Busch NA

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

Serve in English pint, Shaker

Pale yellow color with a fizzy white head. Aroma of corn and funk. Very watery flavor, some light corn and some faint hops. The lack of alcohol has a very noticable effect on the flavor, leaving it with a heavier water consistency. Unlike their alcoholic counterparts, this isn’t going to improve with excess drinking.

"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: OCT 24, 2010 Can from Kegs & Barrels in Plano, TX. Pours light straw yellow, white fizzy head. Aroma of corn with signs of grain. Flavor is very much the same. Mouthfeel is light body, very watery and over carbonation.

You know I’ve had low alcohol beers before that were quite tasty, this is a piss poor example of that style and I do mean piss. Nuff said.

Can. A pale yellow color with a thick quickly diminishing fizzy white head Aroma is a light sweet malt ,dry and grainy malt with a bit of corn, but not sickly sweet. Flavor is lightly sweet with a bit of skunk or maybe it is hops, who knows. Watery light body with lots of carbonation, no lacing,finish and aftertaste are a little barn-yardish.No beer buzz.

On the one hand: This does not have nearly as much ’cooked wheat’ taste as most NA beers do. On the other hand: Neither does carbonated tap water, which is what this tastes like - no, I’m not being facetious.

Not good. Actually it is too bad that it is apparently impossible to make a good no alcohol beer. Heck even a light beer is next to impossible to make as a drinkable beverage. This looks like beer(or at least a reasonable attempt at American Macro Swill). After this however the similarity ends. Pass if at all possible

UPDATED: MAY 3, 2004 Had to try this water. I was thirsty, ok? Anyway, at least it was different, supposedly.