Busch NA

Brewed by Anheuser-Busch InBev
Style: Low Alcohol
St. Louis, Missouri USA

Serve in English pint, Shaker

"Hey, did you find something to rate for your 500th?" "yeah, why did you have something in mind?" "Well, I was thinking Busch N/A since it’s the lowest rated beer on the site." "oh, well it’s a little late." "We should taste some tonight anyway." "Yeah, that’s a good idea" And that’s how this nightmare began. "Yeah, that’s a good idea" kept resonating in my mind and depressing me with each painful sip I took of this crap. I poured the can, best before Nov. 17, 2007 by the "110 day freshness" thing on the side, into a big snifter and Chris did the same with his can. Due to the wideness of the snifter, some golden color was definitely noticed. Near the narrowest portion of the glass, however, this looked like dirty water. The nose isn’t powerfully offensive. It takes contemplation and effort to really dissect the disgust and problems here. I knew instantly I didn’t like what I was holding to my nose, but at the same time it did remotely smell like a beverage. I’d say the fact that this comes in a can really helps the beer from being overly aggressively foul. The first thing I think of is a bag of ancient, crushed Nasty Ice cans waiting to be taken to the recycling center so Bubba can get some extra cash to buy more. The aroma smells like old remnants of what used to house beer. Soggy cardboard and corn are there too. But still, it’s not putrid. I grudgingly took a sip. Of course I’m thinking, "Why is this a ’good idea’?" Why did I consent to this palate rape? First sip. . .not that bad. Cereal, bland corn, cardboard, grains. Not much going on really. It’s really thin, not horribly awry in anyway. I remember that is how I felt about Mott’s Clamato during the first sip *shiver*. It wasn’t all that bad. It took four or five sips to really get the effect. Each time I took a taste of good old Busch N/A, I got a little sicker to my stomach, probably just because I was pretty hungry and my body wanted something that didn’t taste this horrible. A building sugary sweetness became noticed as well as pencil erasers. Basically, a sense of being completely underwhelmed overtook me. This is so lifeless. I felt like a zombie sitting at a table just swilling back my rationed flavored liquid. I don’t understand why (even though I did tonight) anyone would drink this. I would definitely rather have water. Hell, I’d rather have Kaliber. The can kills me with the usual nonsensical or whimsical musings that I’ve come to expect from BMC. "Fully brewed"? What, as opposed to partially brewed? "Includes malt. . .cereal grains, water, yeast, nothing artificial". Great, dog crap isn’t artificial. I mean, jeez. Why? I felt guilty putting this in my body knowing I wouldn’t even be rewarded with some level of intoxication. Maybe that’s why everyone hates this beer so much, because no one reaches the "dude, I’m kinda drunk. Maybe I could chug another one of these to feel good after a hard day’s work" level. No, they’re just stone cold sober, fully aware of what they’re willingly inflicting on themselves.

UPDATED: AUG 31, 2007 Can. Thanks NachlamSie. Pours pale gold with a medium white head. Noticeably better looking than something like Michelob Ultra. Aroma is cardboard and stale beer. Not blatantly offensive though. Flavor is corny, grainy, and a lingering cardboard finish. In retrospect, this really reminds me of Obolon Svitle, but without the instant headache. Mouthfeel is flat and lifeless. Not the worst beer I’ve had by far, but definitely one of the most pointless.

I noticed that I still have not rated a low alcohol beer. Here’s my chance to sample a low alcohol and the worst rated beer in the database. Personally, I am more terrified of drinking this than going to my dentist twice a year. Pours a near clear golden brew with a medium head that quickly dissolves clean. Aroma of bread dough and some citrus. Taste is high carbonated very light body and hardly any flavor. Finish is high carbonation, metalic and then clean. But going down was rougher than my neighbor’s dog barking at the moon all last night.

Busch is bad, Busch Light is worse but, how the hell do you describe Busch NA?

Pale golden color, head started out pretty big but disappeared rather quickly, very little lacing left around the glass as well, nose full of corn & stale malts, very light & watery body, bubbly mouthfeel with light notes of toasted barley & bread, bland finish, the Busch beers with alcohol are no good, and neither is their NA offering

UPDATED: SEP 23, 2007 no, no, no. get a damn can of coke. i haven’t yet found an N/A beer that actually tastes like a beer. but i haven’t made it a mission to try either.

The most telling thing about this is that it is barely discernable from a regular Busch beer.

I do not think this beer is the worst NA around, although it appears to be rated as such. I poured it from the can into a pint glass, although I generally prefer NA beers from the can. It poured out the usual NA clear gold color with small rising bubbles and a small, fizzy white head. Its aroma was that of corny and grainy adjunct hops and a touch of malt. The taste was mostly sour, with a slight bitter finish, and a subtle touch of sweet. It was a slightly wet beer, with a relatively full mouthfeel for a NA, and had decent bubbly carbonation. I’m not sure whether it’s a good or bad feature, but it did taste fairly similar to regular Busch beer.