Budweiser American Ale

Typical Bud-like taste, just a little maltier perhaps. No big thrill. There is, truly, nothing more to say about this brew. I swear.

I’ve been meaning to try this for some time, so I finally bit the bullet and picked some up while I was grocery shopping - completely clear amber beer - she kicks up a substantial head, that shrinks down quickly to a rather thick, frothy lace - the aroma and flavor are fairly middle of the road, even for an amber ale, but it is quite clean and refreshing - crisp hop bitterness up front, followed by some mild fruity/estery character, finishing with some bready malts and a return of a tiny bit of hops - a tiny bit nutty - watery finish - inoffensive, but bland, forgettable - they could have done a lot more with this beer, but instead they dumbed it down, even for a style that I don’t expect much from.

Bottle. Pours amber with a little bit of head. Does look nice. Taste is ok. A little bit hoppy. Has some corn flavor in there. I like the idea. Its a mass market beer but a bit higher quality. Not a great beer, but better than many of the mass market. Have to walk the masses to good beer one baby step at a time...

1pint 6 oz Bottle and served in a no-nik pint glass: Yep looks just like the picture, actually mine looks a tad darker amber hue topped by a frothy slightly off-white head which left pretty good lace upon the glass. That should alone scare the crap out of 95% of the A-B beer market. The aroma is yep a complete letdown, I knew A-B did not have it in them to make a complex beer. Hint of walnut, caramel, wet grains, light herbal hops, a sadly some medicinal vapours as well. The flavor profile is equally mundane, moderate forgettable sweet nutty malts with just a touch of bitterness. There is also a metallic and even a bit of a sour note as well. The mouth feel is respectable for the genre, lively but not aggressive. Okay, it is better than almost any other offering from the MEGAbrewer but sadly that is not saying much. I fully expected an American PALE Ale but instead got a worn out Amber Ale that any home brewer with a kit could reproduce. Where is hell is the Cascade hops anyway? Cheap f-ing bottom line, mass marketing bastards! Someone should be hung for using words like robust and distinctive when describing this beer, what happened to TRUTH in advertising?

Oooh look! You need a bottle opener, must be good! Who cares. Especially when a piece of the lip cracks off with the cap like this one. Damnit! Smells typical Bud with an added mollasses and bit of spice maybe. Looks like ice tea, I bet the color is fake. Tastes decent enough, a hint of hops at least but mouthfeel is weak. Similar to a Ziegenbock or Amber Bock. Not even as good as a Shiner. Nothing special at all. For the same price I could have had my Sierra Nevada. I’m left craving hops.

Bottle. Overly sweet caramel nose with plenty of on-rushing carbonation. Amber-brown body, translucent with a large soapy tan head. Taste is bittersweet with a (surprisingly) noticeable hop bite, if only for a short while, and some dry and slightly sour caramel that fades into a long-lasting grainy aftertaste. Light-medium body, a little metallic and not very clean (kinda grimy teet after a few ounces), has me thinking headache before I finish half the bottle. In the same category as Amber Bock, but nothing more than an ugly step-brother, and that’s saying something.

Draft and bottle-no real discernible difference between the two but draft seems to be lighter, watery. No head in the various times I’ve had it. Aromas of dark chocolate, heavy on the roasted malt, somewhat flowery notes. Very crisp with notable hops present, dry finish. Rather bitter for an amber ale. Extremely similar to Amber Bock.

12 oz bottle Bronze in color with a thick pale head. Not much in the smell category. Some floral hop notes and a bit of malt but that’s it. Taste is dominated (if you can even use such a strong word) by floral hops. Fairly light mouthfeel, with heavy carbonation. Overall, the best thing Bud has ever made as far as I’m concerned, but still a lackluster beer.