Found a beer made in Portugal and wanted to give you PHM readers some diversity. The label says it is a “Holland-style lager” which immediately conjured up thoughts of Heineken, Amstel, and Gouden Haven. I enjoy these beers from time-to-time so Mikate sounded appealing. Here is the kicker my friends; it’s nowhere close to replicating the popular Dutch lagers.
Yes, it looked like a lager, all golden in color and topped with a very lacking white head, but it lacked the quality of those big Dutch brewers. It smelled corny, cheap, and presented a small amount of lager characteristics (not pungent like a Heine). I thought to myself, “its adjunct time” as I took the first sip.
The taste was rather bland and uneventful. The hops were non-existent in both the nose and mouth. There was a minor malt sweetness which dissipated quickly. I had it stored in my very cold fridge so the only redeeming quality for this beer was that it refreshed my palate and thirst. The finish is crisp, but only because of the cold temp. It has a very light mouthfeel and the aftertaste is of canned corn. I would only recommend this beer if you are craving a quick drinker with a low ABV (4.7%) to simply shake off the heat. However, I can think of a number of beers cheap beers I’d rather drink first. Not worth your time.
ABV: 4.7%
Grade: D-