Beer Description
Whilst looking through some beers at the local gas station I thought to myself, I should really try some classic cheap beers. I would like to review a few beers that some beer snob might turn their noses up on. My first instinct was Steel Reserve to Natty Light. When I went to the section of the cooler with cheep light beers and I noticed that Steel Reserve seemed to have revamped it’s look. They had a number of new flavored drinks and even a new can for it’s flagship, high gravity, lager.
Steel Reserve is probably best known for allowing someone down on their luck to get a cheap beer with a high alcohol content. Only Steel Reserve can get a man drunk for $1.50. The price point for the 4-pack that I purchased was about a dollar and a quarter per pint. While it is true that Steel Reserve is not a beloved beer amongst the craft brew crowd, I am going to try my best to give an honest review.
Reverend’s Review
Without too much introduction, I have to say that this 8.1% version is MUCH better than the 6% version. That aside, this beer was served cold in a glass for the first part of the review and then I let is warm up a bit closer to room temperature. You can probably guess which temperature was best to consume this beer. Like most light beers it was much better cold.
The initial smell is malty and is quite pronounced during the pour. It also has a slight hint of abbey ale yeast in the nose and in the taste. I am not sure what kind of yeast that is used for this lager, however, it has a sure banana note in the flavor that is classic of such yeast strains. The cold flavor provides an ever so slight hint of citrus (think lemon) but it is not very pronounced.
After tasting this pint of beer from different angles and from a completely neutral point of view, I believe that this beer would get much higher ratings online if it were in a blind taste test. I feel like most online reviews are quite fair, however, the user ratings are very low. Professional beer reviewers give it a much higher rating. I feel that many craft beer snobs are bringing their cultural biases to the table when reviewing this beer. I really do not like light beers, however, I would drink this on a hot summer day without a single hesitation.
Aroma: Aroma is very faint but classic of a malt lager. Smell gets strong when warming but not necessarily better.
Taste: Taste is actually quite nice. It’s typical of a light lager but has a fruity quality that would remind some beer drinkers of an abbey style brew. The taste is best served cold.
Texture: The beer is crisp and refreshing but not a high carbonation level.
Finish: The finish is a bit citrus-like with “lite” beer hint. However, it;s WAY better than a Bud Lite or a Miller Lite. In fact, it’s light years better.
Comparisons: Unsure if this has a real comparison but a very light Belgian Dubble might come close if some Miller Lite was poured in it.
Steel Reserve 211 (High Gravity)
Pros
- 8.1% ABV
- Pint Cans
- Price
Cons
- Aroma is weak and uneventful
- Can't let it warm up
2 Comments
Uber · May 13, 2019 at 4:01 am
What Does “High Gravity” mean? Gravity is not proven, Cavendish didn’t prove anything. Newton’s equations were useless because he did not know 3 of the variables.
Rev · May 13, 2019 at 1:44 pm
High gravity refers to the method by which ABV is calculated. A cylinder of wort is measured by using a gravity measuring device which is basically a hollow glass stick with weight added to the bottom. The more solids that are in the wort the higher the stick will float in the tube of wort. A second reading is made after the fermentation process to show the changes in sugar content. This is how we know that a particular amount of sugar has been converted to alcohol…. we can measure the difference from before and after fermentation.
I am aware that flat earthers don’t believe in gravity and I am truly sorry that the public education system has failed you. However, assuming flat earthers were right about gravity never having been “proven” (which it has), the argument for alternate explanations have been shown to be impossible. For example, the constant acceleration model based on the idea that the flat earth is accelerating upward…. this is absolutely ridiculous. 9.8m/s2 is an impossible acceleration to maintain for a long duration because eventually the earth would be going passed the speed of light. Explanation and calculations can be read HERE.
Additionally, if UA is not accepted and you rely on the density/buoyancy theory, you still have to explain what causes it. At least UA provides an a description of cause and not just the effects. Density theory only describes an effect (I.E. things fall due to density) but does not explain WHY or HOW this model works.
On the other hand, the current model of gravity describes how and what it is, what causes it, and those theories can be tested and proven through experiments and mathematics. Just because YOU don’t understand the explanation or the math, it does not mean that it’s wrong. It means that you need to spend less time on youtube and more time reading a science book.