Beer – Blind Tasting With The Boys

I once did a blind tasting while I was at AA and it was there I found out just how influential packaging, logo’s, bottles and the look of a product can be. Maybe because I was one of the people who volunteered, thinking I was a connoisseur, only to score the lowest in the pack…I mean, those of you who know me can vouch that I definitely qualify for the veteran crew when it comes to drinking alcohol. That was until a chick beat me at a beer tasting. I decided to have a little blind tasting of my own with some of my close mates, and, some of the beers that I had laying at home…

Let me introduce you to the beers and the contestants. Firstly I will have a look at some of the boys that participated and then some of the beer brands that were involved.

The Contenders:

1. Calvin Ferreira

This lad is known more for his 'going green' attributes but can definitely dop with the best 😉

2. Matt Mulhall

This lad might not be a true alchi, but he knows his beer better than most!

3. Kaelin Fortuin

This cat is from Hout Bay and grew up on Crackling and Kreef...Enough said!!!

4. Ali Schlosz

He may be passed out here, but this bra can go the distance when it comes to his Armstills!!!

The Beer Brands:

Bavaria Non-Alcoholic Malt Beer has pranked my friends on numerous occassions. I remember once at a house party one of them was drinking it for about 3 hours until he saw the packaging and actually noticed that he was being spoofed 😉 It really does taste the same as beer, and, is actually resonably good for you as it is completely free of alcohol unlike some other versions of this niche product.

Most alcohol-free beers are brewed as normal alcoholic beers, with the alcohol removed at the last stage. It’s impossible to remove all of the alcohol, so such beers tend to have up to 0.5% alcohol remaining. Bavaria is brewed with no alcohol at all and is a genuine 0% beer. It is available at any Ultra, Midmar, Tops, Pick n Pay, Gardens 24 Hour Engen, or alternatively email me on dylan@campsbay.net for any further information 😉

Amstel is a favourite all over earth and caused a real up roar amongst it’s most loyal consumers when it was going to be taken off the shelves only a few years ago. I for one am glad it is back as everyone drinks it and is always a perfect choice for pre drinks or a braai. It is a reasonably strong beer and has hit me out of the park once or twice. It definitely warrants the call up and I am sure most of you will agree it is a quality buy 😉

This beer has never really grabbed it’s audience in South Africa as well as it has with it’s urpoean audience. Overseas it is a beer associated with good times, football and an outgoing lifestyle, whilst also having a premium side to it. Some of my mates only drink beer in green bottles because of the premium effect. For those you that don’t know about the rule, brown beer bottles are for scurrelers like me and have a low class attachment, whilst green beer bottles represent more premium brands like Heineken, Windhoek, Amstel, Poroni, Bavaria Premium and of coarse Carlsberg.

Keep your eye out for this product as I might be doing some work with them in the near future. It realy is a great brand and has a lot more to offer than we currently see. Thereis rumour it may replace Heineken as the Champions League sponsor in years to come. Seems like they are serious to me, might be a good train to get on board 😉

Bavaria Light is another beer I included as I drink it religiously myself. It is 2.8% alc (Ithink) tastes great and is perfect for sfternoon braais, watching the football and ensure you arent to slayed when you hit jol later that night 😉 I have a fridge dedicated to these guys at home and if you are a fan of these guys gimme a shout for a trial run or find them at your nearest Ultra, Midmar or tops.

Castle is one of the most traditional beers in South Africa and has a tight connection to the boytjies and watching sport at your place on a Saturday, or at the braai on a Sunday. It is a beer that is behind the nation and has a strong affiliation to sport, and, sport sponsorship. Most notable The Proteas! Castle is available pretty much everywhere and many people drink it warm in Bloem, so I kept this guy warm to spice up the taste buds a bit. It also has a more bitter taste than the rest, which the coldness sometimes hides 😉

The Results:

Calv

Score 0

Matt

Score 3

Kaelin

Score 3

Ali

Score 3

Conclusion & Insights:

I numbered the glasses and poured all the beers into separate glasses. I showed them all the beers and the bottles to ensure they got to see the packaging. You have to know which brands are there to know which things to look out for. This was a real challenge because they have not tasted some of the beers. I also tried to change it up by using non-alc/light & normal categories. The guys did extremely well, except for Calv who must have some cooks taste buds 😉

All 3 of the guys got the non-alcoholic right, which proves they can taste the more pure and natural beer. They got extremely confused by the Carlsberg, the Bavaria and the Amstel though! That proves that the Bavaria Light is a great Premium Beer and that it can rival the best when it comes to taste and calories.

I will be back with some more versions of this taste test for thing like wines, food, cigarettes and I guess pretty much anything we can taste. I rewarded the okes with 2 six packs of Bavaria Light each for the next party and they all said they actually had fun doing it. Well if they always keen to be the guinea pig’s, I am keen to keep supplying the products…

Tags: amstel, bavaria light, bavaria non alcoholic, carlsberg, Castle