Beer Review-Tusker Kenyan Lager
September 10, 2009
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: 
Posted in 2 Star Reviews, Not American Or European Beer, Views from a Brit
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September 10th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
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
September 10th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
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.
September 10th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
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
September 10th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
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
September 10th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
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
October 15th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
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
October 16th, 2009 at 9:08 am
Dr. Neil, thanks for sharing that!
Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Spaten Oktoberfest Beer