Trying out Corona Extra from Mexico vs Canada

Canada bottle right. Mexican bottle left

Several months ago (Narrator: THIRTEEN MONTHS ALREADY!) I did a somewhat popular comparison review of Stella Artois brewed in Belgium versus Stella Artois brewed in Canada. It turned out to be a popular read on here so it was only a matter of time for me to do a comparison review of Corona Extra from Mexico versus Canada.

While the beer lost a bit of following in the past couple years after some people thinking that Corona (the beer) causes Coronavirus, well it never was! Fast forward to last year, Labatt (Anheuser Busch InBev) announced that they were going to move production of Corona to Canada. The first thing I noticed when Corona production moved to Canada was that they didn’t lower the price at all, rather Labatt continued to consider it an ultra premium product and the consumers are still drinking it up rather than investing their hard earned money into better tasting lagers but that’s for another day.

I wrote this for those who for some reason still drink the beer when there's many Mexican-style lagers out there that taste much better..

Canada Left, Mexican Right!

Corona Extra - Brewed in Mexico

Appearance: Pours a clear, light golden straw body with a moderate amount of carbonation in the body and a faint amount of snow white head on top.

Aroma: Skunk galore, it’s pungent, bitter, hop forward and a tad sweet with a bit of a graininess, creamed corn and honey.

Taste: Sweet up front with a mild presence of honey, creamed corn, a bit of a graininess and a hint of what my mind thinks is bubble gum though my mind may be wrong. Moderate amount of bitterness from the hops that gives off a bit of the sharp skunk profile that people seem to like, though that’s also from the use of clear glass bottles as you won’t get that taste from canned Corona. Fairy dry, mild skunky and corn aftertaste that lingers for a good moment.

Overall Thoughts: Prior to this, the last time I had Corona was at my sister’s place a couple years ago and it was the skunkiest and nastiest bottle I’ve ever had. I don’t understand why this beer is popular but a lot say it’s the skunkiness that appeals to them, others say that when you add a wedge of lime, it’s a taste of paradise. To me, it’s alright, it’s a sweet and bitter lager that’s pretty smooth but definitely more aggressive than the American light lagers that makes up what seems to be 70% of all beer sales. Pretty much what I’d expect from Corona.

Corona Extra - Brewed in Edmonton

Appearance: Clear, light golden straw body with a good amount of carbonation in the body, as well as a noticeable amount of snow white head on top.

Aroma: A tad skunky like the Mexican version but lighter. It’s sweet with notes of honey, creamed corn, tad grainy and notes of straw at the end.

Taste: Lots of straw, a tad noble hop presence to it, bit of creamed corn, a slight skunkiness to it, as well as a hint of metallic presence. I get the bubblegum vibe again but a bit more subdued. A bit grassy and straw-forward, bitter hop aftertaste and a dry aftertaste.

Overall Thoughts: Quite a bit more metallic than the Mexican original but a fair bit lighter on the palate, though this beer may be quite a bit fresher than the Mexican bottle I picked up as they are currently replacing the 710mL bottles of Corona with stuff brewed in Canada. For those expecting the sharp skunkiness, they may be a bit disappointed, but it’s definitely easier on the palate aside from the metallic presence and the bitter hop aftertaste at the end. Still more aggressive than most light lagers out there but honestly Labatt hasn’t done a bad job here.. but $28 for a 12-pack or $4 for a 473mL can is excessive for a beer brewed in Edmonton.

If you REALLLLLY enjoyed my rare-time comparison, help his blog continue: