Tag Archives: Beer

Beers of Costa Rica: A Taste Test

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The time has come my friends, can you believe it.

This post marks the end of our cerveza based trilogy. It started back in February with the Beers of Panama, then the sequel last month with the Beers of Nicaragua.

Now the time has come for the final chapter, the Beers of Costa Rica. But this wasn’t just any taste test. Costa Rica has a thing for beer. In fact, we ended up with nine different beers on our roster. We knew we couldn’t do it alone, so we had to call in some reinforcements.

While staying at Kaya Sol, we met three fabulous ladies, Benny, Eryn and Magda, who just so happened to live in our hometown of Victoria. Such a small world. They graciously agreed to step in as guest samplers for this post. We are ever so grateful to them as heaven knows we would have ended up on the floor had we tried to get through these on our own! So without further ado: The Beers of Costa Rica

P1030171

P1030177Imperial- Alcohol Content 4.6%

Kate: Normal- I’ve drank so many of these it tastes like home
Benny: Generic, refreshing a go-to beer
Eryn: Light flavour-flav, great for a summers day, very nice for the ladies
Shaun: Good, reminds me of Lucky, drank a ton of these on this trip
Magda: Quality “America” beer, low booze, easy to slam, like a Mexican Corona.

 

 

P1030180Bohemia- Alcohol Content 4.3%

Kate: A little lighter, a little chemically, I would drink it if there was no Imperial
Benny: Watered down, light, bland, could drink all afternoon by the pool
Eryn: Like a watered down Imperial. Too light, not enough kick
Shaun: Tastes like crappy light beer. Not great, but I could pound a few
Magda: Crappy Imperial, no body Would be disappointing if you wanted a good beer, but OK if you were desperate.

 

P1030179Kaiser- Alcohol Content- Mysteriously Missing

Kate: Wow, water with a backsplash of…well actually nothing. It’s bubble water. Lack of alcohol content on can means it might in fact be club soda
Benny: Nasty, leaves a strange taste in my mouth, flat
Eryn: A “German Beer?” Not exciting at all, I’m burned with this beer. Gagable
Shaun: This beer is pretty bad. Reminds me of beer garden draft beer, smells funny too.
Magda: Beer of the King? These are getting worse. End of the night beer.

P1030173Bavaria- Alcohol Content: 5.0%

Kate: After the last one, this is great, but wouldn’t order it all the time. Needs to be cold.
Benny: Flavour punch, actually tastes like beer
Eryn: Punchier, I would drink a case of this. Still light, but good
Shaun: It’s not a bad, a little sweet but much better beer. I would drink it again.
Magda: Better, satisfying. I’m more committed to Imperial.

 

 

P1030174Bavaria Light- Alcohol Content: 3.4%

Kate: Yup, yup, I could drink this. Kate beer alert. Funny smell, but could be cause my glass it getting skanky.
Benny: A lighter version of the one before. A poolside beverage
Eryn: Not much to this one. Similar to Budweiser
Shaun: Pretty light, not much to it. Don’t waste your money on this beer.
Magda: eww, who drinks light beer. *note: an arrow has been written on page pointing at Kate*

 

P1030176Pilsen- Alcohol Content: 5.1%

Kate: Delicious. Hoppy but really drinkable. Would be best ice cold. At the moment I like it better then Imperial, but I go back and forth
Benny: Light and Crisp
Eryn: A medium beer, I like this one
Shaun: Good beer. Not the greatest, but good.
Magda: Bitter. 2nd choice after Imperial. Made us all start talking about Lucky Lager.

 

 

P1030175Bavaria Dark- Alcohol Content 5.0%

Kate: Dark, heavy, malt but actually much better then expected. Normally don’t like thick beers but this one is good. Might just be Imperial with food colouring.
Benny: Dark, caramel colour. Not a lot of flavour for a “dark” beer
Eryn: Nice colour, but I’m pretty sure there is a vampire behind us.
Shaun: Pretty Good, more of a pint beer not a hot day beer *note: this looked like “hot dog” beer, and no, no vampires attacked us”*
Magda: Amber colour, my fave. Like a Racerocks beer

P1030178

Imperial Silver- Alcohol Content: 4.6%

Kate: After so many beers, this just tastes like my glass is dirty. I know I like it though
Benny: Less intense than regular Imperial, light
Eryn: Less good then Imperial
Shaun:Good reminds me of a Corona. One of my favourite beers
Magda: What’s the point? They are all the same. The regular is better.

 

 

P1030172Imperial Light

Well, unfortunately after 8 light beers and a huge bowl of pico de gallo our palates just couldn’t handle anymore. Everything was starting to taste like dirty yeast water. So we called it and left one lone beer out of the taste test.

I can attest that Imperial Lights are my go-to beer here in Costa Rica, but I’m into the whole “light beer” thang. If you aren’t into light beer, you might share Magda’s sentiment of “What’s the point?!”

 

So there you have it, the very long conclusion of our Cervaza taste test. Costa Rica, the land of light beers. Where if you drink them all in a row, you begin to be suspect that they are all just the same thing  but in different cans.

What’s your favourite Costa Rican beer?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter:@caketress

Beers of Nicaragua: A Taste Test

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After the success of our Panamanian Beer taste test, it seemed only fitting that we imbibe in another round in Nicaragua. I would like to thank Colleen for stepping up to the plate and being our third judge in this little adventure.

So without further ado…The beers of Nicaragua

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P1020952Victoria Frost: Alcohol Content 4.9%

Kate: Watery but still hoppy with a little after skunk. Tastes a big lighter then the other Nicaraguan beers. I could drink a few but would still prefer something lighter and with a lower alcohol content

Colleen: Super light and dangerous

Shaun: Pretty good, but bit of a chemical beer taste. Something may be a bit off with this one.

