Windhoek Lager - Namibia Breweries Limited

Jason

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

11.5 oz green bottle with a best before date on the back label.

Appearance: Clear yellowish straw colour, quick crackling foam leaves some lace on the glass. The retention lacks a bit.

Smell: Grassy of pale grain and fresh hops. Very clean to the nose as a lager should be.

Taste & Mouthfeel: Light malt sweetness, fresh graininess and a clean bitter semi-assertive hop presence. Clean and crisp with a light lingering hop and grain flavour.

Notes: A straight up clean lager, the crispness makes it very drinkable with a stable grain and hop balance.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2003 02:17:19 | More by Jason

jmkoscie

Ontario (Canada)

2.75/5  rDev -10.7%

05-15-2013 23:54:45 | More by jmkoscie

BGsWo22

New York

1/5  rDev -67.5%

03-21-2013 00:33:13 | More by BGsWo22

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

2.13/5  rDev -30.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

12oz Bottle from the Ottawa LCBO for 2$

Appearance - Clear light yellow colour with an average size fizzy white coloured head. There is an above average amount of carbonation showing and there isn't much lacing. The head lasted for 2-3 minutes.

Smell - Breads/grains, corn

Taste & Mouth - There is a very high amount of carbonation and I can taste corn mixed with some grains/breads. There is also a bit of a corn syrup sweetness. It ends with a lightly sweet crisp aftertaste.

Overall - Way too much carbonation and too much of an adjunct flavour for me. First few sips weren't bad, but it was downhill from there. Not something I'd buy again.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 16:48:23 | More by spinrsx

cfalovo97

Ontario (Canada)

3/5  rDev -2.6%

12-10-2012 21:09:30 | More by cfalovo97

Viceroy

United Kingdom (England)

3.5/5  rDev +13.6%

09-12-2012 00:54:27 | More by Viceroy

seydou

South Africa

3.33/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Probably my favorite African lager. Was lucky to find this on tap -- somewhat of a rarity in Johannesburg.

Standard across the board in terms of color, smell, appearance. Just a bit of a cleaner, less offensive taste than many of the African lagers. Also, as a session beer, seems much easier to drink several of when compared to the heavy west African lagers or overly-carbonated Castle.

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2012 12:18:25 | More by seydou

EmperorBevis

United Kingdom (England)

3.4/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Straw coloured body and big foamy white head a good looking beer for a lager.

Barley is the predominant aroma slight hints of hops.

Slightly sugary start then straight onto grain then quite a hoppy after taste.

Easy flowing mouthfeel heavy on the carbonation but such is the style.

Up there with Budvar and Staropramen as a robust flavoursome lager with an unexpected flavoursome kick.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 21:55:41 | More by EmperorBevis

dansmcd

Australia

3.33/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Clear golden straw colour, not much head and no lacing.

S - Mild grassy hops and some salty grains. Clean.

T - Surprisingly good. Lightly sweet with some hop presence. Grain and cut grass.

M - Clean and crisp, moderate to high carbonation, light body.

O - A very drinkable lager, a huge improvement on most macros.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 11:24:29 | More by dansmcd

enfield249

Michigan

2.93/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Pours a perfectly clear gold with a extra white head.

S - Slightly skunky, but a little bit of fresh hop aroma.

T - Clean, clean, clean. Slight malt flavor, and slight hop taste. Mostly unoffensive.

M - Light. Crisp is the word to use here, but it has more body and feel than a Bud.

O - Not bad for a lager, and very drinkable on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 19:09:34 | More by enfield249

Thehuntmaster

South Africa

3/5  rDev -2.6%

11-14-2011 08:48:15 | More by Thehuntmaster

WoodBrew

Illinois

2.9/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This lager was decent...what else would you expect from a former German colony. This beer poured golden clear with white head that stemmed from good carbonation. The smell was somewhat grainy. The taste was starts with grain, but comes off the pallete clean and crisp. Made the beer refreshing. The mouthfeel was smooth....certainly no issue with this beer.

Serving type: can

06-27-2011 18:50:24 | More by WoodBrew

fullsweep

United Kingdom (England)

3.33/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

330 mL green bottle poured into a glass tumbler.

A: Deep amber/yellow, bubbly head that dissipates quickly and leaves plenty of lacing.

S: Grassy/grainy with hints of bitterness and sweetness in the nose.

T: Much more enjoyable than many European pale lagers (e.g. Grolsch, Peroni, etc.) but still not a lot going on. What it has over these beers is a milder bitterness and less metallic flavour.

M: fairly typical of this style--carbonated, fizzy bite but not too overpowering.

O: I'd choose this over some other Euro pale lagers.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 10:44:22 | More by fullsweep

AEK

United Kingdom (Wales)

4.22/5  rDev +37%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

330ml brown bottle poured into a Stella Artois flute style glass.

A. Straw coloured ale with a foamy white head, head formation during the pour was well controlled.

S. Juicy malt. A hint of melon. A little citrus fruit, nice floral bouquet, peppery spice and some ginger too.

T. Not a great deal in the mouth, maybe a touch of lemon. Surprisingly smooth.

M. Medium.

D. Quite a nice lager. Much better than I was expecting and a lot less carbonated than I imagined and other pale lagers I have tried. A very nice drink - especially as it was reduced to only 50p a bottle in Morrison's.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2011 10:41:20 | More by AEK

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.15/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

An incredibly clear, light straw coloured with a small bubbly head that settles down to a thin lacing around the top. There is also a couple of bursts of bubbles rising to the surface.

