The first thing you’re offered when you enter Goa, King’s is fast disappearing because of people opting for more familiar beers that are sold at the same price. Of course, it’s absolutely senseless to drink Kingfisher or Tuborg at a shack on any beach of Goa, but who’s going to tell the silly public that? King’s Black Label Pilsner smells like stale bread and has a malty zing that evaporates off the tongue almost immediately to make way for faint hops and a semi-dry end. Light enough to down by the dozen, King’s beer is so special because it is brewed and sold only in Goa. Available in a 375 ml bottle and at 4.85% alcohol strength, King’s Black Label Pilsner is now an endangered species – hunt it down the next time you’re in Goa and knock back as many pints as you can before it goes extinct.
RATING: 2/5
A fine brew. I had it in Calangute.
Goa also had a beer called Belo which looked like an artificially coloured sweet drink. I’d have tried it but it was nowhere to be seen. I guess it’s extinct now. Oh, well.
It used to be really good a few years ago. Now getting a good bottle is equivalent to winning the lottery! A friend of mine recently found a chocolate wrapper in a bottle!
Hey, what the fuck, how come I didn’t get a chocolate wrapper in my bottle?
You’re apparently not special enough! Belo is still very much available, its the one beer that most of my relatives have in their fridge. Quite nice also, definitely better than Arlem beer.
Oh shit, I’ll have to make another trip just for these two unless someone (take the hint) is cool enough to bring me a couple of each.
HAH! I think I once had Arlem beer at a bar in Bombay. THis was like 5 years ago. The beer tastes like butter tho. crap
You say it smells like stale bread, but how are you able to drink it despite this? Do you drink Heineken?
I was going to say it smells like soggy biscuits.
That’s what it smells like, but I don’t mean that in a bad way.
You know what smells really bad and tastes worse? Victoria Bitter.
No, I don’t drink Heineken or Budweiser or Amstel or Foster’s. I consider them the Kingfishers of their respective countries.