Yes, I'm finally going to cave in and do this one. I normally sneer at anything with the word "Budweiser" on it, because as I mentioned, as a general rule, Anheuser-Busch generally doesn't know what good beer is even if it bites them in the rumpus. That said, this is an ale instead of a lager, so I went into it with an open mind. I've got to say, for a Budweiser product, this really impressed me, of course, as always, I've had better beer.
Pour: Rich amber color with a white 1" head that retains decently and leaves a bit of lacing. Completely unexpected from a Budweiser product. I started to get maybe some high hopes for this beer.
Smell: Citrus and caramel malts. You can actually smell the hops in this beer! OMG...is this really a Budweiser???
Taste: What can I say? This is actually a decent American-style Amber Ale. It's got a fair amount of sweet caramel malts, and I really couldn't detect any adjuncts (again, I was a bit surprised). This beer is dry-hopped with Cascade hops, and it's got a mild bitterness in the back, and has a tart grapefruit like taste on the acidity receptors of the palate. If I were to describe it succinctly, it would be a malty amber mixed with grapefruit juice.
Mouthfeel: Moderate to high carbonation and moderate in body. Smooth...I was impressed by the smoothness of this beer. Maybe a bit much carbonation, but otherwise great.
Drinkability: You know how they always advertise Bud Light as the epitome of drinkability? Well...I could drink this at a bar with friends all night...and probably somewhat chuggable (note: I consider "chuggable" maybe a bit too drinkable).
Final Notes: If you would have blindfolded me and told me this was a Budweiser, I would have called you a liar, liar pants on fire. I NEVER expected this from Budweiser, honestly. This is a pretty solid example of an American Amber Ale, though I think probably not the best. If I were to describe this beer, maybe it's a bit like a slightly toned down version of Fat Tire. At 5.3% ABV, it's not overly alcoholic and would be an excellent choice for a session beer, for someone looking for a beer that doesn't have an overbearing flavor, or someone whose palate is starting to mature into craft beer. In all honesty, I may have to give this one two ratings. Relative to AB beers, this is a solid "A" effort. In relation to other craft beers, I'm going to give it a "B." It's not something I'd seek to drink all the time, but it's worth a try, in my opinion.
Recommend
Comments (9)
Being bought out by Stella might have been a good thing?
Being a Wisconsin girl, I can't quite bring myself to try Budweiser products. Maybe I'm loyal to a fault? Sounds like a solid beer, though. Maybe I'll find a chink in my Wisconsin armor yet.
@ZepBlueEyedGirl@xanga - Don't get me wrong, Budweiser Lager is pure shit (what do you expect from an American macrolager). This stuff is about 5 times the price, is not sold in cans, and is brewed in a much smaller quantity.
@KevtheMoron@xanga - Bud American Ale actually was in the works before AB got bought; the samples were already sent out and the launch was scheduled.
@ZepBlueEyedGirl@xanga - I'm from Wisconsin and I love ALL beer. All good beer that is, and this is a good beer.
@Dust_to_Dust84@xanga - Like I said - maybe I'll break down & try it. But the WI-loyalty thing is just so entrenched. Example: I have no real reason to dislike the Twins, they're not in the NL, but I can't bring myself to cheer for them.
I tried some of this on tap when I made a visit to Minnesota (from Portland, OR). It was quite good - definitely drinkable. Not a good as Drop Top Amber Ale but decent.
Budweiser is one of my favorite beers in the world... I've traveled to many countries and tasted different exotic brands Mexico's Corona, India's Shivram, Nicaragua's Toña and others, so let's just say you caught my attention from the very first moment you mentioned the word "beer", which, after " kamagra gel ", is my favorite word word in the world.
Nooo!! this beer it's the best I liked very much, a friend of mine sells me the beer with some viagra without prescription to make the party better because on that place was very easy to have sex.
Well the beer it's just the best.