Budweiser American Ale rolls out next month: An interview with the brewer
By William Brand
Monday, July 28th, 2008 at 7:00 pm in Bud, Craft Beer, General.


Budweiser American Ale: 5.2 percent, 25-28 IBUs, mild taste.

Budweiser, America?s Ale.?

Hey?here?s a sodden thought (to copy the late, lamented Herb Caen, the San Francisco Chronicle columnist)?could this ale coming from Anheuser-Busch in September truly become America?s ale, just like Bass Pale Ale or Courage Directors in the UK, a mild, amber companion to Budweiser, the American Lager?

Just got off the phone a short time ago with Eric Beck, the A-B staff brewmaster in charge of the project. Bare bones: The beer?s an amber ale, 5.2 percent ABV. IBUs (International Bitterness Units) 25 to 28. It?s made with two row pale barley and caramel malt. Bittering hops are Palisade, aroma hops spicy Saaz and Willamettes and piney, citrusy Cascades. It?s also dry hopped with Cascades. Every ingredient is American. No foreign ingredients.
It?s going to be released nationally in kegs on Sept. 15 and in bottles on Sept. 29. A national advertising campaign begins the last week of the Olympics, A-B says.

Why Budweiser, the American ale? ?Marketing did a bunch of research,? Beck says. ?Obviously craft beer has been doing phenomenally well. But there seems to be a gap as far as a national brand. There are a number of regionals, but no truly national ale,? he says.

Hmm. I actually think that Sierra Nevada Pale Ale may already have the title. It?s become ubiquitous in the damnedest places, like Omaha Nebraska and Chicago. However, Sierra Nevada still doesn?t sell in the millions of barrels, does it. And of course, even Sierra Nevada, the number two craft brewer after Sam Adams, doesn?t begin to have the advertising clout of A-B. And we all know that advertising sells Budweiser, so why not Budweiser American Ale.

What does the beer taste like? Don?t know. ?This is not an IPA,? Beck says. ?People who are die-hard craft beer drinkers may not prefer it. We?ve produced something that is more mild; it?s not loaded with hops. It?s an easy drinkable beer,? Beck says.

They brewed the beer with a variety of different ale yeasts before choosing a winner, he adds. With ales, compared to lager strains, an ale yeast is more important in the beer. A-B didn?t want a ton of esters, the component of ales that taste like ripe fruit. They also didn?t want a yeast the produce an overly sweet beer, Beck says. Budweiser American Ale?s been in development for a long time, Beck adds. In trials, the beer was brewed with seven different hops in various combinations.

Initially, it will be brewed in St. Louis and at the A-B plant in Fort Collins, Colo.

And what about the influence of InBev, which has won agreement from the A-B board to buy the company. That?s management, Beck says. He?s a brewer. Got a hunch that brewers will still be welcome at the merged company.

I'll give it a try.

I may, but at 25-28 IBU it doesn't sound too inviting to me.

The way I see it, Bob's STPPA is around 31. That's not too far off.

So the reports are coming in from people who've tried it. Consensus is it's a very mild, unsurprising, flawlessly brewed beer.

Hmmm...probably not going for it......everything in it is American, except the company that owns it.....

I will try it just to try it. I doubt it's something I will buy more than once.

I didn't think it was on the market yet.

Probably something similar to my house ale. AFAIC 28 IBU in a 'ordinary pale' or 'amber' gives plenty of bitterness. Suitable as an IPA? No,

If is good I'll buy it more than once. Whenever it rolls around to my area I may try it. Still haven't had a Bud in over 13 years.

For my tastes, 28 IBU in an "ordinary pale" would be virtually unhopped. Compare to SNPA, a not overly hoppy beer, at 35 IBU.

I'm in your camp DC.

I'll stand by my 'bitterness' comment. However, aside from basic bittering I don't think there will be much aroma or late addition characteristics if any. It all depends on when the hops are added. I'd say SNPA benefits from late additions and probably some sort of dry-hopping. WAG.

Just thinking of plain ol' Bud. Maybe 11 IBU's? Not very bitter for my tastes either.

