Beerlao Lager - Lao Brewery Co.

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.4/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pale yellowish gold with a good sized head of cotton white thanks to a high altitude pour. A pretty nice look, all things considered. Its appearance is superior to the two light macro lagers that I tasted during a recent head-to-head smackdown. The cap maintains some firmness as it falls and streaks the glass with vertical rivulets of thin, sudsy froth.

Standard macro lager nose of (more) sweet (than most) grain and perhaps a touch of hops. Beer Lao doesn't smell all that bad and I might even say that it's rather pleasant in a low expectations kind of way. There are no off-aromas of any kind; always a good thing.

'Tutti-frutti' came to mind as I assessed the nose, but I thought I was hallucinating. The beer tastes just like it smells and I'll be damned if it doesn't taste 'tutti-frutti' as well. I'm not sure that I could take much more than one bottle since the candyish flavor would undoubtedly wear pretty thin after a while. It isn't sweet like candy (though it is somewhat sweet, for beer). That description seems pretty unsatisfactory on re-reading, but it'll have to do. And it isn't nearly as bad as it sounds.

The flavor doesn't degrade within each mouthful, nor does it change all that much from beer entry to beer exit. As well, it doesn't seems to be worsening with warming (a minor miracle). The mouthfeel is light, but nowhere near watery, and contains an enlivening amount of carbonation.

Beer Lao was something of a surprise. It's definitely different from anything that I've had before and is pretty okay, though offbeat. I'll order it in a heartbeat if I ever find myself in a Laotian restaurant. Strangely enough, I was recently given directions to the favorite Laotian restaurant of a Laotian acquaintance of mine. Perhaps I'll pop in some evening and see if Beer Lao is on the menu.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2005 23:56:31 | More by BuckeyeNation

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

2.3/5  rDev -23.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a clear, yellow body with a smallish, white head.

Smell: Light pale maltiness with a distant, displeasing staleness. Don't you dare do this to me, Beer Lao.

Taste: Light pale malts and rice with a light cereal sweetness. Slight stale quality throughout. Minor hop character and bitterness. And that's really about it till the "Himilayan spring water" watery finish.

Mouthfeel: Light-bodied, a tad watery. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: A beer to not only unite an entire nation of peoples but also to supremely represent a country that traces its ancient origins all the way back to the Kingdom of Lan Xang -- Land of a Million Elephants. Man, that's a pretty tall order, but as Laos is a relatively impoverished and oppressed place, I'd say Beer Lao really fits the bill.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2008 17:32:00 | More by ChainGangGuy

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

2.33/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Beerlao Lager pours a mostly clear deep-gold body beneath a finger-thick head of frothy bright white foam. The head retention is good and it leaves rings of craggy lace about the glass with each sip. It's got a great appearance, particularly given the style, but that's all it really has to offer.

In the aroma it displays a husky graininess that implies it was sparged at too high a temperature, and that some astringency will be found in the flavor.

That turns out to be the case, and it displays a sharp, somewhat acidic and harshly bitter generic "beer" flavor. The malt is present, and a bit husky as anticipated, and it's just barely sweet. Hops hardly appear across the palate, although there are some grassy notes in the rather unpleasant and lingering acidic, bitter, and astringent finish.

Badly flawed. To be avoided.

Serving type: can

05-12-2009 22:38:10 | More by NeroFiddled

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

1.78/5  rDev -40.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

My first Laotian lager, hurrah!

A profile of a big cat is featured on the cap, and in miniature on the label. 11.125 ounces, rather odd..Brewed & bottled by Lao Brewry Co, Ltd., Vientiane Lao, P.D.R...but let's forget about the bottle and pour out the contents.

Very pale and pure yellow appearance, with a crisp, swiftly departing snow-white head above.

Aroma....smelly, stinky, skunky..not good, spoiled vegetables and bad water...phooey, me no like.

Taste: harsh initial appearance in the mouth, sharp and citric, big carbonation, but not redeemed by flavor, or mouthfeel, or anything at all.
It's wet, and it's alcoholic, and it contains a grain or two more flavor than Bud Light...,
... but, honestly, this falls squarely into the must avoid category.
Unless you're a cuckoo bird like me, who just HAS TO TRY IT!
You build your own heaven or hell...guess which one this is...?

post script...halfway in, it's not so bad...maybe I warmed up to it?

