Flying Horse Royal Lager, United Breweries, India
Jul 06 '01 (Updated Jul 08 '01)
The Bottom Line Decent Indian lager. What better for spicy/fruity Indian food? Initial sweetness is well balanced by a crisp bitter finish. Definitely worth a try for lager drinkers looking for something different.
Flying Horse Royal Lager, United Breweries, India
Served in an attractive, 22oz regal-looking bottle, Flying Horse Lager Beer is brewed by United Breweries Ltd in India.
United Breweries
Started as 5 breweries that united in 1915, and now comprises 14 breweries. The best known of their products is probably Kingfisher Lager, which won a Gold Medal at the 1997 World Beer Championships.
Flying Horse
There’s a little tag hung over the neck of the bottle, something that you’d expect to see on a bottle of Cognac. The company’s website contains no real information of note, so here’s some of the information on the tag:
“Flying Horse goes through a long and special maturing process. This gives it its full-bodied, malty taste, making it the only true royal beer………
This bottle of Flying Horse Lager Beer is certified for you by Mr. Vijay Mallya, Chairman of the UB group.”
First impressions: It certainly seems like a beer that has some care put into it, but I would have to take the promotional speak with a little skepticism. I really didn’t expect to find much in this one.
Tasting Notes
I was tasting this from a 22oz bottle, which I believe is the only version available
The beer announces its arrival with a nice lively pour, plenty of carbonation and a delicate foam which is adequate but doesn’t last too long. The color is pale golden and slightly hazy.
There’s a good presence in the aroma for this style, mostly sweet with some fruitiness as well as a floral hop and a brief hint of herbs. The palate works very well with a nice tingly sharp carbonation providing for a very refreshing and spritzy mouthfeel. It’s light to medium bodied.
A malty sweetness defines the initial flavor, with a light berry-like fruitiness as well as a subdued citrus. There’s a good crisp bitter finish and a little dryness. The aftertaste is not too long but adequate. It does leave a little sourness in the back and finishes a little sticky, but the hops are just bold enough.
The flavor does seems to clean out more as the beer warms, getting a little sweeter. So unless you’re in a hurry, I recommend sharing bottles to make sure you keep them cold.
Verdict
I didn’t really know anything about Indian lagers until now, and really didn’t expect much. This is a more than adequate brew that I would order in an Indian restaurant in future. It certainly deserves a recommendation, reminding me very much of a German pilsener. I think it’s better than the Heineken I had a couple of days ago.
Food
Would I surprise anyone if I said Indian? I’m the kind of person that’s always up for a challenge and will order the hottest curry on the menu. It doesn’t really matter what kind of beer you get to go with that, but as a crisp, well carbonated lager and if its served well chilled this would certainly do the job. The refreshing crispness combined with the fruity malt would make this a great match for any sweeter Indian dish. Poppadums and mango chutney, along with something spicy would have been great.
Availability
I’m not sure of widespread distribution but mine came from Cost Plus World Market a specialist importer, and cost $2.79. I did find an online merchant at www.colonialspirits.com, listing this at $35 a case.
Ratings
Appearance: 2/5 Aroma: 7/10 Palate: 4/5 Taste: 7/10 Overall: 13/20
Score: 3.3
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