Heineken tastes better in holland

[jackflash]

I'd consider myself to be a beer dick. I'll always be awkward and look for something different, when everyone I'm with is drinking a macro, I'll look to have some form of craft beer and be a dick :-)

Anyways, I was in holland with the wife and kids a few weeks back, and our host had bottled Heineken. I'm not a total dick, though and of course would drunk whatever was in the fridge. And, to my surprise, it was lovely. 5%, malty with a sweetness to it. I had a few of them. I used to drink Heineken years back, and never remember it tasted so good.

Anyhow my wife just got back from Lidl with a box of Heineken, so delighted me put two in the fridge. I noticed that the abv is 4.3.

Opened a chilled bottle And I'm totally disappointed. Head disappeared in seconds, watery mouthfeel and no sweetness.

Why does Heineken taste better in Holland?

[dcalnan]

Yeah i was in Amsterdam with college and ended up on the outskirts and had one of the nicest pints I've ever had of Heineken there. I think it's a different recipe, cans and bottles for Ireland are made in the Netherlands at a lower 4.3%, it's 5% over there( you can get 5% here as well lately)  but the draught in Ireland all comes from Cork.

[johnrm]

No, I'm a beer dick.

Amstel is better, maltier. Amstel is now owned by Heineken.

[irish_goat]

One thing to remember is that beer on holidays nearly always tastes better. There's countless threads on Boards.ie of people saying they were drinking 'Lager Brand X' by the beach in some hot country and want to buy it in Ireland when it's never going to be the same.

[LukeH]

I can second that with my experience for Carlsberg - I lived in Copenhagen for a year and found it vastly improved compared to here..

[jackflash]

One thing to remember is that beer on holidays nearly always tastes better. There's countless threads on Boards.ie of people saying they were drinking 'Lager Brand X' by the beach in some hot country and want to buy it in Ireland when it's never going to be the same.

Haha, yeah I know what you mean, but it's not the case here. It was 2 celsius in utrecht, not exactly the bahamas:-P