heineken draught keg review
June 26, 2007 by Cash
I heart Heineken. I always associate it with air travel (I used to be a big in-flight Heineken guy) and think it’s one of the smoother, more refreshing beers out there.
Drinking it at home however, has only been an occasional indulgence. For some reason, it seems to be one of the ’skunkier’ beers out of the bottle. Nowadays I tend to enjoy Heineken most on tap in the bar.
With the introduction of the Heineken Draught Keg, those mad geniuses from Holland aim to give me the best of both worlds.
WHAT IT IS
The draught keg, just as the name implies, is a miniturized, one use only, 5L keg. It looks like some deliciously bloated can of Heineken, just waiting to explode with its signature fresh and fruity flavor. It comes with a very simple plastic lever/tap mechanism and picture instructions showing how to use it.
USE
The instructions advise refrigerating the keg for 10 hours prior to use. It shows a recommended temperature of ‘2-4 degrees’. This is obviously a celsius measurement, but I can only imagine the first time some thirsty frat boys opt for the freezer treatment. Kersplat.
After refrigerating, you simply fit a small plastic ring over the opening, and then slide the ‘tap’ lever into place (breaking a seal in the keg in the process).
Now, getting a frosty cold, true draught beer is as simple as raising the lever. Unlike some other ‘mini kegs’ which are pretty much just oversized cans of beer with a tap in the side, Heineken’s Draught Keg is pressurized.
My first few mugs were pure foam (to be expected I’d imagine) but from there on out, I was pouring pub grade Heineken draughts in my kitchen. Awesome.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The draught keg’s 5 Liters yields just over 14 (12 oz) beers. I paid $19.99 for mine. This equates to $1.43 per beer. I can’t think of a single happy hour in town with such cheap, quality tap beer. The keg’s bound to be a huge hit at outdoor barbeque’s and the like, and since it promises a 30 day shelf life once opened, the beer will run out long before the expiration date does.
Absolutely recommended, and let’s just hope the technology spreads to other brewers in the near future.
Technorati Tags: drinking gadgets, alcohol news, beer news, new beer, new beer products, drinking products, home bar supplies, summer party
I know someone with a Kitchen Aide Mixer… It’s real nice.
the main problem that leads to your “skunky beer” is due to the bottle. Beer is very sensitive to sunlight, and in a clear or green bottle the sun gets through real easy and causes the “skunk”. the darker bottle help prevent that somewhat, but still an issue.
http://www.realbeer.com/library/beerbreak/archives/beerbreak20001221.php
Awesome info Goat. I’ve always enjoyed drinking out of a bottle more, and come to think of it the other beers I find ’skunky’ at home (Rolling Rock and Stella to name but two) both share the green bottle.
If you like those beers then def. try Duvel, Kwak, or a La FIn da Monde. they all blow the pants of any of the 3 you mention
Is La Fin da Monde that french beer with like the ridiculous alcohol content? That’s some potent stuff!
if by “french” you mean “canadian”, then yes. and if “ridiculous alcohol” you mean 9%, then i guess so. but then duvel is also about 8.5%.
“ridiculous alcohol” beer to me is sam adam’s utopia clocking in at a lovely 24%. (and like 150$/bottle). tastes more like a sherry than a beer.
Aha! Yes, I’ve tried that La fin de Monde. Great labels on those, very artistic. I’ve heard about Utopia, but never sampled it. Perhaps it’s time they send us a bottle.
god you guys are beer dorks
greg: I fail to see where the problem is. but then i’ve always been of the opinion that a little bit of knowledge in a wide range of fields helps keep a conversation going regardless of the circle you’re hanging out with. And a bit of knowledge in directions that other people might not think to go is an interesting way to seperate yourself from the pack and show a little bit of individuality.
[...] Hot on the heels of my glowing Heineken Draught Keg review, I stumbled upon perhaps the coolest invention ever. A home beer dispenser that not only dishes out perfectly chilled suds, but does so while blending in with the other appliances on your counter top. In a cruel twist of fate not seen since Britney Spears’ transformation into a white trash troll; it’s only available in the U.K. The PerfectDraft is a new appliance manufactured by PHILIPS with a real tap handle, internal cooling system, pump, and 6 litre light metal keg. The appliance keeps beer at a constant temperature of 3° C. Once installed, the beer stays fresh for four weeks. [...]
I love this, I love this so hard!
In answer to the “skunky” beer taste I always believed that the issue was that the beer was delivered cold and then store in a non-refrigerated space and then cooled again.
If anyone has a tap for a 5 Liter Heineken keg I was given one for my birthday and my friend forgot to get the tap.
