Victoria Bitter (VB)

So.. a premium lager known that brings to mind images of bogans more than beer afficionados. How would it stack up these days?

We all know these macro produced premium lagers are not going to stack up to the more refined nuances of craft beer. But, well, sometimes needs must, and there must therefore be a craft drinker's premium lager.. the best of a bad lot, if we're being crude.

Which brings us to VB. I approached this with a grin and little expectation I'd manage to finish the glass but to be honest it's palatable enough for what it is, and ahead of a couple of other examples I'd been force fed recently. The pour is highly aerated and an insiped clear amber colour with a fleeting bubbly head. Aroma is Ringwood, metallic notes, dead malt. Not impressive. But taste.. well it does at least have some sort of character to it, ie it has a number of stages that it progresses through from a burst of bitter nondescript ground hops first up, to a malty flat denouement.

There's not a lot of complexity to the flavour but hey - I managed to finish 3/4 of the glass before tipping it out and actually enjoyed (to a point) most of it. Early frontrunner in the macro lager cup? 2.5