Oakes (33493) reviewed Bati Beer from BGI Ethiopia (Kombolcha Brewery) 18 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 2 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 3
Golden body with a soft sparkle; not much head. Plasticy, painty phenols mix with husky malts in an aroma that reminds me of Soviet-era factories lurching along in the Stans forty years beyond obsolescence. There’s some faint hop on the palate to add colour to the fairly lifeless bready malts, overt minerals and lingering phenols. And the poor rastaman who journeys all the way to Zion to find them drinking "batty" beer...
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 3 | Flavor - 3 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 3.5
Bottled
Clear golden color, creamy white head. Cardboardish malty (like wet paper), industrial lager. Reasonably clean and harmless but without any character.
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 3.5
Bottled. Golden colour, mediumsized white head. Aroma is sweet maizer, malts, hops and some earth. Flavour is surprisingly clean lagerish, hops, malts and some slight maize also.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 3 | Flavor - 3 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 1.5
Bottle at Chris_O bottlefest 2007. Gold with thin white head. Not a good aroma, it’s a lager.
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 4
Bottle at Chris_O bottlefest 2007. Pale gold with lasting white head. Little bit of nasty aroma. Good fizz, but a bit nothingy, but drinkable.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 3.5
(Bottle 33 cl) Pours a clear, deep golden with a tall, dense and lasting head leaving a good lacework. Lightly sweet malt aroma. Very light and watery body with notes of malt and brewing cereal and a tiny, wee whiff of hops. Tasted at The Axum Cafe in San Francisco. 210307
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 4.5
Bottle at Awash Ethiopian Restaurant in D.C. on 1/20/07
Similar to Harar, we have a very golden lager in appearance (perhaps a bit more pale than Harar) with a small, but initially frothy white head that recedes steadily to partial cover, leaving no lacing. Bubbly, force carbonated body is highly clear.
A bit more dry than harar, without the powdered sugar or sweet doughiness, though unfortunately, there is still a rather vibrant fruitiness of spoiled peaches and pears. Some cerealish grains just seem stale and pasteurized, while there is no sign of hops or crisp yeast. No alcohol noted, not incredibly problematic, but I don’t find anything particularly positive either.
Stronger effervescence and less sweetness than Harar seem to produce a bit more crispness, though the flavor is lightly milky/sour and just more fruitiness than I’m looking for in a pale lager (not looking for any, actually). I wouldnt mind so much if it just had the cereal/graininess of whatever malt they’re using, but the spoiled fruitiness is disruptive to the flavor. Some lightly crisp lager yeast apparency on the end and snappy carbonation with a lightly sweet body and watery texture. No alcohol apparent.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 2 | Flavor - 2 | Texture - 2 | Overall - 2.5
Bottle at the Brickskeller in DC. For what the bottle cost, I figured it would be at least a bit better than some of the other beers I tried. Didn’t like the aroma, and the first taste was like a kick in the mouth, it got better later on, but I don’t think I’ll be returning to this beverage soon.
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 2 | Flavor - 1 | Texture - 2 | Overall - 2.5
(Bottle) Pours pilsener golden with a white head. Aroma of brewing cereal. Light body with a lightly metallic edge. Dry finish. 070606
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 3.5
A light orange beer with a thin white head. The aroma is sweet with notes of straw and corn - and so is the flavor. For what it is, it is not bad.