Batch 19 - Coors Brewing Company

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Batch 19 has a deep golden colour and considerable haze - quite a departure from standard Coors, and indeed most commercial, brands. We're off to a promising start. Despite the lack of transparency there is still some degree of clarity, no sediment and a good amount of glow. There's also - and this could be a first for Coors - a healthy amount of head.

It can be tricky to define the word 'authentic' but for the purposes of beer I think, at its most basic, it describes a liquid that tastes and smells of malt, yeast and hops. This definition would rule out most mass-produced lagers. Shocking, I know. But Batch 19 has a wonderfully rough, raw graininess and subtle hop pungency that embodies truly authentic beer. It is instantly recognized as something pure and of good quality.

The flavour, likewise, has a cereal maltiness and light floral, near fruity overtones. It is a wonderful tasting lager. A bready sweetness prevails despite a grassy finish. Whether the grainy malt or herbal bitterness, all flavours can be traced back to wholesome Mother Earth (and not some chemical factory off a Jersey turnpike). The benefit to leaving out corn syrup and other adjuncts cannot be overemphasized.

I would have thought drinking a pre-prohibition lager brewed by Coors would have been like watching Kill Bill on TBS: a version so sterilized and adulterated that it retained very little of the product's true essence. But I'm happy to be wrong. This drinks splendidly. They haven't compromised the malts and, perhaps to their own chagrin, actually splurged on some (wonderfully floral, earthy) hops. I'd stock it by the case.

Prohibition did a lot to ruin beer but it was also beneficial to a select few breweries. I won't delve into the history here but, sufficed to say, Batch 19 is a welcome start to reparations from Coors. It harkens back to a time when brewers didn't use fouling, adulterating adjuncts. I doubt this offering will change the culture of commercial lagers, but hopefully it will change the tastes of at least some commercial lager drinkers.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 20:49:36 | More by biegaman

Rayek

Colorado

3.6/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Batch 19 is deep gold, with a fizzy off-white head that slowly falls to a patchwork film. A smattering of lace is left behind.

So this is what pre-Prohibition American beer was supposedly like? Not bad. 19 has a solid straw and dry grain backbone that's bolstered by a mild, yet balancing pepper bitterness. A very light honey sweetness sits in the background. The medium-light body has some substance to it and is rather dry. The carbonation feels about right. The beer finishes with lingering pepper and dry grain flavors.

Overall, Batch 19 is a nice little beer in a Schlitz Gusto sort of way. Although I doubt Coors will ever veer away from their more vapid staples, Batch 19 shows that they really can produce a decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 20:42:46 | More by Rayek

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.6/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz twist-top bottle poured into a nonic.
5.5% ABV, NOV2811 printed on the neck. "Banned, definantly bold beer.", "Back, from the lost archives."

A - Golden yellow and crystal clear, Batch 19 is crowned by a tall, dense, and well-retained off-white head. Thick collars of lace remain clinging to the glass. A good start!

S - For the style, there's quite a healthy dose of lemon citrus hop character. Surprising to say the least. Toast and faint caramel character adds a good backbone while it finishes out with a little yeast mustiness.

T - Grainy pale malt and soft pilsner sweetness underline the earthy citrus American hop profile. Dry leaf and lemon citrus accents this one.

M - Batch 19 has a light body with a crisp, clean lager finish despite some of it's ale characteristics. Spritzy carbonation and a smooth body with a soft, dry bitterness on the finish.

O - Not too shabby, Batch 19's throw-back attitude and pre-prohibiton bandwagon-jumping are a bit gimmicky, but it's a drinkable brew. Not overly hoppy, but surprisingly so coming from the big guys. Good balance and nice finish.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 16:50:42 | More by BeerFMAndy

dogfishandi

New York

3.6/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Odd shaped twist off bottle poured into a pint glass.

Pours out a deep golden to copper color with 2 fingers worth of white head off the pour that fades to a retentive ring. Pretty good lacing. Good clarity, but not really that crystal clear body you usually find in an adjunct lager. Maybe the best adjunct lager I've ever seen as far as looks go.

Clean, mineral water lager yeast, and hints of sweet grain. Maybe a slight hint of toasted grain.

Clean and a fairly good flavor for an adjunct lager. Sweet, lightly toasted grains, mineral lager yeast, and just enough of a faint hop to call this balanced.

