Taj Mahal Premium Lager - United Breweries - UB Group

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.18/5  rDev +63.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Taj Mahal has a thick, white head and a clear, bubbly, straw appearance, with some lacing left behind. The aroma is of sweet, bready, barley malt, and the taste is the same, with a predominate paperyness and some subdued hop bitterness to round it out. Mouthfeel is light and watery, and Taj Mahal finishes crisp, clean, and refreshing. Yes, this is really nice, and I score it as such.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 16:11:10 | More by RonaldTheriot

mfnmbvp

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev +30.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

650 ml (1 pint 6 fl oz.) bottle with the back of the bottle reading manufactured 07/2011, batch no. 988. A fairly old, dusty brew, sitting in the cooler alongside the Yuksom Brewing India Special Quality Beer I drank a few weeks ago. Another imported American adjunct lager from India, and if it's anything like the last one I had I can at least expect better things than Bud Light or Miller Lite. I should note that my bottle has a yellow label rather than the white label pictured on BeerAdvocate.

Poured into a Firestone Walker pint glass.

A - Aggressive pour yields about two fingers of thin bubbly white head, dissipating pretty quickly, on top of a clear gold lager colored body.

S - Malts. Green apples. Carbonated champagne like tartness. Grainy, but definitely a more authentic grain type smell as opposed to the adjunctive garbage that goes into beers like Bud Light and Coors Light.

T - Thin, light, carbonated, but definitely a lot better than the trill mass-marketed American adjunct lagers actually brewed in America. Sweet, grainy, appley. Light carbonation, but it is welcomed in a beer of this sort. Simple and to the point, and damn tasty for what it is.

M - Sweet, tart, crisp, clean finish. Remotely resinous hop / sugary feel, but still very light and smooth.

Overall, light bodied, highly drinkable stuff, with a moderate 4.50% abv. An imported style on the wretched American adjunct lager that I am slowly becoming more fond of. Even at well over a year old, this beer retained itself nicely, and came out better than any swill ass American malt beverages that I've tried so far. If you ever have the opportunity to try this beer or a similar India imported AAL, I highly recommend it.

Taj Mahal Premium Lager Beer ---3.5/5

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 04:29:47 | More by mfnmbvp

Aaron_Ramson

California

2.85/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

My only guess is that this is India's attempt at a cheap adjunct lager. It is extremely pedestrian with a color similar to bud light, close to no aroma-a light smell of corn and rice possibly-, a taste that is very bland and light; it doesn't even have the sour tang of an American adjunct lager. It is highly inoffensive and I don't mean that in a good way. I'm sure Pellegrino has more flavor than this. Avoid this beer if you perchance see it at an Indian restaurant, and just order an Anheuser Busch product as it will definitely have more flavor.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 02:58:32 | More by Aaron_Ramson

SeamusDoyle

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured clear pale color with a medium frothy white head that was mostly lasting with good lacing. Moderate sweet grass aroma. Medium body with a smooth texture and soft carbonation. Medium crisp sweet flavor with a medium sweet finish of short to moderate duration. Overall nothing amazing, but it did go well with my vindaloo.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 00:44:29 | More by SeamusDoyle

beergoot

Colorado

2.4/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Straw yellow body topped with, initially, a tall, big-bubble white head that quickly disappeared. Aroma comes across with a moderate sweet, corn-like scent with a hint of mint. Mild, corn-like flavor with a slightly metallic bitterness at the finish. Light body, crisp, dry.

Quite an underwhelming beer. No worthwhile, memorable characteristics other than it's wet and has a bit of mild alcohol content.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 22:10:45 | More by beergoot

Bryan17

Connecticut

1.95/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Bottle said Mnfd. 5/11, reviewed 10/12.
A: Very pale yellow, lots of carbonation, small head that dissapated completely after 10 seconds.
S: Reminds me of a cheap light beer.
T: Not too much flavor of its own. Essentially tasted like seltzer mixed with vodka. Could easily taste the alcohol.
M: Very thin, waterlike, and bubbly.
O: Never again. This goes down in the books as one of the worst beers I've ever had. It had absolutely no character.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 00:12:41 | More by Bryan17

tdm168

North Carolina

3.08/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - light copper with little head

S - grainy, warm

T - grainy, grass, sweet

M - medium bodied, smooth, crisp

This is a nice, light, sessionable beer. The adjuncts are there but they're unoffensive. There are also some noticeable hops which balance out the corn-like sweetness. This is better than more adjunct lagers, but in the end it's probably not a beer I'll buy again.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 09:16:49 | More by tdm168

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.28/5  rDev +28.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

i dont think this is as bad as the masses say, and i definitely think its better than a lot of other large scale indian brews. it pours a mostly clear piss yellow color with a surprisingly vigorous white head almost two inches tall. the nose is weak light bready malts and nothing more than bittering hops, quite boring to smell really, but not at all offensive. the flavor i think is pretty decent. it has an odd carbonated water sort of taste, minerally, but refreshing. it also has more hops than the nose suggests, finishing actually a little bit bitter, and very dry as well. the feel is decent too, its light but not too light in terms of body. its sharp enough to cut through spicy indian cuisine, but delicate enough to not ruin the palate. i think in that context its a pretty good beer. in a craft brewed pale lager contest it isnt a contender, but i really enjoyed this with my meal last night, and will definitely order this before i get a kingfisher or a royal challenge!

