As has been the talk of the music world over the past week, Neil Young has taken his music off of Spotify. It would be logical to conclude that this move would impact his overall streaming numbers, and it did, but actually in a positive way.
Citing figures from MRC Data, Billboard reports that on January 24, the day Young first expressed his dissatisfaction with Spotify (at least in terms of its relationship with Joe Rogan), his music (both solo and with bands like Crazy Horse, Promise Of The Real, and Stray Gators) was streamed 745,000 times in the US. As news of the Spotify beef made the rounds, those numbers rose to 1.1 million streams on January 25 and 1.2 million the next day. January 27 was the day Young’s music was largely off Spotify, and then, streams dipped to 792,000, which is still more than before this saga started.
The numbers quickly rose again, though, shooting up to 1.2 million streams on January 28 and slightly more on the 29th before falling down to 913,000 on the 30th.
All in all, this is how the day-by-day data played out:
January 24 — 745,000 US streams
January 25 — 1.1 million (up 41 percent from the previous day)
January 26 — 1.2 million (up 16 percent)
January 27 — 792,000 (down 35 percent)
January 28 — 1.2 million (up 52 percent)
January 29 — 1.2 million (up 3 percent)
January 30 — 913,000 (down 26 percent)
Meanwhile, Joni Mitchell, one of the first major artists to follow Young in taking her music off Spotify, had a similar streaming journey:
January 26 — 315,000
January 27 — 322,000 (up 2 percent)
January 28 — 347,000 (up 8 percent)
January 29 — 699,000 (up 102 percent)
January 30 — 508,000 (down 27 percent)
Billboard also notes, “Activity for Young and Mitchell are likely to be further reflected on Billboard‘s weekly charts dated Feb. 12, encompassing the Jan. 28-Feb. 3 tracking week.”
Neil Young is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
With over 100 million people consistently tuning into the Super Bowl every year, organizers consistently go all-out for the much-anticipated annual halftime show. And with any high-pressure live event, there are is little tolerance for error. So when something doesn’t go quite as expected, the internet lights up with viral memes and discourse.
Prior to the ’90s, the halftime shows usually consisted of university marching bands or drill teams. But since then, the NFL discovered they could increase viewership by making the halftime show a pop culture staple. Now, the performances invite the most recognizable names in music to take the stage with a past roster boasting artists like Michael Jackson, U2, Madonna, and more.
Let’s take a look back at some of the most memorable moments that have gone down at Super Bowl halftime shows of the last two decades. Cringey, hilarious, and just plain captivating, these halftime performances made a major impact in pop culture.
Shakira’s confusing tongue wag: 2020
Shakira and J. Lo’s 2020 performance at the Super Bowl halftime show was one for the history books. Not only was it the last large-scale music event before the pandemic effectively shut down live music, but it was also a major celebration of Latin American culture. J. Lo wore a massive feathered Puerto Rican flag cape and Shakira decided to honor the moment with a customary gesture. Moments into her rendition of “Hips Don’t Lie,” the singer leaned into the camera to stick her tongue out and make a high-pitched sound.
Many (white) people on the internet were perplexed by the gesture and it easily became the most-memed moment of the night. But it didn’t take long for others to point out the mocking was in poor taste. The tongue move is actually a zaghrouta, which translates to a ululation. It’s a part of Arabic culture meant to signify joy and is oftentimes used to celebrate weddings, engagements, and the birth of children.
Adam Levine ripping his shirt off: 2019
As much work went into Maroon 5’s 2019 Super Bowl halftime performance, the most memorable part of the set didn’t come from the music itself. The 13-minute spectacle as a whole felt very disjointed and seemed as though organizers were trying to pack in as many stunts as possible in a very short amount of time. It included an abrupt transition to Travis Scott’s barely-integrated performance, a clip from Spongebob, Big Boi driving through the crowd in a convertible Mercedes-Benz, a gospel choir, and thousands of paper lanterns.
