Hurricane Reef Caribbean Pilsner - Florida Beer Company

Dogbrick

Ohio

1.35/5  rDev -50%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

Found at King's Supermarket in Kissimmee, FL. This was a total drain pour. Not sure if it was the clear bottle or what, but this was a real disappointment. Pours a dark yellow color with a thin white head and next to no lacing. Aroma is moderately hoppy with an unpleasant sourness. Flavor is lacking in pretty much every way. Tart and sour finish. Don't they make enough bad Caribbean beers IN the Caribbean? Why make them in the USA?

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2003 12:07:23 | More by Dogbrick

Brent

Kentucky

1.68/5  rDev -37.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

The best I can say for this beer is that is was a little short of ghastly - one of those beers where you buy a six-pack, and then wonder what you are going to do with the other five. Pale yellow leaning toward gold. Some sweet malt in the aroma. Flavor was redolent of sweet corn and cane sugar with a clashing bitterness at the finish that did nothing to help. Much as I tried, I simply could not warm up to this beer. I even tried adding lime, since that can make Corona marginally drinkable on a hot day, but the lime was no match for this unenjoyable brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2005 04:00:41 | More by Brent

mdfb79

New York

2.03/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into my new Portsmouth tulip.

a - Pours a somewhat transparent golden color with one finger of white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of bready malts, sour fruity malts, grain, and some wheat. Wow, the sour fruit and bready malts combine into a truly awful smell. It just smelled skunked, but I don't think the beer has gone bad; I think this is how it is supposed to smell.

t - Tastes of wheat malts, some fruity malts, grain, and light citrus. Not as bad as the smell but quite bland.

m - Light, crisp body with moderate to high carbonation.

d - I wasn't a big fan of this beer at all. It smelled horrible, which was a big turn off. Taste was a little bland as well. I think this might be one of the worst beers I've ever had. I would not want to have again.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2010 23:10:02 | More by mdfb79

tigerpaws

South Carolina

2.1/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

About the only good thing to say about this beer is, it's in an attractive bottle. It was skunky probably from the clear bottle and had almost no aroma or color to it. Like Venom said drink water because this is about a flat..........CHEERS

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2002 14:51:34 | More by tigerpaws

daliandragon

North Carolina

2.17/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Picked this up in Key Largo last weekend with a bunch of the other Hurricane Reef brews and a few more promising selections. This pours a classic golden color with almost no head and lots of carbonation bubbles. Nose is slightly sweet and malty but there just isn't much there at all.

Taste is sweeter than average for the style but it seems to come from corn as oppossed to barley. Mouthfeel is tolerable but highly carbonated. Not abysmal but barely a step above BMC, and not remotely a pilsner to boot. Avoid.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2007 01:41:08 | More by daliandragon

UncleJimbo

Massachusetts

2.3/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12 oz, clear longneck bottle with twist off cap. "Best by" month and year notched on back label.

This pilsner poured a slightly darker than yellow color with white foam that settled. The smell was very minimal while cold, but as the beer warmed a sweetish lager malt aroma came through. The taste was mild: some malt and a sweet (corn?) taste. Very low hop presence but a very slight bit of hop bitterness in the finish. The mouthfeel was smooth but very light - light body and low carbonation. There was a lingering sweet aftertaste. Not a very memorable pilsner, and I am not sure what the "Caribbean" refers to, as this beer is not even as flavorful as Kalik.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2004 06:09:12 | More by UncleJimbo

tempest

Pennsylvania

2.33/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

$4 bottle (like all bottles) at Zeke's in South Beath. Poured a slightly hazy yellow with a tall white head. There's something off about this beer. There's a strange lemon fruitiness that makes me wonder if the brewers have an odd sense of creativity, or there's just a mild infection. Still, basic pale malts shine through along with hints of spicy hops. The lemon kind of ruins it for me though. I can't recommend this beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2009 04:35:50 | More by tempest

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

2.38/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Yet another beer that I had while I was away this summer. Never tried anything from the Florida Beer Company and after having this, I know now that I don't have to buy a Corona to get that same great Corona taste and filling!

This poured light, tasted light, and had a little bit of head. Too bad the lacing was nowhere to be seen. The taste? Well, that's being a bit generous, as the taste here was mostly filler with some skunky-notes behind it for good measure. I suppose a lime or the like would help liven this up a bit, but I've never been one fo put fruit in my beer, nor would I this make me want to start doing that.

