Taking a brief whiskey departure to talk about beer again, I just can’t help myself.

I’m about to destroy all of my beer snob credibility in one fell swoop, but fuck those dorks, I really like Landshark lager. Stumble on over to Beer Advocate or similar site and you’ll see all the lager-hating beer dorks cackling about how it’s truly brewed by AB or something, like this is the goddamn Scarlet Letter for beers and automatically makes it bad. This beer could be brewed by Satan himself (I guess Jimmy Buffet is a close second) and I’d still happily swill it. It’s a great island style lager, and I think would go even better than Red Stripe with some conch fritters or other Caribbean fare.

A – The appearance is nothing to write home about; it’s a typical golden, pale macro lager color that pours with a lightly fizzy head that dissipates quickly. I wouldn’t even bother pouring it out of the oddly heavy bottle, it’s not a beer for consuming in your 17th century monk goblet or whatever.

S – I was intrigued by the smell. It smelled just like a Corona to me but absent the usual funk and skunk associated with carting the damn things all the way from Mexico. Maybe this IS Corona but since I’m so close to the brewing site it just doesn’t have time to spoil? Whatever the case, there is the palest hint of malt in there with mainly a sweet and citrus scent dominating.

T – Refreshing as finding a twenty dollar bill in your laundry. Landshark had a nice sweet cereal and citrus taste to it, I really enjoyed it. Maybe it’s a symptom of living in Florida, but I’d love to knock these back sitting in a hammock watching the sunset with a plate of coconut shrimp. I am clearly still in “summer mode,” I guess that has to do with it still being 90 degrees outside in mid-October.

Overall: ***

Landshark is a solid three star. It’s a respectable little brew, but nothing mind-blowing. If you’re looking to change things up from the usual Miller Lite/Bud/Coors give it a shot. I would probably up it to four if it wasn’t so wallet rapingly expensive; a mere sixer will run you nearly ten bucks. Oh well, still cheaper than margaritas.