Brewed in Cornwall, England by the famous St Austell brewery, will this lager live up to the tag line. “This is the coast in a glass, drink it all in.” Sounds delightful and hard to resist, but is Korev Lager a decent beer?
Well, I took it upon myself to find out. So with a bottle straight from the chiller and cooled to perfection, I get stuck in.
Korev Lager from Cornwall is a decent beer, with a good body, yet still crisp and refreshing. It pours a straw like gold with a one finger head. The nose is subtle with a little malt and a touch of lemon lime citrus. Dive in for a taste and a solid malt base supports a hoppy top with a sherbet lemon dryness. A medium carbonation distributes the beer nicely and the finish has an adequate bitterness. A solid lager best served by the sea, it gets a rate my beer score of 4.4 – 5.0.
It’s a lager with a bit of oomph, open the bottle and you can almost hear the waves crashing on the golden sandy beach.
Table Of Contents
St Austell Brewery
St Austell Brewery may have begun with humble beginnings when one man. Walter Hicks mortgaged his farm to open a wine and spirits wholesale business.
This was way back in 1851 and that business still runs today, in fact St Austell is the leading wholesale drinks supplier to the south west.
With the success of the wines and spirits business, Walter went on to buy a pub and found his love of brewing. St Austell brewery was born, and is still an independent family business today.
The portfolio has grown over the years and now the business have 180 plus pubs and hotels spread across the west country.
On top of that, they also own Bath brewery after acquiring it in 2016 and investing a whole lot of millions with a new state of the art brewery set up.
A great independent company the Cornish people must be proud of.
Korev Lager Review
Korev is a true Cornish beer, in fact Korev which is pronounced Cor-eff is a traditional Cornish word meaning beer.
It stands in a tall brown 500ml bottle with the familiar embossed St Austell neck. The label is blue with a scene of rugged coastline, sandy beach and crystalline waters lapping the shore.
Laid over this scene is an orange triangle, which after thinking about it. I interpret as Cornwall itself, it is an abstract of the shape of Cornwall that is the south west point of England.
The orange colour represent the many orange buoys bobbing around in the sea along the coastline. The vibrant look is a result of a rebrand in 2021 by Thirst.
I think they have done a pretty good job, anyway lets get to the important stuff, the beer itself.
Drinking Korev Lager
After admiring the bottle for a minute or two, it is time to crack it open, in other words get on with it. I like to pour my beer slightly aggressively and this time is no different.
It’s a light golden straw like colour and settles with a one finger head. This does fade to a thin cover, just enough to contain the golden liquid.
A good flow of bubbles rise up the glass and as it goes down a nice decorative lacing clings to the glass.
The nose is a subtle affair, not much happening. However there is the slightest of sweet malt and a hint of lemon or lime citrus wafting from the glass.
It is all about the taste, and it doesn’t disappoint. A slightly sweet caramel malt supports a little hoppy hit that carries a lemon citrus bite. It is almost like a sherbet lemon which creates a dryness in the beer.
The mouthfeel is crisp dry and a nice bitterness finishes things off. A decent beer that has a little sweetness up front, a crisp dry body and a balanced bitter end.
It gets a solid rate my beer score of 4.4 – 5.0.
M’Lady likes it just that bit more than I do, saying “A crisp lager with a sherbet lime and a slightly bitter finish. More depth than a macro lager, I would happily sit on the beach watching the sunset drinking a Korev (it would probably taste even better)”.
Blimey Lou had a lot to say, and scores it a slightly higher 4.5 – 5.0.
So Korev Lager is a decent beer, you can tell it is quality, its got body and spirit.
St Austell Beers
St Austell brewery have been around for a very long time and they know how to brew beer. They are a brewery that have moved with the times. Brewing not only traditional style beers, but modern style beers too.
They have a range that will please any beer lover, I would go as far to say it is an exciting range of beers. Here are a few I have earmarked of future reviews.
Anthem
Anthem is a new pale ale from St Austell brewery, and quite frankly sounds like a cracker. Brewed with 100% British ingredients, it boasts a variety of hops. Harlequin, Jester, Olicana and Target give this beer a fruity citrus vibe.
Flavours of Mango, Melon and Apricot please the palate. While a fairly strong bitterness does it job to produce a real complex beer.
At just 3.8% Vol it is a session dream and a beer I want to get my teeth into.
Proper Black
Proper Black looks like a stout, but tastes like an IPA, freaky. I can only assume it is a reworked Proper Job IPA, which is a great beer.
Another beer with a four hop combo of Brewer’s Gold, Centennial, Chinook and Citra. It is a combination of bitter chocolate flavours you might find in a stout, along with tropical citrus fruits you might find in an IPA.
It could be a confusing beer, but at 6.0% Vol only one is on the cards. Which is just as well as it might be a taste that could get sickly.
Having said that, it could also be a great beer too, and one I have to try.
Cornish Best
Cornish Best is what you would expect, a no nonsense traditional best bitter that is a comfort to drink. Using three hops of Aurora, Golding and progress it lends flavours of toffee and biscuit malt with some peppery hop on top.
It weighs in at a sessionable 3.8% Vol so the moreish flavours could see you going back for another. With an almost equal balance of sweet and bitter it will satisfy most beer palates.
I’m in, it is definitely on my beer wish list.
Final Thoughts
So Korev lager is a decent beer from a brewery producing a good range of quality beers. Old style and new, this brewery are an innovative outfit.
I have had the pleasure of trying several of St Austell’s beers, but I have no intention of putting the brakes on. I will continue to work my way through their whole range, which I am sure will continue to grow.
If you have tried Korev Lager, then do share your thoughts below, let me know your view of this Cornish lager.
Related: Beer Reviews By Brewery
Rob is a passionate home bar and pub shed enthusiast with a passion for craft beer. With hands-on experience in designing and building his own home bar, Rob shares his knowledge, tips, and inspiration to help fellow enthusiasts create their own perfect space. Alongside the world of home bars and pub sheds, Rob also explores the diverse and exciting realm of craft beer, providing honest reviews to help you discover your next favorite brew. Join Rob on a journey of flavor, design, and craftsmanship right here on Home Bar Kit.