Yeah, I think that's about where Bud is. AFAIK, SNPA isn't dry hopped...they use a massive late addition. If someone knows differently (Bob G.?), I hope they'll correct me. I would hope that the AB APA would have some late additions...that's kinda the hallmark of an APA.

"Budweiser American Ale?s been in development for a long time"

really? Its just pale ale
I see smoke come out of their ears... tomato juice beer... ok... now what?... lime beer... yeah... now what... pale ale... what? nooo, ok lets try it but make it like bud.

Maybe we'll get lime pale ale or tomato juice pale ale

I shall have look out for it in the UK. Does it contain rice ? LOL


Richard

Didn't they already do this with Michelob Pale Ale? It wasn't what they're discribing here but that was a turd in th' punch bowl.

Richard didn't you know- there leaving the rice out of Michelob these days LOL. Like that made a big difference...oops-yeah I tried it- I'm so 'shamed....that I wasted the money that could have bought me some hops..no yeast.. I didn't spend that much on it.

Good evening friends

Matt

I'll try it but I'm not going out of my way to try it. Maybe on vacation at Sea World and visit the beer garden...

then again maybe I won't try it for years.... who knows...

Maybe I will swing by the brewery and get a free tasting of it at its top quality.

I'll give it a try when it comes out.

"The way I see it, Bob's STPPA is around 31. That's not too far off."

Yeah but, what ST PPA lacks in bitterness makes up for in aroma. Cascade blast from the glass.

I wasn't implying that it would be as good, just that from an IBU level it's close and worth a try.

Gotcha BB........I wonder if the Bud will have some nice aroma. It looks like they dry hop it.

Heres what I find a little funny and contradictory...

"Why Budweiser, the American ale?" ...Obviously craft beer has been doing phenomenally well.

People who are die-hard craft beer drinkers may not prefer it.
????????
Then what market is this beer geared to?, your average BMC drinkers an completed happy with what in their glass... If they are going to try to tap into the crafted beer market, might as well do it right. Seems to me that if will be yet another failed attempt.

I think the key words are "die hard" craft drinkers. I would call them hop heads. They're trying to get to the "middle of the road" beer drinkers. I would describe my wife that way. She likes my wheat beers, pale ales, lagers, etc., but not my IPA's

To me craft beer drinkers are craft beer drinkers , not necessarily classified by a particular style, but drinkers would enjoy quality premium beers.
AB already has a Marzen and a (English) style Pale Ale (dry hopped) on the market made by Michelob.. I havent tried em.

I agree, but there are craft beer drinkers that prefer a lot of hops, but I'll bet there are many more that prefer a nice rounded flavor without a "slap you in the face" hop bitterness.

Can Budweiser accomplish that? I have my doubts. I haven't tried the Michelob beers either. What are they called? Maybe I'm not looking close enough.

I actually haven't seen the Michelob Pale Ale or the other on the shelves yet. I do find Michelob and ugh Michelob Lite. These beers may may attract my BIL or cousin. I'm sure since both buy based on sale price for their brand of beer coors lite and bud lite.

But as BB said, I'm sure there are many that will switch to Bud Pale Ale if the flavor is subdued and non face contorting.

I personally like torturing my BMC friends with a home made IPA... lol

I don't drink much anything AB. Although, have had the newer Michelobs, Pale Ale, Marzen, Bavarian Wheat and Porter. I think they are pretty good. I really like the Bavarian Wheat and the Marzen. I was very surprised when I tried them, and actually enjoyed drinking them......

Wait???

It says "Every ingredient is American."

But that isn't possible with Saaz hops, is it?

Sure, Saaz hops can be grown in America. In fact, AB grows most of their own hops and barley, and has one of the largest operations in the US.

To me this is like a homebrewer bringing a bottle of their Double Chocolate Pumpkin Beef Jerky Jalapeno Stout to a club tasting. Of course I'll try it! How will I know if it's any good or not? If you don't live, then why are you alive? I'll definitely try it if I see it available. Would love to hear some feedback if anyone tries it soon.

I thought the Saaz variety was exclusively owned by the Hop Growers Union of the Czech Republic. I thought they were the only group who could grow this variety.

