Review: Tecate Cerveza (Mexico)

After Corona and Sol, Tecate is one of the most popular beers to come out of Mexico. While it isn't available here in Manitoba, it is available throughout Canada. My parents brought a few cans of Tecate cerveza because they found it too malty. Since I will try any beer once twice, of course I had to do a review.

Appearance: a clear straw golden yellow, like most standard North American lagers. Slightly darker than a Corona or Sol but not by much. Decent amount of off-white foamy head that's gentley going down.

Aroma: I'm experiencing headcold 2.0 so my senses suck right now (and always). The aroma of the Tecate was immediate as soon as I cracked open the can. A very sweet malt, aroma of straw, a bit of skunkiness, and overall grainy. I can already see why my finicky Molson-67 loving parents dislike this.

Taste: More bitter than expected, not a great hoppy bitterness, but more from the malt. More flavourful than the standard Mexican lagers, but still pretty damned meh. As you first take a sip, you don't notice anything, it seems watery, then wham, the maltiness makes an appearance. Doesn't have as much of that yuck maltiness you see in beers like Coors Light or most North American lagers, which is good, but it still makes a small presence. A bit of a slightly bitter/metallic aftertaste. Quite hay-like in flavour.

Overall Thoughts: More upfront flavour from the malt than most standard North American lagers or tropical beers, so it does turn off people looking for a Corona, though it's only meh at best. More enjoyable than a Molson 67 any day of the week. 4.5% ABV.