A taste of… Carib Lager

Carib Brewery
Champs Fleurs,
Trinidad, West Indies

Preface: This is the last of what I call the “Caribbean Tasting”. Over the next few days I have tasted four of the beers brewed in the Caribbean. The cost of this beer was $1.84 (US) at a beer wholesaler in Brooklyn, NY USA.

Note: Carib is bottled in a clear glass bottle. There is no hint to any unique selling point on the label. There is a “date” on this bottle “BB JUNE/09 0817OL6 2055”

The following are my tasting notes:

Appearance: This is a golden slightly orange, well carbonated brew (very small bubbles) topped with a thin almost all white head that falls faster than a Caribbean sunset. There is no discernible Belgian Lace.

Aroma: On opening the bottle there was a very slight “skunky” aroma. The first impression is toasted malt, the second impression reveals only a hint of “bright green” hops. The lip-to-sip reveals a sweet-grassy sensation that continues into the mouth-feel.

Mouth feel: After a refreshing cool sensation, there is light, bright sensation helped by the slight spike of carbolic acid (carbonation) that is a prelude to the flavors…

Flavor: As with two previously sampled Caribbean lagers, from the lip-to-sip, through the initial mouth-feel and into the first flavor impression there is a crisp, clean and refreshing flavor of slightly toasted barley malt with only a hint of hops.

Finish: The final notes of this beer are neither lingering nor too-quickly dissipated. The final pallet sensation is refreshing and does excite the flavor receptors for the next sip.

Comments: First off, I was not surprised that there was a slightly “skunky” sensation delivered both in the aroma and flavor. I will note that this is well balanced with what little grain and hop flavors are incorporated. Served slightly more chilled than traditional lagers or ales it offers refreshment to the taste sensors and the pallet.

Served as a beverage of choice with freshly caught grilled firm fleshed fish, this would be more than acceptable. After an hour or so swimming in the aqua waters of the Caribbean this would be more than enough incentive to seek the shade of a beach bar for a quick dry-off before doing it all over again, and again.

The Brewery: http://www.caribbeer.com/

What others say:

BeerAdvocate: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/272/750/?ba=Todd

RateBeer: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/carib-lager/3059/