But despite all the on-stage antics, the internet was the most concerned with the moment Adam Levine decided to go shirtless for some reason. Like some of the women in Super Bowl halftime show history, Levine wanted to get away with an outfit change mid-set. But apparently, his idea of a wardrobe change was actually just ripping his clothes off. Levine started the set wearing a black trench coat and as the show progressed, Levine would shed more and more layers until he was in just a tank top. While singing Maroon 5’s final song of the evening, “Moves Like Jagger,” Levine decided to peel off his tank and toss it into the crowd, leaving him shirtless. The move received mixed reactions. Some praised Levine’s six pack with others chided him for a generally lackluster performance.
“Left shark’s” uncoordinated dance moves with Katy Perry: 2015
Katy Perry may have ridden into her 2015 Super Bowl halftime set on the back of a giant gold lion, but there was only one thing people were talking about after her performance. No, it wasn’t appearances by guests Lenny Kravitz or Missy Elliott. Instead, the internet was buzzing with jokes about one of her backup dancers.
The stage turned into a beachy paradise for her rendition of “Teenage Dream.” Perry was joined by dancers dressed as anthropomorphic palm trees and beach balls, and was flanked by two people in blue shark costumes. The shark to her right hit every dance move with ease, but the shark to her left looked as though it was struggling to keep up. As Right Shark confidently danced to the beat with precise movements, Left Shark continued to flail its way through the set by contrast.
After the performance, the internet was ablaze with talk of Left Shark’s fumbling movements and even Perry herself joined in on the memes. It wasn’t until the following year that the man underneath the Left Shark costume spoke out. His real name is Bryan Gaw and he had actually been a part of Perry’s dance ensemble for five years. Gaw described the movements as “free-style choreography” and later told NPR he didn’t get anything but love after his performance. He even put his Left Shark moment on his resume.
Surprise Destiny’s Child reunion: 2013
Unlike more recent performances, Beyonce‘s 2013 Super Bowl halftime show was remembered for its significance. Not only did it feature impressive visuals, awe-inspiring choreography, a flaming guitar, and a stage of all-female musicians, but it also had a surprise cameo by Beyonce’s Destiny’s Child group members.
Halfway through Beyonce’s set, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child were literally launched out of the stage. They fired off a brief medley of songs, which included “Bootylicious” and “Independent Women,” before joining together for a rendition of “Single Ladies.” The entire performance created such a buzz on the internet that it garnered 268,000 tweets per minute, making it the then-most-tweeted about event in the history of the social media platform.
Fergie butchering “Sweet Child ‘O Mine”: 2011
It’s been just over a decade since the Black Eyed Peas took the halftime show stage and even ten years later, Fergie‘s performance of “Sweet Child ‘O Mine” is still hard to watch without grimacing. The show was meant to captivate a younger audience and contrast the prior year’s legacy act, The Who. In general, the group stayed true to the assignment – up until they decided to pander to an older crowd with a Guns N’ Roses cover.
Slash made a surprise appearance on the stage sporting his signature top hat and joined forces with Fergie to cover the band’s No. 1 track “Sweet Child ‘O Mine.” While Slash’s guitar sounded great, the same can’t be said of Fergie’s ill-advised decision to emulate Axel Rose’s wailing vocals and gyrating dance moves. The combo resulted in a jaw-droppingly bizarre performance which was most definitely memorable — just not in the way Fergie had presumably intended. The performance would be hailed in the following years as one of the worst Super Bowl halftime shows in history, and a poll by ESPN found 35 percent of respondents graded the event an “F.”
Bruce Springsteen’s iconic knee slide: 2009
During his performance at the 2009 Super Bowl halftime show, Bruce Springsteen made it clear that he does all his own stunts. During a rendition of his song “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” The Boss ran across the massive stage and attempted an epic knee slide towards the camera, which is now officially dubbed the “Springsteen Slide.” But Springsteen over-shot his slide a bit and ended up barreling into the camera, knocking it over completely. Thankfully, he didn’t seem hurt and played it off as a happy accident. He didn’t even miss a beat in delivering his song’s lyrics.
After the performance came to an end, the rocker was still in good spirits about the mishap. “I feel like I’ve just taken a syringe of adrenalin straight to the heart,” he said, explaining exactly what went down. “Then the knee slide. Too much adrenalin, a late drop, too much speed, here I come Mike BOOM! And I’m onto his camera, the lens implanted into my chest with one leg off the stage.”
