Budweiser American Ale

Brewed by Anheuser-Busch InBev
Style: Amber Ale
St. Louis, Missouri USA

the biggest hurdle i have to surmount in order to seriously consider this beer is something right there on the label: the word "budweiser". like a brown spot on a sexy bra, the name alone is a blemish that nearly kills the mood. this is a mega-corporation of the worst kind: they don’t have "breweries"-- they have sprawling assembly plants which can be seen from outer space; they have legions of workers who in their lifetimes will never see a hop; they make beer with the same passion that exxon mobil makes industrial lubricants-- if you can even call the carbonated grain-tea they synthysize from wino-backwash and feedlot silo spillage "beer". in the sometimes sordid history of post- prohibition american beer, they have ever been the bloated and voracious corporate nestling that will eat it’s sibling rivals alive-- and always emerge stronger and more ghoulish. their trade is not in the art of brewing, not in the balancing of flavors nor the coaxing of subtlties from steaming malt kilns, and certainly not the selection of choice hops. nay, they practice to perfection the black art of beguiling the masses, cornering the markets, and lobbying the regulatory boards that favor their ascension into monopoly. so insidious are they that they continue to design and sell beverages with less flavor while somehow convincing vast witless legions that giving you LESS for your money is actually better. at the great busch complex in st. louis, hidden somewhere behind the golden spires and gallantly high- stepping clydesdales, there is an dank, effluvial weed lot where languish the unmarked graves of apprentice brewers who dared to say "but our beer, sucks! why can’t we make something good?!?" yes, that’s the baggage i bring to this particular rating: in spite of my modest investment, i am almost hoping that it is as offensive as i’m prepared to suppose-- just to keep my head from exploding. yet in fact it is not terrible, but only a dull undistinguished little amber ale of which there are already countless incarnations being made by other brewers with the same numbing efficiency. someplace underground there must be an ocean of this biere ordinaire, it is so predictably available on taps across the american pub scene. that continental sub-terrainian reservoir is being drawn upward simultaneously by a million watering-hole well sites from bangor to san bernadino --and many tasters above ground are getting their first quaff of a brew that is--for them-- wildly bolder in body than a budweiser. call it a brown ale, an amber, a red, who cares? typical of these ubiquitous entry-level ales, you could probably fake a better beer by fermenting a hoagy bun with ginger ale and a squeeze of lemon. but this gentle guppy, the presumptuously named "american ale" is predictably amber, with sterilized clarity and a decent head. the scent speaks of slightly woody, honey-ish and vanilla malts. the carbonation was slightly pushy, as if trying to open a swath in the crowd for the coming of someone important. then appears on the palate this fairly inoffensive though nondescript watery, honeydew sweet, malt-balanced ale. wow wee. there’s an open gravesite in that AB weedlot, and an apprentice brewer has survived to perhaps brew again another day. watch your back dude.

Perhaps the best offering from A-B? It doesn’t stand up to the standard-setters like Great Lakes Burning River or Sierra Nevada, but we weren’t really expecting it to, now, were we.

Six pack from the Texaco on south Cooper. The best Budweiser I’ve ever had. They might have actually tried.

On tap at Schooner’s Wharf (Key West, FL): Nice bold mouthfeel, but I’m not crazy about the sour finish. Taste of roasted malts, brown sugar and slight citrus peel... but all those tastes last only for a second before the strong fizz kicks in... it’s creamy in a good way, I’ll give it that. Drinkability: Beer pong worthy. Rebuy: No. #110 on 05092009, DG.

[Out of a 22oz bottle (bought so I didn’t have to purchase a full six-pack). I admit that it’s going to be hard to ignore the Bud name on the label and judge this beer for its own merits, but I’ll try anyway.] The appearance is completely clear and see-through. A reddish orange color. Actually has a relatively sturdy head. Not bad. The aroma is toasted malts, sweetened with faint hints of brown sugar. A bit of a metallic smell. Mild grassy hops. Too sweet to be a pub ale. The taste is very sweet, even for an ale of its kind. The hops come through as bitter and a bit sharp; they are a mild accent only. The remainder is like sweet toffee and some cloying, intrusive alcohol. Not bad, but way too sweet; imbalanced. The feel is creamier than a typical Bud product, so for comparison’s sake I’ll give it that. Overall it’s a weak ale, but drinkable. Too cloying; could use a bitter balance, but the average Bud drinker is not ready for that. Americans could definitely handle this stuff.

This bottled brew from a bottle shop poured a medium sized head of foamy finely sized off-white colored bubbles that were long lasting and left behind a transparent strongly carbonated golden brown colored body and thick foamy lacing. The aroma was of soft red brown and red malts. The crisp semi-dry mouth feel was tingly at the start and at the finish with a mild hoppy aftertaste. The flavor contained notes of soft sweet malt and mild hops. I also noticed a slight "Offness" in the aftertaste. A decent one but not one that I would consider drinking again.

Bottle. Not terrible, actually. Smooth, some actual flavor compared to most other Bud beers. I was at a bar with no real "good" beer, and I ended up drinking these for the whole night. Definitely a serviceable beer if there’s nothing else around.

This is a great brew. I NEVER drink Budweiser products; I prefer very strong IPA style ales. I was out of town and the store only had "cheap" beers, and so this was the only thing that I thought might even come close to my need for flavor. I also love amber style ales, so this wasn’t just a blind shot; I did not expect an IPA. Wow! Was I surprised. This is actually a very good brew. Pour it in a glass to look at it. Then close your eyes and give it a sniff! Next, take it into your thirsty mouth and enjoy one sweeeet little "cheap" beer. Love it> Way to go A.B.