ltd."; "The Premium Beer of the Cayman Islands".

The Crack & Glug resulted in better than a finger of fizzy bone-white head that looked like meringue atop the beer until it slowly fizzled its way out of existence. Color was a deep-gold with NE-quality clarity and loads of CO2 bubbles in evidence. Nose had a slightly metallic tang along with a cereal quality. This site has it listed as a "Euro Pale Lager", but it smelled like an AAL to me. Mouthfeel was thin-to-medium and the taste was initially slightly metallic, but I also got a standard lager sweetness, so I may have been mistaken about the presence of adjuncts. Finish was semi-dry and refreshing, which would be a definite plus in the Caymans. It is a pretty standard lager, in keeping with the low-key style. Decent, but not worth seeking out.

Keep 'em coming!

Serving type: can

07-25-2011 19:00:06 | More by woodychandler

jeremy2027

Texas

2.25/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Straw yellow, clear little head that vanishes rather quickly

Skunk

Skunky rather Hieniken like due to the green bottle.

Little to none

Overall I would only drink this on tap. You can definitely tell there is a difference between the bottle and tap. Green Bottles serve there purpose but not in this beer it is better out of a keg and I would assume a can as well to keep light from skunking the beer. Not that skunking is a bad thing its just not my thing.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 03:51:10 | More by jeremy2027

DIM

Pennsylvania

2.63/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

a: This was a clear, very pale golden color. It was served to me with a small, wispy head.

s: Not a lot going on, but nothing off either. Lightly sweet grains and little else.

t: Sweet breadiness and maybe some corn syrup. Not overly sweet, basically just bland. Relatively clean overall though.

m: Fizzy and wet.

o: Bland and refreshing. Pales in comparison to the Kubuli we had last year in Dominica

Serving type: on-tap

06-09-2011 10:43:32 | More by DIM

SassyBootblack

Colorado

1.9/5  rDev -31.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

I met this gentleman during a week long excursion to the Cayman Islands. Not the life of the party like Guinness Export was.

Appearance: Yellow! Clear!

Smell: Can beer smell yellow?

Taste: It tastes like beer. With a slight plastic and fish note.

Mouthfeel: Thin with sharp carbonation.

Drinkability: Beyond the taste, nothing to stop you from pounding ten of these. The heat helps.

Serving type: can

06-23-2010 22:17:43 | More by SassyBootblack

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.15/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

First stop on my recent cruise was Georgetown Grand Cayman where I had the opportunity to sample a few bottles of Caybrew while waiting for the line to the tender to go down. Served in a green bottle at Margaritaville by a waitress who seemed put out when I asked for a glass.
Pours a fizzy yellow bordering on gold with a good sized fluffy white head that dissipates quickly.
Smells of light grains a hint of corn and a slight floral hop note if I think about it real hard.
Taste is light and refreshing and hits the spot on this 90+ degree day. Light sweet malt with a hint of floral hops and a hint of skunk. Reminds me a lot of Heiniken or what I remember of Heniken.
Light body, crisp carbonation, watery mouthfeel. Light and refreshing on a warm day but little in the way of flavor for my wrecked palette.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2010 23:13:23 | More by johnnnniee

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.1/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A surprisingly good Lager comming out of the hot-weather culture that applauds beers of low flavor in favor of fizz, cold, and anything void of true malt.

Caybrew has a firm, yet light, malt character of pilsner grains, cracker-like flavor and soft sweetness- low on grain flavors, this beer is mellow and smooth. Hop aroma is floral and elegant, similar to noble German varieties and is present in aroma, flavor, and a soft bitter balance. No real flaws to the beer except maybe a light buttery note that blends in well with the malt sweetness and may even give the body a smooth texture, rather the being a deterant.

A good beer in the end- one I didn't expect to be.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2010 03:29:55 | More by BEERchitect

Kadonny

Pennsylvania

2.53/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a bottle into a Sierra Nevada tulip glass.

A: A light goldish yellow with a large white fluffy head. No glass lacing.

S: Grainy, malty, very macro-ish. Not a lot going on here.

