Carling - Coors Brewers Ltd

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

2.16/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.25

450ml Aluminium Bottle: slightly out of date when opened at home on 16 Mar 2013. Poured into two Veltin Pilsner stemmed tulips.

Looked fine: your usual bright, clean and clear golden lager look. The thin white head didn't hang around, again typical of the style.

Almost odourless: wet cardboard with dishwater smells if you want to be nasty.

The mouthfeel is dry and crisp but there is very little actual taste: grainy flavour if pushed for a defining feature of the taste, otherwise as tasteless as it is odourless.

Refreshing I suppose it is: a good beer it isn't. My scores are being kind.

Serving type: can

03-16-2013 19:28:06 | More by BlackHaddock

bark

Sweden

2.8/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The colour is yellow (5 EBC), the three finger head is white and compact. It sinks slowly leaving some lacing.

The smell is sweet with quite a lot of cereals. Some sharp alcohol, hints of honey, paper and anonymous bitterness.

The taste got unexpected notes of paper, chalk and dust. Otherwise, there are semi-sweet malts, and very mild clean bitter flavours. Medium body. The aftertaste is dusty with some frowsy notes in the background and a bit more bitterness.

The carbonation is medium strong, the small bubbles fresh. The liquid is semi-smooth.

An OK Euro-lager with some disturbing off-flavours.

Serving type: can

11-02-2012 18:59:27 | More by bark

Tone

Missouri

2.6/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a clear, gold color. 1/4 inch head of a white color. Slight retention and slight lacing. Smells of pale malt, rice, corn, and a hint of hop. Fits the style of a Euro Pale Lager. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation. Tastes of pale malt, rice, corn, and a hint of hop. Overall, weak appearance, and the body and aroma are dominated by adjuncts.

Serving type: on-tap

10-09-2012 21:06:33 | More by Tone

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

2.45/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A 440ml can with a BB of April 2012. Picked up cheap from a supermarket. This is the quintessential English macro - cheap and available everywhere. I drank copious pints of it in my student days.

Poured into a straight pint glass. A clear golden colour with good carbonation. Forms a small head of white foam that disappears quickly, leaving a surface film. Aroma of light malt with stewed leaves and overcooked veg - yuck.

Tastes of light malt with a dry, mildly bitter finish. Hints of stewed hops and veg, followed by a harsh background note. Mouthfeel is light, prickly and watery. Somewhat astringent. An unpleasant, stewed hop aftertaste.

As expected, a poor effort. Bland and thin. Nothing to be commended here - I'm not sure I'd even consider this particularly refreshing. Avoid.

Serving type: can

02-14-2012 22:16:52 | More by jazzyjeff13

ElCommodoro

Texas

3.35/5  rDev +39%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

It pours a yellow-gold with a substantial white head. The smell is pretty good considering that it's significantly cheaper than a Dr. Pepper. It smells sort of like a better American adjunct, so nothing respectable or noteworthy, but definitely not bad.
The taste is very unremarkable. But also very inoffensive (as I find some euro pales to be. Read Heineken). It just tastes like wet grain with very little flavour, enough hops to balance (which luckily doesn't take much) and a little bit metallic, but it's not bothering me. It'd say this is pretty average.

Serving type: can

01-01-2012 19:12:53 | More by ElCommodoro

Haybeerman

Colorado

2.48/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A: Bright, clear gold color. Poured a 3 finger stark white head that fell immediately to an even skim. Decanted vigorously. No lacing.

S: Wet grain. Faint sweet. Maybe a slight grassiness (but I probably imagined it).

T: Crackery malt that's dry and crisp. Transitions to hay and cut grass in the in a finish where it all lingers a little unpleasantly.

M: Light body. Ample carbonation; very active in the glass and on the palate. Crisp and dry but a bit too much aftertaste to be refreshing.

O: Less than ordinary but nothing was horribly wrong.

Serving type: can

07-28-2011 18:51:10 | More by Haybeerman

woosterbill

Connecticut

2.03/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

500ml NEW TASTE LOCK CAN with a lock that has turned blue to tell me that it's cold - what will they think of next!? Poured into a wine glass.