Thanks
Gary
Gary; email me. Cash@urbanmonarch.com
I bought my first keg today. Paid $20 for it. After a 30 min. drive home, I couldn’t wait to tap the keg. I’m sorry that I did, the f-ing thing leaked all over the kitchen floor and I couldn’t do anything except mopping the floor and left the keg in the sink. 2 hours went by, and I attempted to get a glass and the same thing happened all over again. Needless to say, this is my first keg and regretfully will be my last. Someone at Heineken should fix this problem if they want their newest product to become a hit.
I usually put the keg in the refrigerator for 10 hours (recommended by Heineken)prior to tapping. The first glass that comes out is all foamy but the rest are beautiful and much better than the bottle, although I do drink bottles.
Thanks
GRC
Is that “Unhappy Bostonian” or “DUMB-a$$, DUMB-shi+, DUMB-f+++, etc” Bostonian?
Only the first is foamy? The entire Keg was foamy and I drank it over 2 days. The entire keg was pure foam. I had to wait 5 minutes until the foam dissipated each time I poured. WHAT A JOKE!
Dan-only the first (for me) was entirely foamy. After that, if I tried to pour too quickly it would be overly foamy, but I quickly found a happy medium by not raising the tap more than about half way. It takes longer to pour, but avoids the foam.
You guys (especially cash) seem like you really know what you’re talking about. I’m about to purchase my own heineken mini keg but im not sure which one i want. There’s the draught mini keg and the premium light lager mini keg. What is the difference in these two? It seems that sometimes lagers are really dark beers and i have no idea what a draught beer is. Myself, I’m a budlight and keystone light LOVER and don’t know which of the two mini kegs is the best choice for me. If you have any insight it would really be appreciated.
i generally dont like dark lagers but ive never had heineken (yes im a “beer newbie” at 22). Im not sure if the light lager is different or what?
you could really help me out here goat or cash
if you are getting to much foam, make sure the keg is cold (40 degrees F or cooler)… next, tip your glass & poor the beer slowly from the top tip of the glass. when I do this, I get less than a centimeter of foam from the Heineken keg… Also… leave the cap on like the instructions say…. if you don’t you’ll make a mess like the genius beer god “unhappy Bostonian”.
just tapped my first 5L Heineken Keg….I left it in the fridge overnight and the first pour was absolutely perfect….make sure you rinse out your glass with water prior to pouring the first nectar of the gods…the soap residue from most dishwashers can add to the foam problem….only caveat is the cost here in Toronto….$34 for 5L..did the math after i purchased it, it would have only cost me $25 for the same amount of beer in 500ML cans, but the keg is extremely convenient
Well, that is not good… here in the States it is around half of the cost of a case and just two bottles over a case.
Hello. Does anyone know if it is possible to take the tap out of the keg and put it back in?
I do it on occasion….. once you pull the tab the keg
re-seals….
Enjoy !
GRC
OK guys, my husband and I love keg…very good beer…and the foam problem is that you’ve not paid attention to the bartenders of the world! Always tilt the glass! And a chilled glass helps even more.
My question is this; is the date on the keg the “expiration date” or “best used by” date? If it is the expiration date….then just how long has it been in that keg? Couldn’t find the answer to that on the Heineken site or the local distributors site.
Thanks for any input.
Bought a 5L Heinekin keg for a whopping 29.99$. Thought, what the heck, it beats having a bunch of bottles or cans if I bought a 24 pack. Once chilled properly, I poured a glass and the keg wouldn’t stop pourring until I took off the pourring mechanism. Put the keg back in the fridge and the next day the keg had emptied itself in the fridge!! I’d suggest you don’t purchase the kegs unless you find it amusing cleaning fridges full of beer! And most expensive beer I’ve ever purchased from a supermarket.
25-30$? They are down to $16.99 bought COLD at my local supermarket, a great deal for a draught beer that goes right into the fridge. If you are having problems with too much foam try pouring slowly into a tipped cold glass as mentioned above. if that does not work place keg into a bucket of ice/water/salt after you refrigerate. That should drop the temp to a perfect level.
Just to inform you all, it spelled “La Fin Du Monde”. Translated it means “The End Of The World”, quite a fitting name beacuse it gets you quite intoxicated.
My boss was out of town so me and my buds bought a cold mini-keg of Heineken at the liquor store. I always loved Heineken and now I am a BIG fan of the keg! Like evryone said the first glass or two was a little foamy but after that it is smooth sailing. They say once tapped it can stay fresh up to 30 days but I’ll never find out.
I have started a mini price war between the two stores near my house. I was getting the kegs down the street and the other store owner asked me what I was paying and now he gets them for me for a dollar less.
For the folks above: light causes the breakdown of many of the complex molecules in the beer thereby ruining the taste of it. Green bottles reduce the effects of the light (Moosehead, Keith’s), however brown bottles (Canadian, Blue) negate the effects of the light. Of course, keg beer as in Heineken’s new invention allow for the complete exclusion of light. Also, beer must remain cold, as gas is more soluble in cold liquids. Warm temperatures force the supersaturated carbon dioxide gas to escape from the beer more easily resulting in a flat, stale beverage.
