Maccabee Premium Beer
Tempo Beer Industries LTD

Maccabee Premium BeerMaccabee Premium Beer
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From:
Tempo Beer Industries LTD
 
Israel
Style:
Bohemian / Czech Pilsner
Ranked #343
ABV:
4.9%
Score:
69
Ranked #28,061
Avg:
2.71 | pDev: 24.72%
Reviews:
25
Ratings:
32
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 30, 2023
Added:
Mar 29, 2002
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  4
No description / notes.
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Ratings by TheLongBeachBum:
Photo of TheLongBeachBum
Reviewed by TheLongBeachBum from California

2.53/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Amazing! A beer from Israel, my first.
I was at a party tonight and a colleague that I work with turned up with this stuff – so I just had to try it.
Well it looks like a weak Wheat Beer when poured. Head retention was average and it maintained a ¼” white frothy head that evenly dispersed later on throughout.
A pale straw yellow color, with a hazy look that suggests that it is not filtered. Nose is of sweet malt. Initial tastes reminded me of honey beers that I had drunk from the UK, sweet but not sickly, and the taste supported this - reminiscent of honey flavoured sore throat capsules that had a hint of lemon in them. Weird. A Pilsner - surely not.
Honey sweetness dominates a rather easy drinking beer that has some mild bitterness in the finish that succumbs to a cloying honey finish.
For me this is a honey beer, more than a Pilsner – Am I wrong??
If it is a “Pilsner”, someone in Israel needs to get out more.

Ay, ay, ay, ay, diz iz not a Pilzner.....

Nice beer, mediocre, but not a Pilsner.
Whatever it is, it is a bit too sweet for my liking.
Dec 08, 2002
More User Ratings:
Photo of Profundobaso
Reviewed by Profundobaso from New York

2.78/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Look - 12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass. straw yellow in color, clear, and large three finger head with moderate lacing retention.

Smell - light sweet malts, and virtually nothing else.

Taste - sweet malts balanced by moderate bitterness. finish is clean.

Feel - light bodied, high carbonation, and relatively low ABV at 5%.

Overall - it's a drinkable pilsner that's a bit more bitter than American counterparts. fine to have as a default selection, but average at best.
Mar 30, 2023
Photo of joeagain
Reviewed by joeagain from New Jersey

1.62/5  rDev -40.2%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5
Maccabee Premium takes advantage of the fact that "premium" can be very subjective.
Not a good beer at all. Pours a golden blonde color with lots of fizziness. The head stays around just long enough for you to take your first sip.
High carbonation greets you, marring a light malt, corn and slight apple flavor and aftertaste. The carbonation may be the high point of this lager.
I might add, that here in NJ, this beer runs about 10.00 a six pack. Way, way over priced for a beer of such poor quality.
Feb 19, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by redfox405 from Virginia

Aug 14, 2016
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

1.92/5  rDev -29.2%
look: 2 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 2
Bottle from Maruhn. Not much to this lager. No smell, little taste, and very watery in the mouth. Expected better for all of the former Europeans who live in Israel....
Dec 08, 2015
Photo of ordybill
Reviewed by ordybill from Georgia

2.97/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Poured from a 500 ML bottle into a pint glass in Nevatim, Israel
Aroma-Has a malt and grain aroma.
Appearance- A slightly darker color than Budweiser
Taste- this is hard to judge, we drank this out in the field slightly below desert temperature. It was hoppy
Palate- A medium bodied beer
Overall- This is not a terrible beer, however it isn't great. You often have limited selections in Israel (especially where I was at) in the late 90's and this is not a bad beer to settle with.
May 07, 2015
 
Rated: 2.75 by pixarnick from Kentucky

Jun 19, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by abcdefghijkyle from New Jersey

Apr 01, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by tangoafterdark from Indiana

Feb 05, 2014
 
Rated: 2 by dweeuu from Virginia

Jun 26, 2013
 
Rated: 2 by sd123 from Georgia

Oct 21, 2012
Photo of captaincoffee
Reviewed by captaincoffee from Virginia

2.31/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 2.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.25
#3 of the mass produced local beers. Small bottle sells for just under $2 in the supermarket, which is slightly less than local Goldstar, Carlsberg, and Heineken. NOT a premium beer, just expensive like most things in Israel.

