Heineken Premium Light Lager - Heineken Nederland B.V.

Chico1985

Massachusetts

2.88/5  rDev +23.6%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Now here's a typical Free Beer From Work - though I find this to be better than most of its light lager brethren.

A 12oz green bottle is poured to a tulip-esque official Crawdaddies glass. Color is dark yellow with a pillow of white head which slowly dissipates to nothing. Lots of carbonation bubbles visible.

Smell is pretty much pure cereal grain and light malts with a hint of papery skunk. Not too bad, decent strength, smells like something at least.

Taste brings the same cereal+slight skunk with some added lemon crispness, bread and pale malt. Really not too much to offend the senses, for a light beer some decent flavor.

Light but substantial mouthfeel with a good amount of foamy carbonation.

Decent amount of flavor considering this is actually lighter/has less alcohol than most light beers even - if you gotta go light this may be one of the better choices.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 20:55:16 | More by Chico1985

BlurryVisi0n

New York

1.86/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.25

Served in a pint glass.

Appearance: Pure yellow gold, light bubbles on the body....head a natural white rising about 1/4".

Smell: Has a sour aroma or hops...light, not sure if you really want to inhale this.

Taste: Light bitterness not to mention light hops, watery and too bland. I know it's light but it lacks flavor.

Mouth: medium, no stickiness.

Overall: Drank this because it was offered to me at my best friend's house or I wouldn't have ordered it. Not a fan of light beers and very few have caught my attention. This definitely isn't one of them. Salud.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 22:54:02 | More by BlurryVisi0n

NiceTaps

New Jersey

1.9/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3 | smell: 1.25 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

12oz green bottle into an Italian style pilsner glass.

A- Bright and clean yellowy-gold color, 1+ finger head, no lacing. Lots and lots of big bubbles.

S- It has the Heineken standard issue dirty cat box skunkiness. Very, very unpleasant.

T- It tasted to me like nothing more than wet undecooked white bread.

M- A bit light and crisp, nothing really. It's just so hard to get past the nose.

O- This was my only choice at a friend's house today. Otherwise, I may never have drank this beer. I did not finish the entire serving but it was easy to read.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 23:17:55 | More by NiceTaps

jsisko01

Michigan

4.16/5  rDev +78.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

Appearance - Pours a very crisp looking clear golden color with a centimeter thick head that dissipates quickly leaving a thin, but nice lacing.

Smell - Has a pleasantly strong skunky aroma that pretty much dominates everything else. Grains and bread are the only other detectable aromas.

Taste - Not as skunky as the aroma but it's still good. Fairly sweet with a slight corn flavor, plus grains and bread. It has minimal bitterness from the hops.

Mouthfeel - Light bodied with high carbonation.. Very crisp

Overall - Very easy to drink on. Would be great for the summer.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 03:28:52 | More by jsisko01

metter98

New York

2.39/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A: The beer is crystal clear yellow in color and has a moderate amount of carbonation. It poured with a finger high white head that died down but consistently left a thin head covering the surface.
S: There are light aromas of grainy malts and skunk in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the taste, except that the skunky flavors are a little less apparent and there is a light amount of bitterness from the hops.
M: It feels a bit more than light-bodied (but not thin and watery) on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer isn't that bad for a light lager because it tastes a lot like a regular Heineken but just is a little lighter-bodied.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 18:28:23 | More by metter98

SometimesIfart

Michigan

2.13/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 2.5

A - Drank straight from the bottle. Beer appears very light and slightly bubbly though.

S - Skunky rice adjunct. That's all.

T - Tastes like a regular heineken. Skuny rice, corn flakes, sour apples. Not terrible for a light beer.

M - Medium bodied with heavy stinging carbonation.

O - Overall, it was slightly better than expected for the beer having a " light " lable on it. Realistically, It's just another Euro Lage, although far better than a lot of light and regular adjuncts. I'd have again if handed one.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 06:41:33 | More by SometimesIfart

smakawhat

Maryland

1.98/5  rDev -15%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured from the green bottle into a... a... umm... does it really matter? Let's give a Pokal glass a go!

A solid looking lager. Nice white head, perhaps two fingers, some good retention and keeping a solid cap. Body is a nice gold amber, not piss looking, with some nice slow rising carbonation. Actually looks refreshing.

Here's where it falls apart so far. Nose smells of pure cooked corn. Sweet and stinky. No hop aroma, not even a grainy malt presence. Just ugh. Some slight strange burnt sensations mix in, almost like a burnt match, giving some "variety". Overall though the olfactory experience is not that great, even for a lager. Luckily not skunked either.