Guess I am wrong.

I'm with you, Jay . . . I'll try anything once, probably twice (except the above example you shared) and I'll even try to be open-minded about it.

I thought Miller Lite was coming out with a line of different attempts at 'craft beers', but I haven't heard anything about it for quite some time . . .something like "Miller Lite Pale Ale", or "Miller Lite Hefe", which I find funny. But if it ever happens, I might give them a try, too.

I guess I'd give the brewers at A-B a little credit and assume they can probably make a pretty good pale ale if they want to and are allowed to use good ingredients. I don't drink Bud but those light lagers are pretty unforgiving - they do it at multiple breweries and I'm sure I couldn't tell one brewery from another in a taste test.

I'm guessing that if management tells them to make a pale ale or a stout, or whatever, it could be at least OK. I'd generally rather spend my money supporting smaller breweries, but I'm looking forward to giving one of these a try. And then I'll have a Mirror Pond chaser.

Dave

I look at it as maybe some beer novice may try this and if there is a hint of Cascades taste, maybe they'll try SNPA or something similar

Good idea Jim. I guess it can be a "crossover" beer for the timid.

BobG said "Good idea Jim. I guess it can be a "crossover" beer for the timid."

But I'm still bothered they claim Americas Pale Ale.... we should get a vote going perhaps at hbd.org and hand SNPA the crown officially.... TV ads Magazines etc...

I would bet not many of the American craft beers make it far out of country. Yey homebrewers and the like in the UK and AU have recreated them.

Sorry, but you cant pay me to drink it.
I just cant deal with the majors.
With so many real options out there why waste your money and time on garbage.
My buddy from Gent had a 32 oz Bud the other day in a local "Brooklyn" bar.
I thought I would have to take him to the emergency room after.
He didnt like it.
I had to bribe him with Reeses peanut butter cups to finish it.

"hand SNPA the crown officially.."

I can do it in person!

Also, J ? If someone were to try the Bud and like it, then you can say to that person "Well if you liked that, than try this American Pale Ale from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company"

"Also, J ? If someone were to try the Bud and like it, then you can say to that person "Well if you liked that, than try this((((TRUE)))) American Pale Ale from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company""

I fixed your statement Bob

Jim, have you tried the Bud pale ale?

BB
I don't think it's out yet, but I will give it a shot when it comes out. I don't expect to be blown away and I'll have to see what it costs but it could be a good thing.

Thanks Jim, I was between making a few Mocha Lattes and trying to type

See, Mocha Lattes are evil. I've always known that

I gotta give my customers what they want. I'm a straight Double Ristretto guy myself.

I even have to say I like the Michelob Pale Ale.

I haven't drank it recentley, But it was good when I had it.
I will say I think Michelob needs to add the rice back to there Lager.

It tasted better with the rice.

While watching some olympics I saw an Ad for Budweiser American Ale... They do say it's brewed with Cascade hops, carmel malt and barley.

They did NOT say it's America's Ale... however the name implies it strong enough...

Still have not seen or heard of it on shelves yet...

I saw ads for Michelob Pale Ale last night. I've never seen that in any stores around here.

j? the ads say enjoy in September, so we shouldn't see it on shelves for awhile.

BB, did you notice the bottle says "dry hopped" on the upper label?

Boonie, I guess being a Bud Ad I wasn't really listening however I did rewind the DVR to make sure I heard the ingredient listing...

I think this will sell among young, in many cases underage, drinkers who see their Daddy's beer as old-fashioned or unsophisticated, but can't afford, can't get, or are unaware of good craft brews. Most people don't care if it is a ale or lager or what hops are in it, they will just see it as a variation on AB that might be worth a try.

For most young drinkers, price is the single most important factor in choosing a beer. If this AB Ale is about the same price as the flagship products, some people will buy it, find they like it better than AB Lager, but don't see any reason to pay more for a "fancy" craft brew.

