Beer review: Birra Moretti (4.6% Italy: Heineken)

The Birra Moretti is a lager, more specifically a pale lager. It was formerly produced by the Italian brewery Birra Moretti founded in Udine in 1859. The brewery was acquired by Heineken International in 1996. The Heineken International is the third largest brewery group in the world. Well, it seems that almost all of the most popular beers around Europe are part of one of the big brewery groups so let's not let that fact affect our judgment about this potentially good beer. At least the label seems cool, let's see if the taste follows that line!

Taste: The Birra Moretti is a light-bodied beer with quite a watery, slightly sweet malty body. The beer finishes with a slight grassy hoppiness.

Overall, the Birra Moretti is your average bulk lager. What sets it apart from the other Italian bulk beers is the slightly sweet taste and especially the grassy hoppiness which is surprisingly potent, considering the macro quality of the beer.

3/5

Beer review: Desperados (5.9% France: Heineken)

Desperados is a lager beer, more specifically a pale lager flavoured with tequila. Originally it was produced by the Fischer Brewery, located in Schiltigheim, France. The brewery was bought by Heineken in 1996 and in 2010 the production of Desperados was transferred to the l'Espérance brewery, also located in Schiltigheim. One of the many products of the Heineken beer corporation, the third largest brewery corporation in the world, Desperados is widely available. Its speciality is the addition of the tequila flavor, and any time there's something extra added to a beer, my suspicions arise. In any case, let's try it out!

Taste: The Desperados is a light-bodied beer with aromas of faint sweet malt, citrus and corn. As the label suggests the taste of tequila is present as well, unfortunately in a very artificial and unnatural way.

Overall, the Desperados is a decent refreshment, but there's only little resemblance to real beer. It's quite similar in taste to Corona, Sol and other "refreshing, citric pale lagers" but with the special touch of tequila. Too bad that the tequila aroma is stingy and artificial so the overall impression of the beer lacks true refreshment, and basically everything else as well. Desperados is more like a tequila and citrus soda than beer.

2/5

Beer mix review: Foster's Radler (2.0% Australia/Finland: Heineken/Hartwall)

Foster's Radler is a combination of lemonade and Foster's beer, the ratio being 60:40. Thus, in no way can it be considered beer and the review is made in comparing it to other beer mixes (or refreshment beers as the Foster's company likes to call it). The beer selection in Finnish supermarkets is quite thin and therefore the Radler is a welcomed release. Foster's is brewed in Finland by Hartwall, and therefore the company is also in charge of manufacturing the Foster's Radler. With no expectations of a mind-blowing connoiseuric experience, I enjoyed a can of Radler and was pleasantly surprised.

Taste: The first impression introduces a taste of lemonade, with a hint of sourness. It is sweet enough but not too sweet and it is actually surprisingly close to the taste of Finnish grape long drinks. After this the drink finishes with a very faint taste of lager beer, and therefore can justifiably be called a lemonade beer.

Not the right choice for people who want to enjoy beer, nor for people who want to get inebriated. However, a good choice if you want something refreshing and enjoy the taste of lemonade with a pleasant, albeit weak aftertaste of beer. This being said, I personally enjoyed the taste a lot and the Radler is really refreshing when served ice cold.

65 Above average