Budweiser is exploring new ground with their first ale which will hit stores in one week on September 29. It is already available in draught.
Appearance:
Nice copper color as you would expect from an amber ale. Huge head that lingers for several minutes after the pour.
Smell:
I don’t know if it was because of the size of the head or the temperature of the beer, but the first fragrance I got was… Budweiser. This is weird because this beer has little in common with a Bud. Once the head went down a bit and the beer warmed up, I got definite caramel and some light grassy hops scents.
Taste:
The taste was true to the smell. It’s fairly malty at the front, with caramel being what I tasted most with some subtle biscuit flavors mixed in. The hops hit at the back of the palette and are nicely balanced with the malt. The hops linger after you swallow, a bit much for my taste, but the bitterness is not overpowering.
Mouthfeel:
I would call this beer is medium-bodied and smooth.
Drinkability:
I wasn’t sure what to expect from an amber ale made by Budweiser. I was pleasantly surprised. It is well-balanced and hoppier than I expected, though not overwhelmingly so. I think this would make a decent session beer and maybe a good “gateway” beer to the world of craft brews for those who are usually Bud drinkers.
5.3% ABV
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I still think Budweiser has a branding issue to contend with in this new venture. Maybe Blind taste testing or something. Maybe something along the line of Toyota/Lexus in a complete separation of the the brand.
The brand separation idea is interesting. When they put out the Shock Top wheat beer, it was hard to tell it was made by Bud and now they have moved it over to Michelob, which seems to be the A-B default craft brand now. So why isn’t this a Michelob American Ale? I really don’t know. It will be interesting to see if it succeeds in the market.
after much thought, i will taste this, for Brant soon
Being one who likes “full bodied” beers, I have long stated that I don’t drink anything with light after it or Coors or Budweiser beore it. However, your review of the American Ale has me intrigued. I will certainly pick up a 6 and give it a try.
I dislike standard Bud as much as any REAL beer drinker, but I picked this one up on a whim today and was reall surpsied.
Sure, it’s underhopped for my taste. Sure, it’s a bit too syrupy sweet for my taste (swet inthe rong ways, like an amber bock). Sure, it’s got a bit of corn and cheap malts in the flavor (the cascade hops are nice, but it’s too underhopped).
But hell. This is really a step in the right direction for AB. Surprisingly, I found that I didn’t dislike this beer. Maybe it’s not competition for many of my favorite REAL American ales, but it’s got to be the tastiest Bud product I’ve ever had. It doesn’t really do anything wrong, but it doesn’t exceed at anything either.
Just tried it, and I like it!!! Its everything I expected from Budweiser, good job I’ll be buying more for sure.
I have to admit that I’m really not a fan of any reviewers of anything as they tend to have hoity toity opinions of things which really don’t reign true to Joe Shmoe. Comments about REAL beer etc. drive me nuts since the average guy probably drinks piss compared to what the Beer Aristocrats drink. Anyways….
Just got a six of these tonight and I really do like it. Not overly bitter or heavy but enough body to it that it actually tastes like something more than water. For a major company known for making college-grade drunkness, I’d say that AB did a really good job in creating a “REAL” contender here.
Hell, I haven’t willingly drank Bud in years. I gave AB a chance and bought a pint of there BAA. Hell, wasn’t half bad at all! I could drink this beer but there is something weird with the aftertaste….