Food and drink products appeal to people for different reasons. A great, one of a kind taste is the most obvious reason to desire a specific food or drink, but there are other reasons as well, ranging from nostalgia to health benefits and beyond. Then, there is financial appeal- not the high price snob appeal of luxury items, but the low cost appeal that makes a product tempting to try even though you may question its quality. A perfect example of the latter is Big Flats 1901, an American lager brewed in New York and sold only at Walgreen’s drug stores.
Beer Bio:
Style: American adjunct lager
Calories: 148 per 12 oz. serving
Carbs: 13.5 grams per 12 oz. serving
Alcohol content: 4.5 percent by volume
Big Flats 1901 is a light yellow- colored brew with a completely clear body and a very unappetizing aroma that falls somewhere between stale bread and a rabbit’s cage. The foam on this beer is typical of a cheap adjunct lager- big, white, and fluffy but falls apart in seconds leaving behind an ugly, urine- colored glass of liquid beverage.
As for the taste, well, there are no pleasant surprises. Big Flats 1901 Lager has a sweet flavor profile that emphasizes corn, grains, and things artificial with the slightest bitterness in the finish. The taste is very direct, with flavors of grain and perhaps a touch of rice and minimal hops.
Big Flats 1901 Lager is a forgettable beer that most people have likely never heard of before. The reason is because it maintains a very low budget and low profile with distribution only at Walgreens. I saw this product at Walgreens many months ago but didn’t have the nerve to try it. Looking at the package and the price, it just seemed like slop and I was sure it wouldn’t be worth the metal it was packaged in. But I finally gave in one day when I decided the only way to really know what the beer was like was to go ahead and sample. There was no way to purchase just one can, but the beer only sells for about $3 a six pack so it was a small investment to make.
Big Flats 1901 Lager, unfortunately, turned out just as bad expected and in many ways, was even worse. The nasty, adjunct- laden flavor, ugly appearance, and repulsive aroma are enough to turn off even the most casual, unparticular beer drinker. I can remember offering a sip to people around me, only to be told they could never drink a beverage that smelled so foul. And I really couldn’t blame them. With each passing sip, I became less and less interested, and more and more disgusted. The low level of quality reminded me of what was wrong with so many American beers for so many decades. Cheap grains, artificial flavor, excessive carbonation, no head retention, bad aroma- it was like turning the clock back to the 1970’s and combining a can of Schlitz with a small amount of Blatz. If that isn’t enough to scare away most potential consumers, I don’t know what is.
Products can appeal to people for a myriad of reasons and everyone wants to save a buck. But if you are down to your last three greenbacks, take my advice and use it to purchase a smaller quantity of some other product. Big Flats 1901 Lager is about as bad as they come and it rates among the foulest beers I have tasted in the past several years.
Rating: 1 cheer out of 10
