India Beer
Molson Coors Canada

 

One of my favourite beers

While some beers are meant to be paired with a ethereal piece of dark chocolate or a delectable square of cheese India is best paired with good friends, shed parties, and another cold delicious India. Upon my first sip of India I frantically called the bartender over in panic, as I was certain he mistakenly served me liquid diamonds or the tears of a unicorn. I had no idea how I was going to pay for such a heavenly potion. I embarrassingly explained my situation as a sly smile slowly appeared on the bartenders face. With my head down in shame and sorrow, I asked how much it was and with a wink of the eye, the bartender whispered “first one’s on me” We’ve been in a throuple ever since.

 

I had this at the hotel bar in Port Au Choix
Light yellow color with a bubbly white head. The India in the name fooled me, shame on me. Middle of the road even bland golden ale.

Poors pale straw yellow with little head or lacing to speak of. Looks like a light lager. Aroma sweetish - corn? I am guessing substantial adjuncts. Flavour again sweet corn, buttery, a bit cloying.

 

Getting this beer is almost impossible here in Alberta, but when I go back out East to visit relatives, this is one of the go-to beers. A well balanced ale with nothing offensive taste-wise. Great label and who pours domestic brews into glasses anyway? Just enjoy it straight from the bottle. You can do a lot worse than this beer. For what it is, it's a great middle ground for someone who doesn't want to spend money on expensive craft beers, but doesn't want to stoop to the level that is Budweiser or Coors Light.

Give it a try if you're in Newfoundland.

 

 

 

 

 

The glass would have to shake like Labrador retriever to get all this lace off it; a cottony mound of head climbed three fingers high at its peak and left an awful mess as it sank. This clear, almost whitish looking beer still has some shimmering gold in its complexion and also has got bubbles that bounce off the bottom as if they were on a pogo stick.

The aroma is a difficult thing to grade because the grading alphabet only goes to 'F'. Why do all Molson beers smell like warm canned cream corn? (Answer: because they all use corn derived adjuncts to cut costs, dilute flavour and ensure consistency.) No wonder the brewery insists on having consumers drink their beers ice cold and directly from the bottle.

What do Molson beers and Beavis and Butthead have in common? Both have made careers from crude, simple-minded products of questionable taste that appeal mainly to the teenage demographic. I don't mean to knock an iconic cartoon, but Molson is truly the real 'Great Cornholio'. All their beers taste of nothing but canned cream corn. Although, to be fair, that flavour in this one is severely diminished. In all honestly, India Beer is passable.

Its flavour is light and its is body thin, which are good things. Don't get me wrong, light-flavored, thin-bodied macro lagers is not a club of which I'm a member of, but a guy can sympathize. I imagine that's what most Molson drinkers are looking for. Plus, unlike most other Molson beers, this one is fairly agreeable (only in that it's not particularly disagreeable).

I’ve heard of people enjoying Molson products, but not in my own experience have I ever. This brewery makes more middling, mildly offensive, chemical-ridden lagers than I’ve had hot dinners. Truthfully, this is one I don't terribly mind, but it must be said that the best thing India Beer has going for it is the picture of the Newfoundland dog on its label.

Here's another beer listed as 'retired' but I recently purchased it in CornerBrook Newfoundland. Perhaps I was just getting some old stock.. it was purchased from a gas station/convenience store.

341ml bottle poured into a pint glass

Appearance - pours a golden yellow, a decent size fizzy/foamy white head on an aggressive pour, that stuck around for a little while

Smell - hops and a grass, slight malts

Taste & Mouth - average carbonation, and a medium body. Hops, floral notes, and a nice dry finish. Came across as slightly watery.

Drink - Not a horrible beer, but also not one that stood out. A decent beer if the selection is poor.

I believe this is actually a lager, similar to what's brewed in India.

A: Yellow with a white head, very little retention, some lace.

S: Slightly bready with hints of spice & floral hops.

T: Slighlty bready, light hop spicing, balanced bitterness, hints of DMS & diacetyl.

M: Light to moderate body is fairly smooth with a dry finish.

D: It's alright.

Crisp light gold with a small head of white that fades quickly. Aromas of sweet adjuncts and a bit of low hitting European hop varietels. Taste is not very hoppy, more sweet and corny, but somehow it works and makes this very light, fizzy, and refreshing. It is what it is, the ultimate Newfoundland macro lager. Drink with restraint or in restraints, but any cod kissing screech in beings with 12 cold indias purchased at the nearest irving mainway...

Brewed by Molson's this beer, for some, is an old and cherished beer from Newfoundland. It even has a likeness of the head of a big black Newfoundland dog on the label. Lovely malt smell hit the nose after it pours out a golden colour with a fine head that eventually disappears. No matter, this thirst quenching brew goes down smooth leaving a slight aftertaste of hops. It is an east coast Canadian beer - what can I say. I like it and it is one of two or three Newfoundland beers loved by Newfoundlanders and they don't really care what us mainlanders think.

So, when in Newfoundland drink it (India Beer is not available outside Newfoundland that I know of). Even if you don't like this beer the Newfoundlanders' friendliness will more than make up for it. Some might not rate it as high as I did but you obviously don't know what it would mean to be on the wrong side of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Drop a shot of Newfoundland Screech into your glass of India and you got a drink called a "dizzy indian." If you don't know what Screech is you need to make a trip to the rock.