Stack 101 High Gravity Smooth Lager
United Brands Company

Poured from a can. Straw in color with a white head. Smells of corn, malt and a sweet hint. Flavors of grain, malt and a boozy bitter background. Not what I would call a great taste but it's not the worst. Worth the try for the dollar I spent.

24oz can, date code indecipherable. Poured into an Arcoroc nonic pint glass.

A - Poured a clear golden color with a quickly receding head that left no lacing on the glass.

S - Smells of malts, adjuncts, and green apples. ABV is not hidden well in the nose.

T - Initial tart green apple and corn notes fade to leave a boozy bitterness at the back of the throat. Overall harsh flavor despite the word "smooth" being printed almost ten times on the can.

M - Light-bodied with medium carbonation. Feels somewhat slick as it moves around the mouth.

O - Among others within the style, even other HGLs, this one is far from pleasant. Tick completed.

Poured from a can into a pint glass
Appearance – The beer pours a clear golden color with a one finger head of white foam. The head fades very fast leaving just a trace of lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma of the brew is heavy of a corn syrup sweetness mixed with aromas of a dusty dankness as well as a metallic smell. With a touch of cardboard, the aroma is overall not the most enticing.
Taste – The taste begins with a sweet corn syrup and caramel taste mixed with a touch of grain and a decently strong paper taste. As the taste advances some light mustiness and more paper, as well as some metallic tastes comes to the tongue, leaving one with a metallic and sweet malt liquor taste to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is light and crisp with a carbonation level that is high. For the style and the more off tastes the feel is good, as it minimizes the impact of the flavors on the tongue to its greatest extent.
Overall – Not the best malt out there for sure…

You pussies this is a mans beer

24 oz. can:

Pours yellow. Fast carbonation kills the head to bubbles and a ring. No real lacing sticks.

The smell is of alcohol, some grain. Alcohol dominates, but overall not too offensive.

The taste makes my face involuntarily twinges at the taste. This is bad - even for the style. Raw alcohol with an odd sweetness that is tough to describe.

This is harsh - It says "smooth", but don't believe it.

This is for people who want a quick buzz at a cheap price. I somehow made it through the whole can, but never again. There are better malt liquors out there. This is one of the worst beers I've ever had. I don't recommend it, even to alcoholics looking for a cheap high abv brew.

You know, with so many good beers available, I keep trying these high gravity lagers just for completion's sake. And that's kind of sad. Sure, if you want 24 ounces of 12%, try this or one of the many other high gravity lagers available. Or get something quality with less alcohol and have two. Same result, better taste. Oh well, it could have been truly nasty tasting. ca. 2010

24oz can poured into 12oz tulip. Poured a clean, clear dark yellow color, with about 1/2 inch of white head that dissipated very quickly and left no lacing.

The aroma was neutral, leaning towards bland.

The flavor was also bland, except for a bit of alcohol sharpness.

The body was light and even, with a definite alcohol burn at the finish.

Drinkability was OK, although I would have preferred a smaller format. Overall, it is what it is; a cheap buzz. $1.99 for 24oz of 9.9% beer. You could do worse if you need to scratch this style itch.

Type: 24-oz. can
Glass: Clear 15.25-oz. pilsner
From: 5 Star Market & Liquor in La Mesa, Calif..
Price: $1.79
Purchased: Oct. 31, 2017
Consumed: Oct. 31, 2017
Reviewed as: American Malt Liquor
Misc.: No canned on date; Can reads 9.9 pct. ABV

Recently was dared to review a King Cobra. Actually did not know that Malt Liquor was reviewable on Beer Advocate. Once I looked it up and saw I was, had to go with it. Once I saw that there were seven (seven!) (EDIT: now eight (eight!)) other Malt Liquors at the next-door market, made it a point to review one each Tuesday until I run out. Typically am against all the big boy beers, but I am breaking that rule for this challenge. Eighth up was Stack (High Gravity). Apparently it was brewed by United Brands in Lacrosse, Wis., and under special agreement in Memphis, Tenn. Can read “Stack 101 High Gravity Smooth Lager is brewed with the finest extra malted barley and select hops for a bold yet exceptionally smooth taste. Stack 101 Smooth Lager is the first introductory brew style by Stack Brewing Company. Stack beer is brewed with superior ingredients for big, bold and smooth flavor.” A quick look at Beer Advocate and it had it at 2.13. Whoa. That meant it was only better than King Cobra and Old English 800. Going in I had it E40, Mickey’s, Hurricane, Steele Reserve 211, Natty Daddy, Old English 800 and King Cobra with the latter three pretty far back.