T: Grainy, grassy, malty, with the tiniest bit of hops. Flavor is very macro lager-ish with some bitter and metallic flavors towards the finish. Not a very good beer, no body to it.

M: Light. That's it.

D: Not very good when even compared to other island macro style lagers.

Overall this is not worth drinking really. Do your homework if you visit GC and go find some Guinness Export, that beer kicks ass. Heck, even the beer I had last year in the Bahamas (Kalik and Kalik Gold) were better than these.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2010 21:23:43 | More by Kadonny

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

2.65/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

11.157 (?) oz bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada Imperial Pint. 5% ABV, Best by end (BBE): Jun/10 on neck.

Thanks to my friend Jason for bringing two bottles of this to share from his Honeymoon!

A - Pours crystal clear allowing all the carbonation bubbles to be visible. A big white head pops up with some loud effervescence only to drop to a thin layer quickly. No lace.

S - It's got the classic Euro Lager skunkiness to it. In the background are pale and pilsner smelling malts wrapped in a dry straw and husky nose. Crisp and clean with a low sweetness.

T - Pale malts with lots of dry straw and an off-putting huskiness. The typical skunkiness is there giving the finish a slightly unpleasant taste. Low lingering sweetness.

M - Slick on the tongue with a thin body and flavor. Moderately carbonated and crisp to the finish.

D - I can see it washing down well on a warm island but here, it's mediocre at best. Just another Euro lager that's a fair session beer. I can't say I'd be opposed to pounding a bunch of these under the sun though.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2010 04:33:28 | More by BeerFMAndy

JISurfer

South Carolina

3.73/5  rDev +34.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

Could have sworn that I reviewed this beer before, but I guess not. Luckily, I had a friend bring me a 6er back from his trip. There's nothing that really stands out about this beer, except that it's not as skunky as other Euro lagers I've had. If anything, it's quite refreshing, with a nice balance of malts and hops. It's definitely a great beer for the hot summers down here, but I enjoy it on a cool evening as well.

The first time I tried it, I went on the free brewery tour. They gave out free bottomless "samples" in huge pilsner glasses, so I couldn't really complain about that at all. Very nice people run the brewery and a cool black lab out back.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2010 02:31:22 | More by JISurfer

rfabian

Texas

3.23/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Served in a plastic cup at the Greater Cayman Island turtle farm it produced a small white head that failed to lace the plastic. The appearance was straw yellow and clear. The aroma was lightly hopped. The taste was slightly bittered with a noticeable adjunct in the background. Light feel and moderate carbonation with clean finish. This is a very good item to use to wash down the turtle soup on a hot day. Comparable to the US majors but closer to Bud than Coors, for example.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2009 20:46:42 | More by rfabian

dherling

New Jersey

2.98/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Pours golden yellow with a foamy white head that fades after 30-60 seconds. Has a bitter, woody, light nose. The taste is pure macro lager, light bodied with slight saaz hops. Does not go down as clean as most lagers, and has a bit too sharp of a mouthfeel for the style. Over all it is a fairly drinkable beer. Great for those hot days in the islands.

Serving type: on-tap

07-23-2009 02:50:24 | More by dherling

Norfawkers

Virginia

2.88/5  rDev +4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

"Our islands, our beer."

Basically, it is your only real choice if you want to spend under $5 for a pint.

Overall, the beer is quite drinkable and can be compared to the mass-produced American beers e.g. Bud Light or even some of the cheaper Mexican beers. A twist of lime goes a long way. The water in the Caymans is less than potable, which is why the beer may seem to have a slight metallic after taste. Nevertheless, drink with a Roti or a Goat's Leg and it will be all good.

Serving type: on-tap

06-05-2009 01:40:18 | More by Norfawkers

SilentSabre

Georgia

3/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

For what this is, and toward whom it's targeted, this ain't bad. The fellow across the street knows I'm "into beer" and brought me a can of this back from a trip to the island. It poured up a straw yellow colour, just as I suspected. Smelled a little biscuity and kinda reminded me of MGD. Tasted that way, too. In the heat on the island, I can totally see pounding these ice cold. Buying this on a routine trip to the beer store? Definitely not. Oh well. Glad I got to taste something out of the ordinary.

