Jamaican Style Lager - Zion Canyon Brewing Company

tjsdomer2

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev +9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Golden lager with sudsy head and a decent lacing.

Smell: A hint of flowers, citrus, and salt as I recall. Nice and refreshing after a long day of hiking at Zion National Park.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Mostly floral hops with a citrus background. Some salt as well, just like in the taste. Feels a bit thin though.

Overall Drinkability: A nice surprise for a change when it comes to light beers. Very good.

Serving type: on-tap

04-12-2012 04:38:19 | More by tjsdomer2

nickfl

Florida

3.01/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

A - Pours with no head on top of a clear, golden body. No retention or lace.

S - Musty malt, light hop aroma and little else.

T - Bready malt up front with a bit of sweetness n the middle. Otherwise quite clean through the finish.

M - Medium body, light carbonation, and a balanced finish.

D - Meh, it is drinkable but pretty bland.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 23:39:26 | More by nickfl

kylehay2004

Florida

3.33/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

No head really on a clear deep golden with slight orange hue body. Aroma of honey, sweet corn and mild musty grains. Flavors are mild and smooth with more honey and corn as in the aroma, some wheat and grains. Really non descript. Light body and light carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 23:37:46 | More by kylehay2004

Lovely85

Florida

3.25/5  rDev -8.7%

05-03-2013 23:36:00 | More by Lovely85

ONUMello

Ohio

3.6/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a plastic pint-sized cup
A: Pale orange with a 1-finger head that quickly settled
S: Light but pleasant wheat & floral notes. The florals really blossomed (no pun intended) as it warmed
T: The florals are really nice, along with a bit of grain and just a hint of hops
M: Light-bodied, pleasant carbonation
O: Well-made, my first Utah beer. Definitely would make a great session beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 02:08:23 | More by ONUMello

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beer #33 in my great Utah Brew Hunt.

First off, what precisely is a Jamaican style lager? Are we going for a Red Stripe clone or something? Second, what is all that crap settling at the bottom of my beer? It looks like soggy hop pellets?

Anyways. I suppose my third point would be to ask why this is classified as a light lager? Because it's 4% abv? The flavor profile is nothing close to light. Not at all. Hearty and rustic with a full body, for a lager. And it all works well, I say. All of those points I brought up aside, it's still a well done beer. Won't be as light as some might want for a lager, but it's still good in my book.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 04:33:19 | More by RblWthACoz

mactrail

California

2.5/5  rDev -29.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Big foam in the glass, though subsequent pours are normal. Looks nice enough, and carbonation is par for the course. Faint smell of electronics.

A hint of plastic? It tastes more like hops after some sipping. But the combination of the smell and that odd spoiled fruit or Play Doh taste is a deal breaker for me. I can't see that this is any improvement over any other industrial brews. Very light bodied, of course, nearly flavorless, but unfortunately not flavorless enough.

From the fat 12 oz bottle purchased at Emigration Market in Salt Lake.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 04:12:02 | More by mactrail

DerwinWentworth

Utah

3.25/5  rDev -8.7%

06-06-2012 04:43:29 | More by DerwinWentworth

tobelerone

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Drinking this one super local, just outside Zion national park. Forget about the bros warning and poured this one aggressively so that the hazy, light gold appearance was marred somewhat by a good deal of floaties. Small sudsy head sinks down quickly; lacing looks creamy and attractive.

The aroma is very malty, quite bready, with an undercurrent of lightly floral hops. The taste is very much along the same lines, with perhaps less of a profound malt character than promised by the nose. The hops are very much in the background and are subtly floral and bitter. The entire effect is somewhere in between a better macro lager and a classic German lager. The drinkability of this beer is excellent; it's crisp, clean and dry. Very refreshing and sessionable. Body is medium thin with lively carbonation. A simple and well crafted thirst quenching lager.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 03:21:54 | More by tobelerone

jpro

South Carolina

3.63/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From a mixed sixer picked up at Bryce Canyon General Store (from notes)...

A: Clear golden with a fizzy, white head.

S: Corn malts and some sweetness.

T: Light maltiness and light hop character; pretty crispy.

M: Light-medium bodied and moderately carbonated.

O: A very drinkable lager; pretty refreshing after a long hike in the Utah desert!

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2011 20:35:16 | More by jpro

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #32 (Sep 2009):

What is a Jamaican Lager doing way out in the boonies of Utah? Are the brewers day- dreaming of Caribbean nights of quaffing? Regardless, there are not enough craft lagers in the world.

Good clarity as long as you don't dash in the last ounce that holds the sediment. Crisp snap of carbonation has lager written all over it. Grainy pale malt all over the place; modest hopping just helps to balance. Clean throughout. Great balance between being really fla- vorful and holding out to the lighter side of lager. Crispness stays into the dry finish.

Hooray, Zion Canyon Brewing Company! This is a lager done right.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2010 19:22:55 | More by BeerAdvocate

ybnorml

Rhode Island

2.55/5  rDev -28.4%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A pale golden beer. No head to speak of. The aroma is dry hay/grass. With a sour grain character and a hint of spice in the background. Mostly a medium malty sweetness prevades the taste with only a hint of bitterness in the finish. I'm not a lager drinker but I know I've had better.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2010 21:28:18 | More by ybnorml

mwilbur

Minnesota

3.43/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from 12 oz bottle into shaker pint glass.
A: Pours a clear lemon yellow with high carbonation producing a 2 inch fizzy white head. Decent retention...which is a nice surprise.
S: Malt, horse blanket, and some subtle sweetness.
T: Mildly toasted malt, horse blanket funk, dry bitter hops, and that mild sugar sweetness again in the background.
M: Effervescent feel. Light body. Smooth and slightly oily.
D: Not my favorite, but certainly worth a try. The low ABV helps with the drinkability. Thanks to my father-in-law for bringing this one back from Utah!