Poured a straw clear color with two fingers of off-white fizzy head. Lots of fast moving bubbles coming up from the bottom of the glass. Decent spotty lacing. Average retention. (Sight - 3.25)

Smelled kind of a mess initially like a bunch of flavors trying to get out of the can. Got red apple, sweet corn syrup, scrambled eggs, skunk, light strawberry, pear and buttered sourdough bread. Not smelling too boozy. (Smell - 2.75)

Usually the first taste of American Malt Liquors for me are not terrible, but the second one can be all over the place (usually much, much worse). However, this may have been the worst first taste of the lot. Second taste was even worse, but not as bad as it could have been. Specifically got sweet corn syrup, buttered white bread, spoiled pear, green apple, white grape, hints of strawberry, boxed white wine, barley, wet grain, scrambled eggs and wet skunky fart. Did not taste 9.9 pct. (Taste - 2.25)

Medium body. Thin texture. Average carbonation. Abrupt finish. Very unbalanced and tough to swallow. (Feel - 1.50)

Was kind of all over the place on a few categories here. Certainly wasn’t a fan. Would have it in the lower 1/3 of the Malt Liquors. (Overall - 2.25)

2.36 | 57 | D+

 

 

 

 

This beer was listed as 9.9% not 12%.
Good looking pour for the style.
Smell is pretty boozy
Taste is very close to a barleywine but on the low end of the scale. No bad flavors but the booziness is a bit hard to take. Mouthfeel is medium to full with a lightly bitter finish.
Overall not my type of beer but not bad for the style.

 

 

UBC LaCrosse WI and under special agreement Memphis TN on the can.

It pours a fairly dark yellow with a 1 finger head of foam with lots of bubble action.

Huge corn notes in the smell as well as some grain. It also smells the full 9.9% abv.

Corn first and foremost followed by some lemon twang that leans towards the tart side. Saying that it is rough tasting would almost be a compliment; smooth is mentioned a few times on the can.

The tartness intensifies as the beer warms and in a case like this, that is not a good thing.

I had to try it. It was cheap as dirt. I hope my sink doesn't mind a few ounces.

 

its cheap its 9.9% and its HORRIBLE
i like high gravity malt liquors but this is just bad , it was $1.65 but dont let that price point fool you
you can get much better for the same price.

its just so strong and full of corn like drinking bio diesel, its not super carbonated but it is bubbly
its reminds me of sunny delight , its so fake and full of artificial crap strong and syrupy .

this is so bad its so strong , i couldn't just drink it like a normal beer , i had to sip it like a wine , it took me a while to finish it.

i used to get 4 16 once for $1.99 at the center market and i used to be able to pound them like nothing and that was when it was 12% .
and after i had to drink this slowly because it was so bad i barly got a buzz . might as well of got a can of pbr...

this stuff is not good , i bought it to see if it was as bad as i remember and the can for the collection.

if you dont want to do either of this stay away , get old englishe ,hurricane, steel reserve, ice house edge or even natty daddy

anything is better than this even 4loco or other alco pop you can drown out the nasty with 7 up

i do not recommend stay away

I picked up a 24oz can at my local corner mart. Looks like a real winner. ABV is 9.9% per the label. "Stack High Gravity Smooth Lager." Reviewed as a malt liquor given its marketing, price point, and ingredients list. Served into a pilsner glass in Austin, Texas. Reviewed live. Expectations are extremely low.

Served cold - straight from the fridge. Side-poured gently as overcarbonation is anticipated.

A: No bubble show forms as it's poured.

Pours a predictable clear translucent yellow littered with abundant carbonation bubbles. It's got some nice vibrance and isn't weak looking like many malt liquors. No floating yeast particles/sediment is visible; it's quite clean. High transparency; you can read text through this beer.

The head is initially two fingers wide but recedes to a very thin layer atop the body inside one minute. Still, the retention is better than you'd expect for a budget range malt liquor at this high an ABV. Some limited spotty inconsistent lacing does cling to the sides of the glass after the head recedes.

Overall, it's an above average appearance for a malt liquor. I can't say I'm looking forward to trying it, but there aren't any egregious flaws.

Sm: Has a heavy malty and adjuncty sweetness. Loads of corn - mainly adjunct. Malt syrups/extract. Not as grainy as would be ideal. I also get some faint berry character - strawberry, I think. It's strange and artificial, but lends some needed complexity to an otherwise boring aroma. To its credit, there are no traces of the 9.9% ABV in the aroma. I also don't find any yeast character - or any really hop character - not even just a simple floral profile. The syrupy sweetness is off-putting, and I'm anticipating a sickly buttery texture, but this is far from the foulest malt liquor aroma I've come across.