Compare Pepsi to Mt. Dew. I know, it might sound weird in a beer forum, but I think it is a good comparison here. Both beverages are made by the same company and are equally priced. A chemist would probably only be able to find a slight difference between the two in composition. Yet, the difference in flavor and, most importantly, marketing, allow the products to appeal to different groups ands expands the audience available to PepsiCo. There are people who like one and hate the other. There are small, independant soft-drink companies that might make better products with more variety, but few people know or care. A lot of people have the same attitude about beer; it is not something to get worked up about for them, and they will take what is available, affordable, and tastes good to them.

When I was like 16, I though I was so sophisticated for drinking a Guiness. When I discovered SNPA, I thought I was super cool until I realized that it was one of the most common craft beers in the country. If A-B can make this stuff available at every little bar, tavern, and liquor store in the country, it will be the only ale available to a lot of people and will seem to be exotic or sophisticated by comparison to the other scant choices. I do a lot of camping and traveling through rural areas and, in the midwest at least, it is very common to only have the BMC beers available at the local tavern.

"BB, did you notice the bottle says "dry hopped" on the upper label?"

No, it went by too fast and I'm not sure I could have seen the label close enough.

"No, it went by too fast and I'm not sure I could have seen the label close enough. "

It was pretty fast, I thought I saw it the first pass and had to rewind a few times to verify it since I couldn't believe it.

A local blog had a tasting note on this today:
http://stlhops.com/budweiser-american-ale/

I had one of these last night(2 actually). This is a good beer, not great but very drinkable. It is listed as an Amber, so it is not a hop bomb although it is too hoppy for my wife.
This will be a nice change at those restaurants that only carry BMC.
I'll probably choose this over Sam Adams

I had it a couple of weeks ago. Darker than I thought it would be and very drinkable. I agree with Jim about choosing it over Sam Adams.

Is it out now? I've been looking for it and there is a huge billboard advert for it very close to my house. Thursday night it wasn't at my favorite HEB that has a great selection.

I've been waiting/wanting to try it. If it is decent I might have it regularly. I'm embarrassed to seek out a Budweiser product and I was thinking of reviving this thread but was stalling for time...LOL

My interest is peaked. I just don't want to but a case of it.

Find it here
http://www.budweiseramericanale.com/pub/american-ale.aspx

I went to HEB to grab a NY strip and found the Bud guy stocking... He didn't know what I was talking about (typical) but called his supervisor when I showed signs of getting angry. He kept trying to push me towards Negro Modelo for some reason?!

It is out in some markets but it won't be on the shelves here in SA until next weekend according to the 'Supervisor'.

Cody, did you get it on tap or around the area? I was in Hall's two weeks ago and couldn't find it and my local grocers still don't have it.

DID YOU GUYS SEE THIS
Find it here
http://www.budweiseramericanale.com/pub/american-ale.aspx

Ohio passed a new law.

That beer finder doesn't work in my state.
Which I think is ridiculous.

I will be contacting my State Representatives here.

Doh, if I had just read the original post....15th in kegs, 29th in bottles.... Oops.

I have all java disabled within my browser. Causes too much trouble. Can't view the site.

""""Ohio passed a new law.

That beer finder doesn't work in my state.
Which I think is ridiculous.

I will be contacting my State Representatives here""""

Damn Democrat states

Ohio isn't a Democrat State.

It's usually one of the States they decides the elections, It's as important as Texas.
Ohio is about a 50/50 State.

Robert, I had it draught at Grapevine's Grapefest. Only AB beer or beers distributed by AB were there.

I Nominate Sierra Nevada Pale Ale as "America's Ale"! A -B is just making something so the BMC crowd can say "I drank Ale and it was GOOD". Problem being, a BMC drinker wouldn't know a good ale if you busted the bottle over his head.

Sumbitch. I was at grapefest, but never went to a place that had taps. Only went to the bottle places in the midway.

Total business move by AB. Why is that bad again?

The corp has always maintained they want to be the #1 seller of beer. They have a responsibility to shareholders. Ale drinkers are another untapped market share. I can't stand the lager but if they can make a decent ale I'll probably buy it regular depending on the price. I have to go out of my way to buy decent beer. If I can get AB ale at the corner stop-n-rob then I'll buy it. This all hinges on it being worth drinking. Most reviews are more positive than negative. None say how it changed their lives...