A: Crystal clear and radiant amber-gold body that's brimming with fizziness on its way up to the coarse, fleeting white head. It's actually significantly richer in color than I was expecting, and the fizzy head does leave a few spots of lace. Not terrible, but I just have to subtract an appearance point because of the hideously garish, gimmicky can.

S: Stale grain, and absolutely nothing else. No hops, no sweetness, no nothing - just dry, husky, boring graininess. At least there's nothing off about it, but damn this is one forgettable-smelling lager.

T: Ah, here is where the true torture begins. The staleness of the grain multiplies exponentially, bringing in overtones of stable hay and rotting grass. There's a distinct metallic bite on the tail end (although surely the TASTE LOCK CAN can't have affected the flavor negatively), and it finishes with dull dryness that some might call crisp, but I would call piercingly insipid. This tastes like a beer that worked hard to make itself as boring as possible, and in that respect it's a success.

M: Thin and prickly, just as I expected. The high carbonation level actually does succeed in adding a touch of creaminess eventually, though, although I hate to leave it in my mouth long enough for this redeeming feature to materialize. Pretty standard.

O: This is the first beer I'm having on my trip to England and Belgium, and I'm drinking it for two reasons: first, so I have nowhere to go but up; second, so I can make room in my host's fridge for the better beer that I will help him pick out. To his credit, though, this was left by another guest, so at least my friend didn't commit the heinous sin of paying money for freaking Carling. What a crappy, boring beer - it makes High Life or PBR taste positively complex and well-crafted.

Cheers!

Serving type: can

05-19-2011 12:28:49 | More by woosterbill

kojevergas

California

2.03/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

On draught into Carling pint glass in Ennis, Ireland.

A: 1.5 finger head of fair cream. Clear blonde with a light bubble show.

Sm: Clean barley.

T: Fizzy open and finish. Clean barley taste with malt and a few hops. Generic and simple.

Mf: Overcarbonated; too coarse for the style. Too fizzy. Too wet.

Dr: A crap beer for the masses. Leave it be, lads. Price is alright.

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2011 23:12:11 | More by kojevergas

rjimlad

Australia

3.1/5  rDev +28.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I'm stunned at the poor reviews of this beer. I am not a huge fan of Euro lagers but really this one is not as bad as many out there. Compare with the dreadful Ozlagers and this one really shines.
First, it poured a light amber colour with a thick fluffy head. Little in the way of smell but some breadiness which is evident on the flavour. Mouthfeel is pretty typical and drinkability is good. If you served this at an Australian BBQ they'd think it was top shelf. There's nothing offensive in this beer and it is tidy but bland quaffer. I rather enjoyed its bready character. It is cheap and clean and doesn't deserve the terrible rating it has now. By all means give it a go but don't expect it to win any awards.

Serving type: can

12-28-2010 04:50:03 | More by rjimlad

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

1.43/5  rDev -40.7%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Settled with a foam like white head that lasted well, Light amber in colour with lots of bubbles.

Little smell of this mass market lager. What there was hinted at chemicals & bread, slightly skunky as well.

Like the smell, very bland & chemical like in taste. A kind of bread like taste with some hops hinted at.

A very rough, thick feel to the lager. It felt course on the tongue & very watery in the finish.

This was a very poor lager that was barely drinkable & a real slog to finish.

http://abarwithnoname.wordpress.com/

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2010 13:42:36 | More by flyingpig

smithza9

Michigan

3.48/5  rDev +44.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Oh the beer store. What a wonderful place! This was a must have for me as a soccer fan. It has a very fruity yet pleasing taste that make it good on a hot summer day. It looks darker than the American pale lagers and fel more full bodied. I wouldn't want to have to much of this at one time as I think it would be very overwhelming.

Cheers!