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2005 08:40:44 | More by feloniousmonk

metter98

New York

2.98/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

A: The beer is clear light straw yellow in color and has a moderate to high amount of carbonation. It poured with a finger high bright white head that died down but left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface and the sides of the glass.
S: Light aromas of sweet malts are present in the nose.
T: The overall taste has a slight bit of sweetness with flavors of corn and rice as well as a light amount of bitterness.
M: It feels light-bodied (but not watery) and somewhat clean on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is rather drinkable but nothing really stands out about the taste that would want to make me want to try this again.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 00:28:44 | More by metter98

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

2.35/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a pale yellow color with a short white head that fades quickly and leaves a very thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains light malts, some adjuncts and little bit of hops.

T: The taste starts out with some honey and light malt sweetness, followed by some breadiness from the thin malt character and lager yeast. The hops presence is very mild but brings some balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and a little smooth, light body, medium carbonation, finish is clean.

D: A little flavorful, goes down easily, not too filling, mild kick, decent representation of style, it’s not a beer I would drink too much of unless my choices were very limited.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 01:46:58 | More by TheManiacalOne

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

330ml stubby-esque bottle.

This beer pours a clear pale straw colour, with two fingers of light, billowy white head, which recedes slowly, doing a pretty good meringue impression in the meantime, and leaves a few random swaths of chunky lace around the glass. It smells of sweet bready malt, a bit of mild spicy citrus, and soft grassy, floral hops. The taste is quite consistent with the aroma, a soft bread-dough like character, accented by some increasingly weedy, grassy hops. I also get a sweet, medicinal twinge - subtle, but it's there. The carbonation is fairly sedate, the body medium weight, smooth, and damned-near creamy. It finishes still semi-sweet and bready, with an understated, nondescript dryness, that does its job well enough.

Well, for a lager from one of the tropics-abutting countries, one doesn't expect much more that a pale watery thirst quencher, who's highest attribute is its lack of distance from the nearest fridge. This offering, on the other hand, is stamped from a different press - a decent malt component (from wherever it may originate), and balanced by an adequate, if not overly evident, dryness. I could easily have another of this.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2011 23:24:31 | More by biboergosum

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had a bottle at Wave Thai in Queens with my street noddles dish. It wasn't anything special, but it was a nice, well-made lager completely capable of washing down spicy food. Frankly, I'd take this over most Euro lagers. This actually tasted faintly like a Dortmunder Export with soft bready malts and a little bit of body to it. It's certainly the best Asian lager I've had at a Thai place.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2010 19:40:39 | More by tempest

jdhilt

New Hampshire

1.43/5  rDev -52.2%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Pours a four finger white head that fades quickly leaving no lace. Crystal clear pale amber color. Very light carbonation and light bodied. Skunky nose. Starts almost sweet, corny just as bad as Macau beer, hops at the finish. Far eastern countries have trouble making good beer. Bought this only to add a new country to my collection. $1.50 for a 330ml bottle from Liquid Solutions Tigard, Or.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2006 22:54:46 | More by jdhilt

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

(Served in a short strange)
A- This beer has a straw yellow crystal clear body with a snow white moussey head that last a bit and is supported by a sea of micro-bubbles that swirl around.
S- The light sulfury note has hints of green as the beer warms but that is it.
T- The soft dry lemon hint fades to a green note in the finish. There is a tap water flavor that comes though as the beer warms and a soft perfume soap note that grows aswell.
M- This beer has a medium-light mouthfeel with a tight little fizz.
D- This beer isn't offensive in flavor or aroma it is just bland.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2009 22:58:31 | More by rhoadsrage

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.58/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Brown 330ml bottle of 5.0% ABV Beerlao Lager. Best before 1st April 09, drank 17th March 09. Poured into a Hoegaarden Grand Cru stemmed tulip shaped glass.

I have drank many beers in my quest to find the worst lager in the world and I have now found this beer from Laos, how did it compare with some of the worlds worst, read on.

Typical lager/pilsner look, golden, bright and clear. Like so many others the head started off large and snow white in colour, only to fade very swiftly to a collar and wispy covering.

No aroma at all, gets my standard no-smelling lager score of 3. There could be a hint of some cereal, but don't ask me which one.

the taste suprised me, one of the best 'rice lagers' for flavour I think I've had. There is an unusual richness to the beer, for a lager anyway. It would hold up against a lot of the German Pilsners I've tasted over the years and is head and shoulders above most Oriental ones.

Not bad at all, one of the joys of drinking round the world (as I am trying to do) is finding little gems like this in the most unlikely places.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2009 22:37:41 | More by BlackHaddock

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.08/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Tried in Phnom Penh, at a very nice restaurant near the river.

Golden orange body, with a fluffy white head which collapses into a sticky ring around the edges. Minimal carbonation. Excellent lacing.

Good lager hoppy nose, with a touch of treacle sweetness.

Taste is sweeter than expected, but not overdone. Hints of hop bitterness, but not very prominent at all. Finishes grainy and dry, like overcooked, crusty bread. It's surprisingly drinkable though. Mouthfeel is light, but with a little rambunctiousness.

