Budweiser American Ale - with Taste notes

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Ok, so I got a six pack of this last night...had to try it at least once. I'm no BJCP judge, but here is my opinion:

Tasting notes:
Appearance- Pours with a copper color with a decent amount of head and high carbonation.

Aroma- has hints of cascade hops, but isn't so obvious...obviously not a dry-hopped beer. Slight "budweiser" smell, but no malt or caramel aroma.

Taste- thin, watered down taste. It's hard to describe, but the flavor of this beer is more like a light blonde ale rather than a pale ale as it's color suggests. Definite malt palate, but again very mild and watery. Mild citrusy hop taste, but as with everything else in this "ale" it is understated and very mild.

Overall rating: Not bad, not good...just mediocre, uninteresting and forgettable. Watered down pale ale taste, and doesn't hold a candle to Michelob's line of "craft-style" beers. My suggestion, save your $7-9 and grab a sixer SN Pale Ale...nothing to see here!
 
TwoHeadsBrewing said:
Ok, so I got a six pack of this last night...had to try it at least once. I'm no BJCP judge, but here is my opinion:

Tasting notes:
Appearance- Pours with a copper color with a decent amount of head and high carbonation.

Aroma- has hints of cascade hops, but isn't so obvious...obviously not a dry-hopped beer. Slight "budweiser" smell, but no malt or caramel aroma.

Taste- thin, watered down taste. It's hard to describe, but the flavor of this beer is more like a light blonde ale rather than a pale ale as it's color suggests. Definite malt palate, but again very mild and watery. Mild citrusy hop taste, but as with everything else in this "ale" it is understated and very mild.

Overall rating: Not bad, not good...just mediocre, uninteresting and forgettable. Watered down pale ale taste, and doesn't hold a candle to Michelob's line of "craft-style" beers. My suggestion, save your $7-9 and grab a sixer SN Pale Ale...nothing to see here!
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No surprises there then. I'll still have to try it, but that sounds about what most of us were expecting, I think.
 
We've had it around here for about a week now (in bottles). I will try some this week and try to remember to comment here...
 
Ok, now for some pictures:

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I'm actually glad that AB decided to brew this ale.
1. its going to let people know that there are beers besides lagers
2. AB is so widespread that it has the capability to create a beer culture and with this brew they're moving the culture towards quality and flavor (even though the flavor is probably going to very mild, but hey baby steps...)
 
That's what I'm hoping. BMC drinkers will try this, like it, and want to try other styles of beer. Not that I care what other folks drink, but if more people drink what I drink then more bars and restaurants will carry better beers!
 
jiffybrew said:
I'm actually glad that AB decided to brew this ale.
1. its going to let people know that there are beers besides lagers
2. AB is so widespread that it has the capability to create a beer culture and with this brew they're moving the culture towards quality and flavor (even though the flavor is probably going to very mild, but hey baby steps...)
Click to expand...

Here's what I don't understand, at least from a business point of view. Why would you offer a product to entice your existing market? I mean, don't they already have the ultralight lager crowd? Why would they try to target their own customers...they'll just be selling more American Ale and less Bud/Bud Light. It would make more sense to make a beer that the Sam Adams and Sierra Nevada crowd would be totally into. They could make inroads into the microbrewery market and tap into the "craft" beer craze that's been going on. Not that I want to hurt the microbrews out there, but this American Ale just doesn't seem like a good business decision. I'd be targeting the micro brewery styles almost exactly...start with a West Coast Pale Ale, and then a lager very similar to Sam Adams.
 
Thats a good point. I'm not sure that they're trying to target their "bud light" crowds but trying to catch a piece of the macro pale ale crowd. There are crowds that haven't heard of Lagunitas/Stone but they do know Newcastle and Sam Adams. The advantage that AB has over most beer companies are their distribution channels. Their network is so wide and they have the large contracts that if they come out with some type of pale ale, they'll be able to have some more market share in the Ale Market. It'll be interesting to see how well they do.
In addition, if they end up converting some of their light drinkers to American Ale drinkers. They'll still end up making more money because the margins in Ales are higher. How much did TwoHeadsBrewing pay for the 6 back of American Ale? 8 bucks, thats more than your bud light and on par with the craft brew prices.
 
I looked at two liquor stores today and couldn't find it. I'm going to try it, just so I can decide for myself.
 
talleymonster said:
I looked at two liquor stores today and couldn't find it. I'm going to try it, just so I can decide for myself.
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"Officially" it's not due to store shelves until 9/29.

I think that the brew masters over in the Michelob division are still going to kick their ass. I passed a very tempting display at the store last night with all of their craft beers. Michelob Pale Ale (yes a pale][\b] ale not just an "ale". There was a Dunkelweizen, a Porter, a Marzen and quite a few other interesting looking beers.

Unfortunately they didn't have anything chilled so I picked up a sixer of O'Fallon's 5-Day IPA. :D
 
TwoHeadsBrewing said:
Here's what I don't understand, at least from a business point of view. Why would you offer a product to entice your existing market? I mean, don't they already have the ultralight lager crowd? Why would they try to target their own customers...they'll just be selling more American Ale and less Bud/Bud Light. It would make more sense to make a beer that the Sam Adams and Sierra Nevada crowd would be totally into. They could make inroads into the microbrewery market and tap into the "craft" beer craze that's been going on. Not that I want to hurt the microbrews out there, but this American Ale just doesn't seem like a good business decision. I'd be targeting the micro brewery styles almost exactly...start with a West Coast Pale Ale, and then a lager very similar to Sam Adams.
Click to expand...

In a nutshell, I believe that with Budweiser, the brand name is more important than the beer. Some people will support a brand name in the same way they do a football team. Many kids will probably think that Bud actually invented a new beer style that they prefer to the old stuff.
 
BierMuncher said:
"Officially" it's not due to store shelves until 9/29.

I think that the brew masters over in the Michelob division are still going to kick their ass. I passed a very tempting display at the store last night with all of their craft beers. Michelob Pale Ale (yes a pale][\b] ale not just an "ale". There was a Dunkelweizen, a Porter, a Marzen and quite a few other interesting looking beers.

Unfortunately they didn't have anything chilled so I picked up a sixer of O'Fallon's 5-Day IPA. :D
Click to expand...



I've been noticing the same thing at the beer stores in the Detroit area. The distributors have been busy placing the Michelob craft beer line with some predominance, including taking out full sized billboards all over town..

I was tempted yesterday...And they were cheap (The Amber Bock was $5.99, and the Pale Ale was a buck more) but I went for a 6 of Founder's Centennial Ipa instead....
 
I've tried it. I liked it. It is definitely a lighter bodied beer. Who knows what they mash at, but I am sure it is low. There is very little in the way of body or residual sweetness.

That being said, the malt flavor and hop balance was IMO very good. I sat and had 4 of these with my brother while I watched Monday night football. Not a single complaint from me.

Is there better beer out there? Of course. However, this is a pretty good beer IMO.
 
I noticed this in the market the other day and thought I'd give it a try today. Here's my review.
Served at 65F (room temp) in a standard pint glass from 12 oz. bottle.

Appearance: Pours a deep copper color with a thin, slightly off-white head that quickly dissipates leaving only a thin ring around the glass and no lacing. Carbonation is fairly heavy with bubbles cascading throughout. It's exceptionally clear without a hint of haze.

Aroma: The first thing I notice is the modest scent of floral hops. Not a punch in the face but enough to be easily noticed. Below that lie fruity and caramel notes. None of these are overly assertive or particularly strong, however.

Taste: It begins with a mild hop bitterness followed by caramel with some toasted nut and fruitiness coming through in the end. However, none of these significantly dominates over the other.

Mouthfeel: It is very thin, almost watery, on the palette. While the beer is quite carbonated, it contributes very little (if anything) on the tongue because the beer itself seems to lack body to support it. It leaves my mouth feeling more washed than anything else and is nothing to write home about in this department.

Overall: This is a very drinkable beer and I commend Budweiser for their effort. Is this the best PA I've ever tried? Not at all but it's also not the worst. I could easily drink this one again and probably will. Its lacking in mouthfeel can most likely be attributed to a low mash temperature as well as a lack of dextrins in the final product. This could easily be improved with the introduction of carapils which would also improve head retention without sacrificing clarity.
 
I haven't had a Bud American Ale yet, but I just finished a Mich Porter. It was ok. If I had brewed a nice, clean porter like that, I'd be proud to call it mine, but I'd tweak the recipe to boost the maltiness and get a more robust flavor profile. I'll be on the lookout for BAA.
 
just bought a six pack and gave one a try. it's actually not bad and has more hop character than i expected. you can definitely smell cascades when pouring. i had it relatively warm, probably in the 50-60 degree range. i poured vigorously and was rewarded with a big thick head that dissipated in a few minutes but left a thin layer of foam on top to the bottom of the glass. flavorwise, there is good hop flavor, but very little in the way of maltiness. i actually didn't find the mouthfeel as thin and watery as many others report, but its not an overly sweet brew either. most notable, i think, is that it is very drinkable, almost too drinkable in fact. within 5 minutes of pouring, it was gone. i can see this beer being consumed in large quantities on outings and at parties. the college crowd will find it very "chugable". overall, while it doesn't really stand out as being extraordinary in any way, it is a descent brew, and i can see myself choosing this and not being overly sad about it at restaurants serving the typical BMC lineup.
 