Palate is.. Palate is ... where exactly? Not here that's what I can say. One of the most inoffensive but also neutral beers I've had. Mouthfeel is fine, but it's noticeably watery, but I'll cut some slack since the abv is so low and it's a "light" lager. Luckily not fizzy either or seltzery like most lagers. Flavor? I would write something but I can't even pick up anything.

Overall, let's move on, nothing to see here. Much better out there even in this style for sure!

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 04:00:38 | More by smakawhat

Bierwolf

Missouri

2.08/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Bought a 6 pack of green bottles. Thought maybe it was old so got another 6. Drank from a pilsener glass.

Appearance: About a finger of white, fizzy foam that diminished to a very thin froth. Clear kind of a medium yellow with tiny particles . some bubbles rising up.

Smell: Mostly a moderate yeast aroma with some hopping in the background.

Taste: Initially a light bitterness that finishes the same way except it sweetens up a little on the finish. Fairly crisp and dry.

Mouth Feel: Light to medium bodied and fairly dry. Carbonation was there but not overpowering.

Overall: This beer did not do a lot for me. I bought the second 6 because the first were so ordinary that i thought that they were old. It just left me wanting more. Granted it is a light beer but there are others out there that do a better job of quenching your thirst and have more flavor.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 17:52:43 | More by Bierwolf

freditoj

Alabama

2.38/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Well we all know that Heineken is a good go-to beer and the Heineken Light is not the exception. This is a good interpretation of a Light Lager beer, it remains with body and taste even though it is light. It is much alike like its bigger brother the Regular Lager, it tastes a bit bitter with many hops but it is very smooth at the same time. It is very refreshing and the aftertaste is a bit on the dry side. Overall a good beer to drink while at a picnic or BBQ outing.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 19:28:32 | More by freditoj

TGZ32

Michigan

2.1/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

The beer Pours a light yellow with fizzy head... doesnt stick around long. Smells like a light beer. Tastes like a light beer. Mouthfeel is like water. Overall on par with miller and bud light.. dont think Ill be having any more of this stuff any time soon.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 17:42:51 | More by TGZ32

BostonHops

Massachusetts

2.13/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

pours a super clear pale yellow / light gold tone while yielding a short lived fizzy white head, maybe a finger of which. nose offers some grainy and floral hoppy notes. not impressive by any stretch of the imagination but i've certainly smelled a lot worse. not exactly a ringing endorsement, nor is it mean to be.

flavor is worse. tastes just like a watered down heineken... i supposed that shouldn't come as a great surprise. muted grainy notes with a speck of hops in the background, but just highly 'meh'. light bodied mouthfeel with average carbonation.

over, as light beer beer goes this is okay, which is not saying much at all. it doesn't trigger the gag reflex or anything but i can't think of too many good reasons for ever drinking this one again.

(originally reviewed: 10-16-2011)

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 01:27:56 | More by BostonHops

tobelerone

New Jersey

2.65/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Clear yellow body with an inch of white head that settles slowly. Some patchy lacing, looks ok for a light beer. Nose and taste are both super skunky, sharp and pungent, with some grainy malt and a hint of flowery hops underneath. Some adjunct taste of cereal grains or rice, perhaps. But it’s that classic green bottle Heinie skunk all the way that dominates. Light bodied with ample carbonation and a crisp and refreshing mouthfeel. Super drinkable if you like drinking skunk flavored, watery beverages. Something about the skunkiness ignites a wave of nostalgia in me, bringing me back to my youthful experiences with lousy euro lagers, so I don’t hate this as much as most, but I still wouldn’t buy it..or drink it again. On offer at a barbeque so I gave it a shot. Still not the worst of the worst.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 17:18:42 | More by tobelerone

dbrauneis

New Jersey

2.53/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours a crystal clear pale golden yellow in color with some very light amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall white head that quickly reduces to a very thin film covering the entire surface of the beer. Minimal lacing is observed.

S: Moderate aromas of adjunct malts (grains) along with lighter aromas of lemon, skunkiness, and something metallic.

T: Not a real lot of flavor in this beer with the sweetness of the adjunct malts (grain) really being the primary flavor.

M: Light bodied with moderate to heavy amounts of carbonation. Slightly thin/watery and lightly dry in the finish.

O: Easy to drink and sessionable but not one of my favorite styles of beer or a particular beer that I want to come back and have again.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 03:18:03 | More by dbrauneis

Darkmagus82

Montana

2.18/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – Poured a light straw color with a large white head. The head faded fast to give a very light amount of lacing.

