Gopher Lager
Big Rock Brewery

Gopher LagerGopher Lager
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From:
Big Rock Brewery
 
Alberta, Canada
Style:
American Lager
ABV:
5%
Score:
76
Avg:
3.11 | pDev: 10.61%
Reviews:
19
Ratings:
28
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 06, 2012
Added:
Jun 17, 2010
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
Clean and crisp with a nice hop flavour and aroma.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by EsoxLucius:
Photo of EsoxLucius
Reviewed by EsoxLucius from Canada (SK)

2.9/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
bought a 6 pack just to try, according the the SLGA worker, this beer is replacing XO Lager, which was a Czech style, this one is claimed to be a North-American-style all-malt lager with no adjuncts or additives...

A it's a light straw color with a fast fading head and minimal lacing.

S the beer is grainy, sweet, clean smelling... nothing distinct or 'above and beyond' here though, just not terrible.

T sweet with a bit of citrus and grains. quite pleasant and the best part about it, which is the most important.

M it's thin and has medium heavy carbonation, it's pretty fizzy and makes you belch like crazy.

D unfortunately, it falls into the yard work beer catagory. it's livable, but just not enough distinction to get me to sway away from my other top choices.
Jun 28, 2010
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3 by cfalovo97 from Canada (ON)

Nov 06, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by Alberta_Beer_Guy from Canada (AB)

Jul 16, 2012
 
Rated: 2.75 by bumchilly25 from Canada (BC)

May 11, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by ScottWestmaas from Canada (AB)

Apr 07, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by LampertLand from Canada (BC)

Feb 17, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by galluch from Canada (ON)

Feb 05, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by RedAleMan from Canada (ON)

Dec 07, 2011
 
Rated: 3 by EskimoDave from Canada (BC)

Nov 28, 2011
 
Rated: 3 by bylerteck from Canada (ON)

Nov 17, 2011
Photo of spinrsx
Reviewed by spinrsx from Canada (ON)

2.55/5  rDev -18%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
12oz Bottle

Appearance – Clear yellow colour with an average size fizzy white coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there is a fair amount of lacing. The head lasted for around 4 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Grains, bread, malts, corn

Taste & Mouth - The beer has an average amount of carbonation. I can taste breads/grains mixed with light hops and some corn. There is also a touch of an apple or pear juice sweetness.. The beer finishes with a slightly spicy corn syrup aftertaste.

Overall – I wasn't expecting much with this beer.. and it met my expectations. It really is unremarkable and I have no reason to ever drink it again.
Aug 17, 2011
Photo of thehyperduck
Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)

3.19/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I've been leery of trying this because I was under the impression it was a typical adjunct lager, and probably never would have tried it if it hadn't come in a variety pack. I'm relieved that the style implies it's at least a step above the average macro, but we'll see.

Pours a deep yellow colour that reminds me of apple juice or urine. An aggressive pour produced a half-inch of head that vanished within a minute. No lacing to speak of; even the surface is mostly translucent except for a ring of foam around the edge. Not a lot of bubbles from the bottom either; this is the only thing that would allow me to distinguish it from most Canadian macro lagers. Smell is the dictionary definition of nondescript, maybe a little bit of malt. Not a great start.

Fortunately this beer is actually reasonably tasty. A little bit of sweet malt on the tongue, with a twinge of bitterness at the end. The description on the side of the can, which I didn't notice until I had already tasted the beer, describes it as an "all-malt lager" that is "easy on the hops". If nothing else, their assessment is fairly accurate. A clean-tasting lager, without any off-putting adjunctiness. Very straightforward, but refreshing. Mouthfeel seems watery at first but is actually a bit creamy. Carbonation level is surprisingly low and allows you to actually enjoy the flavour.

Gopher gets a thumbs-up, and at only a dollar a 6-pack more vs. your average domestic macro lager, it's at least worth a try. It's certainly a step above Bud and Canadian. The problem is that Gopher is still likely to get lost in the shuffle between craft beer enthusiasts, who are likely to go for more exotic offerings, and macro drinkers who are content to stick with something slightly worse for slightly less money.
May 13, 2011
Photo of Converge
Reviewed by Converge from Canada (AB)

2.68/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
341ml bottle poured into a 16oz pint glass.

A - One finger of bone-white head that quickly dissipates into nothing. Very bright yellow hue.

S - Smell is made up of simple grains with a touch of citrus. Barely anything here.

T - Taste follows suit with the smell. A little stronger on the grain, with notes of citrus and light sweetness still there. Very simple, but I don't really mind it.

M - Medium to light carbonation and vey thin body; drinks like water.