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 22:07:36 | More by StonedTrippin

Dave1999

Virginia

2.45/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured a translucent yellow wirh no head at all.

Had almost no smell maybe some sweetness.

The taste was sweet grains, corn and butter.

The mouthfeel was very thin and highly carbonated.

Overall did the job at the indian resteraunt but just tasted like another bmc style lager.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 00:04:22 | More by Dave1999

mscudder

Georgia

1.88/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

So I'm in the beer store and I spot this brew stating: "brewed in India." I could help but think damn... haven't ever had a brew from there, so against my better judgement I purchased it without checking it out here on BA. On to the review...
MFD: 10/11

A - A crystal, nearly transparent, yellow with a white head. No lacing.

S - A bit of apple and some yeast that leads to a bit of skunky smell. Not doing anything for me.

T - Think strong apple juice fused with a light lager. Indian beer is far from what I expected and this is just not something I would elect to drink. Finishes abruptly with a but if dryness. No bueno.

M - Sweet malty but empty and incredibly light. Bleh!

O - I may have paid around 4 bucks for this brew but I prefer to avoid the calories rather than endure another glass of this. Just a complete failure of a brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 03:42:43 | More by mscudder

LXIXME

New Mexico

2.6/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Medium or slightly less white head quickly dies to practically no lacing at all above a clear straw golden colored beer.

Sour lemons, sour grains, some skunkyness, and a light yeasty aroma.

A light washed out grain malt taste with a light sourness coming through.

A dry aftertaste that harbors some of the light sour citrus and yet less of the grains.

I'm pretty impressed that they sent this beer half way around the world to just disappoint people. Real pretty weird, IPA's (India ..) are such a big part of the brewers spectrum yet they made this crap in India just to disappoint.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 21:57:47 | More by LXIXME

Beermazter310

Nevada

3.5/5  rDev +36.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a pale yellow color.with thin white foam head and nice mini suds on the top after the foam dissappears...Smells a little flowery and thats about it. Tastes good, not much flavor, a good malt/hop balance...flowery on the front, the slightest hop bitterness at the end mouthfeel is good, smooth and watery with lively carbonation. overall a good quality well made beer, but it is a very light beer, very drinkable and sessionable, good for a hot day. No off tastes, good for the style. I dont think this is deserving of the low scoring average on beer advocate.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 03:34:37 | More by Beermazter310

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

2.9/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Same as the other lagers I tried there maybe a slight less head than I wanted that quickly fades to nothing.

S - Wow this one has a distinct lager skunk to it, aside from that mild cereal grains and malt sweetness.

T - Well it wasn't as skunked in the flavor department but it did go down easy enough. Less corn and skunk is always good.

M - Light as expected and crisp.

Overall again it was worth trying with India food but really nothing to revisit again.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 19:19:40 | More by DrDemento456

beertunes

Washington

2.48/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured into Stella Artois stemmed goblet. Poured a clean, clear bright yellow color with about a half-inch of white head that had low retention and the very lightest possible lacing.

The aroma was a fairly typical sweet grain scent, but a noticeable skunk was a big distraction. The skunk wasn't as noticeable in the flavors, but still had a presence. Otherwise this was a typical AAL, some grains, a fair bit of sweetness and just a faint trace of hops.

The body was thin, as is typical for the style. Drinkability suffered from the skunkiness. Overall, a bit below average example of the style. Try it if you want to tick it, otherwise, don't bother.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 19:46:09 | More by beertunes

metter98

New York

2.38/5  rDev -7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A: The beer is slightly hazy pale yellow in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a very thin white head that quickly died down, leaving some swirls of bubbles on the surface and a thin ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light aromas of apple juice in the nose along with some hints of corn.
T: Similar to the smell, the taste has light flavors of apple juice with notes of corn.
M: It feels light-bodied and a bit thin and watery on the palate with a light amount of carbonation.
O: The flavors aren’t that bad compared to other adjunct lagers but then again this beer doesn’t have much of a taste.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 23:50:30 | More by metter98

dbrauneis

New Jersey

2.53/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Pours a lightly hazy pale straw yellow in color with moderate amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a thin (half finger) fizzy white head that reduces to patches and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate lacing is observed.

S: Aromas of apple juice and corn which is a very strange mixture, though not an offensive one.

T: The taste follows the aroma but is a not lighter - the apple juice flavor really comes through which is not something I have experienced in other American adjunct lagers and not sure I really like.

M: Light bodied with high amounts of carbonation. Slightly thin/watery.

