Metasip

A Wine, Beer, and Spirits Review Site

Lager

Kingfisher Lager

What, you expect me to order something other than Kingfisher Lager with Indian food?

Come to think of it, for a Wednesday night, it was pretty busy at the Indian restaurant. The food was really good – it’s a place we order from all the time, and, since we got the youngest hooked on Indian, and since her sibs were away at camp, it’s a good idea, no?

Kingfisher LagerBut this isn’t an Indian food review, this is a review of beer that you would have with Indian food.

Now, before the review, a word to the wise.

If you’re looking for a snobby beer review site that tells you that all domestic lagers are crap, go elsewhere. We don’t judge here: if you want to drink a domestic lager, drink a domestic lager. Oh, and especially if you’re having something that’s powerful and spicy. Like Indian food.

Let’s get to the review.

Kingfisher Lager Review

Oh, about that “domestic lager” thing? Look at the photo: “Brewed and Bottled by Kingfisher Brewing Co., Saratoga Springs, NY.” So, just like any of the other imports that are actually brewed here, it’s the same idea: original recipe, original process, managed by the original company. Just done here so it’s not an import.

Taste

See above about “lager to have with Indian food.” Or, a variation on a great quote: “A bad beer is a choice.” In other words, my expectations were as follows:

This will be a lager. It will not overpower. It will have a clean finish and very little aftertaste. It will complement my Indian food.

Check, check, check/check. Check.

(I had the Lamb Masala.)

Profile

Beer Advocate tells us it’s an American Pale Lager, with an ABV of 4.8%.

Value

I paid $5 for a bottle at the restaurant. Expect to pay $7.99 for a sixer at your local store.

Metasip Grade: B+

I’m gonna say this is kinda like the smart bored kid in high school algebra. Sure, he probably knows his stuff, but he’s also probably not a math whiz and didn’t really apply himself. But he’s smart and bored and shows up and scores okay on the test.

Enough about me, this is a good, solid, better-than-average lager. And it works well with Indian food.

Drink up!

Budweiser Black Crown Golden Amber Lager

Budweiser Black Crown Golden Amber LagerOh my goodness, a behemoth of a brewery gets into the microbrew business? What is this world coming to?

What if we told you…gasp…that this stuff is actually…gulp…quite good?

Okay, so it’s not earth-shattering: Budweiser Black Crown Golden Amber Lager is a bit of a mouthful – but, if it’s a mouthful, that implies that there’s something in your mouth, like taste.

“Toasted caramel malt” is where it gets its color. And, this beer actually won a contest: if you were part of the trial last year, where 12 regional A-B brewmasters came up with new recipes, then they were tried throughout the country and the best was chosen, then you MIGHT recognize this as the West Coast brew.

Taste

Without sounding crass, if you’re a beer snob you’re expecting something marked “Budweiser” to have a certain watery-pilsner effect. This isn’t that: you can taste the toasted caramel malt, and that’s a good thing. Heavy without being too heavy.

Profile

ABV 6.2%. Amber color, but not “Black” at all (again, it won a contest, thus earning the “Black Crown” name).

Value

You expect to pay about a buck a bottle – or more – for 12 ounces of a craft beer. This one we found in 12-packs in suburban Chicago for $11.97, so that’s right in line. And it’s pretty solid (for a microbrew coming from a macrobrewery).

Grade: B

Have you had the Budweiser Black Crown Golden Amber Lager?