It's not overly different, but it's done quite well. It is, however, different enough from the generic swill in Cambodia to make a nice change...

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2007 05:24:50 | More by lacqueredmouse

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.03/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Poured a lemon-gold with a brilliant clarity and a foamy 2 finger head that was bone white. The head lapsed to a patchy covering but only after a fair amount of time. The lacing was weak, failing to cling to the glass sides while a steady shower of carbonation rises upwards.

S: The nose was fresh corn right from the stalk complete with the green stalky leafs. Unfortunately there wasn't much else to go on here. The initial impression upon first opening delivered a strong skunky dms aroma, but thankfully this did not come through while in the glass. Overall for a pale lager was average, and non-offending.

T: The flavor opens with sweet buttery corn and cereal grains with a soft green herbal hopping. The flavor soon turns to a green melon fruitiness and light spicy hopping. The finish finds a buttery corn malting with a fresh herbal hop fade. Overall the flavor was fair, a bit buttery sweet but no worse then many other examples per style.

M: light, and slick on the tongue with a soft carbonation.

D: Average drinkability and average enjoyability. Better then anticipated, no qualms about finishing, but unlikely this would ever draw me in again.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2009 23:12:10 | More by beerthulhu

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Another of the massive delivery courtesy of local beer trader, Tone77, who seems to keep me plied with bottles from every inch of the globe.

I decided to just dive right in with my pour and get the party started. I got two-plus foamy fingers of bone-white head and it looked like Fluf atop the beer. Color was a pale lemon-yellow with NE-quality clarity and I knew that I was not going to be winning any points in Greg Koch's eyes by drinking it, but I am not in the business of trying to impress others. Nose had that sweetish lager-like characteristic that I find hard to define, but easy to recognize. I also did not recognize any adjunct smells, so things were definitely looking up. Mouthfeel was medium and I was getting the honey-like sweetness of pure unadulterated lager on my tongue. Winning! Man, I CANnot tell you how many bad AALs I have put up with in pursuit of The CANQuest (TM), but it has been enough to make me appreciate a simple lager, free of adjuncts. Mmmmm. Finish was semi-dry and it begged for a pretzel to go with it and by coincidence, I had a bag of Hammond's Pretzels on-hand for just such an occasion (like any time that I am drinking beer). Don't bother to seek this out, but do be aware that better lagers exist than the BMC AAL type of lager.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 20:48:03 | More by woodychandler

cokes

Wisconsin

3.05/5  rDev +2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Straw yellow with a modest white fluff and streaming jets of carbonation.
A sweet corn and husky grains nose preludes the exact same in the taste. Enters with a honeyed, crackery malt base that quickly shows some adjuncting, probably rice. The middle is husk and grain. It dries at the close, with traces of lingering powdered sugar and flaked maize, and a general seltzer water sense of flavorless wetness.
Light bodied, and actually tremedously downable, especially very cold.
I expected this to be atrocious, but it is pleasantly bland.
I'd grab it over most of the usual suspect US macros.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2005 02:13:02 | More by cokes

dgilks

Australia

3.3/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Great example of the style in terms of appearance. Light gold colour, very clear and with a big, white head with good retention.

Medium low malt aroma with good sweet notes. A tiny bit grainy. Some nice light spicy hop aroma is good.

Moderate malty sweetness with just a wisp of bitterness and touch of hop flavour. Not as dry as it should be.

Could be crisper. The medium body and moderate carbonation are too middling.

A decent Premium American Lager but it lacks the crisp, dryness of a good lager.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2010 02:00:06 | More by dgilks

hopdog

Pennsylvania

2.68/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

330ml bottle stamped Mfg Date Aug. 08, 05.

This one poured a medium golden color with a larged sized white head. Aromas of grain, light grassiness and sweet malts. Tastes of grain with a honey sweetness. Body was thin and watery.

Notes from 7/29/06

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2008 13:59:59 | More by hopdog

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

2.5/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

330ml bottle poured into pint glass april 7 2010

A pale straw yellow with lots of carbonation feeding a nice thumbs width of head that has decent retention and leaves a few patches of lace

S sweet grains and some grassy hops but pretty basic

T as it smells but with a bad rubber flavor aftertaste that's rather unpleasant, almost like someone burnt an eraser unlike anything else I can think of

M light and well carbonated, pretty basic

D I can't focus on anything else other then the bad taste it left in my mouth, takes away from what potential this beer may have had

you may see me drink this if I'm in some south east Asian jungle and this is a safe alternative for water

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2010 05:32:25 | More by wordemupg

flagmantho

Washington

3/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from 330mL bottle into a Pilsner glass.

