Banks Caribbean Lager

Banks Caribbean Lager hails from St. Micheal, Barbados, where it is brewed by Banks Breweries Ltd.  It is sold in 355mL bottles and checks in at a slightly substandard 4.7% alcohol.  It is a pale honey coloured lager.  It pours a slender bright white head and displays almost no lace.  The aroma displays very little character.  In short, it smells like a generic lager.

Based on looks and aroma, I was pretty much ready to dismiss this beer as a waste of a few bucks.  I'm glad that I didn't.  I don't meet to suggest that Banks is an excellent beer, but it does have an interesting flavour that sets it apart from other mass produced pale lagers.  The initial flavour is pretty standard lager taste: slightly bitter, but relatively mild.  The mouthfeel is quite thin.  However, Banks has an enticing finish that tastes slightly of ginger.  This aftertaste is what made me glad I picked it up.

Relatively ordinary lager, with a hint of character at the end.  Give this one a try on a hot day, particularly if you're going to be near the water.  It has a faint but unmistakable island charm.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.