Review of Magnum Malt Liquor
Posted By Ken Monday, 22 January 2007 15:23
This is what got the ball rolling for this entire website. At a poker party the night of this site's conception, Zach and I ran to the liquor store during a break in the game. I don't recall that this was what we were after, but for fun I decided to pick one up just to try. Little did I know that this malt liquor would start it all.....
Ken enjoys his favorite malt, MagnumKen's Review
I won't give an intro to this one, because my review says it all.....
Taste: A This was one damn surprising malt liquor! I was almost hesitant when I opened the top of the bottle and took my first swig, because with a lot of 40s you are pretty shocked when you drink it, and not always in a good way. This malt by the Miller company is one that really goes down smooth and doesn't have hardly any aftertaste to it. As you get further down the bottle the taste starts to go, but it isn't until the last gulp that you struggle at all with it.
Packaging: C+ I hate to knock this malt at all, but on packaging I can't really say that it is that impressive. The bottle is a black label with a gold border, and has a gray "M" in the background behind the words "Magnum 40". With a name like Magnum, I feel like there should be something kind of kick-ass on the packaging. Magnum can be a tough word, but you don't get a real bitchin' feel from the label.
Value: A I think the price I paid for this 40 was around only $2.00, which also scared me a bit regarding taste when I bought it. But for the price and the drinkability of it, you can't really go wrong in too many ways with this one. Totally worth what you pay for it.
Drunkeness: B I'm going with this rating for drunkeness because it will get you a bit messed up, but if you are going for a borderline blackout scenario, you definitely have to go with one or two more of these in succession. One bottle before, during, or preferrably after some other drinks will help add to the effect and get you buzzed pretty good. It will also provide a nice headache for a few hours when you wake up the next morning. But it's totally worth it.
Overall: A Due to the surprising flavor, smooth drinkability, and cheap price I am giving this one high marks. If you haven't tried this one yet, and are short on cash, by all means get some of this. I am bringing some 40s to the Super Bowl party, so you know I got it's back!
Zach's Review
Taste: B For a malt, this baby has some good taste, which is to say, it doesn't taste like ass. It is pretty smooth, kinda like drinking water. I'm thinking Miller may have just repackaged Milwaukee's Best Light. Maybe that is why Ken likes it so much...
Packaging: C The packaging is pretty weak. I guess they didn't spend much in either category. It is OK, but there is certainly better looking stuff out there. I won't bore you with a rehash of Ken's description.
Value: B This is a pretty good buy at around $2 for a 40. The only reason I'm not giving it an A is because it is only 5.6%. When it comes to malt value, I think I need about 4% for every dollar spent. On the plus side, if you are desperate for some refreshment, you can probably find $2 worth of change in your car.
Drunkeness: B- Yeah, I know it is a malt and 40, but if I'm putting down a 40, I want to feel pretty good after 1. Without the weight of say, a Four O, you'd need to put down about 1 1/2 of these to get drunk. After 2, you are feeling pretty good, though. Since I've not experienced drinking one in less than 1 half of football like Ken, I can't say about the after effects, but I'm not going to be downing one of these on a work night anytime soon.
Overall: B A malt that doesn't taste like kerosene and around $2 earns a solid B for me. If you are looking to get into the malt game, but can't sack it up for something with 8% or higher, Magnum is for you. I'd say I'll be buying it again in the future, but if I want to be passed out by midnight, I'll move to something else.