Prince bringing on rain during “Purple Rain”: 2007
Prince‘s 2007 Super Bowl performance is remembered as one of the most awe-inspiring halftime shows. The set took place in the middle of an unexpected Miami downpour, but the weather ended up making the event all the more magical, particularly as he sang “Purple Rain.”
Before the show took place, organizers were told they shouldn’t worry about the weather because it hadn’t rained in the entirety of Super Bowl history. But the morning of the big game, the skies opened up in what was described as a torrential downpour. Prince decided to make the most of the moment. Totally unfazed by the weather, he went ahead with using four live electric guitars during his performance. The rain made the stage unbelievably slick, but the singer never faltered. In fact, he turned the dramatic weather to his advantage, especially during his rendition of “Purple Rain.” He even coaxed the entire crowd to sing along in harmony, creating a breathtaking moment even for those watching it from home.
Justin Timberlake giving Janet Jackson a wardrobe malfunction: 2004
Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake‘s 2004 set is perhaps the most-talked-about Super Bowl halftime performances in history — and it’s one we’re now collectively revisiting with Jackson’s new documentary, Janet. The two singers were performing a sultry rendition of Timberlake’s “Rock Your Body” track on stage. At the end of the song, Timberlake reached over and yanked off part of Jackson’s corset top, exposing her entire breast adorned with a gemstone nipple pasty. The infamous nip slip is frequently referred to as a “wardrobe malfunction,” though the way Timberlake ripped off Jackon’s top looked more than purposeful.
Over half a million FCC complaints came flooding in following the halftime show, prompting the FCC to launch an investigation. Then-chairman Michael Powell made a statement at the time, saying he was “outraged” by what he saw. “That celebration was tainted by a classless, crass and deplorable stunt. Our nation’s children, parents and citizens deserve better,” he said.
What people might not remember as much about the moment is the extent to which Jackson was reprimanded by the public. Though Timberlake joked about the moment in interviews, radio stations refused to spin Jackson’s then-new album Damita Jo and she was essentially dis-invited to the Grammys the following week. Jackson was then endlessly interrogated by the media after she declined to relive the incident in interviews.
Jackson addressed the so-called “wardrobe malfunction” in her recent documentary, where she essentially absolved Timberlake. While Jackson noted she asked him not to make a statement about the incident (which he clearly ignored), Jackson says the two are now on very good terms. “Honestly, this whole thing was blown way out of proportion,” she said in the film. “Of course, it was an accident. That should not have happened, but everyone is looking for someone to blame, and that’s got to stop.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
2 Chainz gave more glimpses of his future musical direction in a new freestyle for the LA Leakers, a show that has been on an absolute tear when it comes to showcasing the most impressive lyricists in hip-hop. While dropping by the Power 106 studio has always been something of a rite of passage for rappers looking to promote new projects or introduce themselves to the world at large, the past year has seen rappers of greater and greater stature drop by, from rising stars like Cordae and Latto to established industry leaders like Big Sean and J. Cole.
Unsurprisingly, this was far from 2 Chainz’s first appearance. Back in 2017, he stepped all over Kendrick Lamar’s then-new single “DNA.” as he showed off his ability to adjust his flow to sound more like the Compton rapper’s. On his new freestyle, though, he went the other way, forcing a classic hip-hop single to mold to his own flow — although, it’s clear he’s been working on adding more dimension to his delivery as well. Busting raps over Pharcyde’s 1993 classic “Passin’ Me By,” Chainz references the meme-launching Mystikal rhyme about fighting a bear, turning the lyrical grizzly into a silverback gorilla. The result is the same, though: If you see Chainz engaged in fisticuffs with this wild animal, the one needing assistance won’t be the 6’5″ rapper from Atlanta.
Chainz’s song selection is right in line with his recent declaration to move on from trap rap and his recent output incorporating more classic hip-hop boom-bap sounds into his arsenal as he ages into elder-statesman territory looking to follow in the footsteps of other veterans like his ColleGrove 2 partner in rhyme Lil Wayne. Judging from his LA Leakers freestyle, that’ll be a good look on him, but first, he’s finishing his trap career strong with Dope Don’t Sell Itself, due sometime this quarter.