Also, some others were correct in how beer should be poured: slowly, in a chilled, damp, tilted glass. Bubbles arise due to irregularities in the glass which provide nucleation sites for the gas to escape. Also, by having a damp glass, these irregularities are smoothed out. By having a chilled glass, the beer stays colder, longer.
Lastly, $34.99 for the Draught keg in Toronto is fairly pricey, however if it pours 14 12oz beers then it costs $2.91 for each beer. This isn’t a bad price, and mixed with the “fun” of having the draught keg in the comfort of your own home certainly beats braving the cold Canadian winter en route to your local pub.
darn !
i was in my local pubs celebrating boxing day …. the lady introduce me this
heineken keg , wow … it’s hard to resist the temptation of this lil’ keg.
i paid USD 56.62, that’s when i convert Malaysian Ringgit 188.00
so you guys out there …. ur darn lucky u had urs at USD20 or less …
anyway … due to the limited stock here … i’ve booked 2 more keg for this coming
new year. we’ll … heineken keg rulezzz hehehehe
Phil from Malaysia
Phil,
You bet they do !!! I get mine for $ 19 American and they do taste good.
Enjoy yours !
Gary
Gary, u bet’cha. I’m saving all my moonies to get a few more keg, to stock at my new house.
I’m going to propose to my fiancee and would like to have some tea party somewhere in february …
i bet this lil’ keg will cheers to the crowd
who say we can’t owned a barrel at home in the kitchen ??? he he he
we have our mini barrel that does the foam … that’s for the beginning ..
cheers to all Heineken’ Keg drinkers out there !!!
cheers,
Phil
This has been some great information regarding this sweet mini keg. However those couple of posts regarding the keg leaking everywhere are quite alarming. I want to take this to a party on New Years, and would feel like an ass if it just made a mess everywhere. Is this being caused by user error, or by something wrong with the keg setup?
Steve,
I had this happen. I went to put the keg back in the fridge and the handle hit the ceiling and “opened”. The keg will not leak all over unless: (a) the tap mechanism is put on wrong which will cause some of the product to come out from under the tap or (b) if you open the tap accidentally.
I have had nothing but luck with these kegs and the little store next door now orders them for and keeps them in the cooler. I pick them up ready to use.
Gary
Does anyone know whether 5L barrils such as Becks, Lowenbrau and Warsteiner are pressurized like Heineken?
[...] 14. Heineken’s got a newly advertised offering: draught keg (I don’t recall seeing this commercial before today). [...]
Has anyone packed a Heineken Keg in checked luggage? We can not get Heineken Light in canada and I want to take a keg home with me… should I be concerned about putting the contents of the keg under any pressure in the luggage cargo? Thanks.
as far as checking it in your checked luggage. I would be iffy about it. When you fly, the pressure in the cargo hold is much much lower than normal. Since the keg is pressurized to begin with, I would be concerned that the added pressure might cause leaking. As well you will have to pay taxes and duty to bring it across the border, not to mention I’m not sure if they will allow it. Your safest bet would be to call the airport itself and find out, because i’m sure none of us here can be 100% on a matter like this that could get you fined.
Adam has several good points. Maybe it would be best to find a local distributor and see if you could get a better price that way.
Do you leave the tap handle up where it stops when you are done pouring a drink or push it all the way back down?
You must put the handle all the way back down or the keg will no close completely and the beer will spoil.
Gary,
Thank you for answering my question. I really do appreciate it!
The flimsy plastic pump didn’t work, which was total torchure. Farting around with it for about half an hour, it took a windex bottle straw, cutting down the rest of the plastic, plyers, and an exacto knife. That was super frustrating and almost died of thirst! BUT…we are drinking beer as you read this=we won.
can these kegs by recycled? i’m afraid of the pressure system, is it safe for trash or recycling? thanks. enjoy the light heineken.
sk
Love the 5L kegs. However, where do I dispose of the empty kegs? Is there a special recycable depot?
Hey all,
Just got my first keg and I love it,
It’s the first of many,
I love it - the first glass is a bit foamy,
but It’s beer guy’s!
Keep making the kegs!!
I’ve been drinking out of this keg for a few hours now and I am NOT dissapointed!
CHEERS!
This has got to be the shittiest beer gimmick ever invented. Chilled for 10hrs, nothing but foam. All foam, all the time. Anything less than a full bore pull on the “tap” causes foam to leak from the top. Yay, great product, foam all over the counter, floor, and fridge!
Then it is not cold enough !! I have been using the kegs for months and have only had an issue when they were not cold enough.