Yeah Robert, it wasn't in the midway. There was a little place off the side with "Beer Garden" above the entrance. It took you off Main St. behind some businesses to a stage area and a couple of ceer tents. One with the ones on the midway, and then one with Red Hook beers, Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale, and the American Ale. You live in Arlington or Irving?

When Grapefest first started, and they didn't have a fence around it, I went every year. However, it got too expensive and too commercial for me. In the end, it was nothing but a nuisance that I had to drive around.

Cody, I live in Arlington.

BB, I agree, I thought this year was especially dull. Seemed like it was only half full too.

<i>Compare to SNPA, a not overly hoppy beer, at 35 IBU.</i>

When I tried SNPA, I found it to be so over-hopped that I poured the stuff down the drain.
Undrinkable.

Always thought I hated pale ales until I tried Whitbread's.
Score one for InBev.

Had this over the weekend here in Denver: $8.10 for a sixer w/the tax. I wish I had the money back to buy an ounce of hops with.

Pros: beautiful color, absolutely stunning to look at in the light through a glass, nice fluffy head, brown sugary smell

Cons: if there's hops in it, especially Cascades, I couldn't taste it, there is a bitter aftertaste and the overcarbonation causes it to burn your throat and palette, I don't detect the presence of "caramel malts" that they refer to on the packaging, body is medium--not too heavy

Summary: it tastes like beer, almost like a Killian's (to me), nothing special, but drinkable if all they had were Budweiser products available. Two cents and all that other disclaimer stuff...

"When I tried SNPA, I found it to be so over-hopped that I poured the stuff down the drain.
Undrinkable."

That statement,under law should be punishable by death

""When I tried SNPA, I found it to be so over-hopped that I poured the stuff down the drain.
Undrinkable."

That statement,under law should be punishable by death "

Just goes to show not everyone's a hophead

really..... Death by Hops

That would be heavenly..... Death by hops... Mmmm

Back 2 Topic: I'm still on hte look out for this product. I'd like to taste it. Not going out of my way mind you, but still have the eye ball peeled.

I'm picking some up today, Publix our local grocer has just stocked it... (.Jim)

I'm ready it to try it, if I can find it. Popular beers in Palestine, TX are Keystone, Natural Light, Keystone, Miller Lite and Keystone.

No Butt-Light?

Yeah, we got that too, but really cheap beers dominate the cooler.

Wow, $8.10 for a sixer? I was going to try it, but not for that price. Unless I can find a single at my liquor store, I am not dropping $8 on an AB product. Plenty of other beers I like for that price or cheaper.

They are $6.49 here at Publix

For $8.10 I'd pass

and who said Publix is over priced!

"Publix"

That just sounds nasty.

It's better than "piggly wiggly" by a mile

Funny thing Jim is that most people dont know or have even heard of PW. being that it was the worlds first self serving grocery store... most people chukle when they say Piggly Wiggly what the hell is that!

The founder of Publix worked for them before he decided to open his own.

How about a local appliance store called "Conns"....

I go to Sarasota FL every year. I have to say having been to most store all across the US. Albertson, safeway, Win dixie Piggly wiggly, Holiday, Price Chopper ect. Publix is by far the best supermarket Ive been to..

DC I just caught this "If someone knows differently (Bob G.?)"

AFAICR they do copious amounts of late hop additions. Steve Dresslers trick is to drop the wort temp to 180 and add the final charge of Cascade hops for steeping ~30-40 minutes. That's where I got the idea to do it in my ST PPA but, I still dry hop in the keg and I don't believe SNBC dryhops.

"Wow, $8.10 for a sixer? I was going to try it, but not for that price."

Even for local, mass market beers we pay $10-12 for a six.
Craft brews, usually around $12-14.
Imports? $14-18.

America really is the land of opportunity (to get wasted on the cheap).

Until this year, I could routinely get our largest local micro (if that makes any sense) for under $6 a six pack. Still it is routinely $6.50 along with a few other micros trying to compete.

i bought a six pack tonight for 6.99 but am enjoying one of my IIPA so I will try it tomorrow after it cools.

had one last night...not bad at all...can't say that i'm ever going to think "i should go buy a six pack of bud am ale" but it will be a nice filler at resteraunts that don't have much selection.