Yes, there's alcohol in here but I could think of quite a few other ways to get my fix of that. This is just a step above a macro and nowhere near a pils like Brooklyn or Victory. Only worth a try if you're on a beach in the Sunshine Dead and don't want to get caught dead with a mass-market brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2009 07:01:39 | More by JerzDevl2000

fattyre

Georgia

2.45/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

This beer pours a clear golden yellow with a smallish lightly clingy quickly dissipating white head. The body is thin and watery. The smell is sweet (slightly breadlike?) and slightly sour. The taste is slight sweet with an underlying sourness and a mild spicy hop finish. Overall an unobtrusive drinkable but completely boring beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2003 19:53:20 | More by fattyre

errantnight

California

2.45/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

I can't say I'll be terribly sad to see my beer of the month subscription come to an end... but it's certainly helped me recalibrate my tastes!

This brew pours a rich, golden hue with some thick white head and tight bubbles, but holds only moderate retention and lacing. Still better than the macros.

On the nose this is slight, hints of stale cracker and some honey notes coming from what little hops there are and the pale malt base.

This is... not offensive on the palate, but it's one-dimensional and overly sweet, the malt is not nearly complex enough to stand on its own with so little hop backing, and it comes up short for it.

The carbonation seems right, but it's distinctly medium bodied and sweet up front, which leaves this feeling less refreshing than it should be. It's EASY to drink, and there's no off flavors, so a slight bump on drinkability, I'd take one of these over a Bud, but as a growing aficianado of GOOD pale lagers... this is not one of them.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2010 00:06:59 | More by errantnight

Drew966

Florida

2.48/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Hurricane Reef Caribbean Style Pilsner pours a fizzy macro yellow with a thin white head from a clear twelve ounce bottle. Smells like corn and maybe some malt with some grassy aromas as well. A litle on the sweet side with some grassy flavors. Finish is too sweet and sticks around too long. Not very good, but I would say it compares favorably to Corona and it's ilk.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2006 00:27:52 | More by Drew966

Bunnyhop

Georgia

2.5/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A clear, golden yellow Carribean Style Pilsner with a smallish, lightly clinging, dissipating, white head. The smell is slightly sweet. The taste is slightly sweet, with a mild hoppy, musty finish. The body is thin in my mouth. Overall, I found this Pilsner boring wih a dead after taste.

(source: Beers Across America)

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2003 00:05:41 | More by Bunnyhop

jlindros

Massachusetts

2.61/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.25

Whoa... what bad reviews so far. Got this in a trade recently thanks to Lukahn (Reddit), normally this would be a great summer beer, but can't wait that long to try it.

At least it's not a screw cap. Pours a large fizzy quickly rising 2 finger head that keeps trying to fade but is quickly reinforced by the millions of bubbles streaming from the bottom, and not just the etch at the bottom of the SA PP glass. As the head fades, the edges fade first and it gets a little pillowy and collapses on itself, but alas no lacing, over a very clear slightly hazed golden pilsner color.

Nose starts a little yeasty, with very light pilsner malts underneath it, a light C02 aroma even there's so much carbonation, a hint of a pale malt maybe, and touch of grassy hops, but it's hard to get much aroma over the crazy yeasty trube aroma.

Taste brings more yeast, again like chewing on the trube. Then sourness, a slight infection like sourness or just a terrible beer flavor, not sure which. Light metallic tinny flavor, little adjunct malt, and a soda like sweetness really has a Sprite like flavor. Light gritty but semi dry finish, little yeast and sour Sprite flavor as well as lots of bleh!

MOuth is somehow both thin and gritty, grimy, way too much carbonation too.

Overall, I can see why this got bad reviews. It's hard to tell if infected or just a really bad beer, with the sourness, tinny flavors, yeasty overkill, way too much carbonation, and very little malt to begin with, and no hops. No way I'm gonna finish it.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 17:16:45 | More by jlindros

theWrkncacnter

North Carolina

2.63/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pretty average, underwhelming beer. It's fairly sweet, and for something this boring, at least it's got that going for it. The sweetness lingers a little bit though, which I don't find very nice. It's very drinkable and I could see myself maybe having some in the summer if there wasn't anything else around. Kind of tastes like a sweet corona, and given a choice between this and Corona, I'd go for this. Oh, and the label on the beer is a complete ripoff of the cover of the Jimmy Buffet book, "Where is Joe Merchant?" Unless they licensed it.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2006 23:36:07 | More by theWrkncacnter

cjgator3

Florida

2.7/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Best By 05 12 2008 etched on neck of bottle. 12oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Pours a golden yellow color with a pretty decent white head that leaves some lacing around the glass. The aroma is faint grainy malt with a touch of spicy hops. The taste is sweet and malty, with a touch of spicy hops in the finish. Overall, this is a drinkable lager to enjoy on a warm day, but nothing to get too excited over.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2008 05:31:17 | More by cjgator3

paulthebeerguru

Florida

2.7/5  rDev 0%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: pours a crystal clear straw yellow color. white head. low retention rate. light, fickle lacing. I could read a newspaper through this beer.

