March 30, 2004
Layla Dirty Blonde Lager
Recommended by: Spencer the Scruffy Beer Kid
Price comparison: About the same as everyday beer.
Alcohol percentage by volume: I cannot find a listing, nor is it noted on the bottle. Whatever it is, it's low; certainly less than 5%.
Cute bottle/label? Six-pack of standard shaped 11.2-ounce brown glass bottles; oval navy blue label trimmed with red and depicting a stringed instrument drawn in rather a Chagall style.
Appearance: Dark clear yellow-orange with a small white head and no lace.
Scent: Hoppy without being perfumy, i.e., more like leaves than like flowers.
Flavor: Light and uncomplicated; hoppier than the average lager with a little bit of caramel and malt at the finish.
Impressions: Another helpful pronunciation hint from your friendly neighborhood amateur beer reviewer: the name of this beer looks like "Layla" (the girl who had Eric Clapton on his knees) but is actually pronounced "lie-lah" (like Delilah, the woman who punked Samson and Tom Jones) and is the Hebrew word for "evening".
But I digress.
This is a clean beer, refreshing, drinkable, more interesting and robust (and certainly hoppier) than a traditional lager. It would pair well with barbecue or a strong seafood like grilled salmon. And yes, it's kosher, if that's what you're shopping for.
Will I buy this beer again? I might. I wasn't wowed, but neither was I put off. My guess is that I would only purchase this again for something different to serve to family and friends, from a nation not normally heard from in terms of beer.
Rating:
2½ out of 5 cute beer glasses