Serving type: can

08-13-2010 05:47:03 | More by smithza9

benclimbs

California

2.35/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

ok ok ok, so everyone talks soooo much crap about this beer i just had to try it...i paid £1.50 for a pint of it, so figured it was worth a shot.

pours golden and fizzy with a small amount of lacing and no retention on the head...seen worse looking beers.

smell is just some bready lager stuff, nothing really there...nothing super harshly bad though, no skunky or off smells really

the taste is where it really comes through that this is not a very nice beer. tastes very light and watery in the mouth, the only flavour is a hint of bready malts in the middle of the sip quickly fading into an off sourish bitter then dissipating into more nothingness.

indeed it is quite a bad beer, though it really is a step above coors light and other typical on tap american lagers, maybe on par with Bud.

Serving type: on-tap

04-26-2010 17:44:01 | More by benclimbs

FreshHawk

Illinois

2.28/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A - Light clear yellow with a moderate white head that disappeared pretty fast.

S - Not much, Some malt/grain sweetness and a bit of mineral.

T - Not a lot. Mostly grainy (corn) sweetness and a bit of mineral taste. Maybe slight hops at the end.

M - Light body with decent carbonation. What you would expect from a mass produced/consumed beer.

D - Like other similar beers, easy to drink but with the flavor why would you really want to?

Notes: Like others in the style, this one doesn't really have anything to set it apart though. Not really all that much worse or better than other beers like it. So if you are in a situation that you want this kind of beer or that is all you can get, feel free to try it, but don't expect a lot.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2010 12:19:19 | More by FreshHawk

drpimento

Wisconsin

2.13/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Served with a thin fine (going flat?) white head and lots of lace. Color is a very clear amber. Flavor's common world beer and at least it's not overly sweet as is so common these days. Flavor's malt and a teensy bit of hop and corn. Finish is corn/rice beer. A real yawner. Session if you like headaches.

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2010 11:06:32 | More by drpimento

MrAleman

United Kingdom (England)

2/5  rDev -17%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Good old Carling lager sold in most pubs across the country and associated with football hooligans and sadly for Celtic football club also sponsors their team shirts.

Carling has a somewhat unique taste to it as it is somewhat sweet. There is nothing very special about the flavour though and the fizzyness is quite about. Really quite a dull beer and too much of this and you won't feel too great for a few days. Carling is a typical persons lager and is not worth drinking if you prefer better beers.

Serving type: on-tap

08-16-2009 21:48:08 | More by MrAleman

AlexLMS

Portugal

2.25/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Appearance: very bright with a light golden colour. White, foamy moderately large head with fair retention and some nice lacings.
Aroma: fresh hops with some citrus notes.
Taste: weak. Almost no malt presence. Grainy.
Mouthfeel: slightly dry, moderate carbonation, low alcoholic strength and a light body.
Finish: lingering but weak bitter aftertaste.
Overall: nothing there really but refreshing nevertheless.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2009 10:07:36 | More by AlexLMS

soulgrowl

United Kingdom (England)

2.3/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Nondescript lager gold with an equally nondescript lager head. Tiny bubbles throughout and poor retention. The nose is nothing but grassy/weedy hops with a lemon-lime edge and a thin, drab, cakey sweetness. Boring, but not off-putting. The flavor is excessively bland, but notably corny and sweet, even when very cold. Hops have the same leafy bitterness as endives; they don't really add any flavor, just a bit of zip to distract from the nothingness of the malts. As expected, it's also fizzy as hell, though not as dry as you might expect or want it to be. Crisp, yes. Clean, no. Ultimately this is fine for refreshment, but for flavor, look elsewhere. Really, this is very close to drinking soda water.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2009 09:37:35 | More by soulgrowl

fullsweep

United Kingdom (England)

2.05/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Not much to recommend about Carling. The only positives are A) it's cheap. and B) you can get it anywhere (at least in the UK). I'm a very moderate beer drinker (generally no more than one beer in a single setting), so I can afford better beer. It just tastes too watered-down and non-descript. I'd rather have a bad-tasting bitter beer, because that at least has flavor.