Smell - In classic Heineken style you get a mild skunk aroma mixed with light malt flavors.

Taste – It starts out with a weaker drier malt taste. The taste doesn't transition much, but sweetens ever so lightly in the middle, only to dry out again more toward the end. At the very end some of the skunkiness in the nose comes to the taste as well, leaving that odd taste on the tongue.

Mouthfeel- It s very light in body with a high level of carbonation.

Overall – It is very much a “watered-down” version of Heineken. Nothing too spectacular.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 17:43:04 | More by Darkmagus82

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

2.13/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

12oz bottle, a souvenir from an oft-visited Safeway in Kona, on the Big Island of Hawaii.

This beer pours a crystal clear medium straw colour, with three fingers of loosely foamy dirty white head, which evaporates rather quickly, leaving nothing in the way of lace around the glass.

It smells of funky, decaying corn mush, one with an underlying white cereal graininess, and a thin straw/grassiness. The taste is light grainy, stale cereal, some mildly skunky, old lemon rind, and weedy hops.

The bubbles are kind of prickly at first, and only somewhat let up, the body quite thin and watery, and smooth if you like it like that. It finishes very ethereal and airy, like it's trying to make you forget what you just drank.

Smells almost putrid, but hey, it levels off after that, becoming inoffensive (mostly), and, well light. Good, I suppose, if you can't get a glass of water to go with your real beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 01:21:58 | More by biboergosum

TheBrewo

Michigan

2.23/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

We pour a brew of light golden yellow. It holds a brief half finger head of crisp white bubbles, leaving a ring around the edges. Lacing becoming spidery as the liquid levels decrease. Carbonation appears moderate, and translucency is utterly complete. The nose sings with corn and sickly metallic adjuncts. There is grassiness of more fresh malt action, with sweeps of white sugar sweetness coming and going. As we sip, the mouth is met with skunky, adjuncty, souring grain. This puckers the mouth, with metallics and faint synthetic lemon. The latter affords sweetness, but this is transient, as watery malts and hard water come through, blunted all flavor through the middle. Barley and grass predominate, giving room for nothing else through the finish either. Flour adds to this, with more metallics and mineral water bite. The aftertaste breathes of more of the same, with tin, generic grass, and water. There are thin stripes of alcohol throughout. The body is light and the carbonation is medium to high. The feel is thin and watery, with little slurp or cream. Each sip is paper thin, with little coating or drying. Quite hydrating, in fact. The abv is appropriate, and the beer drinks appropriately for the style.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was how easily it goes down. If you’re looking for a light brew with mild flavoring, this is something you might be interested in. The beer lacks any real flavoring, but comes forth with basic malts and a light airy background. It is not as offensive as many others like it, but is also not something I would regularly stock in my fridge.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 02:59:21 | More by TheBrewo

tdm168

North Carolina

2.13/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Pours a pale golden yellow with a short lived, fizzy, bubbly head. The nose is musty and grainy with a traditional euro pale lager smell. The taste is almost nondescript; very, very faint grains, super light grassiness. The mouthfeel is very light, well carbonated, and smooth.

This lacks flavor. It's drinkable and refreshing but musty and forgettable. I'll pass in the future.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 18:09:46 | More by tdm168

Dope

Massachusetts

2.3/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

A: A perfectly clear straw yellow pour. Medium-sized fizzy white head. Fades away fairly quickly. No sign of lacing at all. I know this isn't part of the normal appearance rating, but a green bottle? Really?

S: Smells kinda like rotten corn. There is a cereal-like grain hiding behind it too. A little bit of ashtray? Some odd mineral smell too.

T: More cereal grain and again a bad fermented corn kind of taste. Very watery.

M: Pretty much like water. Very thin. A tiny bit dry.

O: This is about as bad a beer as I've ever had. I left some room in the rankings for something truly awful but don't let that fool you - you're better off drinking almost anything other than this.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 06:31:28 | More by Dope

mrfrancis

Kentucky

1.27/5  rDev -45.5%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

I picked up a bottle of this to complete a mix pack at a supermarket.

A: Pours a very pale, clear gold with a fizzy white head that disappears in a matter of seconds. There really isn't much in the way of lacing, and I guess I shouldn't have expected there to be.

S: Very mild aromas of grain husks, lemon, minerals, and straw are present on the nose, though they only emerge once the beer has settled in the glass and started to warm a bit.

T: Fleeting suggestions of mineral water, lemon, straw, grass, grain husks, and cooked vegetables wash across the palate. Obviously this isn't the freshest bottle in the world. The finish is very quick and clipped with lemon and mineral water notes.