Grainy cereal and some light hops make up the smell along with a faintest of syrupy corn aromas.

Similar to the smell and quite basic in flavour. There is a mild skunky taste but nothing to put you off with bread & grain being the main flavours here. There is an unusual aftertaste that is mildly bitter but not unpleasant.

The light side of medium bodied with a smooth mouthfeel and nice carbonation although it is not all that refreshing.

I would say that Windhoek is on the nicer side of average for a pale lager and isn't really anything special. Generally quite pleasant although I felt it was a let down on the palate although I can't really complain on the price as it was incredibly cheap.

More at:
http://abarwithnoname.wordpress.com

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2011 17:47:14 | More by flyingpig

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

2.9/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A 330ml bottle with a BB of June 2011. Brewed in Namibia, and the neck label mentions that this beer conforms to German reinheitsgebot standards.

Poured into a Sam Smith's pint glass. A clear golden hue with good carbonation. Produces a finger of white foam that lasts for several minutes before settling. Aroma of light malt with clean solvent notes.

Tastes of light malt with a hint of bitterness. Slight grainy note and faint undertones of solvent/alcohol. Mouthfeel is smooth but slightly thin.

A relatively crisp and refreshing lager. Drinkable, if unchallenging. Would go down nicely in hot weather.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2011 22:01:27 | More by jazzyjeff13

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.35/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours with a giant, foamy, frothy, fluffy, white head and lots of lace. Color is a clear yellow and some tiny bubble trails. Aroma is beer and a hint of hop. Flavor is mostly sweet with some floral notes and a little bitterness. Body is a little watery and carbonation is good. Finish is like flavor and short. Not bad beer.

Serving type: can

01-06-2011 11:54:35 | More by drpimento

DerBayer

Germany

2.4/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours an unexciting see-through straw colour with minimal fizzy head despite my vigorous pouring efforts.

The smell is not skunked or adjunct lager style but faint and nothing special. There s not much else to be said about the taste.

The mouthfeel is kind of refreshing but nothing special. Drinkability when served cold is OK.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2010 19:15:22 | More by DerBayer

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.85/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Budweiser pokal.

I need more African beers in my life. Just for the sake of it. This one pours a clear very pale straw topped by a healthy white froth. The nose comprises rice cakes, cane sugar, toasted wheat, and corn syrup. A little too saccharine for my tastes, but better than many BMCs I've had in the past. The taste holds notes of corn syrup, rice, chalky wheat, burnt grains, a slight (bad) funk, and a fully chalky aftertaste. The body is very light, with a moderate carbonation and a dry, watery feel. Overall, a lackluster effort, but I've definitely had worse.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2010 04:05:06 | More by TMoney2591

GeezLynn

Minnesota

3.28/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes:

"Best by April 2010"

Downed a couple of cans of this in the Johannesburg airport September 2009. Pours a very pale grain color, almost whitish with little head. Smell is not very good - musty cereal grains similar to certain cheap BMC products. After a experiencing a poor aroma, I was surprised to find this as flavorful as it was. Ample lightly-toasted grain flavors with a little bitterness. Very biscuity. Mouthfeel was light-bodied and heavy on the carbonation with a sharp, dry finish.

Refreshing enough!

Serving type: can

01-07-2010 20:26:43 | More by GeezLynn

Macca

Australia

2.55/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

this pours a golden colour with a generous head. Some retention. Clear.

Grainy aromas dominate but not a lot else happening.

Similar on the palate. It's got that soapiness that I hate in Eurolagers.

Medium bodied. High carbonation.

Bland bland bland

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2009 07:32:59 | More by Macca

BeerCon5

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear, yellow straw-like color with white foamy head.

Mostly the scent of grains.

Grains also dominate the taste. There are also some light hops.

Light bodied, crisp and pretty thin with high carbonation.

Very easy to drink and very refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2009 20:29:27 | More by BeerCon5

Hubris

Australia

2.68/5  rDev -13%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I've bought this twice in Canberra, and twice it's been skunked.

So, not a real review as such but just a mention that somewhere between Namibia and Canberra it got too hot and bright at least two times!

I've given it a "C" just to keep it even.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2009 11:04:18 | More by Hubris

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

2.42/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

green 340ml bottle, best before April 09, drank 15th mar 09 (just in time). Obtained from 'Beers of Europe', Nambia must have moved since I last looked at the globe!

Poured into a Hoegaarden Grand Cru tulip shaped glass. Looked a good golden yellow, bright and clean with a large white head comprising of big bubbles.

The aroma was of a yeasty farmyard and cereals.

The taste was weak, almost tasteless, neither sweet nor dry, not sour or anything really. The front label claims it is brewed under the 1516 German 'Reinheitsgebot' but it didn't taste or feel like a German pilsner, maybe the water doesn't suit the process?

Luckily I had been cutting the grass before drinking this. What some on here would call a 'Lawnmower beer' I believe.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2009 14:53:43 | More by BlackHaddock

arlo19

Kentucky

3.6/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Got this in a "Beers of the World" gift pack..
Best by Feb 2009 (today is Feb 2 2009)

Nothing too great here...
A very light lager. I got barely any smell from my pour. The flavor is crisp and pretty good. Quite drinkable, although I don't plan on buying.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2009 03:49:50 | More by arlo19