Ohiobrewman? (Shawn) said:
"Ohio isn't a Democrat State.

It's usually one of the States they decides the elections, It's as important as Texas.
Ohio is about a 50/50 State."

Man, the rest of you Texans disappoint me! This is sheer blasphemy! NO State, I say NO State, is as important as Texas!

Here's bud in your eye!

Now, to get back on topic, I guess I'll have to find this product and conduct some proper R&D.

Kelly, my sincere apologies and you are correct. If it ain't Texas it ain't worth $hit.

I'm sorry Kelly,

But your wrong.
Politically speaking it's Ohio and Texas both that are the deciders.

And it usually comes down to Ohio.

Well, if Texas is an election "decider", than Obama has some real problems. I not heard of anyone who's voting for him. The truth is, a lot of us have already voted for him, but that was in the primary just to keep Hillary out.

BrewBoy,

He's not going to win it here in Ohio either.
The Governor that got in here a few years back is Democrat.
He made things worse in an already bad situation.
So no one is thrilled with Democrats here.

As I've said before with me it's McCain all the way.

Obama 49, MCain 46 in Ohio as of yesterday...

AVERAGE: Obama 49, McCain 44.

Today: Obama +5. Yesterday: Obama +4.

Source:http://www.usaelectionpolls.com/

Me too, but that's not because I love McCain, but I'm scared as hell of the alternative. As I type this post, I'm listening to a live speech by Obama and he's talking about slavery again.

We need to get every white person out to the poles this time!!!

The North Pole or the South Pole?

That's good, Denny.

How about a stripper pole?

Being a military man myself, I would think McCain would have a different outlook on The War in Iraq. But his comments that we are going to stay there until the job is done is just wrong. Anyone thats been there will tell you that the minute we leave they will undo everything we have done there, whether we leave tomorrow or in 20 years. His lack of respect for the lives lost also pisses me off. He of all people should see things differently.

Uggh another hijack... It's all good but lets remember the American ale when we can finally get it.

Now...

I think BO is a better speaker than JM. Doesn't solely qualify either candidate. It has gotten so upside down and complicated that I'm having a tough time deciding. I'm looking at Ron Paul again. Many folks that I'm talking to are also leaning in that direction. I'm hoping things get shaken up in Washington DC this election and the status quo is destroyed.

Texas IS important. Yet somehow people would portray our vibrant multicultural state as some sort of ignorant backwater peopled by slack-jawed inbred rednecks who carry six-guns and still ride horses while secretly pining for the good'ol slavery days. I say come live here for a few years. If you can stand the heat you just might fall in love and decide to stay... There is some truth to the saying: "I wasn't born here but I got here as soon as I could!"

Thanks Kelly for reminding me to be proud.

/rant

Anyway, how about that ale? I'm anxiously waiting...

i'll be drinking one tonight when I get home

Guys/Gals, Let's take the rambling threads back to the infamous Guiness thread started by Mr Gale .... That thread is so hashed who would care other than Willamete Hosting....

I'm all good with all the spear throwing, tomahawk chucking, nail biting, tu tu wearing, finger pointing, hair pulling, stomping of toes (with and without steel toed boots), choice of OS flaming, or anything else that gets your boxers/panties/briefs in a wad.

If I offended any of you, sorry, I only hoped to offend Shawn and BrewBoy..... Er wait no I meant no harm or foul to anyone here. Period.

Brew on... oh and back on tpoic, I'm stopping at Bev Mo on hte way home to see if they have this yet...

Heres the thing for me, I have a choice tonight, by some BAA, or or go out and get some Lagunita Sirius, and the Dogtown PA.... hmmm ... fock it.... Lagunitas it is... mean while sippining on some homebrew

I think you made the right choice, Greg, except you're not taking me with you.

