REVIEW 8: FOSTER'S LAGER

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  Australia/USA (The brewery is Australian by origin, but if you're drinking it here, it was brewed here, either in Albany, Georgia or Fort Worth, Texas.)

BREWERY:  Foster's Group Limited

STYLE:  Adjunct Lager

ABV:  5.0%

PURCHASE:  Case of 12 25.4-oz "Oil Cans," $24.99.

SERVING:  Oil Can, poured into pint glass. From the can, extremely heady even with a relatively slow pour. Had to wait several minutes to finish filling. On a subsequent pour, slowed down to as thin a continuous dispensation as one can muster, and still yielded roughly three full inches.

APPEARANCE:  Light brassy color, and about as transparent a beer can get without being water. Bright white, Alka-Seltzer quality head with dense retention for a pale lager. Leaves scattered, irregular lacing.

BOUQUET:  Bready and moderately husky. No surprise there, given that it's an adjunct. Faint hops, but more on the malty side of the scale. Lacks the "cooked-veggie" element common in most other adjuncts, particularly those from North America. Somewhat floral. Overall, amiable and even pleasant, dare I say it.

PALATE:  Light-medium body with very subtle carbonation--especially for this style of beer--that takes its time asserting itself. Slightly astringent entry that seems initially unable to make up its mind where it wants to go, but does as we enter mid-palate. The resonant trait here is utter smoothness; each sip--or gulp--just seems to roll. Relatively dry, and somewhat powdery, finish that leads to a slow-building aftertaste featuring a now-present cooked-veggie quality. A crisp, refreshing, and easygoing mouthfeel.

MUSINGS AND METAPHORS:  When you think of Foster's, you ultimately think of two things, besides all those "How To Speak Australian" commercials: 1) Paul Hogan and 2) Outback Steakhouse. The former is a highly likeable, good-guy actor responsible for one of the iconic film performances of the 1980s, and humorous pitchman for this here brew we are reviewing tonight. The latter is an American--yes, American--dining establishment passing itself off as Australian for the past quarter century, once highly regarded, and now struggling to live up to its past. Foster's Lager emulates traits of both.

Likeable? Yeah, it is. No joke. This is one of the most drinkable beers on the market in terms of ease of consumption. If you're into "pounding" beers, but don't want to settle for utter crap, this one's for you!

On the other hand, let's not kid ourselves. This will never win any awards. Like the American--yes, American--restaurant chain that serves as perhaps its primary benefactor stateside, it represents a once "premium" brand that has, in recent years, undergone a severe loss in perceived prestige, particularly among actual Australians. Yet, it remains a viable option, namely for its convenience and still better-than-average overall value. I don't get the hate Foster's receives from the beer hipster community. Seriously, am I the only "beer snob" that actually likes Foster's? Attention all South Street and Northern Liberties yuppie pub-goers: Put down the PBR and rediscover the wonder from Down Under: Foster's, American--yes, American--for beer, mate.




GRADE:  C+