O: If this is the premium version, I would hate to try the normal version as this is not a great beer. For some reason I recall this as a much better beer when I had it in India but that might have been due to the fact I had not had any good beers in a week or two. Not the easiest beer to drink with the apple flavor. Not sure I will try this again, even when I'm back in India.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 23:47:22 | More by dbrauneis

bump8628

Oklahoma

2.48/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

My first beer from India! The best I can say is that it washed down Tikka Masala and jasmine rice like a champ. A little sweeter and maltier than the Big 3 with a pleasant background graininess, but finding descriptors beyond that is difficult. Similar to some of the more mainstream Asian lagers (Sapporo, Tsing Tao, etc.). When I go to an Indian restaurant I don't expect much of a beer selection so this was actually nice to find, after all it's always fun to try new beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 20:00:42 | More by bump8628

evlu1441

Alberta (Canada)

3.05/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Indian beers have been very hit or miss in my experience. I like to keep trying new ones whenever I get the chance in the hopes of discovering some kind of hidden gem or something.

This beer pours a pale straw-golden colour with lots of carbonation rushing up to replenish the thin but not insubstantial head.

The aroma is sweet, grainy and slightly fragrant, with a hint of grassy hops right at the start, though I'm noticing it less and less. Pretty standard.

The taste is smooth and slightly grainy, with a nice toasty/marshmallow kind of note. There isn't a lot of depth, and the carbonation is a bit intense, but it's not too bad.

Overall, this is a better-than-average offering.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 21:53:42 | More by evlu1441

rangerred

Tennessee

1.8/5  rDev -29.7%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

650ml bottle poured into a mug.

Appearance is clear dark straw. Tons of carbonation bubbles and a constant half finger white head.

Smell is awful. Sweet smell of sugar cookies which is odd. Also an unappealing wet dog aroma. Really nothing good at all.

Taste is a little better but not much. The sweet cookie taste is there along with just a hint of grain. A quick flash of grassy hop flavor but almost no bitterness.

Really just an awful beer. Too sweet and too many weird flavors. Will not get again.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 23:58:03 | More by rangerred

DIM

Pennsylvania

1.23/5  rDev -52%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

manufactured in Oct. of 2011

a: Unbelievably pale, it looks watered down. It poured with a thin fizzy head.

s: Sweet corny badness. Nothing in the way of anything I associate with beer.

t: Tastes like weak, vile malt liquor. Very sweet and corny.

m: Thin and watery.

o: Just horrible.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 21:08:18 | More by DIM

tjsdomer2

Illinois

3.23/5  rDev +26.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Nice bubbly carbonation. Pale yellow. Champagne-like overall.

Smell: Not horrible. There's a medicinal Tide-lemon-bleach smell to this, which sounds horrible, but it's very faint.

Taste/Mouthfeel: There's a nice bite in the finish that makes this pretty good. A good balance of sour and bitter. Mouthfeel doesn't do it for me. Fairly watery, so it doesn't stand up to the bitterness. Not a clean finish.

Drinkability: All in all, very average.

Overall: Not bad for my first Indian lager.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 01:22:50 | More by tjsdomer2

Durge

Connecticut

3/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A pale yellow gold color with a skimpy white hint of white coverage and just a spec of lacing. Aroma is non-descript, vague cereal at best. The flavor is kind of a lemon almond deal with watery wheat and a sluggish peppery finish. It’s light bodied with meager carbonation for a dull feel. Drinkable enough but not well balanced or particularly tasty. Very forgettable and a tad odd. I can’t recommend it but you can handle it if it’s all that’s on the beer list!

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 06:31:10 | More by Durge

KomodoDragon

Virginia

3.15/5  rDev +23%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle in a local fav indian restaurant.

A - As bubbles subsided, a crystal clear golden lager emerged.

S - Biscuit malt, some lemon.

T - Classic lager malt flavors with very little on the finish. Quite light, easy to drink

M - Dry and fizzy

Great with some spicy Indian food, not much to speak of on its own.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 01:28:29 | More by KomodoDragon

nickfl

Florida

3.03/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Pours with one finger of white foam on a clear, yellow body. The head dissipates quickly and leaves no lace.

S - A sweet, grainy aroma with a hint of herbal hops.

T - Sweet, grainy bread up front. Some light malt in the middle and a grainy finish with light hops.

M - Medium-light body, moderately high carbonation, and a lightly sweet finish.

D - Not much to say about this one. Its a standard indian lager, light but refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 00:22:03 | More by nickfl

BostonBiosafety

New Hampshire

3.13/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The beer I tried has a different label than the one showed on the site and in the pictures. Maybe they changed the label and the recipe because I do not think it warrants such a harsh rating. While the beer did not blow me away, I would hardly rate the beer in the lowest category. The initial smell from the bottle was a bit skunky, but it dissipated once poured in a glass. Nothing about this beer was impressive enough to mention nor was it bad enough to slam. It seems like a better version of a general purpose beer but from India. It is definitely a step above Bud and alike. I would not make a habit out of drinking this beer, but for the price of $3.49 in MA., it's not bad.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2011 22:35:19 | More by BostonBiosafety