Brewboy,
some times we choose our battles, ( Budweiser or Lagunitas?) some time the choices I have made, worked out for the better and some for the worse, I have died on the hill....many times
IF i have been happy with the beer or if I dont like it just dont buy it any more, .. but theres nothing wrong with testing the waters ....and finding out ...where you stand and if the beer is right for you...your no less of a man if you drink wheat beer

I'm still waiting to try it. I might go looking for it tomorrow.

Every time this post pops up to the top of the forum I open it again to see if someone has finally actually tried the beer.

O.k..

Here's my 2 cents on the Bud American Ale.

The Pooper? BAA Taste Test and Review LOL
___________________________________________

Appearance:
Poured into a 16 oz American Pint Glass
Pours a nice copper Amber color into glass.
Seems to have a nice look to it.
Alright thin fluffy head that lasts about 20 seconds.
Nice fine C02 bubbles, Same as other AB products.

Smell :
When you first pop the cap. (Not your typical AB Product, Actually have to have a bottle opener)
There's a familiar AB smell from the bottle.
A lot like most of there products, Smell of 6 row hits the nostrils.
Smell of an Ale comes through the grainyness.
As far as a hop smell, Not very much in the aroma department.

Taste:
Again not much different than most AB products.
A strong grainy taste, Probably due to the use of American 6-Row.
Crisp is the initial flavor with some watered down roasted barley coming through the background.
Into a grainy slight, 6-Row Barley bitterness.
Almost like a watered down California Common.

Crystal malt? Not much in that light that I can taste.
But after all this is a AB product.

Honest Opinion:
Unless they up the Crystal malt and the amount of hops.
I could take it or leave it.
Honestly the Michelob Pale Ale is a much better offering for style and taste.

Would I buy it again.. Maybe.
But for $6.99 and being as close to Cleveland as I am.
For $1.40 more I can be drinking a Great Lakes brew.

Hijack- Hey shawn I never ended up making it to any of the ohio places u suggested but I ended up drinking quite a bit of the great lakes u mentioned in the post above....pretty tasty stuff.

Cheers m8

Bud,

If you make it back this area and have more time.
We can have some brews together if your up for it.

I knew you would like the Great Lakes.
There almost like you brewed it, Aren't they?

Went to my favorite local restaurant the other night. The specials board noted they had Bud American ale on tap. I tried it and was pleasantly surprised. It had a great color, nice head and was a very drinkable beer. Not overly bitter or sweet. I thought it was a very balanced beer. I was able to detect a slight cascade aroma. I even ordered a second. Will have to try it bottled to compare to the draft version.

Michael

Did they charge you what a draft BMC would cost or run it through as an import? That really chaps me when they do that with other American/premium beers.

Shawn, thanks for the description, but you may be letting your biases get in the way. From what I understand, it's all 2 row in there.

Denny,

I think you will have to give it a try.
It doesn't taste all 2-row to me.

I could be wrong, But that's never stopped me before.

Oh, it might not _taste_ like 2 row, but I'm certain I read somewhere it is.

"I could be wrong, But that's never stopped me before."....you and me both, buddy.

I tried it yesterday. It beats a regular Bud. I'll go a little more for the Great Lakes if I have a choice.
For you that have tried, did anybody try twisting it off? My hand is still sore. I was actually shocked that it wasn't twist off.

"For you that have tried, did anybody try twisting it off? My hand is still sore. I was actually shocked that it wasn't twist off."

+1 I was shocked also

I tried one on tap the other day. Picked up apples a little carmal malt and some bitterness. Traded it for a SN. I'll have to try it again.

Just bought a six pack at Wal-Mart for $6.47. Plan on trying it this evening.

i will also admit, i was confused to give the cap a spin and not hear that "shhht" of a bottle opening. i kind of looked at it like i had never seen a pop top bottle before...

I just opened one. Pours easily, but the head only lasts for a short time, as Pooper said. It has a very clean, crisp taste, but very little aroma. Hops are lacking, as well as mouth feel, but I expected that. Beautiful amber color.

Overall, I'd say it would make a good summer ale. Look for it in your local grocery store, but before you walk away and say, Bye Bye Miss American Ale, give it a try. It beats a regular Bud any day.