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2010 03:34:33 | More by mwilbur

pokesbeerdude

Colorado

3.88/5  rDev +9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12oz bottle, thanks goes out to Wasatch for this one in our most recent trade.

A: Fairly cloudy pale gold color with a few chunks of sediment in the bottom that I tried to avoid, great head retention, and really not too bad of a looking brew.

S: Pilsner malt and some lager yeast, really not a whole lot going on, but smells better than many others.

T: Light malts, and a slight honey like profile in there as well, hint of bitter hops at the end of the beer, that cleans up the flavors and lingers nicely on the tongue, surprisingly hoppy for a 4.0% beer. Tasty.

M: Medium carbonation, light body, but also has a creamy texture to it, not too bad, also fairly dry, begs for another sip.

D: Easy drinking session beer, wow, this would be the ultimate gateway beer to convert BMC drinkers. Nicely done lager. I really wish I could get this in Eastern UT.

Thanks John!

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2009 02:59:34 | More by pokesbeerdude

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: gold in color, small head, clear, high carbonation

Smell: wheat, malt, and grass

Taste: malt, fruit, bread, and small taste of pepper

Mouthfeel: smooth, light bodied, moderate carbonation, dry, with a semi-bitter finish

Drinkability: I liked this. It tastes way bigger than a light lager. It has a nice peppery kick.

Serving type: on-tap

10-30-2009 03:37:13 | More by tigg924

emsroth

New York

4.65/5  rDev +30.6%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

12oz bottle

App: light gold with a fluffy head that quickly disappears. Chunky yeast sediments float after an active pour.

Smell: fruit and floral nose with hints of something sweet, perhaps caramel

Taste: light crisp malty body with a pleasant fruity undertone

very refreshing without being overly crisp or carbonated

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2009 00:52:39 | More by emsroth

tburkhart

Ohio

3.68/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Wasatch for this one.

Poured into a pint glass.

Pours a straw golden with little to no head. A little bit of head clings to the side of the glass, but not much.

Smells of grain with a hint of floral, but mostly grains.

Finishes grainy and dry.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2008 02:16:53 | More by tburkhart

jwc215

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Wasatch for this!

Pours straw yellow that was clear until the sediment at the end of the pour made it hazy. The thin head descends to a vanishing cover, leaving no lacing.

The smell is floral with sweet grain and some yeast - a bit perfumy.

The taste is of sweet grain with floral, perfumy notes. It turns to a chalky, aspirin-ish dry finish.

It is appropriately light-bodied with a good enough carbonation level.

Drinkable for one or two, but reminds me of a typical blonde ale (though I know it's a lager). Could be cleaner.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2008 17:55:30 | More by jwc215

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.75/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Another 12oz received in my most recent trade with Wasatch... Very good brewery so far... pouring this into my Smokestack goblet.

3/4" head dies back fairly quick.. really pretty descent lacing.. brew is slightly hazy straw gold.

Aroma is grainy and mildly sweet.. very clean maltiness... little else.. reminds me of a Munich Helles.

Flavor mirrors the nose.. a little sweet maltiness .. low spicy hoppiness plays in the background but never goes overboard.. body is bigger than expected.. lite/medium with a low carbonation... drinkablity is off the charts... I could enjoy this all day on a hot day.

John... thanks for another great trade and for another beer from a brewery that deserves some props.

Edit: There is no way I would classify this as a "Light Lager".

3.5/3.5/3.5/4/4.5

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2008 06:47:55 | More by JohnGalt1

JoeCeez

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this in a trade with Wasatch, thanks again John!

App: pours a hazy golden with yellow edges, a foamy 2 fingered off white head slowly fades to leave some healthy lacing

S: sweet grainy malt with a mildly spicy hop aroma

T: crisp spicy/cirtusy hops (possibly saaz) and slightly sweet bready malt, this is really malty and flavorful for the style

M: very light body, crisp carbonation and bitterness that quickly cleanses the palate

D: I could drink this all day long, surprisingly flavorful and complex for a light lager, this is probably one of the best light lagers I've ever had but I think it's more akin to a German or Czech Pilsner. This is an excellent session beer!

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2008 18:16:14 | More by JoeCeez

Bitterbill

Wyoming

3.95/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I got this bottle in a trade with Wasatch. Thanks John!

This pours a hazy yellow gold with another fine 2 finger head of foam.

The smell is malty with some fruitiness and just a touch of hop bitterness. Nice nose and god for the style.

The taste has good caramel maltiness and some light grain, a little fruit, and just a wee bit of citrus hop bitterness just to keep the sweetness in check. Nice taster here and very easy to drink.

Light mouthfeel and lightish carbonation, it finishes with a slight bitterness. Good stuff.

Btw, the foam does a very good job of sticking around and the lacing is pretty good.

Bottom line: Another good brew from Zion. What more can I say? ;^)

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2008 23:01:06 | More by Bitterbill

Wasatch

Utah

4/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly hazy golden yellow color, very nice carbonation, very nice one-finger fizzy/creamy off-white head, there is some nice sticky lacing left behind. The nose is malty, very slight hops. The taste is malty, slightly bitter from the hops, nice little sweetness, the finish is slightly dry. Medium body. Drinkable, this is a very tasty malty lager, recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2008 22:02:20 | More by Wasatch

tpd975

Florida

3.1/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to ibrew2or3 for this rare treat.

A: Pours a very clear light yellow. Very small head with zero retention. No lace.

S: Light malt with some grain.

T: Same as the nose with a light touch of summer fruit.

M: As light in body as they come.

D: Would rather drink a ton of these than an American Macro.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2008 12:00:07 | More by tpd975