 

P1020953Victoria Classic: Alcohol Content 4.9%

Kate: Way thicker and hoppier. Hits you between the eyes like its saying “drink lots of me and I’ll make your morning a doozy.” It has a bit of a skunky aftertaste. Tastes like something I would drink out of a red plastic cup at a party.

Colleen: More like a Molson Canadian. Heavier then the frost. Don’t care for the chemically after taste

Shaun: Good name (Victoria), Pretty Good. Could slam back a few, less after taste then the frost but would need to be very cold. It’s pretty bad when warm

P1020955Tona: Alcohol Content 4.6%

Kate: Stronger smell. Thick, like molasses beer. A hint of lime at first. I’m not opposed to this beer but would only drink one on a really hot day and only if it was ice cold. Nice to not have that skunky finish though.

Colleen: Heavier than the other two. Harder to chug!

Shaun: Seems like a heavier beer in comparison but refreshing. Good but not as poundable. More of a winter beer then hot climate beer.

P1020956Cerveza Premium: Alcohol Content 4.5%

Kate: Stinky! Tastes like water compared to everything. I keep sipping it up thinking there might be more to it, but its just bubbly yeast water. Let’s be honest, this is a Kate beer. Fluffy, light, nothingness. Perfect for my delicate dainty palate

Colleen: Not sure if this is even from Nicaragua, what does “Made in Central America” even mean. Not a huge fan. Overall would prefer anything else

Shaun: Judging by the name it must be good. Not very good. Reminds me of a Pacific Pilsner…Terrible

So there you have it! We knew going into this that Nicaragua is certainly not known for its beer. That fact was defininetly reinforced with our taste test. It should be advised, that beer taste tests often result in situations like this.

P1020961

Yes, that is a delicious street side burrito. I regret nothing!

The Costa Rican beer taste test will be finale. We are waiting for the perfect moment though, because we 9 different varieties to try, we may never recover!

Are you in Costa Rica and want to partake in the finale beer taste test? Message us on Facebook!

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter:@caketress

Beers of Panama: Taste Test

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Sometimes having a blog requires us to make some major sacrifices.

Like today for instance, Shaun and I were forced to sample several Panamanian beers in order to write the blog post.

It’s a tough life…

One of the first things we noticed when we got to Panama was how CHEAP the beer was. In the grocery stores beers were around 65 to 85 cents. At Happy Hour you could get them in restaurants for $1, and any other time they were $1.50. We thought we were living the good life with our $3 dollar beers in Costa Rica. Needless to say, our beer consumption increased dramatically in the 5 days that we were in Panama. The thought of going home to $5 dollar beers is very sad!!

Since we knew we would be imbibing in a few Cerveza’s, we figure we needed to take the time to sample what Panama had to offer. So, we popped into the grocery store, and grabbed the 5 main Panamanian beers.

Hello Homemade Happy Hour

Hello Homemade Happy Hour

So here we go, Shaun and I’s not so expert opinion on the beers of Panama. Keep in mind, this is exactly what we wrote down as we went, so the comments may get more creative as we progress!

P1020182Atlas: Alcohol percentage 3.8%

Kate: Light, slightly yeasty, watery, very drinkable,and soft. It’s a light beer, like a Coors Light. I would definitely drink this, and love that it has their Social Media links printed right on the can!

Shaun: Light Lager, reminds me of a Bud Light, not too bad, could easily drink a few

P1020183Balboa: Alcohol Percentage 4.8%

Kate: More bubbly then Atlas, caramel hints, heavier then Atlas, and tastes like it has a higher alcohol content. Probably couldn’t have more then one or two before I felt full. I wouldn’t order this in a restaurant.

Shaun: Medium strength beer, sharper then Atlas, yet quite easy still to drink, Reminds me of Okanagan Springs 1516 which I’m not a fan of. Not a beer I would typically choose, more of a “filler” beer.

P1020184Soberana: Alcohol content 3.8%

Kate: Super light in colour, compared to the others. *takes sip* DISLIKE, coppery, sharp metallic taste, very hoppy at the end. Smells like the last dregs of a warm cup of beer. My first, and last Soberana

Shaun: Light beer with a bit of a fruity taste. Reminds of a somewhat flat Grasshopper from a beer garden back home. Not a beer I would buy but if offered I would not turn down. Hopefully it was just a dud can.

(it should be noted that Shaun and I dumped this can out)

P1020185Panama Light: Alcohol Content 4.2%

Kate: Way more my speed. Not yeasty, refreshing, light, slightly citrusy. Really surprised by how high the alcohol content is for a light beer, and for only being 109 calories. Good to know as they could be deadly. More bubbly then Atlas, but less then Balboa. Social Media on the can as well.

Shaun: Light lager, easy to drink, stronger then Bud or Coors Light, but not quite a Lucky Lager. Good beer for a hot day in the sun.

(it should be noted that Kate made Shaun stop drinking this one, so she could finish it herself)

P1020186Panama: Alcohol content 4.8%

Kate: Seems drinkable at first sip but has a heavy finish, too much malt. I find it amazing how different this tastes from the light version. Reminds me of a Rickards Red, which is a beer I am not a fan of.

Shaun: Strongest tasting of two beers, reminds me of Rickards Red. Good, but not great. A beer I would order for myself

(it should be noted that Kate let Shaun finish this one by himself since she hogged the Panama Light)

So there you have it! We are by no means experts in the land of beer, but know how to have a good time doing a taste test!

I want to let everyone know that we will be toiling away on a beer taste test for both Costa Rican, and Nicaraguan beers as well.

The things we do for our readers đŸ˜‰

What’s your favourite foreign beer?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter: @caketress