Carling Lager weaker than advertised

[matchmaker]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41059610

BBC said:

The alcohol content of Carling - one of the most popular lagers in the UK - is weaker than advertised, it has emerged.

Carling advertises the lager as 4% alcohol by volume (ABV) but it has been brewed at 3.7% since 2012, its US owners Molson Coors have said.

ABV was reduced in order to cut tax on Carling products, the firm said during a hearing brought by HMRC.

Molson Coors said beer was allowed to have a natural variation of 0.5%, and said customers had not been misled.

So instead of pishwater, it's weak pishwater?

[Halmyre]

matchmaker said:

So instead of pishwater, it's weak pishwater?

Variation my arse. If you're deliberately brewing it at 3.7% and deliberately selling it at 4%, that's deliberate fraud. It's not as if it's an artisanal beer produced in small batches - it's a product of an industrial process that will be monitored to within an inch of its life.

[hairyben]

Probably like the 99p tesco horsemeat lasagnes, i doubt any of the consumers will care?

[soad]

Apparently, UK's No.1 Lager! According to Tesco...

[Megaflow]

I rather drink piss, it has probably got more flavour.

[Cold]

Beer snobs are even more amusing than coffee snobs - and they're damn hilarious to observe.

[RammyMP]

I've been diddled out of about 5 gallons on alcohol over the past couple of years if that's the case!

[hairyben]

Cold said:

Beer snobs are even more amusing than coffee snobs - and they're damn hilarious to observe.

Theres nothing worse than having your heinenken served in the fancy kronenberg or carling glass. I'm minded to carry a roll of sticky tape to cover the logos.

In all fairness though, carling isnt even the beer equivalent of nescafe; perhaps some kind of poundland jumbo value instant coffee.

[Vaud]

Halmyre said:

Variation my arse. If you're deliberately brewing it at 3.7% and deliberately selling it at 4%, that's deliberate fraud. It's not as if it's an artisanal beer produced in small batches - it's a product of an industrial process that will be monitored to within an inch of its life.

Interestingly though only HMRC seem to be bothered - not trading standards, etc... it's just the tax revenue.

[markcoznottz]

Cold said:

Beer snobs are even more amusing than coffee snobs - and they're damn hilarious to observe.

Carling doesn't taste any different to the supposed premium lagers if it's served right. I had a pint in a proper pub, and it was very nice, correct mouthfeel, carbonation, temperature etc. Most lager on sale doesnt taste as it's supposed to because it's not served correctly. This is a huge problem now, pubs are run by kids who don't care, as long as x profit is made that's good enough.

[grumbledoak]

There is no "correct" way to serve washing up liquid. Foul stuff.

[Bradgate]

With the sole exception of Natural Light, Carling is the worst excuse for beer I have ever had the misfortune to taste. It isn't just bland, it's genuinely unpleasant with flavours of wet cardboard. It is a product which gives beer a bad name.

I can well believe it's actually only 3.7%, too. Brewing beer with good flavour and body at that abv is perfectly possible, but it takes good ingredients and skill. Carling is brewed with neither.

Artisan Cask ales do vary in abv between batches, as you would expect in a living product which undergoes secondary fermentation in the cask, but there's no excuse for misleading labelling of mass-produced fizz.

I have no objection to lager as a beer style, but instead of drinking Carling why not choose one which is actually brewed in Germany or the Czech Republic and actually tastes nice?

[thebraketester]

Jesus.... who the st buys that crap.

[untakenname]

I don't see how this can be allowed, surely it's miss-selling?

Hate Carling with a passion after having to drink it warm a couple of days straight one year at a festival after we gave money for drinks to a mate who bought literally a bootfull and nothing else

[RobDickinson]

With a natural variance of 0.5% You could expect it to be 4.5 or 3.5

The fact they can brew it precisely to 3.7 cream extra profits and never ever sell a 4.0% beer is a rort , how can that be allowed? Well i guess because the rules ar lax and typically geared to the corporations.

[markcoznottz]

Bradgate said:

With the sole exception of Natural Light, Carling is the worst excuse for beer I have ever had the misfortune to taste. It isn't just bland, it's genuinely unpleasant with flavours of wet cardboard. It is a product which gives beer a bad name.

I can well believe it's actually only 3.7%, too. Brewing beer with good flavour and body at that abv is perfectly possible, but it takes good ingredients and skill. Carling is brewed with neither.

Artisan Cask ales do vary in abv between batches, as you would expect in a living product which undergoes secondary fermentation in the cask, but there's no excuse for misleading labelling of mass-produced fizz.

I have no objection to lager as a beer style, but instead of drinking Carling why not choose one which is actually brewed in Germany or the Czech Republic and actually tastes nice?

Lagers quite one dimensional anyway, to a point it's like drinking 'nothing' if that makes sense, especially now most are chilled, as long as the carbonation is right i.e. Mouthfeel, the demographic it's aimed at will drink it at speed. It's not a multi layered taste and never will be. Someone drinks it though, and in huge quantities.