Average strength.

T: The syrupy sweetness is certainly the core of the beer, but it isn't as offensive as anticipated. It's got some light graininess and could use more. Heavy corn adjunct is present alongside the aforementioned artificial strawberry note - which isn't doing the flavour profile any favors. I also get a cheap white wine character and some disgusting green apple notes. There's no real hop profile here.

To be fair, I will say that it hides its alcohol content pretty decently. But I can't say I like it; there's no complexity or subtlety here whatsoever. It's far from an intricate or gestalt build. Unbalanced as well.

Mf: Buttery, smooth, wet, and sticky. Overcarbonated as hell. Presence on the palate is abysmal; it's making me a bit ill. Has a bit too much weight, body and thickness for how little flavour there is; it's very filling. The texture doesn't seem well designed for this flavour profile. Execution is quite poor overall, but again I do think it's worth mentioning that it's not a hot or boozy brew, which is something of an accomplishment. That said, it's a pretty harsh mouthfeel overall.

Not astringent or gushed.

Dr: Not the worst malt liquor on the market, but far from the best. It's almost sickening, but I can't give it a lower rating than this because it isn't watery, and still tastes like beer. I'll be making a concerted effort to finish the entire can. It's not a sipper, but its low quality makes it tough to quaff and consuming it is making me feel terrible (especially in my stomach). ABV is hidden better than you'd expect. I wouldn't recommend this beer to anybody. Even just in this style and price range, there are better beers (and more widely available ones, for that matter). Stick to Steel Reserve for those nights when classy just doesn't cut it.

Reasonably atrocious.

D-

 

 

 

Poured from a 24 oz. can into a pint glass. Appearance is a medium heavy yellow with white foam that dissipates rather quickly and leaves minimal lacing.

Odor is slightly lemony with a sourness. Kind of like the odor of a cheap lemon furniture polish. No hop smell, just malt and the leftover lemon smell.

Taste is not like a lager, which it says to be, but more of a malt liquor. Not crisp like a good lager, but has a sour taste with a lot of alcohol. Not smooth at all. No bitterness like an IPA or Pale Ale. Can't hardly even taste the malt.

Doesn't leave much on the palette. The front and sides of the tongue are somewhat in rebellion, but doesn't leave much mouthfeel one way or another.

So far, of the Malt Beverages I've tried this is the worst. On the positive side, if you are looking to get blind stupid drunk, you could ask for a better beer. Two of these would do it, but you would really be better off buying some cheap wine. This is the kind of beer you would use a brown paper back instead of a coozy. I may finish half of the glass I poured, but the rest of the glass and the can is going to be poured down the drain. I don't think the brewer was aiming to win any medals on this one, but just something cheap that you could get a buzz from and with this the brewer has succeeded.

 

 

I am comparing Stack against other malt liquors of it's type - high gravity "lagers." As such, it is one of the best in the pack -- highly alcoholic, cheap and drinkable. Compared to larger brands such as Colt 45 or Schlitz this is a much better experience. It's obviously not a good beer in comparison to all beers on the market, but it's a great cheap malt liquor.

It's not as smooth as Old English but it is almost there and has a higher alc/vol. If you are choosing something that is cheap and will get you drunk, I recommend this. If you are looking for a quality beer experience then obviously this is not a good choice.

Correction on the abv this is 9.9% abv unless they are selling the pictured 12% abv somewhere else in the country, I'm always excited to try the next horrible malt liquor release, I'm guessing this will get the straw-ber-rita flavor out of my mouth. Appears the color of apple juice, faint white head, smells a bit like peanuts and geriatric farts with a metallic twang. Guess what this beer is going to go over big with the college kids under two bucks and they will temporarily lose their vision. My god, what is that stuff, lord help the beer industry, why is this swill acceptable there's dead Mexicans and Unicorn tears in this beer at least that's what the label screams with the font with depicted unicorn wings taking you to heaven when you have your first near death experience going head to head with your frat brothers with this beer in a beer pong tournament. Alright can we finally sue somebody for false advertisement, I give Coors the benefit of the doubt I'm sure they really frost brew their products, especially if these guys are able to label it as a SMOOTH LAGER, unless smooth is a contraction as in this lager will make you say someone I'm missing a tooth (s'm'ooth), because the people of West Virginia (my hometown) state a championing a beer that will help them loos s'more teeth. I can't even take another sip, okay for the review and the fine people of West by God Virginia here it goes...rancid flavors that are making me poetic. I will finish by saying this apple juice looking malt liquor will rot some more teeth out it will definitely s'mooth you. Mouthfeel is similar to sever acid reflux that never goes away, not typical GERD which is caused by food and drink we expose ourselves to this is gut wrenching stomach acid like on the palate that feeling after you've puked in your mouth but caught it just in time. Overall I think I've lead you to my overall impression of this fine canned 24 ounce smooth lager with 9.9% alcohol by volume...drain pourIII

