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**Qhrumphf** · 07-11-2012, 08:08 PM

I've had a Heineken or two that wasn't skunky, and even then it wasn't stellar. Don't like Becks or St. Pauli Girl all that much either. I don't mind Stella Artois (again, assuming it's not horribly skunked).

I've also read (I forget where) that some Euro brewers intentionally let them get skunky when exporting over here, because the American masses have grown to expect it and would think something was wrong if it wasn't skunked.

**TopherM** · 07-11-2012, 08:18 PM

Heineken is one of the big supporters of those 5L mini kegs. There's no reason those would be skunked, but they seem to taste the same as the bottles to me!

**cclloyd** · 07-11-2012, 08:46 PM

Agreed on Heineken tasting much better in Amsterdam. Could've been the dry mouth but it did taste better than it does here in the states regardless of the reason.

Wirk · 07-11-2012, 10:11 PM

Its awful, at least here in Chile.

woody34 · 07-11-2012, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cclloyd

Agreed on Heineken tasting much better in Amsterdam. Could've been the dry mouth but it did taste better than it does here in the states regardless of the reason.

Nice. Amsterdam dry mouth would make a lot of beers drinkable.

BigEd · 07-11-2012, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dondford

Just curious Guys: What is the general homebrewing community's opinion of Heineken.

Thanks,
D

Quote:

Originally Posted by dondford

Same question for Beck's

Not great but OK in a pinch. Old guys like me remember when Heineken was one of the few beers you could find other than American macro lager. The big problem is the green bottles and stupid retailers who always seem to expose them to fluorescent light. Couple this with the average, ignorant American consumer who thinks the skunked aroma is actually supposed to be there. Both beers are basically mass market, mega brewed Euro lagers with a bit more flavor and hops than the American BMC stuff. It's not a beer I'm going to seek out or buy but I can choke a couple down at a friend's cookout. Fresh and on tap the beer is far superior to the green bottled product and can be an out if you get stuck in a joint without any craft beer.

**sweetcell** · 07-11-2012, 10:24 PM

heineken is to NL what budweiser is to the US. both are light boring beers that are recognized as such at home, but somehow get to charge a premium overseas.

boo boo · 07-11-2012, 10:31 PM

Heini in a can is great. No skunk.

brewski08 · 07-12-2012, 01:20 AM

call me crazy, but i think a quality company that has been brewing for over a hundred years knows a little bit more than the home brewing community. i highly doubt the risks of using green bottles have simply slipped the minds of all the Heinekin brewers, researchers, and zymurgists only for the beer snob to put up his nose and dismiss a company that knows much, much, much more about beer, its production, and its proper handling. i also highly doubt that Heinekin--the 3rd largest beer producer in the world--allows its product (that they have put millions of dollars into producing) to be neglected in the shipping process.

Heinekin uses isomerized hops just like Corona and several other clear beer companies. these hops are not "skunked" by UV light.

Heinekin is a pilsner with pilsner malt being its base grain. pilsner malt is known to collect/produce copious amounts of sulfur. the quantity of sulfur in a Heinekin is what makes beer drinkers misperceive the beer as "skunky". those who say they can tell the difference between a bottled Heinekin and a kegged Heinekin, this is not because one is skunked and the other is not.

if you really want to know what a truly skunked beer tastes like, bottle one of your home-brews in a clear bottle and leave it in the sun for a day. i think you will then be able to notice a clear distinction between a truly skunked beer and a Heinekin.

evrose · 07-12-2012, 02:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewski08

call me crazy, but i think a quality company that has been brewing for over a hundred years knows a little bit more than the home brewing community. i highly doubt the risks of using green bottles have simply slipped the minds of all the Heinekin brewers, researchers, and zymurgists only for the beer snob to put up his nose and dismiss a company that knows much, much, much more about beer, its production, and its proper handling. i also highly doubt that Heinekin--the 3rd largest beer producer in the world--allows its product (that they have put millions of dollars into producing) to be neglected in the shipping process.

Heinekin uses isomerized hops just like Corona and several other clear beer companies. these hops are not "skunked" by UV light.

Heinekin is a pilsner with pilsner malt being its base grain. pilsner malt is known to collect/produce copious amounts of sulfur. the quantity of sulfur in a Heinekin is what makes beer drinkers misperceive the beer as "skunky". those who say they can tell the difference between a bottled Heinekin and a kegged Heinekin, this is not because one is skunked and the other is not.

if you really want to know what a truly skunked beer tastes like, bottle one of your home-brews in a clear bottle and leave it in the sun for a day. i think you will then be able to notice a clear distinction between a truly skunked beer and a Heinekin.

Yes, yes... all of that is lovely prose... but how then do you explain the fact that Heineken almost always smells like a wet shaggy dog?

Woof.