How Special Is it?
Jan 04 '06
The Bottom Line Drinkable, but not worth a special trip or a special price.
I recall that Point Special, by the Stevens Point Brewery, was special for me when I was in college. Back then, all we had was mass market beers, with the occasional Heineken or Elephant Malt liquor. Into this sea of Bud, Schlitz, Miller, Stroh’s, Blatz and Old Style, came Point Special, like a silver bullet, based on a splashy article in the Chicago Daily News in 1973 about how great it was.
I do remember enjoying it and being glad it was available in the Chicago area. Then, I aged, got into better beers, the craft beer phenomenon exploded and Point Special faded, so far that it was off the shelves in Chicago for a while.
Well, now it’s back, and in yet one more feeble attempt to recapture joys of my youth, I picked up a 6 pack.
I did some net research. Ratings are all over the map on this one. The larger sites categorize this beer’s style as an American macro brew, even if the brewer really isn’t. I saw abv reported as anywhere from 4.5 to 6.1. Ok, talk is cheap. Time for the taste test.
The Nose Noticeable hops, but more of a mass-market version.
The Pour Nice initial head that faded quickly to about half it’s initial size, pale yellow color.
The Taste More lightly carnbonated that I expected, mild taste of hops, mild metallic taste, not much else.
The aftertaste It finishes with a whimper, not a bang. Clean, very faint metallic finish, little else. I didn’t get much of a buzz, either. I’d say the abv is no more than 5.
This seems reminiscent of Iron City – light on taste, but drinkable. Ok to buy if it’s cold and you’re thirsty, but not worth a special trip or a special price.
In 1973, Point was special. In 2006? Not exactly.
Kind of reminds me of my basketball career. In 8th grade, I was a 6-ft. center among midgets, a big kid in a small pond. In high school, the 6-ft center isn’t big and the pond isn’t small.
Compared to the mass brewers of the 70’s, I could see that this would be worth some pub, though I think Stroh’s was pretty good when it was brewed in Detroit. But compared to the craft brewers of today, not so hot.
At this price point ($5.99 a six), LaBatt’s is more enjoyable.
Thanks for reading. God bless!
You might enjoy some of my other beer reviews:
Bell’s KalamazooStout
Budweiser Select
Sam Adams 2005 Imperial Pilsner
Bell’s 7000 ale
Baltika #6 Russian Beer
Baltika #4 Russian Beer
Ommegang Belgian-style ale with Cherry Lambic
Unibroue Terrible Belgian-style Ale
Zhiguly 9.5 Grand Lithuanian Beer
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
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