Appearance: pale straw hue with a touch of haze, which I'm not used to in beers of this style. Tons of apparent effervescence in the body. Head is three fingers of pillowy white foam. Not too bad, but a bit pale and non-clear for me.

Smell: mostly inoffensive aroma of raw grain. Luckily, there are none of the unpleasant off aromas I usually associate with this kind of graininess; still, it's not my favorite aroma of all time.

Taste: light, malty/grainy flavor. There's actually some noticeable malt flavor here; not too bad, though there is then a sour touch at the end which isn't too great. Hops are very mild and contribute to a low but pleasing bitterness.

Mouthfeel: pretty light body, bordering on watery, but the carbonation is quite high which I tend to like. Call it average.

Drinkability: boy, this has been one middle-of-the-road beer. It's drinkable in a pinch, but it isn't outstanding in any particular area (for better or for worse).

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2010 01:53:46 | More by flagmantho

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.03/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a brown 11.2 oz. bottle. Has a pale yellow color with a 1 inch head. Smell is sweet, some malts. Taste is crisp, malts and grains, not bad but kind of mild. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is easy drinking but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 15:11:49 | More by tone77

dbrauneis

New Jersey

2.75/5  rDev -8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours crystal clear pale golden yellow with a finger tall fizzy white head. The head reduces slightly but there is quite a bit of head retention over the course of the beer (about 50%). There is moderate amounts of visible carbonation. Moderate amounts of lacing are present.

S: There is not a heck of a lot of aroma to this beer but what I do detect is malts, grassy hops, a touch of rice or grain, and just a hint of skunkiness.

T: The flavor is primarily malty (light and bready) with hints of sweetness as if from honey. Some grassy hops are present and there is a nice touch of bitterness in the finish to help balance the sweetness.

M: Light to medium bodied with moderate to high amounts of carbonation - slightly on the thin/watery side, better mouthfeel while it is colder. This beer has a rather crisp finish.

O: I was surprised, I was not expecting the beer to be quite as refreshing as it was due to the average score. I found the beer to be quite refreshing and easy to drink. While I might not run out to get this frequently, I certainly would not turn it down (and I consider myself to be a bit of a beer snob). This would pair nicely with real spicy foods - in fact I wish I had some to go with this beer tonight.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 23:12:13 | More by dbrauneis

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Review from BeerAdvocate magazine Vol. II Issue VIII:

Laos is not known for their beer culture, with only two breweries in the whole country. Not much of a selection if you wanted to open up a beer bar and serve local beer, but we guess they make due.

Perfect clarity with a pale straw yellow color, good foaming action here as it pushes up four fingers in height and leaves a thick crowning of white lace on the glass. A delicate but complex aroma; sweet lemon oil, mellow spice and thin, cracker-like graininess. Mild crispness and light-bodied. Faint lemon oil meets a clean and dry graininess. Mild on the hop bitterness, though there is a spiciness within that has a jasmine-like bite. Very faint cooked corn flavor in the back. Finishes slightly husky and dry.

Not half bad, drinkable and refreshing for what it is, and a few odd complexities make this one interesting.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2010 05:18:54 | More by BeerAdvocate

LiquidAmber

Washington

3/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a pale yellow amber. Thin film on top with a ring around the glass leaving a bit off slippery lacing. Faint aroma of biscuit malt and wheat. Taste is mild, but pleasant sweet bready malt with a somewhat dry crackery finish with a slight hop kick. Not much here, but overall well balanced and refreshing to drink. I'd definitely consider this again as a beer with dinner.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 23:14:44 | More by LiquidAmber

UncleJimbo

Massachusetts

2.7/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

11.25 oz (330 mL) brown bottle, capped, MFG Date stamped on label (031025).

This beer poured a clear, light yellow color with very little carbonation but with creamy white foam that settled fairly quickly. The smell was mildly malty with a bit of hops and a touch of grain. The taste was light: malt, some hop bitterness, some sweetness, and a grain/corn flavor. The mouthfeel was crisp with light body and low carbonation. The slightly sweet flavor lingered. This beer was OK as a complement to spicy Laotian food, but I would not seek it out otherwise.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2004 17:58:37 | More by UncleJimbo

TastyTaste

Minnesota

2.7/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Clear gold, visible carbonation, decent head. Very light grainy malt in the nose, and not much else. Taste is that of many-a import macro styled lagers, maybe a bit mroe grassymalt than the rest, but still not anything great. Carbonation is pretty good, although it does little to help out the overall experience of this beer. Probably only distributed here because of the far flung brewing location, other than that, there is no reason to buy this.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2005 20:54:14 | More by TastyTaste