Japan’s oldest brand (now also brewed in Canada) proffers sweet cereal-malted corn sugar contingency deteriorated by inappropriate sharp-hopped metallic pang, gluey honeyed rice pasting and sour Scotch snip. Harsh enzymes mire dilapidated finish of slick golden-cleared lager.

Carbolic hop fizz, skunked sour malts, waves of barleycorn, and slight molasses creaminess give buttery Scottish premium well-balanced, though watery, flow. Frisky earthen bitterness lingers, but soapy finish weakens substantially. Strangely reminiscent of (and better-tasting than) Genesee Cream Ale.

Bubbly white-headed golden-bodied sour-candied lager with frisky carbonation. When fizz settles, sullen crystal malt finish just ain’t enough.

Pronounced Ji-veech, this lightweight pale lager tosses gooey honey malting atop sharp floral spicing. Mild sourdough tease, sugary almond pasting, nutty coarseness and lemony subtleties linger across phenolic hop bittering to indiscernible watered-down butterscotch finish.

Clear-toned tequila-wafted Mexican bantamweight maintains stereotypical crisp watery consistency and soft citric tang. Mild toasted hops scamper through soft barley-rice malting. Somewhat lighter yet more enjoyable than many South of the Border beers, despite vegetal mire. Serve with lime to awaken flavor profile.

Pastry-like caramelized barleymalts invigorate clean-watered bitter hop moderation and rustic oats toasting of unobtrusive run of the mill Eastern Euro pilsner. Perfect complement to Polish sausage, kielbasa, or sauerbraten.

Up-front glutinous wheat sweetness and cloying corn sugaring embellish simple hop flow. Musty yeast souring counters Vienna-styled cereal-grained malts, combining for prosaic Euro Scotch essence. But unassumingly soapy butterscotch finish lags behind.

Light-bodied amber lager with slight sourdough frontage and wheat biscuit bottom depleting minor diacetyl interference. Phenol lemon tang recalls sunny southerly pilsner.

Typical grain-heightened Eastern European lager brings musty malts and bitter hops to anonymous diacetyl finish. Slightest lemon drop in deep recess mired by overly watery texture and negative sour yeast quality.

Distinct agave-tequila aroma hits the nose as soon as bottle opens. Best with lemon twist. More full-bodied and hop-pepped than most Mexican brews.

Keen copper-hued Munich ‘helles’ lager maintains decent head, sinewy yeast residue, deep-grained hop bitterness, and unctuous pale malt summit nearly reminiscent of toasted brown ales. Brewery defunct: 2005.

Inexpressive green-bottled pale-yellowed light body fails to provide enough lemony grapefruit spritz for sweet corn-rice adjuncts, bringing about soapy malt dankness. Abysmal metallic drear ransacks any further distinction.