Sapporo Light Beer - Sapporo Breweries Ltd.

Amalak

New York

1.27/5  rDev -50.2%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

I had a bottle of this just for the sake of rating a new beer. I wish I never did. While Sapporo is a decent enough beer, the Light version has gone horribly wrong. It's just terrible, barely drinkable.

Very, very light beer with no taste other than skunk.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2009 00:48:07 | More by Amalak

jdhilt

New Hampshire

1.3/5  rDev -49%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Pours a white, four finger-head that vanishes almost instantly leaving no lace. Clear, golden amber. Very light carbonation and very light bodied. Nose is faintly skunky. Starts skunky, not much taste hops and malts don't seem to be here, watery, boring finish. There are far better lights - SA light is one. $1.19 for a 12oz bottle from Northend Superette Manchester, NH.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2005 22:38:01 | More by jdhilt

homebrew311

Illinois

1.6/5  rDev -37.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

A: hazy pale yellow, color of white head, no retention, some lacing

S: the nose is incredibly muted and faint, some notes of stale grain and corn, that's about it

T: carbonated water with a grainy finish, minimal flavor

Mf: paper thin body, fizzy carbonation

O: nothing exciting, very boring and flavorless

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 18:27:05 | More by homebrew311

ATLbeerDog

Georgia

1.63/5  rDev -36.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

From a 12oz brown bottle - Pours a clear light pale yellow. Not pretty too all. Smells almost odorless. Below average carbonation. First sip is almost flavorless with just a tad of hops and malts ...almost water like. I can not imagine consuming this product.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2008 23:31:42 | More by ATLbeerDog

aval89

Arizona

1.98/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured a very light golden straw color.. With a one finger head..

Smell: a bit skunky at first whiff.. Kind of sweet with a strange spicy/tangy smell.. Honestly a little like urine..

Taste: very very light.. Sweet.. Not much flavor.. Maybe some grain? Cooked veggies? Finishes a bit skunky with a strange aftertaste..

Mf is very light.. Light bodied

Easy to drink but not the best tasting...

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2010 09:55:18 | More by aval89

Fatehunter

Oregon

2.03/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Thin head on top of a clear, lightest straw colored body. It's almost colorless.
Strong metallic smell with a hint of honey.
Taste is watery, a little metallic, mild bitterness and sweet end. Faint taste overall.
Light body, moderate carbonation.
Nothing special or interesting. Another light lager without flavor.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 22:57:56 | More by Fatehunter

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

2.05/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

This review is part of Macro Smackdown XIX. It's hard to say what most BAs think about this particular beer since so few have reviewed it. I liked Labatt Blue slightly better than Sapporo Premium, but I have a feeling that won't mean much when it comes to their light counterparts. There's only one way to find out.

Pale amber with a few streams of bubbles. This beer isn't as yellow as LBL, but I don't really have a preference in terms of the two colors. This cap is (slightly) dingy white and isn't as attractive. Less lace forms as well. A clear win for the Canuckian lager.

Sapporo Light doesn't smell like much of anything at all. Even though it's lower in calories (96 to 103) and carbohydrates (4.5 g to 6.3 g), it shouldn't be this aroma deficient. Since I can't describe what I can't smell, let's move on.

There's a little more flavor with this beer, but that doesn't necessarily make it better flavor. SL is different from the typical North American light lager in that it's more (ale-like?) fruity and less grain-like. It's also dry and semi-crisp with a short finish. Although these two taste radically different, neither one grabs the brass ring of deliciousness or drinkability.

I'm not thrilled with mouthfeel on either beer, but then I rarely am when it comes to light lagers. The slight edge goes to LBL for its superior carbonation.

Sapporo Light ends up the loser of Macro Smackdown XIX because it has a lesser quality head, no nose and a drab mouthfeel. I don't care for the flavor, but then Labatt Blue Light didn't exactly rock the house in that department either. There's really no reason to buy this over any of the more common, less expensive light lagers. Not that there's an acceptable reason to buy those either.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2007 13:14:04 | More by BuckeyeNation

JerseyPaul

New Jersey

2.25/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Appearance: Clear, watered down, pale yellow; very little carbonation; white head dissipates quickly, leaving little lacing

Smell: Slight sweetness, possible honey; some metallic notes; not much going on here

Taste: Like the aroma, not much going on here; very light sweetness; watered down

Mouthfeel: Light, along the watered down lines; decent carbonation; crisp

Drinkability: Low ABV allows for a lot of these to be drank in one sitting. Me, I'll pass.

Overall, Sapporo Light could be switched with any of the mass produced, light American beers and I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. There's really not much going on here with the smell or the taste. My one word description: bland.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2010 20:19:56 | More by JerseyPaul

metter98

New York

2.35/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

A: The beer is crystal clear light yellow in color and has a moderate amount of carbonation. It poured with a finger high white head that died down, leaving a thin layer of bubbles on the surface and some bits of lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: There are very light aromas of adjunct malts in the nose—rice seems to stand out in particular.
T: Much like the smell, the taste is nearly dominated by light flavors of rice and has a slight amount of bitterness from the hops.
M: It feels light-bodied and a little watery on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The taste of this beer is rather bland, and reminds me of eating a bowl of plain white rice.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 02:36:09 | More by metter98

freditoj

Alabama

2.4/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12 oz bottle served on a chilled glass. The appearance of the beer was just as any other light lager, it had a small half finger head that remained for a while. The aroma was delicate. The taste was very refreshing and went well with the japanese dinner I was having. It left a very nice aftertaste in my mouth after every sip. Overall this is a good take on a Lager by the Japanese, I would recommend it but give the choice I would drink the regular Lager.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 20:12:22 | More by freditoj

womencantsail

California

2.55/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: The beer pours a clear, pale straw color with a finger of white head.