Light bodied, but not at all watery like every other adjunct lager I've had. Same goes for the carbonation.

Very drinkable, quenches the thirst on a hot day. Definatly one of the better adjunct lagers I've had, but that's still not saying much. Would I buy it again, NO.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 22:29:16 | More by dogfishandi

fx20736

New York

3.59/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

Poured from 12 oz bottle into a glass, served at fridge temp.

handsome hue of amber with a solid thick offwhite head, nice lacing.

aroma of floral hops.

mouthfeel; yep.

flavor; malty without any adjuncts that I could perceive, spicy, grassy hoppiness that is balanced against the crystal malt with a slight spicy finish.

so this is a Coors product. first time I've ever bought one. it was an impulse buy at Wegmans. To be honest, it's not bad. could be a lawnmower beer for sure.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 19:28:13 | More by fx20736

kylehay2004

Florida

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

A: 1.5 finger head with some lace. Clear light amber color.

S: light caramel malt on the nose.

T: malt and bread up front. Finishes with a apple/coriander sweetness.

M: moderate to high carbonation.

Overall: This wasn;t a bad beer. I enjoyed it at the brewery in Golden. Drinkable and smooth.

Serving type: on-tap

09-30-2011 13:52:41 | More by kylehay2004

TownDunkel

Texas

3.58/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5

Batch 19 - didn't even realize this was a Coors beer till I got it home. I try not to be to much of a beer snob so i gave it a shot

Appearance - A golden to medium brown with almost a red hint to it. Almost like an irish red

Smell - Hoppy but not much else there

Taste - Really nice mix of sweet and hoppy. The first couple of sips I picked up more on the hop notes but half way through the sticky sweetness was the lead.

Moutfeel - This beer shines here, great carbonation and a long lasting good aftertaste that is good for videogaming, no need to pause AC3 while drinking

Overall - I wish Coors would do more stuff like this or advertise it more, this was a really good beer by the big guys.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 19:31:08 | More by TownDunkel

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

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

Appearance: Pours out a lightly hazed, honey-hued body with nearly two fingers worth of rich foam that fades but never disappears.

Smell: Honey accents ahead of the pale maltiness trailed by notes of leafy green, citrusy, spicy hops.

Taste: Honey-brushed maltiness with a thin hint of lightly toasted grain. Moderately sweet throughout. Lemony, leafy, herbal hops with ample bitterness to balance it out, or so I thought, as the sweetness makes a last-minute rebound before the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium carbonation.

Overall: It'll do in a pinch!

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 21:08:45 | More by ChainGangGuy

morimech

Minnesota

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

One of the more impressive AALs and even more impressive it comes from Coors. Pours a clear, pale amber color with just over one finger of head that had good retention. Surprisingly heavy amount of lacing is left down the glass. Aroma of sweet malt and hay/grass- like hop qualities. Nice clean flavor that is just a little too sweet for me. The hops are a little more assertive than todays AALs, but it is not enough to balance the sweetness. The hops give some grassy flavor. Good body and carbonation. Enjoyable lighter beer texture with lively carbonation. Nice that Coors is branching out a bit and offering an interesting lager. Maybe not enough to warrant another purchase from me, but should appeal to other pale lager drinkers.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 18:18:13 | More by morimech

superspak

Michigan

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

12 ounce bottle into lager glass, best before 6/10/2013. Pours fairly crystal clear golden straw color with a 1 finger dense white head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a lot of streaming carbonation retaining the head. Aromas of pear, apple, lemon, floral, grass, bready grain, cracker, light pepper, and yeast esters. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance of malt, hop, and yeast esters; decent strength. Taste of lemon, apple, pear, floral, grass, bread, light pepper, cracker, and yeast earthiness. Lingering notes of light fruits, floral, grass, bread, cracker, and earthiness on the finish for a bit. Pleasant flavors with good balance of malt and hop flavors; with no cloying flavors present after the finish. Slight grainy astringency, but not bad. Medium carbonation and body; with a smooth and crisp mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a good pale lager. Good malt/hop flavor balance; and very smooth to drink. A pleasantly enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 05:20:28 | More by superspak

phishsihq

Colorado

3.55/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Prohibition was instituted with ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution on January 16, 1919, which prohibited the "...manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States...

