Tusker Premium Lager - East African Breweries Ltd (Kenya Breweries)

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500 mL bottle from the LCBO; best before January 22 2013. I've sort of wanted to try this for a while simply because I've never had African beer, but by the time I came to it on the shelf I always already had a bunch of other Euro lagers I wanted to try in my basket - and the 3+ dollar price tag was also a slight turnoff. But I am a ticker with an itch, so I was bound to get this eventually.

Pours a familiar pale golden-yellow colour, completely clear and highly effervescent. Good, attractive head, especially for the style - big, puffy and pillowy, and it leaves behind lots of webby lacing on the glass as it gradually dies down over the next minute or two to a thin, even cap that remains for much of the drink. Looks really tasty - but the aroma isn't nearly as enticing, differing little from most of the other examples of this style. It is subdued, grainy, a little sweet, and wholly uninteresting. Decent for the style.

Relatively approachable taste. Lots of bready malts, some grainy sweetness with a bit of an adjunct twang. Given the style, I can't really fault it for that - it's not offputting but it's definitely a bit corny. There is a light brush of grassy hop dryness toward the end of the sip, but the aftertaste is mostly adjunct and malt sweetness. Acceptable balance, enough to maintain the inherent refreshing/crisp quality of the style, and certainly not cloying or unappealing. Light-bodied and watery, with relatively mild carbonation for a pale lager. I might have served this a bit too warm, but it's still enjoyable.

The taste is where this beer shines - a rarity in adjunct lagerdom, and very surprising given the light 4.2% abv. It is not exactly exceptional, but in my opinion is decidedly above average. Two or three of these would make a decent quick session, but I can think of cheaper (domestic) and better (Euro) options in the overarching category of 'pale lagers'. Which unfortunately means I probably won't make it a regular purchase.

Final Grade: 3.35, a surprisingly solid B-. I actually rather like Tusker Lager, and I may just get it again some time. It is a fine example of how even this comparatively bland style of beer can be enjoyable, and even charming in its simplicity when done correctly. No, it's nothing to write home about - but it is still a quality quaff, at least to me. Perfect for the patio.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 08:03:47 | More by thehyperduck

TheBeeraholic

Ontario (Canada)

3/5  rDev -0.3%

06-15-2013 18:01:11 | More by TheBeeraholic

williahd

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev +8%

06-07-2013 14:20:05 | More by williahd

soju6

Missouri

2.34/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 2.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

A: Pours a pale yellow color with a small head with bits of lacing.

S: Aroma is quite mild with just a bit of corn sweetness and not much else.

T: Taste is quite bland with a bit of malt sweetness. Mild bitterness and a clean finish.

F: Light body, just a bit of crispness and no flavor at all.

O: A non-offensive beer that is bland and has no character.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 00:47:27 | More by soju6

SonOfKyuss

Virginia

3/5  rDev -0.3%

06-02-2013 13:16:24 | More by SonOfKyuss

JackRB

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +24.6%

06-01-2013 21:44:07 | More by JackRB

beernads

Florida

2.25/5  rDev -25.2%

05-31-2013 05:38:00 | More by beernads

Olek4374

Alberta (Canada)

2.78/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

I had a sample of this beer at the Edmonton international beerfest having never had an African beer before. Basically, this beer is meant to hydrate - it`s got pretty weak flavour, but what it does have is resembles a good beer - not some garbage adjunct lager. It goes down extremely easy, which I suppose makes it easy to become intoxicated off of, but this beer is pretty expensive for one bottle, so that probably isn`t the most practical use.

The colour is very pale yellow like a light lager would be, but it tastes better than one. It`s not super flavourful, but not unflavourful too - it`s really weird.

I likely wont buy a bottle of this again, but it was basically what I expected would come out of a hot place like Kenya - a refreshing and not intensely flavoured lager, but pleasantly not full of adjuncts. Nice work at making a good adjunct lager - where the adjuncts are not the first thing you notice.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2013 03:28:02 | More by Olek4374

magpieken

Australia

2.75/5  rDev -8.6%

05-25-2013 15:45:41 | More by magpieken

MAUEX_MFA

Rhode Island

2.75/5  rDev -8.6%

05-24-2013 21:46:56 | More by MAUEX_MFA

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +16.3%

05-24-2013 00:17:49 | More by Slatetank

johntfox

Florida

3.25/5  rDev +8%

05-21-2013 01:31:41 | More by johntfox

Cramshawbar

Ontario (Canada)

2.75/5  rDev -8.6%

05-19-2013 01:31:35 | More by Cramshawbar

bmwats

Louisiana

2.95/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pilsner.

A: Transparent, hay colored hue. Pours a 1 finger, bubbly, white head. Rising effervescence. Thick beer ring lacing.

S: Pungent malt. A little peanut, and rubber.

T: Pale malt with a slight synthetic sweetness, and soapiness.

M: Crisp and fairly light. Sticky and washed out.

D: Session lager.

Atmosphere is decent. Light hue, nice head, and thick lacing. Nose is pungent and nutty. Pale and washed out malt with a synthetic sweet/soapy palate. Overall, this is a pretty average quaff.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 02:42:17 | More by bmwats

KStark

British Columbia (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev +8%

05-16-2013 13:54:05 | More by KStark

RedneckBeerz

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev +16.3%

05-16-2013 13:30:24 | More by RedneckBeerz

Sunnanek

Sweden

2.5/5  rDev -16.9%

05-14-2013 16:17:25 | More by Sunnanek

hardy008

Minnesota

1.96/5  rDev -34.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2

Clear light gold with a one finger white head with decent retention and lacing. The aroma has cooked corn and is somewhat sour and unpleasant.

The taste has a combination of sweetness from the malt and a bit of the sourness I picked up in the aroma. Doesn't seem to come together very well.

Light bodied with average carbonation. Nothing special here, just a typical Adjunct Lager. I am glad I had a chance to try this. Too bad the beer wasn't better.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 04:29:51 | More by hardy008

cadaugherty

Illinois

3/5  rDev -0.3%

05-09-2013 00:26:33 | More by cadaugherty

dsauter

Florida

3/5  rDev -0.3%

04-28-2013 21:53:02 | More by dsauter

Pecafaced

Maryland

1.25/5  rDev -58.5%

04-28-2013 10:35:27 | More by Pecafaced

Tone

Missouri

2.78/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

Pours a clear, straw color. 1/3 inch head of a white color. Great retention and good lacing. Smells of pale malt, rice, hint of hops, and a hint of sorghum. Fits the style of an American Adjunct Lager. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. There is also a slight dryness. Tastes of rice, pale malt, hint of hops, and a hint of sorghum. Overall, decent appearance, but otherwise average at best in all other categories.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 13:40:35 | More by Tone

Lobstertainment

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +49.5%

04-21-2013 05:25:09 | More by Lobstertainment

RochefortChris

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev +16.3%

04-20-2013 01:01:20 | More by RochefortChris

beeroclock

United Arab Emirates

3.24/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

a - poured a clear gold with a some carbonation apparent and thick head with some lacing

s - some malt and cereal grains

t - picking up some malt with slight sweetness, more of the cereal and some hop notes

m - slightly oily with a nice aftertaste

o - refreshing enough, middle of the road, but very acceptable and happy to see Kenya producing a decent brew. I can drink it again...

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 13:10:32 | More by beeroclock