Heineken DraughtKeg ® I know, when you open a bottle of this stuff it can be a gamble. Maybe you get a good beer, maybe it's a skunk. This beer was one of my favorites in my younger days, however those skunks seemed to come more and more so I found other beers to try. Here they came up with something different: It's a keg, small enough to fit in the fridge, since no outside air gets into the can it stays fresh for a month after opening, and it's large enough for most people for a weekend. If you like the container there are tap stations available that can cool and dispense the beer like a small kegerator. I have even seen another name brand use this small type container to dispense their product recently.
In anticipation of trying it I looked around on the web to find some info. Not everybody seemed happy with it, main concern seemed to be foaming. It's been said to read the bottom for the made date code, the fresher the better. On inspection I found there was no way I could figure out the codes when I looked for it. So for warned I grabbed the one that seemed coldest in the case and threw it on ice until tap time.
In anticipation of trying it I looked around on the web to find some info. Not everybody seemed happy with it, main concern seemed to be foaming. It's been said to read the bottom for the made date code, the fresher the better. On inspection I found there was no way I could figure out the codes when I looked for it. So for warned I grabbed the one that seemed coldest in the case and threw it on ice until tap time.
When it was time it was simple to tap - clip on the hose and dispenser mechanism and it was set to go. The "hot tip" is to poar the first glass, which is mostly foam and toss it. This seemed a wast to me so i put it aside and poured two more. It seemed the second and third was as foamy as the first filling, about a third glass with beer and the rest with foam. The foam wasn't anything abnormal in my opinion, just seemed like any over carbonated keg, or a bottle that got out of control. Anyway the foam died down quickly and I was able to fill the rest of the glass without a problem. Patience seems best here for the best poar. Oh yea the foamies do get better the further you get along.
When drinking I found it to be a great beer, just like I remembered it, and best of all no skunk here. The consensus is it's got a pleasant taste , giving it a bout a 6.5 on a 10 point scale, above average. It's a pale amber colored lager, very drinkable even to the tasters who did not usually enjoy this style of beer. We got about 13 tall glasses out of the keg, making this form of container a little more expensive than others for this beer. The premium comes for the freshness, and uniqueness of its dispensing. I Would put it at about the same price as two six packs of good to premium beer.
In the end we would get another one, not for its container but for the freshness of its contents.
JHS
