Written by Following my recent reviews for The Brew Club from tropical climes, we received a few comments about the influence of ambiance on the tasting process. I recall enjoying Kenyan ‘Tusker’ lager while on vacation to Kenya back in 1993, so how does it stand up on a warm summer day in England?
First, some background; Kenya Breweries Ltd was founded in 1922 by two ex-pat settlers, George and Charles Hurst.
Sadly, George Hurst was killed the following year by a rogue elephant during a hunting exhibition. Large male elephants are often known as ‘tuskers’ and the Kenya Breweries lager (first brewed in 1929) was named in memory of George’s demise.
The company now has breweries in Ruraka and Mombasa, and owns breweries in Uganda and Tanzania. While they remain independent, SAB Miller has a strategic stake.
The company’s brews Guinness for local consumption, ‘Senator’ a lager brewed from un-malted barley and ‘Tusker Malt’ a premium lager brewed with 100% malted barley. All the barley used in the company’s brews is grown in the great Rift Valley, so it’s organic, I can’t see Kenyan farmers being able to afford pollutants.
Tusker is by far the biggest selling beer in Kenya with around 30% of the market.
So, it pours nice and bright, but with a thin and insubstantial head that quickly subsides. There’s very little nose to speak of, maybe the merest hint of Saaz hops but in all honesty that could have been my imagination.
The flavour? Well I’m saddened to have to report that the overall flavour was similarly insubstantial, there’s an underlying ‘grassy’ flavour that might be attributed to the un-malted barley, but this tasted more like a 3% supermarket ‘own brand’ lager than something that purports to be a 4.2% premium lager. And we’re talking a down-market supermarket at that!
If this review offends any Tusker fans then I’m sorry, but I checked that both bottles were well within their ‘best before’ date, I tried one chilled (allowing it to warm) and one at cool room temperature. Nothing… I even resorted to asking my wife to taste this and her view that it wasn’t worth the effort of shipping it from Kenya to England.
Ultimately I was disappointed by Tusker, maybe I should try convincing the missus that we need to go back to Kenya to check!
Rating: 
I dunno, for me “exotic” beer always tastes better when your there. Something about just being away from the homestead makes everything taste better. Kalic and Red Stripe always taste better in the Bahamas then it does in New Jersey…
.-= Simply Beer´s last blog ..New Belgium Fat Tire Clone Brewing Session =-.
I love a beer with a good backstory, and this brew has a really interesting one. Unfortunately, it sounds like that’s the best part of the beer.
I agree with Simply Beer, that most times foreign beer tastes best on foreign soil. Pilsner tastes glorious in Germany, and Medalla is actually palatable if you’re in San Juan.
I’ve also had this beer before. I mainly bought it becasue of the great story on the bottle. I was also disappointed and didn’t think it was anything special at all. I find that beers from far away seem to be super excellent or really terrible, there isn’t much of a middle ground.
.-= Nate´s last blog ..What the deuce =-.
I think it’s a little better than a two…but not that much. I do want to mention, though, that I got a guy on my site recently who thought it was one of the best beers ever. That’s a serious overstatement. Anyway, I gave it a better score. Here is my review of it. http://thankheavenforbeer.com/2009/04/02/review-of-tusker-lager-by-east-african-breweries/
.-= Michael Reinhardt´s last blog ..Thank Heaven for Beer Interviews The Bruery =-.
I haven’t tried Tusker yet, and based on the majority of opinion here it won’t be anything that I end up trying soon. Still, it goes to show how people’s tastes in beer can vary so widely!
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Bard’s Tale Gluten Free Beer =-.
Read a poem about my first contact with Tusker larger when I was a boy in Kenya in the 1950′s.
Cheers
Dr Neil
.-= Neil McLeod´s last blog ..Tusker Larger – from Chip Hammack =-.
Dr. Neil, thanks for sharing that!
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Spaten Oktoberfest Beer =-.
while returning to india i was served a can of tusker beer.
the taste was so good. that i had two more cans and i brought two more cans home.
i have the intention of importing this beer on big scale for marketing.
can you tell me how do i go about this.
I suggest you contact East African Breweries:
Mulwa Mbai
International Markets Manager
East African Breweries Limited
P.O Box 30161 Postal Code 00100
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254 (20) 864 5542
Fax: +254 (20) 8561126, 8561090
E-mail Address: Mulwa.Mbai@eabl.com
Good luck! Let us know how you get on.
.-= Bob the Brit´s last blog ..Spend a penny =-.
I would to bring to your attention that Tusker export is very different from the tusker sold within the borders.I am a kenyan and ardent drinker of beers from around the world and although I would be overstating if I said tusker is the best beer in the world, I can confidently say it ranks among the best.
@Tim, thanks for sharing! I know many times the export versions of beers can be quite different – apparently, its the case here with Tusker!
Am a Kenyan and a big fun of good beers, Unfortunately i don’t love tusker neither do i think that the the 4.5% ac vol is legit. “There is nothing ike patriotism when it comes to a good beer”!!
To date Tusker stands Tall. Top in Market Share !!
I love Tusker. That’s my beer!!
@Kaberere – rock on!