KingBrianI said:
just bought a six pack and gave one a try. it's actually not bad and has more hop character than i expected. you can definitely smell cascades when pouring. i had it relatively warm, probably in the 50-60 degree range. i poured vigorously and was rewarded with a big thick head that dissipated in a few minutes but left a thin layer of foam on top to the bottom of the glass. flavorwise, there is good hop flavor, but very little in the way of maltiness. i actually didn't find the mouthfeel as thin and watery as many others report, but its not an overly sweet brew either. most notable, i think, is that it is very drinkable, almost too drinkable in fact. within 5 minutes of pouring, it was gone. i can see this beer being consumed in large quantities on outings and at parties. the college crowd will find it very "chugable". overall, while it doesn't really stand out as being extraordinary in any way, it is a descent brew, and i can see myself choosing this and not being overly sad about it at restaurants serving the typical BMC lineup.
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This is what I expected when I started this post. It is still not available here, but I will surely give it a try.
Imagine what their brewers could do if given the freedom to experiment.
I would love to see Bud CAP
 
Too modify a little of what I said earlier:

As this beer cools down (currently 55F) the head tightens up quite considerably while it does not seem to appreciate in overall retention. What I mean by this is that the head present in the reviewed pour consisted of medium and medium-large bubbles, the current pour was mostly fine bubbles which produced a fairly dense and substantial head. This head also quickly subsided, as did the initial one, though the ring is now is leaving lacing on the glass. There is also very little to be noticed by way of visible carbonation as one might expect from a lower serving temperature, however, the malt flavors seem to linger more on the tongue now.
 
I have a feeling that this beer is designed to be served at lower temperatures then a standard Ale.
Probably due to the fact most of the places serving it will serve it chilled.

Many of the Greene King pubs (All) boost at the fact their IPA is served at 35F.

FFS! And they wonder why real Ale drinkers stay away.
 
Below is the link to find it in your area. The website said there are 10 bars down the street from me that carry it. I've tried it, that's all I have to say, I've tried it.

Budweiser American Ale

Watch some of the videos on the website. AB has conical fermentors the size of small cities.
 
The locator shows that BAA (ironic anacronym, methinks) is only available at one divebomb hole in the wall in town.

I am curious to give it a try in the bottle for sure. Although I have my suspicions I may never see it here due to the 3.2 cap. Meaning corner store might not be able to sell a 5%ABV beer. Not sure if the package stores will even bother with it here.

Gues I will wait til' 9/29 and see. I sure would like to have a decent, corner store beer available. Maybe for once this will fit the bill.
 
I've seen it at the grocery stores around here. Guess I'll have to pickup a sixer and give it a try.
 
The closest place that has it on draft is 58 miles away.

The closest store with bottles would be 40 miles out of my way.

It's going to be a while until I try it.
 
The route sales/driver that services the restaurant I manage is bringing me a sixer to try. He wanted me to add it to taps.. but big boss said no.
Will review and post my findings.
 
Well it's available here in Fort Wayne. I just had one. it is ok. A little bland, in my opinion. I can taste some similarities to their lager. I assume that it the cascade hops. All and all, I think it is a good stepping stone for all of my BMC drinking friends. It is $7.99 a six pack at my local liquor store.
 
Well I started this post, so now I can add my response.

This is a good beer, it's not great but it has flavor. It's listed as an Amber ( not supposed to be a hop bomb ) and is a decent attempt. I would be happy to have this when I'm out and would not be upset if an amber I made tasted like this
 
niquejim said:
This is a good beer, it's not great but it has flavor. It's listed as an Amber ( not supposed to be a hop bomb ) and is a decent attempt. I would be happy to have this when I'm out and would not be upset if an amber I made tasted like this
Click to expand...
I tried it last night and I think that pretty much sums it up! I won't be buying any more of it, except perhaps at a restaurant with limited beer options, but I was rather impressed with it considering what I expected from AB, given all their recent 'fake craft beers' (shock top, beach bum, etc)
 
I picked up a sixer of this last night. Its actually pretty good. It isn't as hoppy as I'd like, but I do like it better than Bass Ale. Not as much as Harpoon or SNPA of course, but this stuff is $6.99 a sixer. SNPA is 9.99 here in MA for a 6 pack.

IMHO it wouldn't be that bad for a keg party as a potential crowd pleaser.
 

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