Country of Origin: Romulus
Price comparison: $1.50 per twelve ounce bottle.
Alcohol percentage by volume: Not listed, but certainly very low. No more than 4%, at a guess.
Cute bottle/label? 12 ounce clear, standard-shaped bottle. Metallic label depicting the blue, green, and black insignia of the Romulan Empire; logo in Romulan with a Federation (standard English) translation.
Appearance: It's fucking blue, people. Windex-blue. With a short-lived head that was also undeniably blue.
Scent: Inoffensive, light lager nose. Nothing specific springs to attention, aroma-wise.
Flavor: It tasted better than I expected it to, under the circumstances. Flavorwise, a very mild lager; nice balance of light malt and hops. Easy mouthfeel and surprisingly light, dry finish.
Impressions: I wanted this to be a hell of a lot stronger than it was, just because it's legendary in the fictional Star Trek universe for having been outlawed due to its potency.
Will I buy this beer again? Absolutely not, and I'm going to tell you why.
It did taste okay, as I said. It would go well paired with any food you might drink pilsner with (ethnic spicy foods, shellfish, strong greens like arugula and watercress). I think it might have a tendency to skunk if not bought extremely fresh and kept only for a short time, very cold and away from light (due to the clear bottle), but the bottle I had was fine.
It occurred to me I might buy some more if I was expecting one of my fellow geekoids to visit. I could break out the bottle of Romulan Ale and some funky glasses and we could get down with our bad pocket-protected selves. (I might, to make it a bit more authentic, add some vodka or grain alcohol to increase the "illegal in the Federation" credibility status.)
However, the next morning I decided I will never do that.
I just have two words for you. Blue. Pee.
If you want to try this once, go for it ... make sure the bottle is very new, chill it (and the glass, if you're planning to pour it) well, and save the bottle, because the label is very cool in a dorky way. Do not expect to be overwhelmed by the flavor, do not expect it to take you anywhere, alcoholically, and do be prepared to be horrified when your body finishes processing the beer and rinses out the dye.
Rating:
5 out of 5 chalk marks. Chalking it up to experience.
Reviewed: October 16, 2005
