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Caribbean Lager
Banks (Barbados) Breweries Limited
Beer Geek Stats
| Print Shelf Talker
- From:
- Banks (Barbados) Breweries Limited
- Barbados
- Style:
- American Adjunct Lager
Ranked #118 - ABV:
- 4.7%
- Score:
- 68
Ranked #30,007 - Avg:
- 2.89 | pDev: 20.76%
- Reviews:
- 107
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Mar 12, 2023
- Added:
- Jul 23, 2003
- Wants:
- 3
- Gots:
- 34
SCORE
68
Poor
68
Poor
Notes:
Formerly Banks Beer. This is the legendary Caribbean beer, made in Guyana since 1955, Barbados since 1961 and celebrated across the region.
17 IBU
17 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Spike from England
2.6/5 rDev -10%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
2.6/5 rDev -10%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
Drunk from the bottle in Barbados. An acceptable beach beer when very cold. Becomes unacceptable as it warms. Basically just like every other bog standard, cheap & sweet macro lager.
Mar 12, 2023
Reviewed by RuffReader from Ohio
2.96/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3
2.96/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3
Drunk directly from a bottle while traveling in Guyana, so ignore the look score. Aroma is very malty and one dimensional, and the taste matches that, although there’s a sweetness upfront followed by an unpleasant aftertaste. Too high of carbonation for my tastes. Overall just too harsh and unrefined to make me want to down multiple of these or drink every day.
Jan 30, 2023
Rated by harrypowers from Massachusetts
3.5/5 rDev +21.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev +21.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Barbados was hot and humid.
This beer was hoppy, watery and above all cold.
It's a decent beach beer.
Jul 30, 2021This beer was hoppy, watery and above all cold.
It's a decent beach beer.
Reviewed by chitoryu12 from Florida
2.59/5 rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5
2.59/5 rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5
Look: Very pale yellow. One finger of fizzy white head with decent retention.
Smell: Definitely skunked. Sweet corn syrup underneath.
Taste: Slightly skunky corn adjunct malt with a metallic aftertaste.
Mouthfeel: Seltzer.
Overall: Stick to rum.
Jun 28, 2020Smell: Definitely skunked. Sweet corn syrup underneath.
Taste: Slightly skunky corn adjunct malt with a metallic aftertaste.
Mouthfeel: Seltzer.
Overall: Stick to rum.
Reviewed by VoxRationis from New York
3.71/5 rDev +28.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.71/5 rDev +28.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Decanted from an 11.2 oz (330 ml) brown bottle into a nonic pint glass; bottle 04/20/19.
A: Pours a nearly crystal clear, golden color with a less than one finger, white head, rim retention, and limited, fairly soapy lacing.
S: Aroma of bakery bread crust and honey suckle.
T: Semidry. Flavors of bread (think pumpernickel), unrefined grains, and a spices (pepper, even tabasco). Bitterness strong for an AAL, but it does work.
M: Light to medium bodied with low to moderate effervescence.
O: I enjoyed this one. For something coming out of Barbados, kudos for the brown bottle, I thought it drank well and I can definitely see it complementing spicy Caribbean food.
Jun 09, 2019A: Pours a nearly crystal clear, golden color with a less than one finger, white head, rim retention, and limited, fairly soapy lacing.
S: Aroma of bakery bread crust and honey suckle.
T: Semidry. Flavors of bread (think pumpernickel), unrefined grains, and a spices (pepper, even tabasco). Bitterness strong for an AAL, but it does work.
M: Light to medium bodied with low to moderate effervescence.
O: I enjoyed this one. For something coming out of Barbados, kudos for the brown bottle, I thought it drank well and I can definitely see it complementing spicy Caribbean food.
Reviewed by Franziskaner from Missouri
3.19/5 rDev +10.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.19/5 rDev +10.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Gold in color with a fingernail of off white around the rim. The aroma is of corn. I taste corn and faint German grassy hops. The mouth is light and easygoing.
Apr 10, 2019
Reviewed by Nass from Florida
3.35/5 rDev +15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75
3.35/5 rDev +15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75
There is a best by date on the bottle & it's in yellow print, Banks is a smart brewery. On to the review, this beer pours a white head with a dark yellow / light orange sort of color. I'm tasting some grains, malts, baked biscuit, some crisp, & faint hops, grass, This sure is a pleasant tasting lager. Cheers! B-
Feb 28, 2019
Reviewed by EMH73 from New York
3.01/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
3.01/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
Given to me from a co-worker from Barbados. Surprisingly good for an AAL. No off putting smells or flavors. Light grainy malts, corn and the slightest hop presence. Light bodied, light to medium carbonation, watery mouth feel. I imagine this would be so much better sitting on the beach in Barbados.
Oct 13, 2018
Reviewed by Jlabs from New York
3.68/5 rDev +27.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.68/5 rDev +27.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Drunk straight from the bottle
Color is a nice amber
Smell is roasted malt
Taste is very bland..not much here
Carbonation is high, mouthfeel is light
One and done..pass
Jan 07, 2018Color is a nice amber
Smell is roasted malt
Taste is very bland..not much here
Carbonation is high, mouthfeel is light
One and done..pass
Reviewed by sholland119 from Pennsylvania
3.5/5 rDev +21.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev +21.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
As Caribbean adjunct lagers so, this one is pretty good. Was it mind blowing? Would I seek it out? No and no. Did I enjoy the pleasant light grainy malt character and slightly sweet finish while sitting on the beach in Barbados in late winter? Yes and yes and yes. Well made, totally drinkable.
Mar 09, 2017
Reviewed by DoctorZombies from Florida
3.15/5 rDev +9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.15/5 rDev +9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Thick white foam on pale gold (4) pour; decent head and cap retention with aggressive pour; spotty lace at best. Corn bread and biscuits aroma. DMS and slightly sweet. Lite, watery feel; moderate carbonation. Ok lager, the locals say, "drinks like water." True enough.
Oct 01, 2016
Caribbean Lager from Banks (Barbados) Breweries Limited
Beer rating:
68 out of
100 with
237 ratings
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