Coors Archive Brewing Company introduces Batch 19, a per-Prohibition style lager, based on authentic recipes dating back to before all alcohol was banned. Batch 19 pours a golden-amber with a slim, light off-white head and a decent amount of lacing. A slight, yet malty nose is joined with somewhat surprising citrus hop notes. a semi-sweet malt profile meets the pallet before being balanced out by slightly spicy hop characteristics, all before leading into a crisp, clean finish. The beer is medium body with a lighter amount of carbonation. Thankfully Prohibition didn't last, but we believe Batch 19 will!

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 23:35:35 | More by phishsihq

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.55/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle served in a standard pint. March 2013 indicated on the bottle.Pours a semi-translucent orange-gold with a fizzy, half inch, white head that quickly dissipates into a soapy skim; no lacing. Nose expresses corn adjuncts, a hint of sweetness and a light, skunky/sour mash quality. Taste consistent with nose - malt profile is almost non-existent. There's a slight grassiness to this, as well as some earthy hoppiness, eventually yielding to the skunky/sour mash character towards the back. Mouthfeel is light in body, with an assertive carbonation and a semi-crisp finish. Overall, a pretty solid American Adjunct Lager. I had this on-tap a few months back and thought it was quite tasty (didn't realize it was a Coors product). That said, given the bottle dating, I feel like this beer went a little downhill. As such, I may need to update this review with a fresher bottle.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 22:23:51 | More by Jwale73

Tone

Missouri

3.53/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear, gold color. 1/2 inch head of a white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of pale malt, grain, slight sweet malt, and slight citrus hops. Fits the style of an American Adjunct Lager. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of grain, pale malt, citrus hops, and slight sweet malt. Overall, great appearance, and for an Adjunct good aroma and taste.

Serving type: on-tap

10-05-2011 20:47:02 | More by Tone

lsummers

California

3.53/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured a golden red yellow with a white head that didn't leave much lacing. A nice color for what I would consider a light beer.

Smells pretty good! Might be something like a pbr with a touch more grain bill and some hops in there. This one is definitely different from the usual Coors offering!

Taste was nice, its as if they took a regular american adjunct lager and actually used a good amount grains and hops. In other words, this one doesn't taste like water... I really want to introduce my bud light only brother to this one. Perhaps it could be an easier gateway beer into more craft.

mouthfeel to me was a little too carbonated. If it were only creamier feeling I would have given it a better score.

Overall, I am enjoying this one. If I do see this on tap I might grab it at some point. It reminds me of times gone by.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 20:27:37 | More by lsummers

Pegasus

Texas

3.53/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Clear deep golden color, with a massive, dense white head, which retains superbly. The carbonation is slight. The lacing is dense and complex, resembling alien hieroglyphics.

Aroma: Lots of grain with a solid grassy aroma., and a modest herbal hop aroma.

Taste: Opens with a solid grain backbone, very much like a Czech Pilsener, absent the classic cracker malt. As the taste progresses, fairly sharp herbal and grassy hop notes appear, these turn to a medicinal cast as the taste draws to a close.

Mouth feel: Smooth, soft, full, quite pleasant.

Drinkability/notes: Very nicely done, Coors has upped their game quite a bit with this example.

Presentation: Packaged in a custom twelve-ounce brown glass long-neck bottle, served in a New Belgium Brewing chalice.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 00:59:45 | More by Pegasus

rfgetz

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours a crystal clear golden amber, moderate cap of frothy white foam. Scent leads with fresh dried cereal grains and sweet malted barley, some grassy hoppyness and a touch of citrus rind, finishes with a bit of fresh corn on the nose. Taste follows scent - both fresh and malted grains, moderate hop presence and touch of vegital taste. Medium bodied, surprisingly creamy for the style. Overall, was pleased with the scent and flavor profiles and the body of this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2013 16:11:37 | More by rfgetz

jploving

South Carolina

3.53/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

My brother-in- law likes to leave his mutt at my house when he goes out of town....this time his payment for dog sitting was 4- Batch 19 Pre Prohibition Lagers form Coors.
I must say that I did enjoy these...and wished he had not drank 2 from the six pack that was to be my payment.
It poured a nice golden hue-slightly lighter than what I remember the Third Shift Amber Lager being- and certainly more golden than Banquet or Coors light.
As it poured I coud see that the body was pretty much on par with what I feel a 5.5% beer should be...nice rounded mouth fill...
It tastes like a well made American style lager. Medium hop bitterness to match a full bodied malty sweetness....nothing very exciting but certainly better than most of the beer the American masses turn to.
I do have a hard time rating pale lagers as a whole. I feel they can be quite 2 dementional as a catagory....I rarely find any more complexity than varying degrees of malt sweetnes and where the bitterness enters the taste spectrum. I love to drink them, but as a whole find them fairly cliche....
With that being said, Batch 19 rates better than average.... 3.5