In the clip, Paltrow is eating one of her infamous vagina candles which she says tastes funny, but not bad! Okay, Gwyneth! Uber Eats also dropped two more teasers, one with icon Jennifer Coolidge and another with Trevor Noah.
Coolidge’s ad features her shockingly exclaim “Lipstick? Delivered with Uber Eats?!” before chowing down on the purple stick, which she claims tastes like “purple.” Noah’s ad does the same routine, but with deodorant. Uber encourages fans to find out why the celebs are eating their non-edible food by tuning into the Big Game next Sunday, but it’s not hard to assume. The ads are supposedly to promote non-food items that Uber Eats is starting to offer, including toiletries, makeup, and, allegedly, candles.
This isn’t the first time Uber Eats has had a star-studded ad campaign, as their Elton John/ Lil Nas X commercial went viral last Fall, and who could forget their Wayne’s World reunion from last year. All of these star-studded, high-budget commercials beg the question: do people really use Uber Eats? It seems so.
Check out the rest of the ads below, then tune in to watch the thrilling conclusion on Super Bowl Sunday. Also to watch the game, presumably.
CNN president Jeff Zucker abruptly resigned from the news network on Wednesday, catching the entire media world, and employees at CNN, by surprise. Zucker admitted in his resignation email that he had failed to disclose a “consensual relationship” with his closest colleague, who he did not name. However, CNN chief marketing officer Allison Gollust later issued a statement confirming she was the person involved with Zucker and that the relationship was indeed consensual.
Naturally, the situation has become a bit more complicated than simply an office romance. New reporting has revealed that Gollust briefly worked as an aide for former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who was forced to resign from office over allegations of sexual misconduct. His brother, Chris Cuomo, would later be fired from CNN for using his media resources to allegedly disparage the former governor’s accusers. According to Politico, Cuomo’s exit snowballed into Zucker’s abrupt resignation:
In his memo, Zucker said he was asked about his relationship during an investigation into Chris Cuomo’s conduct. Two sources with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly said that Cuomo’s legal team, which continues to negotiate his exit from the network, raised issues about the relationship between Zucker and Gollust. Cuomo’s legal team asserted that Zucker was hypocritical to suggest Cuomo had a personal conflict of interest when the relationship with Gollust represented a potential conflict as well.
As Politico notes, additional reporting from Puck News’ Matt Belloni claims that Chris Cuomo’s legal team recently made a request that exacerbated the situation with Zucker and Gollust.
“I’m told CNN received a litigation hold letter recently from Chris Cuomo lawyers, demanding, among other things, preservation of all communications between Zucker, comms chief Allison Gollust, and Andrew Cuomo,” Belloni tweeted shortly after news of Zucker’s resignation broke.
Potentially important: I’m told CNN received a litigation hold letter recently from Chris Cuomo lawyers, demanding, among other things, preservation of all communications between Zucker, comms chief Allison Gollust, and Andrew Cuomo.
It’s been about a week since Neil Young removed his music from Spotify in protest of Joe Rogan, and since then, some other notable artists have followed in his footsteps. That list includes Joni Mitchell; India.Arie; and Young’s former Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young bandmate Graham Nash. Now, all of Young’s CSNY bandmates have taken a stand and declared in a message shared today that they want their music off of Spotify, too, both their solo work and collaborations with each other.
The message — signed by David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Nash — reads, “We support Neil and we agree with him that there is dangerous disinformation being aired on Spotify’s Joe Rogan podcast. While we always value alternate points of view, knowingly spreading disinformation during this global pandemic has deadly consequences. Until real action is taken to show that a concern for humanity must be balanced with commerce, we don’t want our music — or the music we made together — to be on the same platform.”
This comes after Rogan himself addressed Young, saying, “I’m very sorry that they feel that way. I most certainly don’t want that. I’m a Neil Young fan. I’ve always been a Neil Young fan.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Every year, the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame (Rock Hall, for short) inducts artists with distinguished careers that have stood the test of time. Being enshrined into the Rock Hall is an honor bestowed upon artists who have demonstrated a body of work across many decades that once in the Rock Hall, can help engage fans with music history. The nomination process considers artists whose first commercial recording was released a minimum of 25 years before the year of their nomination, so you won’t see Billie Eilish or Harry Styles nominated anytime soon.
