Maes Pils - Brouwerij Alken-Maes

janubio

Spain

2.15/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

330 m. bottle. Clear glolden colour, medium head with that dissappears quickly, leaving rings on the glass as you drink. Smell is nothing but grain and hops. Light palate, watery. Taste of grains, herbs and it reminds me somehow of Heineken because of some taste of pear. Metallic notes and some citrus in the end. Just your average mass market beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 16:51:42 | More by janubio

desint

Belgium

2.25/5  rDev -16%

05-24-2013 11:05:39 | More by desint

DoubleJ

California

2.08/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 1.75

On-tap at Celtica, on to the beer:

Pale golden color so commonly found in pale lagers. The head on top had decent retention and whisps a few spots of lace. There is little to smell. First the nose is greeted with vague grain, and it is also greeted with photomaking chemicals. That's worrying.

This is not a good pilsner. Belgium not being a land of pilsner is no excuse for this beer. My first mouthfull brings overboiled grain and photomaking chemicals. I was hoping my second mouthfull would bring something different, but it didn't. My third mouthfull,the same. Maes Pils has a very rough flavor. A light body and solid carbonation are appreciated, but utimately this is unpleasant and I can't finish my pint.

You'd think that the makers of a solid lager like Cristal could replicate the process with this other lager. This is just a waste of barley, hops, water, and yeast.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2013 05:22:43 | More by DoubleJ

randylangford

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev +21.3%

04-26-2013 22:52:46 | More by randylangford

Beerstorian

District of Columbia

2.75/5  rDev +2.6%

02-15-2013 15:22:59 | More by Beerstorian

HalfFull

California

2.7/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

330 ml. can poured into a pils glass. This little can opens with a soda like carbonation and pours a clear deep straw with a large creamy white cap. Good retention and lace, firmly carbonated.

Aroma is standard pils though perhaps a bit light with regards to yeast and hop notes. Otherwise neutral grain and subtle lemon notes.

Tastes of pale malts and a touch of coarse spice. Simple and neutral with nothing pushing me away nor pulling me in.

Feel is full and bready with a moderate carbonation on the finish, that being lighter than expected given the pour and allowing for a smoother than expected close.

Overall a clean and average beer that stands up to a bit of warming given the lack of detracting factors, making it a fairly drinkable brew. Decent bready pils character but with a rather faint dose of hops.

Serving type: can

01-19-2013 05:25:35 | More by HalfFull

kojevergas

California

2.3/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Served on-draught into a Maes pilsner glass in Brussels. Reviewed from notes taken June 2010.

A: Pours a light soft creamy half finger head. Fair thickness but laughable retention. Body colour is a clear yellow with abundant bubbles - potentially indicative of overcarbonation.

Sm: Light cream and moderately full-bodied barley are the only notes my broken nose detects. All apologies, lads.

T: Cream and minimal floral hops over a moderately full-bodied barley foundation with a crystal malt climax and a slick boring finish. Pretty simple. Off-balance but seemingly built to style.

Mf: Smooth, wet, and a bit dry/coarse right on the finish. Complements the flavours.

Dr: Slides down pretty easily, but this is rather forgettable. Price is a bit high by local standards. Quality it just not up to par. Pedestrian as hell.

D+

Serving type: on-tap

12-05-2012 18:29:31 | More by kojevergas

mactrail

California

2.58/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a foamy pale golden in the tall Peroni lager glass. Looks quite nice and has a carbonated mouthfeel with plenty of spritz. Just that faintly hoppy aroma that can be described as "beery."

I suppose you could compare this to Heineken as being pleasantly crisp with a slight dose of hops. Light bodied, lightly flavored. A little nose of hoppiness and a pleasant bit of fragrant hops in the aftertaste to remind you it's a beer.. Tastes more like a "Lite" beer. I cannot see any reason to order this except as an ice-cold thirst slaker, but if you're really thirsty this would go down nicely.

This seems to be a less-flavorful version of a Euro Lager with more alcohol than the American standards. It suffers by comparison in the German Pilsener category. From the one-third litre can bought somewhere in Belgium.

Serving type: can

12-05-2012 02:52:01 | More by mactrail

Cozzatoad

Italy

3.58/5  rDev +33.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

330ml bottle

A- Pale golden, perfectly transparent. Head is decently big (let's say 2 fingers) and frothy. Suprisingly shows good retention and lacing

S- Light but very fresh aroma. A touch of malt sweetness on the back. Upfront a fresh and pleasant herbal/fresh cut grass feel. Plus, also a slight, mild yeasty/fruity kind of feel

T- It's not a style of course, but if something could be called a belgian pilsner, then this is. Sweet, crackery malts upfront, not as crisp as in most pilsners though, plus also a hint of caramel. Refreshing herbal notes on the back of the mouth and in the aftertaste. As the smell suggested, some fruity flavours are showing up on the tongue (apple is my main pick). Not as bitter as your average pilsner

M- I felt like some more carbonation could have helped, the beer was very light in feel and easily drinkable, but maybe a tad too flat, expecially on the tongue

O- Very refreshing and easy going, plus decently flavourful and a bit different from the standard pilsner, i enjoyed it. Overall, this is a pretty solid beer, and possibly just as far as macros can go (which means, as good as beer can be when it's main purpose is to be just another classic pale lager). Plus, great price for value

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 09:17:50 | More by Cozzatoad

GRUUMSH

Belgium

2.75/5  rDev +2.6%

10-29-2012 22:14:51 | More by GRUUMSH

agaloco9

California

3.5/5  rDev +30.6%

10-16-2012 05:04:44 | More by agaloco9

warpedrevolution

Washington

2.75/5  rDev +2.6%

08-29-2012 09:43:25 | More by warpedrevolution

BelgiumBob

3/5  rDev +11.9%

08-15-2012 18:10:56 | More by BelgiumBob

od_sf

California

2.75/5  rDev +2.6%

07-06-2012 04:24:20 | More by od_sf

Anacross

Washington

3.25/5  rDev +21.3%

06-01-2012 18:55:03 | More by Anacross

petluo

Finland

1.75/5  rDev -34.7%

05-07-2012 13:01:50 | More by petluo

AlexM

California

2.5/5  rDev -6.7%

04-20-2012 21:41:25 | More by AlexM

DARIVA

Netherlands

1.75/5  rDev -34.7%

04-10-2012 12:40:02 | More by DARIVA

ygtbsm94

Virginia

1.5/5  rDev -44%

02-22-2012 04:56:12 | More by ygtbsm94

Campodog

Spain

1.5/5  rDev -44%

02-19-2012 09:59:37 | More by Campodog

deebo

Minnesota

3.05/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Free with moules frites at Chez Leon in Brussels-first beer on 1st Brussels trip in 2010-wouldn't have been 1st pick but couldn't turn down a free brew.

This one reminded me of Old Style. Standard pils-nothing outstanding-decent body and taste-well balanced-but there are just so many other options to try...lets move on.

Serving type: on-tap

01-29-2012 15:41:09 | More by deebo

samEBC

Belgium

2.75/5  rDev +2.6%

01-22-2012 18:10:13 | More by samEBC

whartontallboy

New York

2/5  rDev -25.4%

01-04-2012 03:14:49 | More by whartontallboy

cdwil

Texas

2.5/5  rDev -6.7%

12-30-2011 21:28:45 | More by cdwil

Gregwa

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev +11.9%

12-27-2011 16:32:07 | More by Gregwa