Serving type: can

05-07-2009 02:20:19 | More by SilentSabre

sholland119

Pennsylvania

2.8/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Drank this one on a sunny beach in March on Grand Cayman. My review is almost certainly biased by the beautiful environs.

A-Yellow gold, fizzy, thin white head. About as expected for the style.

S-A little yeasty sourness is about it.

T-Not bad, again considering the style. A bit of yeast, a touch of malt, a memory of a hop.

M-Crisp, refreshing, unmemorable.

D-One to say I tried it, then back to margaritas and off to the package store across the street to get some Guinness Foreign Export Stout.

HV

Serving type: on-tap

03-11-2009 16:07:13 | More by sholland119

joedon

Minnesota

2.93/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A pretty looking beer but has very little else going for it.
Reminded my of a English export lager but without much bitterness. Taste is American macro.

Nice bright color and a thin head. Smells a bit grassy with some sour noes. Flavor not impressive. A bit watery on the tongue.
Quite drinkable for a hot climate but I wouldn't go out of my way to find this.

Only real advantage is this was cheaper than the imported beers in Grand Cayman. The local water there is not so great and perhaps that has an impact on this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2009 01:51:32 | More by joedon

HalfFull

California

3.33/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a clear plastic beach cup. Pours deep straw/light golden in color with a thin and airy head. Retention and lacing are typically light for the style.

Offers a clean lager nose with some yeast, a touch of hops and a small amount of corn mixed in with other grains. Not skunky at all and the corn isn't a deterrent given the ratio.

Taste is slightly sweet but pleasant and easy. Any sweetness present is light in viscosity yielding a smooth feel and a light creamy texture on the finish. Offers good drinkability and is pretty well balanced. More of a less robust and improved Pacifico than a Heineken I would say. Moderate in body, drinks like a Euro/American combination lager; Euro in the hops department and with a light corn adjunct.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2009 22:27:58 | More by HalfFull

spycow

Illinois

2.65/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I was on cruise and traveled through the Cayman Islands. I tried this beer over lunch both on tap and in the bottle. It was what I would expect from a pale lager from an island countries.

L - It poured very light and had the typical head of many american pilsners.

S - It smelled like corn and grains noticeable in many beers of the same quality.

T - The beers taste was bland with no distinct flavor. The draft version had a very bitter aftertaste similar to a beer from a keg of busch light.

F - Although the taste wasn't that great It was light and refreshing for the warm tropical climate.

D - Drinkable for the hot weather. Goes down easy due to the light and carbonation.

Worthy of drinking in the Caymans but not one to seek out.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2009 22:50:13 | More by spycow

BeerCon5

Pennsylvania

2.3/5  rDev -17%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured a light golden color with a small amount of white fluffy head.

The smell was mostly of corn, grains, and yeast.

This beer tasted mostly of the above, corn, grains, and yest.

Light-bodied crisp feel, a bit watery with high carbonation.

This was an average drinker, although not very tasty, it was basically a cheaper tasting Heineken but more expensive. Not a bad idea to give it a try if you're in the Caymans but it's not something I would seek out.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2008 15:14:08 | More by BeerCon5

stinoski

West Virginia

2.65/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I was on Grand Cayman as part of a cruise and spent the day at a beach front bar on the famous 7 mile beach. I was more than excited to try the local brew, as I am everywhere I go. I ordered a Caybrew draft, which when poured into a plastic cup (less than ideal I know) looked very light and resembled many of keg beer that I drank in college. The smell and taste was also very reminiscent of a cheap domestic keg beer. I wouldn't have been surprised if the bartender had told me that they hooked up the wrong keg and I had received a draft of Busch or Natural light. I was fairly disappointed and spent the rest of the day drinking Red Stripes. I would only recommend this beer just to say that you have tasted it.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2008 20:02:26 | More by stinoski