With this year’s new crop of 17 nominees for the 2022 Rock And Roll Hall of Fame class, Eminem leads the way as the only nominee who is in their first year of eligibility. A Tribe Called Quest, Beck, Carly Simon, Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, and Lionel Richie are all nominated for the first time despite having been eligible in the past. The other nominees include Devo, Dionne Warwick, Eurythmics, Fela Kuti, Judas Priest, Kate Bush, MC5, New York Dolls, Pat Benatar, and Rage Against The Machine.
From here, fan voting to help determine who will enter the 2022 class is now open now via the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame website. The inductees are scheduled to be announced in May, with a ceremony later in the fall.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
If there was ever any doubt that Donald Trump truly believed that Mike Pence had the authority to simply overturn the results of a national presidential election because the guy he worked for didn’t win, the former president has gone and outed himself.
Over the weekend, Trump issued a statement in which he outright stated that Pence “could have overturned the Election!” And the fact that he didn’t has put Donald and his former #2 on the outs—so much so that Trump is now insisting that the January 6th committee should be investigating the former vice president instead. While the sheer inanity of it all has everyone talking, Jimmy Kimmel seemed absolutely astounded by the sudden turn of events.
On Tuesday night, Kimmel mentioned the current rift between Pence and Trump (the two reportedly have not spoken in months) and the weekend statement, but noted that “Today, he went about eight steps further with what is certainly among the top five craziest statements made by a former president of the United States. He wrote, on paper—because he’s not allowed to post on Twitter:
‘So pathetic to watch the Unselect Committee of political hacks, liars, and traitors work so feverishly to alter the Electoral College Act so that a Vice President cannot ensure the honest results of the election, when just one year ago they said that the Vice President has absolutely no right to ensure the true outcome or results of an election. In other words, they lied and the Vice President did have this right… blah, blah, blah.
If Nancy Pelosi, who is in charge of Capitol security, had taken my recommendation and substantially increased security, there would have been no ‘January 6th’ as we know it!’
But that wasn’t even the end of the inanity.
Kimmel’s favorite part of Trump’s statement came when he suggested that “the Unselect Committee” (that will never get old) should instead be investigating “why Mike Pence did not send back the votes for recertification or approval in that it has now been shown that he clearly had the right to do so!” In other words: Trump thinks that someone should be investigating his own vice president.
“This is like Bonnie calling for an investigation into Clyde,” Kimmel said. “And the saddest part is Mike Pence is so pathetic, he’d probably agree.”
The Walking Dead wraps up later this year, but The Walking Dead franchise will continue for as long as people enjoy watching zombies get rock stomped. So, forever. On Wednesday, AMC revealed the cast for the next TWD spin-off, Tales of the Walking Dead, an anthology series that focuses “on both new and established characters set in the world of the original series.” The extremely-talented ensemble includes:
-Anthony Edwards (ER, Zodiac)
-Poppy Liu (Hacks, Better Call Saul)
-Parker Posey (Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind)
-Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, this scene from White Chicks)
-Jillian Bell (Eastbound and Down, Brittany Runs a Marathon)
“Anthony, Jillian, Terry, Parker, and Poppy are the first wave of singular talents who will further expand the Walking Dead Universe into harrowing, hilarious, heartfelt, and horrifying new realms and we couldn’t be happier to welcome them to the family, along with these terrific directors. More announcements, more wonderful folks to come,” The Walking Dead chief content officer Scott M. Gimple said in a statement. I, for one, can’t wait to see Dr. Mark shoot an arrow into a zombie brain. TV event of the season.
Tales of the Walking Dead premieres during the summer, while the second half of The Walking Dead‘s final season begins on February 20.
If you look at the history of brewing in America, the craft beer boom is a fairly new phenomenon. While you can get a craft IPA, stout, or lager at any corner grocery store in America now, that wasn’t always the case. Back in the days before the modern craft beer boom, imported beer was a really big deal because that’s where the real variety in flavors and styles was found.
