NMX Standard
Santa Fe Brewing Company

not rightly listed as a lager i dont believe. the branding on this one is better than the liquid, love the cans and the art, the cool coasters they serve it on, al of it, but its an odd brew, yes more flavorful than others in this pseudo lager blonde ale space, which is booming in the craft world right now, and i appreciate it not being boring or generic, but its also just not that great, should be way cleaner than it is, and has some oddness about it thats hard to place, minor when freezing cold but downright problematic as it warms, a shame because this seems like the kind of place where a better beer in this can would really work, the desert seems like a good place for well crafted yellow beer. i like the name standard for a blonde dressed up like a lager, it implies budget friendly and blue collar, which we need more of in craft beer these days. looks right on, darker than yellow but not into the brassy range, clear and shiny and very well carbonated even if the head retention is just okay from the tap. nose is pretty clean, minimal, almost adjuncty but not in that cheap metallic way, tons of minerality apparent here too, crackery but not quite as enriched as pils malt to me, dry which is nice, but a little weird or stressed in the ferment, maybe rushed, like estery where it shouldnt be, and thats true in the flavor and texture too, its got a finishing tang to it, like actual acidity, which is fine at first but it stays on the teeth and tongue after each sip and really limits how much i want to drink of this, it should be quick and tidy, and its not that at all, and it disrupts refreshment value and the normal flow and repeatability of a proper yellow beer, lager or not. i like how light the body is, how simple and fresh the flavor is, i even like the way its earthy and drying and mineral forward, but this acidity is not right, almost tart at the end. definitely a few recipe tweaks away from something with some real legs, for now the quality is nowhere near as good as the branding...

12oz can at share. Golden pour with a thin white foamy head. Grainy, biscuity aroma, bread. Taste is sweet grains, pale malts, with a mildly crisp finish

 

This beer tastes like it was made with corn, what's called "Mexican Style" these days but used to be called "Great American Beer Style" (i.e., Bud, Coors, Michelob, &etc.).
[Edit: I'm a noob here, but I think this NMX beer should be in the American Adjunct Lager category. I haven't yet found the distinction between this style and American Lager, as listed here. My opinion is based on what I taste -- I don't know what's actually in it. But I taste a lot of corn here. I don't see "Mexican Lager" in the styles list here, but that's easy to find in the New Mexico microbreweries.]
Yeah, crush it. But I'm kinda sorry I bought a case of the stuff. (It was priced right for what it is, though.)

12oz can best by September 22 2023

On a harder pour 3 fingers of dense white head form on top of a slightly hazy straw colored body. Some lacing forms, but it is a bit sporadic. Head retention is pretty good.

Aroma is corny with a touch of pale puls malts as well, but there is a bright fruity funk that isn't making for the cleanest lager. Not a deal breaker, and stoll better than most macro lagers.

Flavor follows th aroma, but brings more true pale barley, but the fruity off flavor is still present, albeit less so. Some ale sweetness, that I can't complain about, but seems sorta out of place.

Feel is full but chuggable in the moment. Finis is too long and syrupy.

Overall the beer is ok, but it comes off as an attempt to take a piece of market shar from macro lagers. Not quite as good as Montucky Cold Snacks.

 

It is what it is. As I am what I am - Raul, drinker of beer, and chiller of life. Going into this one, I didn’t expect William Holden in the saddle. Hell, I didn’t expect anything. And that’s where I am - in a state of being. Drinking a beer that isn’t good, nor bad. And that’s life, my children. Wake up: sometimes good. Wake up: sometimes bad.

Let’s go.

 

12oz can poured into Teku glass. BEST BEFORE 07/14/22 printed on bottom rim of can. Picked up from the grocery store as part of a $11 sixer mixer.

Appearance - Pours very large moderately dense head with some variable bubble size. Hazy golden yellow body. 4.5

Smell - Getting some banana which is very surprising for the style of "lager"... and looking at the can it specifically says "ALE FOR ANYTIME" on the bottom right of the front label, under the ABV. So we'll need to fix this beer profile with the correct style. For now I'll be rating it blind not knowing the actual style, but sort of getting some hefe qualities for sure. 4.25

Taste - Definitely getting something like a hefe, but lighter. A watered down hefe in terms of the body, but a little more bitter and acidic. Getting that light banana and faint honey like malt. 4

Mouthfeel - Thin, almost watery. Somewhat astringent. 4

Overall - Okay looked it up, This is a blonde ale, not an american lager. I can definitely see that now. Fairly decent. 4.25