Martens Low Carbohydrate
Brouwerij Martens NV

Martens Low CarbohydrateMartens Low Carbohydrate
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From:
Brouwerij Martens NV
 
Belgium
Style:
Light Lager
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
64
Avg:
1.87 | pDev: 15.51%
Reviews:
13
Ratings:
13
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Oct 24, 2005
Added:
Dec 07, 2003
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Photo of kwalters
Reviewed by kwalters from Michigan

1.43/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1
This is the first beer I've had in a LONG time that I couldn't/didn't want to finish. It was utterly disgusting. Probably the first non-skunked beer that I truly didn't enjoy even a tiny-weeny bit.

The appearance is the only redeeming quality, and barely so at that. The smell and flavor were so harsh that I dread each sip. Oh the turmoil I'll present to my tastebuds for a beer review.
Oct 24, 2005
Photo of RoyalT
Reviewed by RoyalT from Michigan

2.25/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
Appearance – This beer is incredibly light and yellow in color with a rather smallish head for the style.

Smell – There is a very light aroma of grain and alcohol. The grain is kind of ricey.

Taste – The grain that is here is a bit on the rancid side. Otherwise there isn’t much flavor to this one, which I guess is the point.

Mouthfeel – I enjoyed the mouthfeel of this beer. It was light of course and had some nice carbonation. Leave it to the Belgians to make a crap beer with good carbonation.

Sinkability – I actually enjoy this style of beer, but this one disappointed.
Jun 24, 2005
Photo of nortmand
Reviewed by nortmand from Illinois

1.58/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.5
Actually, the easiest way to describe the look of this beer is: scotch and soda. Basically bubbly and slightly less clear than water.
Smells tinny, slightly sour and hay?
Relatively bland. A little malty maybe, sour aftertaste.
Fizzy mouthfeel, kinda like pop.
Actually easy to drink on a hot summer day. It's like anything else poorly made. It's not bad, it's just not good.
This beer definitely proves that the beer gods didn't smile upon all Belgians.
The most interesting thing: this is probably what Heineken tastes like before it skunks.
Jun 20, 2005
Photo of jp32
Reviewed by jp32 from Michigan

2.13/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 1.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Pours a light golden color with a very white head. The head is large and foamy at first, but it dissipates quickly. The aroma is better than I had imagined. It smells sweet and carmelly. Not overwhelming, but better than I had expected from a light or "low-carb" beer. If only it tasted as nice as it smells. It really doesnt have much of a taste at all. Very watered-down. I would like to say "cool and crisp", but I guess that doesnt really explain any kind of flavor. Its not a bad beer, the little tiny bit of taste it does have is good, but its difficult to find.
May 07, 2005
Photo of granger10
Reviewed by granger10 from Wisconsin

1.58/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 2
This was on sale at my local grocery store for like $2/sixer so I figured what the hell. Well, it was like I bought carbonated water. Very, very light, almost nothing in taste. The only redeeming quality in here is the crisp, clean finish meaning it didn't leave me with a nasty aftertaste that some macro beers do. Really though this beer sucks. The other five are going to be saved for beer pong.
Feb 28, 2005
Photo of budgood1
Reviewed by budgood1 from Minnesota

1.81/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 1 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2
a lifeless pour out of the bottle. very pale straw yellow colour. a very light cracker aroma. lightly breaded flavour, with a slight hop bite. watery mouthfeel and watery body. i've drank tap water with more flavour than this. clean and crisp in the finish. a weird sort of metallic aftertaste. within it's style....ok. as a "beer"...ugh.
Jul 18, 2004
Photo of bditty187
Reviewed by bditty187 from Nebraska

1.72/5  rDev -8%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5
Amazingly pale gold in color, it is really only a shade and a half darker than water. A foamy, unorganized head tried to form but it dissipated so rapidly only a bubbly collar was created. The minimal animation only adds to the dull, lifeless appearance. No subsequent lacing aside from six tiny patches of foamy clinging to the side of my Pilsner glass. I mean it can’t look anymore sickly than this. Even straight out of the refrigerator the nose has good potency, unfortunately the aromas that I detected were largely unpleasant, it is very grainy, kind of sweet, bready, husky, mineraly, it does smell like a Pale Lager, which is far from a compliment. The bouquet is far from repugnant but it is not inviting either. The palate is amazingly flavorless, vague sweetness that did linger on my tongue. Without it I could have passed this beer off as water. In the aftertaste a mineral note reemerged. Pleasantly dry. Boring, I mean really boring. By no means is the palate offensive but it is too bland for me to take this seriously, it barely tastes like beer. Light in body, as it is suppose to be, modesty full carbonation, the mouthfeel is typical for this kind of beer, and I am okay with that. I didn’t find this drinkable at all; I do think it is less offensive than Michelob Ultra. Again, that is hardly an accolade. Curiosity killed the cat. My 11.2 ounce bottle was purchased in Lincoln for a $1.50; I just had to try a low-carb beer from Belgium. Oh, the humanity!
May 02, 2004
Photo of Skidz
Reviewed by Skidz from Wisconsin

2.21/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.5
Pours out a pale yellow with a small white head that is soon gone, not much lacings either.

