REVIEW: Tusker Lager: Put the “Africa” back in “Beer”
By Lieutenant Lager on Oct 20, 2007 in Brew Reviews
Truthfully, I was both afraid and excited to try this baby. I’d never had an African beer prior to this, and what little I knew about African beer was bad. To me, beer in Africa meant ten year olds in death squads drinking an awful concoction known as banana beer (Elmore Leonard’s “Pagan Babies”- I don’t have any personal experience with death squads- thank god).
Tusker, on the other hand, tastes closer to what you might expect from the romanticized portrait of the Serengeti. This beer is earthy- there is a comparatively strong, sweet malty taste, given that Tusker is actually a pretty light beer. Also, the bready aftertaste gives it a somewhat blunted finish. In my book, sweet maltiness +bready, blunted aftertaste= earthy. Tusker really did not stand out as having much else to it other than these two attributes. I don’t want to ignore the elephant in the room, this beer is more of a novelty than it is a “must drink”. The key to enjoying your Tusker is to imagine yourself putting back a few while sitting on top of a safari van looking out at a pride of lions around sunset…I, however, drank this in my kitchen at 8:00 AM- no, it was more like 9:30. Tusker was interesting to try, but I’m not going to pay a premium to get this import again.
I’m gonna get one of these and pretend I’m on a safari but I got gangrene and now all I do is lay around reminiscing, feeling death creeping closer, and being a jerk to my wife. Ahh… Africa.
The Kolonel will be back in posting action next week once I get done with this infernal trip to what is apparently the monsoon season in Florida.
In case you nitzes didn’t get it that was a Hemingway reference up there…
Kolonel Tripel | Oct 20, 2007 | Reply
Snows of… yes… quite.
Captain Beer | Oct 22, 2007 | Reply
Oh and also, I’ve only had a few African beers and, really, they don’t stand out. The only one I even recall was an Eritrean lager that tasted like Coors Light. I’m not saying there’s not good beer from Africa, but I am saying that I have yet to find it. I’m sure there are some jewels out there (perhaps even… diamonds!?) but they are, to date, well hidden.
Captain Beer | Oct 22, 2007 | Reply
Well Captain, I’d give the Eritreans props for just being able to make a beer, considering they’re generally busy getting their butts kicked by, um… Ethiopia?!
Kolonel Tripel | Oct 22, 2007 | Reply
It appears those Eritreans and Ethopians are at it again…ahh Africa…I’m glad I don’t live there…
Lieutenant Lager | Nov 29, 2007 | Reply
L.T… I’ve been wondering about Lagers recently… perhaps… you could recommend one to the world? I would but… I won’t instead.
Captain Beer | Nov 29, 2007 | Reply