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 16:01:59 | More by jploving

jimmah120

Minnesota

3.51/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

looks and smells like "beer beer". taste is a more full-bodied banquet beer with more malt sweetness, less corn, and a touch of bitter hops. it's still not a great brew but is leagues ahead of regular coors, and I'm a fan of that beer. it was nice and cheap, a plus, and hid the 5.5 completely. a winner in my book

Serving type: on-tap

01-22-2013 01:47:04 | More by jimmah120

davey101

Connecticut

3.51/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle into a pilsner glass. Best by June 10, 2013.

A - Dark amber body. Clear with loads of rising carbonation. A fingers worth of soapy white foam with...actual lacing and retention!!!

S - Cereal grain, sweet corn, caramel malt and a touch of English style hops. Sweet and malty, light and pleasant.

T - Cereal grains with an astringent corn finish. Oddly enough there is a light hop bitterness to the beer. A very confused flavor profile. The bitterness eventually fades away laving some bready dough.

M - Light bodied yet creamy, nice carbonation.

O - Looks great, smells nice, tastes a bit odd. Coors actualy brewed a beer that I sort of enjoyed, nice!

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 02:53:22 | More by davey101

Arithmeticus

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured chilled in wine glass (all that was avail.)

A: cloudy light copper; no head; decent carbs; ok lacing
S: very light aroma, mostly malt
T: mildly hoppy, slightly sweet; complex, very strong flavor profile, but without an edge
M: my mouth didn't buzz as much as I was hoping

Overall, not bad, pretty good, and I was surprised to find out, only after, that Coors makes it.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 17:27:52 | More by Arithmeticus

mynie

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Miller Park, since Miller and Coors are the same thing now. Figure since I got no plans to head to CO, and since this has got a real limited distribution, I better give it a go.

Described as a pre-prohibition lager, which I used to think meant "all malt" but now realize means "somewhat hoppy adjunct." And that's exactly what it was: thin pour, full body, dry and lightly bitter American-style lager. Strong cereal grains, almost like eating a bowl of barley, and then some rounded, bitter, east coast hops.

Serving type: on-tap

07-29-2011 16:51:56 | More by mynie

womencantsail

California

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear golden color with a short lived white head. Nose is fairly typical macro lager aroma of sweet grain/cereal, light esters, and minimal hops. A slight corn note is present. The flavor is sweet grain, minimal biscuit qualities, and no hops to speak of. A touch watery, some yeast and mild fruit esters. That's pretty much it. Nothing wrong with it, just nothing all that great about it.

Serving type: on-tap

08-13-2012 04:44:59 | More by womencantsail

UCLABrewN84

California

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Best by 11/12/12.

Pours a clear golden-orange with a foamy beige head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, grass, and hay. Taste is fairly sweet and is of malt, grain, caramel, and some slight grass and hay flavors on the finish. There is a mild bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that I would not ever think was something Coors produced in a blind tasting.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 03:05:55 | More by UCLABrewN84

TimmyL

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle into a bell glass.
A- golden color with a small head that recedes pretty quick leaving little lacing.
S- the only below average aspect of the beer, slight corn/straw smell.
T- nice balance of sugary malts and slight hop presence. the hops and some straw malts help keep this from being too sweet. very sessionable.
M- average carbonation - average body. not bad.
O- more flavor than most of its style, yet not too sweet. a lot like a euro pale ale. not a bad option if you're looking for a decent lighter beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 17:59:24 | More by TimmyL

CloudStrife

New York

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a tulip. MAR0413 on the bottle.

A: Pours a clear golden with a two finger dense white head. Ample carbonation visible in the body. Pretty good lacing.

S: I get light malts like wheat and a hint of hops in the background.

T: A balanced light taste of malts and hops that ends with a slight fruit taste. Some alcohol on the backend. Better cold.

M: Light body, pretty good carbonation. Very easy drinking.

Overall its a good attempt by Coors and hopefully it will lead more people into craft beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 00:07:54 | More by CloudStrife