Smells distinctively malty, quite bready with aromas of apples floating around as well. Maybe a bit of nuttiness too, it's hard to say, but it is definately malty. Taste is very clean, very dry and about as interesting as listening to Mr. Rogers speak. Though, I should have expected nothing less from a low carb beer. A bit of a metallic tang at the end. Compared to American Light beers, this would not fare well in comparison.

Very light, loads of carbonation to make up for the lack of any interesting flavors and a sharp dryness that isn't very welcoming. The one thing that this has going for it is aroma, but that's only in comparison to other light beers. Nothing I'd feel the need to try again, though I know I could easily drink it...but why?
Mar 23, 2004
Photo of tavernjef
Reviewed by tavernjef from Minnesota

2.32/5  rDev +24.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.5
Pours out nearly clear but settles in the glass a very light pale yellowy sunrise haze, a stark white bubbly and loose head tried desperately to grow only to burst before it was to stay. Aroma is dry, clean, and crisp with a slight bready maltyness that has a bit of a bagel-like sweetness. Taste does offer up much, but are we looking for it here? No not really, still could have something to it; but its a mess of watery weakened malten sweetness with just a bit of light dryness, clean as water as it is nearly water. There's an attempt to pull some things through but its unwelcome and boring. The feel is quite empty, fairly thin throughout and watery, an attempt at carbonation is noticed as well but again not in a welcoming manner. Lifeless, barely a beer, but I can actually see drinking this if I were out on a very hot, muggy day and just needed something to quench my thirst.
Mar 03, 2004
Photo of feloniousmonk
Reviewed by feloniousmonk from Minnesota

1.6/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2
Appearance: clear as clear can be, pale, pale yellowish shade, under a thin white head of foam.
Aroma: none.
Taste: also, none, at all, whatsoever...I'll try harder...there's so little behind this that to discern it at all takes the keenest insight and a microscopic purview. Do I have what it takes? It comes and goes in such a blur! A taste of wet cardboard, faint vegetation, ...really, nothing at all.
Not as bad as some of the worst American "lite" beers I've had the misfortune to sample, but still a big bottle of zilch!
At least it's low carb, right?
F'gettaboutit! Eat balanced meals, skip junk food, get out and move once in a while, then treat yourself to a real beer! Stuff like this is an embarassment!
Best thing I can say about it, is it was free!
Feb 21, 2004
Photo of truthbrew
Reviewed by truthbrew from Minnesota

2.15/5  rDev +15%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Very light color. Carbonation is heavy and forward. Grainy, alcohol laced taste. FYI, according to the importer it is approx 5% ABV. For this style of beer I didn't feel the same lack of maltiness that the other reviewers claimed. In comparision to other "low carb" beers, not too bad, but I wouldn't be drinking this style normally. Best "enjoyed" ice cold on a 100º F day in the sun.
Jan 05, 2004
Photo of ADR
Reviewed by ADR from Pennsylvania

1.75/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2
Very light color, transparent light yellow. Thin head of little duration. Some spots and drips for lacing on the glass. The aroma is slightly wooden, almost like a tree bark or the smell from tinker toys. Body is extremely light, mouthfeel is way overcarbonated to my tastes and combines with a a poor maltiness and an almost gritty sensation to give a pretty bad finish and aftertaste. Unsettling beer, maybe the "Belgian" origin will tempt someone to try the other five beers, becasue I'm in no particular hurry to drink them myself.
Dec 14, 2003
Photo of Jason
Reviewed by Jason from Massachusetts

1.75/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5
11.2 oz brown bottle, no freshness date.

Appearance: Extreme pale yellow, very light with a wispy white lace with a lacking retention.

Smell: Odd alcoholic aroma, light but evident with a starchy grain in the back. Not as clean as a light beer should be.

Taste & Mouthfeel: Big crispness in the super light body. Very weak in the malt department with a starchy graininess. Faint alcohol. Little hop bitterness at all, no hop character. The starchy flavour becomes quite annoying within the bone-dry metallic finish.

Notes: Very odd, it tastes similar to a non-alcoholic brew with the starch flavour yet it retains that beery alcohol. A horrible creation, just another low-carb fad beer.
Dec 07, 2003
Martens Low Carbohydrate from Brouwerij Martens NV
Beer rating: 64 out of 100 with 13 ratings