Beer of the Weekend #135: James Boag's Premium Lager

I’m double dippin’ this weekend to fit in a lager I’ve had my eye on for a while. Though it may be available in IC (it’s listed on the Dirty John’s website), I don’t want to take any chances. I want to try it while it’s accessible.

The second beer this weekend is James Boag’s Premium Lager, brewed by J. Boag & Son in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.


Serving type: Six 12.7-ounce (375 ml) bottles. To reiterate, let me write that again: 12.7-ounce (375 ml) bottles. If US brewers ever decide to metrify, I hope they turn to the Aussies for inspiration. There’s a cryptic code printed on the bottle, but I doubt if it’s a freshness date.

Appearance: Poured a clear straw yellow. Two fingers of white head developed and dissipated to a foamy lacing with a ring around the edge.

Smell: Major adjunct corn. That’s about it.

Taste: Follows the adjunct aroma. Sweet barnyard-like grains and corn, corn, corn.

Drinkability: It’s not much. It’s drinkable and inoffensive, but I wonder if it’ll give me diarrhea.

Fun facts about JBPL:

-Style: Euro pale lager.

-Price: $9.99/sixer at the Beach BevMo!. I think that price makes it the most expensive base lager I’ve ever drank. Much like Stella Artois, it’s only premium in price.

-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.

-Alcohol content: 5 percent ABV.

-Food pairings: From the James Boag’s’ website: “James Boag’s Premium Lager’s smooth, subtle flavours are the ideal accompaniment to seafood, a perfect match of flavour intensity.”

-JBPL came in one of those funky Aussie sixer’s:


-JBPL was launched in 1994.

-I think tonight is a good time to share this YouTube gem I stumbled on a few years ago:



Though entertaining and funny, the video irks me for a few reasons. Everyone who’s serious about beer knows Aussies don’t drink Foster’s. In fact, I think it’s common knowledge — one of those debunked marketing ploys everyone becomes privy of sometime or another — anyway. (Judging by the comment board, though, I could be wrong.) So dude (mate), why waste your time telling us what we already know? It makes you look retarded. Frankly, sampling brews one after another that way makes him look retarded regardless. And please tell me someone finished those beers. Foster’s may not be great, but it’s still much better than the macro swill common in the US. (In Foster’s defense: I have not had it in a long time, but always considered it a decent lager. It’s not outstanding, but drinkable.)


The Quiet Man’s grade: C-.

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