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Category Archives: Country: Sri Lanka

Review of Lion Imperial Pilsner

Happy Thanksgiving!!!! I hope everyone’s day is going well.

I don’t really have any kind of special beer to do for my Thanksgiving Day post, but I do want to reiterate how thankful I am to get to try so many different and wonderful craft beers.

For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be sipping on a Lion Imperial Pilsner produced by Ceylon/Lion Brewery Limited located in Biyagama, Sri Lanka.

I have had the opportunity to try the Lion Imperial Stout and I thought it was a pretty darn good beer (plus it came in a can), so I’m hoping that this beer will rank right up there with it.

The lionbeer.com website is under construction, so let’s turn to ratebeer.com to find the commercial description of this beer.

Lion Imperial Lager from Sri Lanka is specially brewed to achieve its high alcohol content. The finest natural ingredients deliver a rich, smooth taste and refreshment. Enjoy its bite.

Ok. Let’s give it a try.

This brew came in an 11.2 oz. bottle and had an ABV of 8.8%.

The beer poured a semi-clear, honey/gold color with a somewhat soapy textured, white head. The size was ok, but the retention time could have been a little better I thought. The lacing seemed mostly average to me also. When held toward the light I could easily see some pleasant bright yellow highlights at the bottom of the glass.

The aroma started with a whiff of alcohol. Something akin to a clear liquor. Deeper into the aroma I picked up on a nice little Spring flower type of note along with a sweet honey aroma. Distinguishable grains and breads helped push the bouquet along even more. The smell seemed balanced well enough, especially once it warmed a bit and the alcohol began to subside.

The taste brought out a sweet honeysuckle savor along with a suitable malt crispness. Some white bread flavors mixed with breads and cereals and a significant alcohol distinction. I didn’t think the hops were very forthcoming, however a slight spiciness distracted me from the lack of hops for the most part. Not too bad here even though the alcohol was a little stronger than I typically like with my Pilsners.

The mouthfeel was medium to medium/thin. Dry and crisp with a smooth alcohol warmth and burn. One thing that I noticed that I didn’t like was that it left an uncommon zing on the swallow that reminded me of getting a Novocaine shot. It felt very prickly and weird. That was somewhat off putting I thought. Other than that, it left quite a bit of flavor behind on the palate between sips.

Well. This beer was ok. It was a little stronger on the alcohol front than what I usually find with most Pilsners. Now that’s not saying that it’s undrinkable or anything, but I would probably only want one of these during a sitting. The mouthfeel was a bit odd in my opinion, but the aroma and taste seemed alright. I’ll say that I believe I liked the Imperial Stout quite a bit more than I like this Imperial Pilsner. I think it would be worth a try for sure, but I, personally, may wait awhile before I pick it up again. Again, it’s not horrible or bad….. just a little different.

Thanks for reading and commenting guys. I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving Day Weekend. Enjoy a tasty craft beer with that turkey and dressing!!! Until next time.

Cheers.

Score: 3.2 out of 5
Grade: C+

Review of Lion Stout

08 Aug

Hey guys!!! I hope everyone is doing well. I need to apologize to you all for not posting any beer reviews over the last few days. I had the misfortune of witnessing my computer completely blow up on Friday afternoon as I was about to post a review.

I’m hoping to get it back by the end of the week, so for the time being, I’m going to be using a “borrowed” computer to add a few posts.

Please bare with me over the next little bit as I get this problem sorted out.

Thanks for your patience.

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Now, back to the beer review.

Today, I’m going to share with you my experience in sampling the Lion Stout from the Ceylon/Lion Brewery Limited located in Biyagama, Sri Lanka.

I have only tried one other beer from this brewery (the pilsner), so I’m not sure if I’ve made up my mind on what I think of them as a whole yet.

The website, lionbeer.com, is “under construction” at this time, but I was able to find a commercial description from ratebeer.com.

The 8.0 per cent abv, bottle conditioned beer is brewed from British, Czech and Danish malts with Styrian hops and an English yeast strain. All the ingredients are transported along precarious roads to the brewery located 3,500 feet above sea level.

How ’bout a sip?

This Stout had an ABV of 8.0% and I poured it from an 11.2 oz. can.

The beer appeared black with a faint ruby outline across the edges. A well sized, medium tan colored head was nicely formed. It was creamy and soft, however the retention was only average. The lacing was good and the cap quickly settled to a fine film.

The aroma started with a significant roasted coffee bean fragrance mixed with fruity tones of prunes and dark cherries. A decent amount of dark chocolate swirled through along with a satisfactory earthy hint. The most minute hint of smoke was detected. Of which, completed a rather pleasant, suiting and well balanced aroma.

The taste nearly matched the aroma to a “t.” Well combined flavors of roasted coffee, dark fruit and dark, bittersweet chocolate. A bit of bitterness was found, but not too much really. The smoke’y’ flavor was even noticed as well. At 8.0% ABV, I found no discernible distraction or taste of alcohol. Again, well balanced and even.

The mouthfeel was a very solid medium. It was smooth, slick and dry. It left an adequate amount of flavor on the palate and it provided a decent amount of warmth for the throat.

Overall, I thought this was a pretty good “little” Stout. It had ample flavor, a very attractive look and a sufficient aroma. It’s not the best Stout that I’ve ever sampled, but it was sturdy, solid, easy to drink and most enjoyable. Worth a try for sure, if you are a Stout lover.

Once again, I apologize for not posting over the last few days. I hope you all understand my predicament. Hopefully, I can get back on track and start posting daily again. I may have a hiccup or two until I can get my computer back, but just so you know, I haven’t left or stopped reviewing.

Thanks again.

Cheers.

Score: 4.0 out of 5

Grade: B+