Red Stripe: Appearance
Dark white gold, crystal-clear, quite a lot of carbonation present. Forms a one-finger bright white sudsy head which mostly evaporates and leaves trace lacing.
Red Stripe: Smell
Typical macro lager smell of corn and grain. Not skunky or sour, but nothing appealing to the aroma.
Red Stripe: Taste
I wish macro lagers each had their own distinct flavor because trying to review beers like Red Stripe is a challenge since they all taste pretty much the same. It’s no surprise this beer is like most others of its ilk – carbonated corn water and grain. There’s nothing particular foul or sour about the palate (well, maybe there’s a hint of tang), which is good. I do detect a very subtle sugar-water flavor right as it finishes, but it’s gone as quickly as it arrives. Thankfully it finishes mostly clean, but there’s just no flavors here worth savoring.
Red Stripe: Mouthfeel
Quite watery, but heavier than your average macro lager. Surprisingly soft and wet and not as fizzy as other yellow lagers of the style.
Red Stripe: Drinkability
While not a delicious, thirst-quenching beer, Red Stripe is indeed very easy to guzzle on a hot day. The 4.7% ABV is perfect as it doesn’t have the overtly watery qualities of a true “light” beer. You probably could drink several of these on end before they began to wear you down.
Overall, Red Stripe is just another generic macro lager that’s more neutral than it is bad. It has a long way to go to garner an honest recommendation from me, though.