 

 

 

 

 

I actually liked this beer. It is nice and thick and heavy. This stuff gets you messed up fast(10% abv), so be careful of driving after drinking a can. I paid $1.69 for a can(24oz) just to try it, and it was worth every penny. I have seen a lot of bad reviews elsewhere about this beer, but hey, it is BEER, and a LAGER at that, so what do you want??? In my opinion, you can't get a better beer for the money. You may be able to find better beer, but NOT at $1.69 for a 24oz can...cheers!

 

This Beer is 9.9 ABV, in my area, its low price point is why its a top seller in this catagory, here in the Mt. Hood region.
The appearance is light Gold, lose's its head within two minutes.
The smell, is of green Apple's.
The taste is of Corn, a very sweet flavor with the hint of molasses for sweeteness. This is not a high quality Beer, its not as bad as other's in this group.
The flavor is a, full tongue burn, front, middle and back, very steady and over whelming alcohol flavor.
This is not designed, to be a high priced flavored, Beer. This is a Beer designed to be an affordable way to catch a buzz, keep that in mind.

I did a video of this for Youtube last week 24oz x 2 into a 52 oz plastic Coors Light pitcher (mistake)

10.1% variant offered here in Durham NC

24 oz can - $1.79

When i raised said pitcher to my lips i was met with a foul stench that smelled like roadkill and kerosene and i actually almost vomited before i took the first sip...

it does taste better than it smells but thats not saying much....its only drinkable with snacks...i had to resort to eating a hot dog bun and drinking heinz ketchup to kill the foul taste from my mouth as i was drinking it....about 30+ ounces into it...it finally became drinkable because i was starting to catch a serious buzz and i didnt care anymore....my wife was filming me and she was nauseated by the smell of it...and she was 6 feet away.

Ive had the 12.0% before a couple of years ago and it was actually better....i dont know where the 10.1 went wrong....

avoid at all costs

I don't know why I keep doing this to myself. But hey, I love reviewing beers.

Drank straight out of the tallboy can. I can just imagine some douchebag in an Ed Hardy tshirt and hat slamming this. The can matches that motif perfectly.

Smell is noticeable even from a distance. Has that distinct smell of a nightclub - red bull and vodka on top of bud light and sweat. Sweet and sour.

Holy god, this is sweetened or something. Bitterness and alcohol poorly covered up by some sort of malt flavoring. Really awful and fake tasting. No smoothness about it. Each new sip is a shock to the system. So time to chug. No that's not exactly possible either, as it's so distasteful that it activates the gag reflex.

Man, this is really bad - just a vehicle to deliver 12% straight to the dome. I'd rather pay 8 more dollars for a bottle of a really satisfying 12% beer and enjoy it. But then again, the two worlds in which these occur hardly ever meet.

Served in a pint glass.

Appearance: dark gold, much like a borderline amber. Head is white rose roughly a 1/4" off the body.

Smell: really smells like alcohol and raw hops.

Taste: high alcohol, I mean seriously, you taste rolling off your taste buds. Hops but light and slightly bitter.

Mouth: light to medium carbonation, little flat if you ask me.

Overall: this beer has one purpose, get you drunk for cheap. It is described as a smooth lager, maybe of your idea of smooth is like a thumbtack on the bottom of your foot. Salud!

 

"1161 1312" inkjet on bottom of the can.

Dull orange gold color, murky pondwater haze, weird floating plankton sediment hanging in suspension with a steady column of rising carbonation in the center. Foam instantly fizzles out, audibly sizzling, leaving a thin floating scab in the center.

Smells like green apple jolly ranchers, grape juice, and bum wine.

Tastes like cheap wine, grainy apple, cheap booze. Numbing alcohol deadens the palate after a couple sips. Gassy, sweet, and astringent, harsh and unpleasant to say the least. Green apple aftertaste dries out the mouth like a shot of liquor, with a similar boozy aftertaste. A messy and harsh cheap buzz. Not worth the headache that starts in almost immediately after a few sips.