S: huge corn malt aromas, no hop aroma.

T: tastes...caribbean style. light, some flavor, but disappointing. too much corn malt for me.

M: low bodied, medium carbonation, very clean.

D: very easy to drink. decent pils, but too much missing for me. needs some hops, to accompany the massive corn flavor.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2009 04:17:25 | More by paulthebeerguru

granger10

Wisconsin

2.78/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

I had this on a very hot day down in Florida after sweating up a lot playing tennis. Very refreshing qualities in this beer. Not too flavorful but it went down easily. Semi sweet corn flavors and a light spicyness in there. Finish is not crisp as I expected it would be but rather sweet and it kind of vanishes after a few seconds. Not a terrible beer when the right occassion calls for it but I don't think I could drink this any other time.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2005 14:51:59 | More by granger10

LXIXME

New Mexico

2.85/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a light lazy golden color.
White head quickly dies without much lacing at all.
Light sour to citrus and malt aroma.
Aroma follows through in a light sour taste with citrus and malt flavors added.
A light bodied beer that leaves a light sour dry aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2009 00:28:09 | More by LXIXME

changeup45

Florida

2.88/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

2/18/2008. Just relocated and this one is a local brew. About what you would expect as far as appearance and aroma for the style. Very thin head that dimished quickly. Very light and refreshing. It is what it is, nice and refreshing and great for a warm day. Not going to blow you away with flavor but it's got some. I'd have it again. Next time I'll just slug it from the bottle. It's that kind of beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2008 19:25:52 | More by changeup45

DarrellK

Florida

2.9/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Despite the disadvantage if being brewed by Ybor and the clear bottle, this Pilsner stands up decently. There is a reasonable hoppy nose and a surprising mouth for a domestic Pils and a clean finish. Color, head and general body are typcal of the style but I wouldn't put in the crappy Corona class despite the marketing. It's a decent hot day pilsner that is fairly local for me so I may be getting some of the fresh stuff before the clear bottle let's go bad.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2003 20:20:57 | More by DarrellK

masterbruewer

Ohio

3/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Comes in clear bottle and looks a lot like Corona.

Pours a light golden color with decent carbonation and a nice frothy head.

The smell is a little citrusy and a hint of a chemical flavor.

The taste is crisp, sweet and citrusy. A lot like Corona. Mostly smooth with a bit of a chemical taste. Not bad.

The mouthfeel is smooth with just a little bit of a bitter bite.

Highly drinkable in warm weather. Not a lot of punch to it.

The mou

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2004 17:41:03 | More by masterbruewer

Citadel82

New Jersey

3/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had this at the Disney Dolphin. Not near as nice as their pale ale but still drinkable. More like a typical american lager than a true pilsner. Color was a pale gold. with a white head that faded quickly. Aroma was faintly floral, very subtle and little or no malt discernable. Taste was mild. Some doughy biscuit notes and a short slightly dry finish. A little thin on the palate though refreshing. When you consider the other options in the Magic Kingdom this is a nice fall-back beer. This might also do nicely as a lawnmower beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2006 13:03:54 | More by Citadel82

Wasatch

Utah

3/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to Jredner for this brew.

Pours a nice clean/clear pale yellow color, nice carbonation, tiny fizzy white head, very little sticky lacing around the edges. The nose is malty, slightly hoppy, spicy, and some caramel. The taste is slightly sweet, malty, hoppy, slight spice, and caramel. Light body. Drinkable, not too bad, glad to have had a chance to try it out.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2007 01:23:43 | More by Wasatch

armock

New York

3/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Poured a golden color with a white head that leaves lacing behind

S - Has a light smell of pale malt with some grassy hops

T - Follows the nose slightly sweet malt with a touch of grassy hops

M - This beer has a medium body with medium carbonation to it

D - This really isn't a bad beer its just very average so nothing really sets it apart from other lagers out there buts its decently easy to drink I could drink a few of these while hanging out with friends

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2010 19:15:15 | More by armock

BeerRun13

California

3.05/5  rDev +13%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a somewhat pale yellow gold with a thin white film on top. Some malt in the nose but some strong corn shows through.
Sweet front with a slightly spicy character. A little bitterness and hops at the swallow. The corn does show through in the flavor.
Light bodied and niceley carbonated.
Not bad... better than Corona. Loose the corniness and it might make a nice lawnmower beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2007 01:36:32 | More by BeerRun13