Last updated on August 16th, 2012 at 10:17 am
Looking to enjoy the last weeks of football season with the perfect brew?
Coors regular topped Consumer Reports’ recent taste test of beers, blowing away nine brews including Budweiser and Bud Light. Name Tag and Big Flats store brands from Trader Joe’s and Walgreens, respectively, beat out top-sellers Corona Extra and Budweiser. The full report and ratings of beer are featured in the February issue of Consumer Reports and online (beginning Jan. 3) at www.ConsumerReports.org.
To determine the best brews, the experts at Consumer Reports conducted blind taste tests of 10 lagers—eight top-selling regular and light beers plus two store brands. Though none of the beers were scored a touchdown, Coors, which scored very good but not quite high enough to be rated excellent, came close—standing out for balanced flavors with citrus notes and no off-tastes. In addition to earning the highest marks in Consumer Reports’ tests, Coors, available for $6.45 for a 6-pack, was deemed a “CR Best Buy” along with runners-up Name Tag (Trader Joe’s), Big Flats (Walgreens) and Miller High Life.
When it comes to choosing a beer, taste may be the most important factor to consider, but Consumer Reports tests found that consumers should also keep the following in mind:
• Regular vs. light. Light beer has 20 to 50 less calories per serving due to lower carbs and slightly less alcohol, but no tested light scored high enough to be very good. Miller Lite, which had more flavor and is a little fruiter than most, was best of the bunch; while Corona Light, a bitter brew with traces of tinny and sulfury off-notes, was the worst.
• Price vs. taste. Corona Light costs more than the higher-rated Miller Lite; and Corona Extra costs about twice as much as three better beers—Name Tag, Big Flats and Miller High Life.
• Cans vs. bottles. Consumer Reports tasted beer from cans that do a better job than bottles in keeping light from getting inside. Light can react with beer within weeks or even days to create compounds similar to those a skunk uses to defend itself.
