Superior Light
Walkerville Brewery

I'd heard some surprisingly good things about this beer, in spite of the fact that it's a light lager (it currently ranks as the 8th best light lager on all of BA), a style which I almost always avoid. Combined with the fact that the Walkerville Brewery is local, that a mixed case is only $29.95 from the Walkerville beer store, and that I tried a sip from my mother's pint at a local restaurant, and I was sufficiently tempted to try it. And surprisingly, I have only good things to say about it - by appealing to a lighter palate rather than a lighter caloric content, Walkerville Superior Light has proven to be a great beer - respectable by any standards, but absolutely amazing by the standard of the style. This is a great, mild light beer.

Pours straw gold like a standard macro lager, perhaps even a shade darker than standard light beers (certainly darker than Coors Light), but is surprisingly topped by a considerable amount of head. About two fingers of foam lingers for five-to-ten minutes, providing considerable lacing. Once the head dies down, it leaves a couple of rings and still some considerable lacing. For a beer-beer, this is unremarkable, but for a light lager, this is wonderful (it's also worth noting that when I saw it on tap, its dense, two-finger head lasted almost the entire length of the pint).

Smell is quite pleasant. No adjunct to be detected (possibly for the first time in a North American light beer), just hints of cereal grain, bready-biscuity malt, and a nice apricot/green apple sweetness (similar to what's found in Walkerville's Blonde Ale, but more subdued). Sweet bubblegum? There's nothing remarkable about the nose, but it would be respectable even for a non-light lager, so I'm giving it high marks here.

Taste is delicious. This is a thirst-quencher, a light drinker, and a clearly premium offer all at the same time - everything to everyone. Fairly sweet initially, offering up hints of apricot and green apple, the cereal grain eventually begins to assert itself, along with some gentle hopping. It dries as it goes down the mouth, ending with a nice bready-biscuity malt character. Quite crisp, and wonderfully flavourful - especially, not to sound like a broken record, for a light beer. What's more remarkable is that even when it begins to warm, it's still palatable (a first for a light beer, at least in my experience), and even enjoyable. Mild, but with enough character to satisfy most drinkers.

Mouthfeel is generally positive, with a few qualifiers. The carbonation is a bit too spritzy, but is wonderful in comparison to almost every other major lager I've tried (and doesn't take away from the pleasant flavour of this offering). Body is light (in accordance with the style) and yet paradoxically not at all watery - perhaps due to the lack of thinning adjunct.

Drinkability is wonderful. At 3.9% alcohol, this is a great session beer, even if it is a light lager - a good lawnmower beer, a good party beer, a good out-on-the-porch-with-the-boys beer. Not really complex, but quite tasty and I could see myself drinking four or five without even realizing I've done so.

As a beer, Walkerville Brewing's Superior Light is respectable but unspectacular. As a light beer, it is world class. Worth a try, especially because you can buy single bottles. In terms of reduced calories, this probably isn't the beer you're looking for (I can't find any comprehensive nutritional information), but it does have a very nice, respectable full-flavour taste.

A - Clear straw color. Maybe a shade darker than your average light beer. Head is wimpy.

S - Not much. Barely a hint of malt and a light floral hop.

T - Fizzy and seltzer like. Reminds me of club soda. Some bitterness is there, and the flavour is otherwise extremely light.

M - Light of course. Carbonation is extreme.

D - Well. It's a light lager. Pretty good I'd say for the style.

A: Golden-yellow, fluffy white head, very little retention but it leaves some lace. Good for a 'light' beer.

S: Floral hops (with some metallic grassyness as well). Slight bready malt & mineral aroma as well.

T: Plenty of hop flavour (floral, metallic & grassy), with an underlying bready maltyness that's impressive for its weight. Moderate bitterness is crisp & refreshing. Considering this is a 'light' beer, the flavour score is pushing a 4.5.

M: Moderate body with hints of a creamy smoothness is very impressive for its weight. Moderate carbonation.

D: Quite good.

For a light, North American beer, this is quite good. World class. Highly recommend it.

I think it's the best that Walkerville offers as well!

Picked this one up a couple days ago curious about it as i had not seen it before.

This poured a pretty average light beer yellow with a tiny head and some lacing. Smell contains some hop and barley aroma, which I normally find to be absent in light lagers. Taste was surprisingly good, Smooth and clean with an aroma of malted barley. Especially easy to drink too which is nice.

As a beer in whole, this is pretty good. But for a light lager, this is exceptional.

One of the better Light Lagers I've had. Poured out to a rich golden color with a nice head of foam billowing at about 1/2 inch, which remained consistant. Some lace. Aromas of fresh malts and grain, with light floral hops in the wings. Flavor is very light and subtle, but appropriate and enjoyable for the style; light malts, smooth grain and a hint of freshly harvested hops. Mouthfeel was smooth, refreshing and slightly zesty. Drinkability is good. I'll look for this state-side. Recommended drinking for the style.

Pours a hazy golden yellow, medium white head forms, sticks around, no lacing. Smell is grassy with lots of citrus, some floral, vanilla, nice malt. Light beer? Taste is pretty malty, dry graininess, citrus and floral, lots of malt in the finish. Mouthfeel is light bodied with medium carbonation. Wow, this is a really good light beer, much better than any other example, theres a lot of flavour in here.

Straw yellow with a bright white head. Short cap of foam after the pour - this reduced to a solid collar shortly. Some lacing. Mild sweet aroma with some grassy/citrus hops. More flavour than expected for a light lager. Decent malt character with floral hops. Some citrus as well and bitterness shows up in the finish. Light body without feeling too watery and the carbonation was not overdone. Not bad at all for the style - definitely light and refreshing. Head and shoulders above light national brand offerings.

This is a very tastey light lager.

It pours from its foil necked bottle a light gold (darker than most light lagers) with a persistent wispy head and decent lacing. The aroma is of light cracker like malts with a backing of grassy hops. The full of soft malts and zesty continental hops (saaz?) and minerals. The finish is light with not much bitterness. The mouthfeel is quite thick with a pleasantly delicate carbonation.

I was impressed with this beer. The best light lager Ive tried.

Just a hint of everything here, but no outstanding characteristics. Looks as about as good as any other macro, but light is is operative word here. Not flat out watery like a Sleeman Clear, but nothing about this to excite you as a beer drinker. Done. On to the next.

Certainly makes it as a light lager. Passable but nothing special here. Some initial head. Its better than your national brand but I had no interest after a couple swallow. Moderate malts, more promise in aroma of it. Medium mouthfeel. Bit of graininess. Tad of bitter finish.

On Tap at the brewery: Chatted up the brewer about this offering. Seems they wanted to target the lighter palate rather than the calorie conscious consumer. This is currently being sold on tap in Windosr area pubs. If you rate it in the category of "light beer" it shines as it has good body to it and fair "real beer" flavor in a category where most of the commercial lite beers taste like cardboard dipped in club soda. It is more like an all natural pale lager slightly dry with some good hop quality and a tasty light body with a nice bready-biscuit after taste....lower in alcohol (brewer told me it was arounf 4%) I think it will make it on the draft pub market as a light pale lager. It certainly has more body and flavor than Blue light or its mega clones.