The Beer World Cup last 16 now gets under way. Click on pictures and links to get a general review and info on the beers we will be a drinking during the Football World Cup
Brazil V Chile
Skol Lager V Nomade Scotch Ale: 0-2. Gave the win to Nomade as an ale it is always going to come out victorious over a light lager, no contest really. Sorry Skol, nice and all that you are, but its sweetness versus an ale tasting of traditional and smoked malts. Skol is a lovely beer that goes down very well, nice taste not bitter, and very very sweet. A nice looking beer too, decent head and appearance, with an lovely aroma of sweet corns, grain and hay. All very nice but I as said against a good ale it wont win. Nomade with its interesting fruity and malty aromas, a taste of sweet malts with hints of grapes and smoked malts. And a small bitter aftertaste that wasn’t overwhelming. And by the end Nomade was the alcohol that was strongest in terms of power for your buck. Victory to the plucky Chileans.
Japan V Costa Rica
Kirin Ichiban V Imperial Beer. 1-0 to Kirin Ichiban. The Japanese beer was pretty nice and quite drinkable with a lovely pale yellow colour appearance that had a very good sized creamy head that lasted. A good look. Imperial also looked the part. Crystal clear, pale golden straw colour, and, on pour, a small frothy white appeared. Both beers about equal on appearance. Both beers also about equal on smell, both having sweet aromas of toasted malt and a not overpowering smell, faint but nice. But it was the taste that separates the two similar beers. Both sweet, yes. Both smooth, refreshing and light, yes. But I felt that Kirin just edged it with its flavouring. Had more flavours that you could taste, of hay, wheat, and light floral hops, with what tasted like a subtle creamy aftertaste that was enjoyable. Imperial also had a creamy aftertaste of its own, but for some reason it left a dryer feeling in the mouth. Close, but Kirin wins this battle.
France V Argentina
Kronenbourg V Quilmes: 0-1 to Quilmes, who just shaded it in a very tight contest between two beers who match each other very well. Kronenbourg is a nicer looking beer, with an appearance that is hard to beat, a lovely clear amber colour, with a nice frothy white head. Quilmes, although decent, cant beat the French beer here. Both beers smelt sweet. Quilmes probably more obvious than Kronenbourg, with a malty aroma. For taste which is, of course, the most important factor, Quilmes just edged it. Kronenbourg has a lot of very interesting and complex flavouring going on: from fruit, sweet caramel malts, honey, to a sweet malt taste at the start followed up with a mild hop bitterness. All in all a good variety of flavours. Quilmes had also an interesting mix. There’s a little corn and grain sweetness to open it up, a kind of sickly sweet. It does eventually settle down into a nice decent drink and there is a bitter aftertaste which grows on you. It’s this aftertaste that gets the victory for Quilmes, a more lingering memory.
Germany V Russia
Baltika 6 Porter V Friedenfelser Urtyp Hell: 1-2 to Friedenfelser in a very very close contest, that went to extra time. I really enjoyed both beers, both different but with their own unique good tastes and quality’s. The final decision was which beer I would drink in extra time, and I went with the German beer, just. Baltika Porter, surprised me, I wasn’t expecting a porter from Russia to be so delicious. Appearance good, black and decent creamy head, its a porter after all. Strong aroma of chocolate and roasted malts, enticing. For a porter it didn’t have a very bitter taste, it was more sweet than bitter, and this meant it was very easy to drink. The taste was of dark chocolate, coffee and roasted malt, not overwhelming and not strong. But despite how smooth it was, there was a kick to it, that 7%ABV is there and you will notice it! Friedenfelser’s Urtyp Hell, on the other hand, was a lovely tasting beer that I could have drank all night. Good appearance of a lovely golden yellow colour, with a decent frothy head. Good aromas of malts and grains with notes of grassy hops. But it has a winnable taste that I loved. The flavours were of a light sweetness, a grainy malt taste and a light hop note. It tasted very nice and smooth and the flavours were not overbearing, making this beer an excellent session beer, and one of the best that I have had in this Beer World Cup. The beer that I wanted to drink more of in extra time was Friedenfelser Urtyp Hell
Australia V Mexico
VB Bitter V Corona: 3-0 to VB Bitter. Not really a whole lot to say. A strong “bitter” is not going to lose to a light beer, not in my World Cup anyway. Corona is a light beer that has a great refreshing taste, with flavours that are not overwhelming making the beer go down smooth and easily, but I want to actually taste something in my beer and VB does that for me, especially with its famous sour aftertaste.
England V Colombia
London Pride V Club Colombia: 2-1 to London Pride. Club Colombia, much like its football team, have surprised me in this beer World Cup. I have found it to be a very tasty refreshingly good beer, with a nice looking body that was enjoyable to drink. It pours a lovely clear gold body, with a decent frothy head that lasts and has a smell that is not overpowering but sweet and corn like. The taste was of sweet toasted malts with no real aftertaste. A decent light tasting beer that I would recommend for a good session. But up against a strong ale in London Pride a lager will have to be much more than just nice. It would have to be seriously amazing to beat London Pride’s taste extravaganza! London Pride with its famous amber reddish colour, aromas of some biscuit malts and earthy hops with hints of caramel sweetness, and tastes of light caramel, some earthy hops with a mild bitter aftertaste. Its taste is unique to London Pride, lots of flavours, subtle and complex. I also enjoyed the strong aftertaste, which made you feel in no doubt that you were drinking a strong ale. A win for the English ale.
Nigeria V Switzerland
Feldschlösschen Original Pale Lager V Guinness Export: 2-0 to Guinness Export as the stout beats the light tasting lager. Feldschlösschen is a good beer, with a nice taste and easy to drink. The appearance is of a pure clear yellow colour, bright and clean with a good big frothy head on top that stays. Looks refreshing and tantalisingly good. The aroma is light and malty, on the grainy side but with a little sweetness. The taste is of a classic lager style, nice crisp and a smooth refreshing drink. Grain dominates the taste with very little bitterness. Not complex, well balanced, and very easy to drink. Could drink these all day long. Could, but up against Guinness Export it wont win. Simply because of the flavouring, or lack of it in the Feldschlösschen lager. Guinness Export is the complete opposite, full of exciting and interesting flavours, that had a very powerful aftertaste. It pours the expected pitch black colour with a tan whitish head. A very strong aroma of dark cocoa, coffee and roasted malts. The smell is quite strong on the nose. It was a very strong tasting stout, with a long bitter aftertaste, that had a bite to it. Overall a good strong stout, tasting of roasted malt with traces of coffee. As you would expect with a Guinness stout the flavours are complex and well balanced, making it one of the worlds richest tasting beers, and no contest for a nice, very nice, but bland Swiss lager. 
USA V South Korea
Samuel Adams V Hite Lager: 2-0 to Samuel Adams. The American craft beer classic beats the Korean lager comfortably enough. Strong flavours, from the hops and malt, well balanced, with hints of caramel that lingers in the tongue. This is a delicious beer that looks great, golden with a good sized frothy head. Smell of malts and a bit of floral hops. This is a good all round package, good taste, smell and, of course, taste. Easy to like and enjoy. Hite lager is a nice, pleasant tasting beer, but I am looking for more than session beers at this stage of my beer world cup. Sweet, clear and crisp is all good but it will need a bit more to beat Samuel Adams. Hite is perfect as a session beer, as it goes down well, is pleasant and refreshing, and I would recommend it as a beer when having a nice meal.
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