M: Very light in body and very dry. Carbonation is extremely spritzy. This feels more like mineral water than beer.

O: I'm really not impressed with this light lager. I think this may be a style that I should just avoid in the future, as it has no appeal to me.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 15:03:01 | More by mrfrancis

Lemke10

Wisconsin

1.85/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

I bought a 12pk of this from Woodman's for $12 in Janesville, WI in Winter 2011 but it was basically free after rebate which is the only reason I purchased it.

Pours a very pale, clear yellow that has a fast disappearing head even if you pour the beer way too quickly. Scent is that cheap grains which are musty to my nose. Taste is weak, very weak. This is barely a step up from water. This is basically water with a hint of beer. It amazes me how this stuff even sells on a regular basis. This is one of those beers that it should be ok for minors to buy due to its weakness. I'm glad it was free because at full price $12 was $12 too much.

Serving type: can

01-12-2012 04:16:39 | More by Lemke10

Jesstyr

Virginia

2.38/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Grabbed a 5l keg to try out my new kegerator. After working out some kinks, same old lame heineken light taste.

Pours light golden, yellow, with significant bubbling. Head is bright white - this looks like a fairly flavorless light beer, but definitely more golden than Coors Light. Nose exhibits flat beer - and is very unattractive.

Taste is light pilsener. Nothing special, pretty bubbly, mostly like flavored water. Very light on the mouth. Overall a fairly average/below average light beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2011 02:09:28 | More by Jesstyr

Chiefy770

Illinois

2.5/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Serving type: From the bottle to the judging tables (my mouth).

A: Couldn't tell you much. Drank this from the bottle. It's a traditional Heineken green bottle. The text is labeled differently from the regular bottle.

S: Smelled like sour grapes. Not sure why... it also tasted like sour grapes but we'll get to that in a bit...

T: So yeah, about those sour grapes... I'm not sure why I picked up sour grapes. I felt like I was sipping on a wine cooler at one point. It had a fruity, and sweet taste. It was followed up by a bitter taste from the hops to confirm it was indeed a beer. Very unexpected. I suspect that these bottles were sitting in the back of the fridge for awhile. They were at a family function where wine and booze are the primary beverages and the host keeps "backup" beer in the back of the fridge.

M: For a light beer, this had a pretty tolerable amount of carbonation. I was not overwhelmed and it was not a total waste of my taste buds. Went down and stayed down, that's all I cared about for the time being.

Overall: I am not a light beer drinker. This is what was offered. I did not particularly enjoy this but a light beer is a light beer. No damage done. I'd certainly reach for this beer over the mainstream light beers.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 06:56:08 | More by Chiefy770

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

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

So why does Henie need a light version? I dunno. This is basically Heineken cut with (more) water. Everything is diluted. Appearance, even more straw yellow, more white head, disappears even faster. Aroma, less skunky, but I liked the skunk.

Taste, less skunky, but I buy Heineken when I wants me some skunk. In the words of the Circle Jerks, "I just want some skunk." Well, close enough. Anyways, the water downplays the zestiness, even the carbonation. I can imagine the making of a Heineken light 12 pack.

Take Heineken 6 pack. Add equal parts water to the beer. Voila! 12 pack of Heinecken light.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 01:45:57 | More by Beerandraiderfan

WoodBrew

Illinois

2.55/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Beer pours a clear and very yellow, looks like light beer.... about a finger worth of head after a hard pour that dissipated very quickly. No lacing. Smell was grainy and skunky... not much good here. Smells like Euro light beer. Taste is just like the smell... corny and grainy, but oddly the shunkiness is not here... Tastes like average Euro Light. Mouthfeel is crisp, but nor as carbonated as I was expecting. Pretty average. Overall it is not the worst Euro Light I've ever had.... but not worth running after... Decent

Serving type: can

11-05-2011 12:41:31 | More by WoodBrew

perrymarcus

Massachusetts

2.13/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

pours a super clear pale yellow / light gold tone while yielding a short lived fizzy white head, maybe a finger of which.

nose offers some grainy and floral hoppy notes. not impressive by any stretch of the imagination but i've certainly smelled a lot worse. not exactly a ringing endorsement, nor is it mean to be.

flavor is worse. tastes just like a watered down heineken... i supposed that shouldn't come as a great surprise. muted grainy notes with a speck of hops in the background, but just highly 'meh'. light bodied mouthfeel with average carbonation.

over, as light beer beer goes this is okay, which is not saying much at all. it doesn't trigger the gag reflex or anything but i can't think of a good enough reason for ever drinking it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 02:09:34 | More by perrymarcus