D - Very drinkable without feeling to much like a mass-produced lager, but doesn't really do anything for. It's smooth and doesn't taste bad, but that's it.
May 10, 2011
Photo of evlu1441
Reviewed by evlu1441 from Canada (AB)

2.77/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
A - Nothing special. Pale straw colour. Looks like a typical pale lager: Canadian, Budweiser, etc. There is a thin head that quickly disappears.

S - Sweet. Kind of like roasted corn or something.

T - Starts out tart, and then turns sweet. Finishes on some light maltyness. The sweetness stays. Nothing special.

M - Really thin. The bubbles are fairly fine, lending to a sort of smoothness.

D - Pretty good. I could see myself slamming a few of these on a camping trip during the summer.

Overall, I'm not too impressed. I think I'll stick to Canadian or something if I want a decent bland lager.
Mar 15, 2011
Photo of marty21
Reviewed by marty21 from Canada (MB)

3.1/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A: Pours a clear yellow with about one finger worth of foamy head. Settles to a ring around the glass and doesn't leave any lace.

S: It has a grainy aroma. Maybe some hops but I'm second guessing myself.

T: It has almost a sweet grainy taste not very complex.

M: Medium carbonation with a light to medium body.

D: It would make for a good session beer. I would prefer this to any BMC product but compared to any craft beer this would take a back seat.
Feb 17, 2011
Photo of scott451
Reviewed by scott451 from Canada (ON)

3.3/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
A aggressive pour produced a bubbly one finger white head on a clear lemon yellow. The head soon diminished to a thin cap. Some patchy lacing stuck around for a while.

Grassy malt smells. Some metallic notes. The taste was surprisingly smooth and fruity with a very subdued hop finish. Some grassy metallic notes.

Light body. Moderate carbonation. A good refreshing summer beer. Better than I expected. A very drinkable version of a drinkable style.
Feb 06, 2011
Photo of CrazyMike
Reviewed by CrazyMike from Canada (AB)

3.53/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Golden yellow appearance with decent head. Smell is hard to detect. It does have a grassy, citrus hint to it though.

Taste is also very light, picked up a grassy, grain taste though. There is a hint of corn. Body is a bit watery but clean with decent carbonation. Aftertaste is surprisingly very malty.

Overall this seems like a good summer beer. Nothing extraordinary, but refreshing. Would recommend a try.
Dec 28, 2010
Photo of microwavabledish
Reviewed by microwavabledish from Canada (AB)

3.1/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
new on tap at RATT on the U of A campus.

The beer arrives quickly with 1 finger of dense white head which fades quickly and leaves no lacing at all. The rest of it is just kind of... lifeless. pale yellow, although not quite the fizz bomb I was expecting. actually there isnt much carbonation at all. It just kind of sits there.

The beer smells very clean, as in very little going on. There is some sweet grassy notes and no hops to speak of.

The taste is very much the same as the smell. a little grass, a little hay, a little grain. no bitterness really. The nice thing is that its not ridiculously sweet or corny or...gross really. Big rock says that Gopher is an "all malt" lager, and this seems to be the case. nothing off-putting, nothing to knock your socks off either though.

The mouth feels a watery, but far less fizzy than expected. Finishes slightly dry.

Drinkability is high. It is pretty neutral in that it isn't life changing and it isnt bad. It would be really easy to put away a few of these without a second thought, cause really, there isnt much to think about. Its a summer bbq lawnmower beer and it suits its purpose.
Dec 20, 2010
Photo of GodOfBeer
Reviewed by GodOfBeer from Canada (ON)

3.47/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5
Pours a very pale yellow, lots of carbonation and a thin white head. I haven't seen a beer this pale in a long time. Almost looks like yellow coloured water.

Smells sort of metallic at first. Some sharp zesty citrus notes, sweet grains, not much here.

Tastes like it smells. Somewhat sweet, finishes slightly hoppy. Pretty good for a lager.

This is an extremely drinkable beer, one of the best thirst quenching lagers I've had, but nothing special.
Nov 27, 2010
Photo of DoctorStrangiato
Reviewed by DoctorStrangiato from Canada (AB)

3.25/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Poured a 341-ml bottle into a long tulip glass.

Appearance - pale yellow colour with moderate carbonation. Little to no head with only a thin ring of lace around the edge.

Smell - a steady, sweet malt aroma with some light cream.

Taste - thin and watery followed by a small breakthrough to some decent mild malt overtones. Low bitters on the end with a wet finish.

Mouthfeel - very inoffensive and well balanced.

Drinkability - this goes down easy with no effort. It is overpriced for what it is but can be consumed in quantity at a good pace.
Nov 20, 2010
Gopher Lager from Big Rock Brewery
Beer rating: 76 out of 100 with 28 ratings