Red Stripe Jamaican Lager - Desnoes & Geddes Limited

Reaper16

Alabama

3.85/5  rDev +27.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

12oz. bottle served into a pint glass
And now, making its long-anticipated return, it's the series "Reaper Drinks Beer that People Left at His House After a Party!"

Pours a typically clear, straw/urine pale yellow color. A finger and a half of sudsy white foam forms only to turn around a disappear like it walked in on its parents having sex. The foam on this beer looks remarkably like the suds that form when you're washing your hands. This foam defines the descriptor "soapy." So Red Stripe laces like the glass its in is already being handwashed.

I was surprised; Red Stripe has an actual aroma to it. It's a pretty tight nose. Not a lot is going on. A smell of distant cereal grain, like someone across the street poured themselves a bowl of corn flakes. There's a smell like pear skin, or more accurately like pear skin that has been left out on a kitchen counter to decompose. Not really any hop aroma to speak of. It is not an offensive nose. Plenty of beers in the style have done far, far worse for themselves.

Wow. For the style, Red Stripe delivers a pleasant drinking experience. There's a nice, strong apple/pear juice flavor right up front with some soft rice hulls coming in behind. Just a smidge of bitterness from hops, no real lupulin flavors, just bitterness. None of the terrible cooked corn flavors that appear so often in these beers. That's all that Red Stripe has to offer, though. An initial taste that finishes 1.) very clean and 2.) completely. There is no finish as far as flavor is concerned. There isn't even a mid-palate. Red Stripe drops off of a cliff. It's brevity prevents me from scoring it higher.

It feels like water in the mouth. A lot of beers in the style do. That's why I'm rating it 'average' on mouthfeel. It feels almost like nothing. It could be one of the reasons that Red Stripe's drinkability is so good, though. It's so clean that I would have little difficulty drinking this for a session.

Look, it isn't like I plan on buying this beer anytime soon. At the end of the day it is still an adjunct lager. It isn't a good beer in the abstract. Rate Red Stripe to its style, rate it against its peers, and it emerges as one of the best of its class. I was expecting to hate this, I had some snark all dialed up, some reggae jokes and everything. But I can't hate this beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2011 07:48:54 | More by Reaper16

delta490

Virginia

2.81/5  rDev -7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75

Poured a 330ml bottle into a Shaker pint glass.

A- pours a light and clear gold with about one finger of almost creamy white head. The head lingers on but doesn't leave any lacing.

S- some sweet notes of malt or bread. But more or less non-descript

T- Again, some malty sweetness but very little else. No depth and nothing distinct about it.

M- not bad. A nice fuller feeling, not watered down. A nice hint of carbonation

O- not the best but certainly not the worst

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 09:52:24 | More by delta490

ajtorres311

Florida

3.5/5  rDev +15.9%

05-16-2013 15:49:09 | More by ajtorres311

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +15.9%

05-15-2013 18:42:59 | More by Slatetank

lucasj82

Indiana

3.25/5  rDev +7.6%

05-15-2013 02:00:57 | More by lucasj82

KerryCummins1977

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev +24.2%

05-15-2013 01:17:39 | More by KerryCummins1977

thatdewguy

North Carolina

2/5  rDev -33.8%

05-14-2013 04:40:47 | More by thatdewguy

mralbertson

North Carolina

3.25/5  rDev +7.6%

05-14-2013 03:52:57 | More by mralbertson

aty11b

Texas

3/5  rDev -0.7%

05-14-2013 01:33:21 | More by aty11b

surfrogue1

Maryland

2.75/5  rDev -8.9%

05-11-2013 23:29:56 | More by surfrogue1

FLima

Brazil

2.35/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.25

Used to drink it a lot, in some particular bars a long time ago. Let’s see how it goes now.
Pale yellow color with a decent head with medium retention.
Aroma of corn and pale malt, and notes of vanilla. I would not say it is pleasant.
Refreshing and crisp taste, strong corn taste and very light floral hops. Buttery aftertaste.
Light body with a good carbonation.
After so many years, I now erased completely the good old impressions over it. It is really an average or even bad brew, you have to drink it freezing cold and ignoring its aroma.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 00:05:26 | More by FLima

jrkenn

Georgia

3/5  rDev -0.7%

05-10-2013 19:22:19 | More by jrkenn

JakeDebus

Maryland

3/5  rDev -0.7%

05-10-2013 14:50:30 | More by JakeDebus

blknikon

Massachusetts

2.75/5  rDev -8.9%

05-07-2013 23:22:45 | More by blknikon

pcsnyder

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +24.2%

05-07-2013 17:40:00 | More by pcsnyder

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

3.76/5  rDev +24.5%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a shaker pint glass.

The beer is a clear golden straw color. A fizzy white head recedes to a light film. Very minimal lacing. The aroma is lightly sweet with grains and barley coming through. The taste is somewhat sweet with a cereal-like grain taste. The finish is faintly tangy, but carbonated. Mouthfeel is spry and clean. Overall, this is a good clean refreshing adjunct lager and the price is decent. Disappointed to see it being brewed in Lateobe, PA.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 16:52:40 | More by JuicesFlowing

ZEB89

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -8.9%

05-06-2013 02:20:20 | More by ZEB89

hattrick95

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev +7.6%

05-04-2013 01:28:21 | More by hattrick95

elglueckert

Montana

3.5/5  rDev +15.9%

05-03-2013 03:35:06 | More by elglueckert

JackRabit21x

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +32.5%

05-03-2013 00:21:06 | More by JackRabit21x

moodyhudy

Ohio

2.5/5  rDev -17.2%

05-02-2013 06:32:37 | More by moodyhudy

Kevincredible

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev +7.6%

04-29-2013 23:10:39 | More by Kevincredible

FetMule

Sweden

2.5/5  rDev -17.2%

04-29-2013 13:32:22 | More by FetMule

Smextongo

Indiana

3/5  rDev -0.7%

04-28-2013 01:11:21 | More by Smextongo

bscalt

Minnesota

3/5  rDev -0.7%

04-24-2013 19:49:39 | More by bscalt