If you’re anything like me, you still have your favorite imported beers that you enjoy when you take a break from the hazy IPAs and barrel-aged stouts beloved by modern American craft brewers. That’s why today, I’m running a blind test with some of the iconic imported beers that paved the way for the contemporary beer boom. These beers — available at pretty much every grocery store or beer store in America — are the cans and bottles that today’s brewers drank before there were ten craft breweries in every town.
Our lineup today includes:
Boddington’s Pub Ale (England)
Asahi Super Dry (Japan)
Guinness Draught (Ireland)
Foster’s Lager (Australia)
Heineken (The Netherlands)
Corona Extra (Mexico)
Hoegaarden Wit (Belgium)
Red Stripe Lager (Jamaica)
Stella Artois (Belgium)
Newcastle Brown Ale (England)
Names like Guinness, Foster’s, Heineken, Hoegaarden, Newcastle, and Stella Artois are household names because they’ve been around and available for as long as we can remember (and then some). But which of these iconic, imported beers are actually the best?
Part 1: The Taste
Taste 1
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
There’s a good deal of fresh-brewed coffee, caramel malts, and dark chocolate on the nose. The palate is lighter than expected. While fairly light, it’s creamy with notes of coffee, bitter chocolate, toffee, and a nice dry, memorable finish.
From my notes: “This is obviously Guinness.”
Taste 2
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
There’s a real manufactured, almost synthetic smell to this beer. There are also some cereal grains and maybe some corn, but not much else. It smells like the way I imagined beer to smell when I was a kid. The taste is exactly like the smell with an almost oily texture that’s slightly bittersweet.
Overall, this is a beer that I don’t plan on drinking ever again.
Taste 3
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
Caramel-ish brown in color, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this beer has a bit of a nutty aroma. There are also some toasted malts, but I didn’t really pick up anything else. The flavor is very sweet with some caramel, a nuttier flavor, and a surprise hop flavor that doesn’t really work.
From my notes: “This beer is very thin and unmemorable.”
Taste 4
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
Poured into a glass, this beer has a slight skunky smell that (surprisingly!) isn’t off-putting. There’s also sweet corn, freshly-baked bread, and a slightly floral, fruity herbal fragrance. The taste has notes of fruit esters, caramel malts, slight citrus, and a crisp, dry, refreshing finish.
Taste 5
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
This beer’s nose is filled with aromas of sweet yeast, caramel malts, fresh-baked bread, dried hay, and slight toffee sweetness. On the palate, I found clover honey, fruit esters, biscuit-like malts, sticky toffee, and very little bitterness at the finish.
Taste 6
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
Complex aromas of citrus, wintry baking spices, and sweet malts met my nose. One taste revealed notes of cloves, candied orange peels, banana bread, and slight lemon zest. The finish was a nice mix of bitterness and sweetness that left me craving more.
Taste 7
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
Corn is the first smell that entered my nostrils when nosing this beer. Just a big wallop of corn. This was followed by sweet cereal aromas, maybe some freshly-baked bread, and slight floral hops. From my notes: “This isn’t a super exciting nose, by any means.”
The palate was surprisingly skunky with more sweet corn flavor and some floral flavors. There’s no doubt this is a refreshing, unoffensive beer, but that’s about it.
Taste 8
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
There’s a very sweet, malty smell emanating from this beer. But it was difficult to pick out any other aromas. The palate had a little more action with notes of toasted malts, wet grass, freshly-baked bread, slight toffee, and a little hop bitterness. It’s fairly dry at the finish.
Overall, a decent, fairly light beer.
Taste 9
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
The nose is fairly bland but inoffensive with wet grass, sweet cereal grains, and slight corn. The palate follows suit with cereal sweetness, slightly floral flavor, some caramel, and maybe some sweet corn. It’s fairly light and refreshing, but not overly exciting to any degree. Definitely a crushable, summery beer.