S: Definitely heavy on the rice. Very light nose with a strong adjunct aroma and very little malt to it. Not much hops to it, perhaps a little bit of grass and some light skunk. Almost all rice.

T: Slightly tangy, strangely. Lots of rice, in fact, that's pretty much what it tastes like. A hint of white grape, grass, and a light vegetal character. Not terribly good (shockingly).

M: Very light in body with a medium level of carbonation.

O: Regular Sapporo is definitely preferable to this. But, it does it's job as a light lager.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 20:55:49 | More by womencantsail

chinchill

South Carolina

2.55/5  rDev 0%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12 oz bottle of "Premium Light Beer" (from slightly different front label than that shown on BA).

Pours a light golden color; crystal clear with visible carbonation and a smallish, short-lived white head.

T: Cannot verify this, but tasting left the immediate impression that this beer was made with rice. The flavor, as expected in light and subtle, but overall pleasant. Rather than hops, or perhaps due to the hops, a light skunkiness comes thru in the finish, which is the weak point of this weak beer.

M: light and somewhat watery; good level of carbonation.

O: a subtlety flavored light beer made with rice and/or corn; that being said, not too bad.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 23:42:09 | More by chinchill

Onslow

Texas

2.58/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Had with Saucebox at Tokyo Bowl (alaska,rockN,houston,___) ...Pours a standard yellow with a lower than average head... smell is of faint hops and grain ... taste is surprisingly full for a light, has some grain tastes but nice actually... One of the nicer light beers out there...

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2008 18:31:01 | More by Onslow

Hibernator

Massachusetts

2.7/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Sapporo Light Beer
12 oz brown bottle
Served in a 16 oz pilsner glass

Pours a light golden yellow color. Mini head at first, but quickly becomes a beer with no top lace or head. Small carbonation bubbles race to the top.

The nose is rather boring. Faint whiffs of honey sweetness and grains.

Watery, bland flavor and taste. Grainy sweetness and fresh Brita water blend together. Lacks any form of complexity, but it's a very drinkable, thirst quenching beverage.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2006 22:45:00 | More by Hibernator

DoubleJ

California

2.75/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

My review of Sapporo Light. Written by DoubleJ. On to the beer:

The most impressive part of the appearance was the head on the pour. Big foamy head on top with solid retention. The beer's color was pale yellow. The aroma was light, but still smelled like beer without anything bad. Pale malt was dominant. The taste is fine....for what it is, but then again I was drinking this while eating a chicken rice bowl. Plain would describe the flavor. Slight husk and neutral rice, quite clean. Good crispness in the body. Faint seltezer taste towards the end of the journey.

A decent, light tasting beer to clean up food, but I'll leave it at that.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2008 04:08:20 | More by DoubleJ

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

2.85/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

There's a distinct apple-like fruitiness to the flavor of Sapporo Light sold in the US. It's contract brewed in Guelph, Ontario, Canada; probably by Sleeman's, which might explain that.

It pours a crystal-clear straw-gold body beneath an intitally full head of creamy bright-white foam. The head drops almost immediately to a thin collar, however, and it leaves no lace about the glass.

There's a touch of apple in the nose, but mainly it's sweetish adjunct-malt. Some alcohol adds to that but doesn't really stand out.

As might be expected, the body is light; and it's initially crisp in the mouth before it warms.

The flavor offers little more than the basic adjunct-laden malt, yeasty apple-like flavor, and alcohol found in the nose. Apart from that there's a sublime smear of non-descript hops in the background, and a balancing bitterness.

It's basic, to say the least, but at least it's very clean, and unoffensive in anyway. For 96 calories, on the other hand, I think I'd just pass it by - there's not enough flavor there to warrant drinking it.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2006 21:20:01 | More by NeroFiddled

Drew966

Florida

2.85/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Sapporo Light Beer pours a light golden yellow color with a white head from a brown twelve ounce bottle. There is almost no aroma, what little aroma is present is not offensive. The flavor is the same as the aroma, but I'm having a hard time describing it. Perhaps it's a bit of malt graininess. Okay for what it is, not a bad choice if you want a light lager.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2007 00:51:51 | More by Drew966

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

2.9/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a clear, yellow body with steady streams of bubbles and a thin, white head.

Smell: Faint, light pale malt aroma with a hint of cereal sweetness to it.

Taste: Light pale malts, lightly sweet. A touch of cleansing bitterness. Then gone. And that's all she wrote!

Mouthfeel: Light-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: There's not much there, obviously, but what is there isn't altogether terrible. I'll go bland and inoffensive over icky and sickening any damn day of the week.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2008 01:45:43 | More by ChainGangGuy

Pegasus

Texas

3.15/5  rDev +23.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Medium golden in color with excellent clarity, a large, persistent white head, scattered patchy lace, and slight carbonation.

Aroma: Tart grainy malt aroma with slight herbal hops.

Taste: Opens with a slightly tart malt note, which carries late into the taste, where a mild metallic bitterness appears. The finish is clean and dry.

Mouth feel: Soft on the palate, thin, but not excessively so for the style.

Drinkability/notes: Quite competently made, but utterly undistinguished, a thirst-quenching beer, but little more.

Presentation: Packaged in a short brown glass bottle with custom embossing and a pop off crown, served in a standard pint tap glass.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2005 01:13:15 | More by Pegasus

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev +27.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had the Saporro Light at the J'Town Japanese steakhouse. The beer poured a very clear golden color with good carbonation that forms some head. Both which dissapates during the drink. The smell and taste are grain, barley, and enought balance from teh hps to make this beer drinkable. The mouthfeel is very easy drinking and it is definitely a session beer. Overall it is a typical american adjunct style beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 03:28:45 | More by WoodBrew