Color, nose, taste, and mouthfeel all say "Schlitz" when it hits your lips. Not a good beer. 2.25 is a bit generous for a score, but I didn't have the heart to go as low as 2.

If you are in Israel, try one, and then feel sad for the locals who don't have better options.
Jun 14, 2012
 
Rated: 4.25 by tbeer40 from New Jersey

May 25, 2012
Photo of Faune
Reviewed by Faune from New York

3.26/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Presentation 500 ml green glass bottle with freshness date stamped below the neck.

A-light gold with a thin bubbly head which leaves a little lacing on the glass. Big bubbles cling to the side of the glass along side streams of little bubbles

S- Malty, Grainy, hint of sweetness, Bitter, grassy.

T - Crisp, grainy, malty with a hint of sweetness balanced by "hoppy" bitterness, a hint of smoke and a slightly metallic taste.

M- thin-medium body, low-medium carbonation

D- a decent beer which can be consumed easily in quantities.
Feb 01, 2009
Photo of atis
Reviewed by atis from Finland

2.48/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Clear light yellow, foamy head which stays solid for quite a long time, very strong lacing.

Very strong hay aroma, also grains, some slight grassy hops. Taste is dissapointing - too light and sweet (even very slight bitterness would improve it greatly), flavour is very short. Mouthfeel somewhat too thin.

Typical large-scale mass production. At least it was comparably cheap.
Oct 01, 2008
Photo of shivtim
Reviewed by shivtim from Georgia

2.8/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4
A rather boring pilsener. It pours out clear yellow with no head. Smells of grains, hay, and slight hops. Taste is slightly metallic. Average mouthfeel, decent disability due to low ABV. Seek out better options if you're in Israel, there are a few decent brews from Canaan Brewery.
May 28, 2008
Photo of thierrynantes
Reviewed by thierrynantes from France

2.73/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Beer bottle (33cl), tasted in 2001.
Apperarance : Clear light yellow color with white foam.
Smell : Aroma is moderate malty, sour malt.
Taste and mouthfeel : Flavor is light sweet with a short duration. Body is light, texture is watery
Drinkability : a very average beer in the Pilsener style
Mar 16, 2008
Photo of Bowdoinbeerboy
Reviewed by Bowdoinbeerboy from Maine

1.62/5  rDev -40.2%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5
Appearance - Pours with little head and beer is a pale yellow color, appears very watery.

Smell - Slight skynky odor, some light malting perhaps.

Taste- Very weak macro-esque taste, watery flavor, some typoe of filler used, probably not rice, but something odd.

Mouthfeel- Weak on the plate, poor covering of taste buds.

Drinkability- An Israeli macro, nothing special here other than its connection to the holy land!
Jan 28, 2008
Photo of dsa7783
Reviewed by dsa7783 from New Jersey

2.78/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
Had this on tap in Netanya... being a domestic brew this was much more inexpensive compared to the other styles being offered in the pub... For the price, wasn't too dissapointed... The taste was pretty decent... grainy and sweet with no bitter aftertones... Mouthfeel was a little below average, but the drinkability wasn't bad, as this brew went down easier than expected and did the job well... Haven't seen this beer outside of Europe... can't say I'm dissapointed about that, but it was worth a go...
Dec 16, 2007
Photo of brendan13
Reviewed by brendan13 from Australia

2.6/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
A - Golden coloured beer poured with a couple of centimetres of white head into a pint glass. Head falls away to nothing very quickly.
S - A grainy aroma also with some grassy and cooked vegie aromas.
T - Along the same lines as the smell.
M - Light to medium bodied and fairly low carbonation for the style.
D - Not horrible but not something I'd recommend or buy again.
Dec 05, 2007
Maccabee Premium Beer from Tempo Beer Industries LTD
Beer rating: 69 out of 100 with 32 ratings