Taste 10
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
This beer’s nose is slightly sweet with cereal grains, a floral backbone, and a hint of caramel and vanilla. The palate is filled with more malts, slight citrus zest, fruit esters, subtly bitter, floral hops, and a nice dry, refreshing finish. All in all, it’s a pretty enjoyable, crisp beer.
How many of us remember the “Foster’s: Australian for beer” commercials that once aired on a constant basis? There’s not much that can be said for Foster’s Lager other than the fact that when you crack open a can it tastes exactly like you assume it will. This five percent ABV lager is known for its golden color and malty, refreshing, no-frills flavor.
Bottom Line:
It’s clear this beer was created to be crushed on a hot day. There’s really nothing to it other than the refreshing nature and the fact that it has alcohol in it.
One of the most famous beers in the world, Corona Extra is light, refreshing, and the kind of beer you want to enjoy with your feet in the sand or on your back patio on a sweltering summer day. Add a lime wedge and you’re elevating this beer to much greater heights than without.
Tasting Notes:
This beer was thirst-quenching and crisp but lacked almost any real flavor characteristics.
In 1927, long before any beer boom, a brewer named Colonel Jim Porter launched Newcastle Brown Ale in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England. Why he didn’t brew a porter we’ll never know. Either way, this 4.7 percent ABV malty brew has been popular in the UK and abroad ever since.
Bottom Line:
This is a strange beer. It’s a darker beer, but it seems to want to be hoppier than it should. I just didn’t really like it very much.
For a while, Jamaican brand Red Stripe was inundating us with funny commercials and then they seemed to just disappear. Well, even though they don’t seem to make commercials that air stateside anymore, you can still find this 4.7 percent ABV stubby bottle at your neighborhood grocery store.
Bottom Line:
This is a refreshing, thirst-quenching, easy to drink, slightly boring beer that I’d definitely drink on a hot day in the sun.
The only Japanese beer on this list, Asahi Super Dry is a 5.2 percent ABV rice lager. It’s made with rice and malted barley and is well-known for its very light, refreshing, easy-to-drink flavor profile. This brew was created to be crisp and crushable and it definitely does the job.
Bottom Line:
This beer was crisp dry and didn’t have malt flavor which makes me believe it’s supposed to be crushed on a hot day. There’s no real need to taste it, just drink it down.
Before I knew anything about beer, I heard the name Stella Artois and assumed it was a fancy, expensive beer. While it’s much cheaper than I imagined, this five percent ABV Belgian lager does live up to its fancy name with a well-loved balance of malts and hops that have made it one of the most awarded lagers in the world.
Bottom Line:
This is a well-balanced, crisp, and enjoyably dry beer that I could see myself coming back to again and again.
There are few beers more well-known than Heineken. Well before there was a craft beer revolution, you’d find coolers filled with this Dutch beer from coast to coast. This five percent ABV, crushable pale lager is still a massively popular choice throughout the world to this day.
Bottom Line:
While this beer isn’t overly exciting on the palate, it has enough malt, hop, and fruity flavor to make it the kind of beer you’d grab for on a warm day or as a respite from wintry beers.
Brewed the same way since 1759, Guinness is the most popular stout in the world. This 4.2 percent “meal in a can” is known for its roasted malt and coffee-rich flavor that’s savored at bars, pubs, and homes all over the world, and not just on St. Patrick’s Day.
Bottom Line:
This is a perfect example of how a stout should taste. It’s not overly heavy but has enough balanced flavors to stand up to the coldest winter day.
There’s a reason this 4.9 percent ABV Belgian wheat beer is one of the most popular of its style in the world. Brewed with coriander and orange peels, you can thank this flavorful, sweet, yeasty beer for your favorite craft wit beer.
Bottom Line:
This complex, flavorful beer is slightly hazy and filled with fruity, sweet, citrus flavors that all work in unison like a John Williams symphony.
With a name like Boddington’s Pub Ale, you can bet you’re getting a classic, flavorful pub-style beer when you crack a can of this beer open. This 4.6 percent ABV pub ale is known for its creamy, malty, and honey-sweet flavor.
Bottom Line:
This is an interesting beer. It’s malty, sweet, fruity, and surprisingly creamy. It’s a hard beer to figure out, but all I know is that I want to drink it again.
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This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