Serving type: can

12-09-2008 22:07:27 | More by fullsweep

whiteskittlz

California

2.45/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

i'm doing this from memory, but there wasn't all that much to remember about this beer.
I've had this on-tap and in tall-can form (maybe bottle too). It's England's mainstream lager. As England is ale-land, don't expect much.

looks: golden. nice colour, but head retention is shiite.

smell: meh, junky

taste: rough, junky, adjuncty. on the sweetish side.

mouthfeel: not overpowering carbonation

drinkability: drinkable, but not enough flavour to keep me coming back. for a session brew, you'd be much better off with John Smith's Smooth.

storytime:
Carling sponsors concerts so that people can start getting drunk, spend more money, but not be weighed down by real British beer.

the last time i had this beer was watching Radiohead in Manchester...my friends changed their mind on the beers i just bought, so i had to drink 3 imperial pints of Carling. a bit of a chore, but they did the job. then i had to piss it out...hell if i was leaving the pit, so those imperial paper pints came in handy.

-ajh

Serving type: can

11-29-2008 00:54:09 | More by whiteskittlz

thierrynantes

France

2.03/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Beer can (50cl.), tasted in 2006.

Appearance : a yellow color, with white foam head (not persistent).
Smell : no significant aromas.
Taste and mouthfeel : sweet, with no signficant taste
Drinkability : a very bad example of Pale lager (ABV 4.1%) brewed by Coors.

Serving type: can

11-10-2008 15:52:01 | More by thierrynantes

Suds

Pennsylvania

2.25/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

I sampled this beer on-tap during a recent trip to Britain, I was on-the run, and didn't have many beer choices to accompany dinner (a sandwich and some chips). The beer is a crystal clear yellow beer, served slightly cool, and without any notable head. The aroma is faint and unimpressive. There's a bit of corn and grain, faint background hops, and little else. The taste modestly sweet, with a lot of adjunct flavor. It doesn't have a barley malt sweetness, but instead, a husky, grainy sweetness. Otherwise it's clean, though. It's a soft beer, due primarily to the very low carbonation. Very smooth, and incredibly drinkable. Not much of note in this beer. It's uninteresting, and basically macro fare.

Serving type: on-tap

03-22-2008 07:23:35 | More by Suds

Patg72

Massachusetts

2.48/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Comes in a 500ml can advertising a coldness indicator. You need to chill the beer until the picture of the can turns blue. I've seen the Coors cans with the same coldness indicator so they're obviously trying to get their money's worth for this invention. The beer inself is unremarkable. I've now had 3 versions of Carling beer(South African and US Black Label being the other two) and this one is better than US Black Label but doesn't have the flavor of the South African one. There are other euro lagers I'd buy first.

Serving type: can

10-07-2007 14:04:40 | More by Patg72

joecast

Australia

2.53/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

500ml kick ass looking can. 4.1%abv. best before 06/07

outside of the standard looking fizzy yellow beer, its got great head retention. nice even white frothy, 1/2cm thick. even a bit of lacing. she's a looker.

a bit bland on the nose, no hops, little malt, and a little cardboard staleness which eases gently into the taste as well.

along with the cardboard, its got a light malty sweetness in its favor. pretty blunt finish.

eh, nice looking can with its sharp and aggressive styling. too bad they dont take the same approach to whats inside.

Serving type: can

04-21-2007 07:53:25 | More by joecast

plaid75

New York

2.58/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured a medium straw hue with a one finger foamy white head. There was decent retention and lacing.

The smell was rather nondescript. Light grain, some adjuncts and a smattering of hop.

The taste was equally benign with a clean malt and light hop. Some apparent adjunct sweetness muddied the waters a bit.

The mouthfeel was thin and clean. No real body.

Overall a drinkable lager when served ice cold. Not something I would necessarily revisit.

Serving type: can

03-13-2007 19:43:12 | More by plaid75

seanyfo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

1.3/5  rDev -46.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Pint served at local Wetherspoons.

A - straw coloured, although not as pale as some counterparts. 2 finger head that produces good lacing.

S- Not much to go one here really, not even sweet malts, very faint hops if anything

T- Tonic water, slight hop bitterness in the finish, no distinguishable hop or malt balance, very very bland

M- Highly carbonated, bloating, very uncomfortable to drink

D- Not good to be honest, the taste is awful and the feeling it gives you in the stomach is even worse, a thoroughly awful UK Swill lager.

Serving type: on-tap

02-04-2007 23:51:47 | More by seanyfo