Quote
"I just opened one. Pours easily, but the head only lasts for a short time, as Pooper said. It has a very clean, crisp taste, but very little aroma. Hops are lacking, as well as mouth feel, but I expected that. Beautiful amber color.

Overall, I'd say it would make a good summer ale. Look for it in your local grocery store, but before you walk away and say,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Bye Bye Miss American Ale, give it a try.

It beats a regular Bud any day."



That's all I hoped for

When you set your goal low they are achievable

I have to elaborate on my previous review. I took another bottle of Am. Ale and some my very young Amarillo pale ale to the pond with my dogs. I still think it is an acceptable summer ale, but mine was much better. While I was drinking my beer the dogs were happily swimming in the pond, but when I was drinking the Am. ale the dogs were just laying around on the dock. Based on that observation, I would give the Am. ale 2 paws up. Keep in mind that there were 8 paws available for voting.

Disclaimer: No dogs were hurt in this beer review. The dogs were selected at random and without racial bias. One dog is dark brown (chocolate) and the other is off white, sometimes referred to as yellow. The person involved in this review may be a little PUI.

Damn! There was none at my favorite HEB tonight. I picked up some SN Anniversary Ale. It's OK... It doesn't make sense to me to have a big ass bill board on I-35 for weeks and it not be available. Maybe this weekend.

Ok, I read everyone who said "I'll drink this instead of Sam Adams" and was pretty excited to try this. I really enjoy SA BL and was encouraged to think that something *similar* would be widely available (everywhere) at a discount. I'm thinking ballgames etc.

WTF people?

This beer is not pleasant. I WANTED to like this beer. It's certainly more "ale" than Bud. I struggled to find anything to really enjoy about this beer. I'll say that it does have flavor, and it does have more hops than what I expected. Still, it is a below average offering.

Would I choose it over Bud, BL or Coors? Unsure. Would I chose it over anything else? Doubtful. This beer is a severe disappointment.

Again, I really wanted to like it. This is not an anti AB thing; it's simply drain pour. Yuck. Not my mug o' ale.

Having read a few favorable reviews/comments I decided to try this for the experience.

I picked up a 6er of this today. Paid $6.99 on sale. Normal price was marked at $7.99. Nice looking label.

Color was beautiful deep amber with a redish tint. I detected ZERO aroma hops. Very disapointing on the aroma. The bitterness factor was there. The initial hop bite was good. Digging deep I could detect the hops but like I said, I had a hard time tasting the hops at all. A very slight and I mean slight citrus taste came through.

Would I order this over a Sam Adams or SNPA, heck no, no way, nada, zilcho... While it's decent, it's not my bag. I'll drink what I have but I won't be buying anymore....

You guys are crazy, you just gave this beer legitimacy by posting umpteen million times about it. Tastybrew and BUD Shit American Ale shows up on on the first page when you Google it. thanks for supporting the big guys!

Hey, we do what we can.

Wow, that's strange...there are much larger discussions about it on other forums.

Hooray Tastybrew!

Maybe Rob and his successful banner-ad campaign is responsible...

There's a core group that posts here but what about the many thousands that lurk and never join or post at all? We give out enough great info that just following a thread usually will solve an info deficit. I'd be interested in how many page-hits TB actually gets...

Anyway, I got a six-pack for $6.49. Not enough hops for my current tastes but they are there and I taste the caramel malts. Much better than regular Bud. Still has that sourness that I remember Budweiser having.

Conclusion? Otherwise acceptable brew but needs more hops.

What's next? A Pale Ale?

I thought I was crazy when I picked up a sour note. Good that you got it too Radtek

Um, that IS a pale sale isn't it Or at least it's supposed to be.

I finally picked some up last night ... didnt even finish half of a glass of it.... I'll pass....

I thought it was an Amber ale- a little dark maybe.

I probably should have said IPA.

I'll confess that in my enthusiasm I picked up TWO sixxers. I might not finish them all but expect a PUI tonight.

Dear Readers,


You good friend Shawn here.
PUI and feeling good, Also want to add Smokin TREEZ

Getting ready to taste my 30 day old Munich Lager.
I will post about this in my Munich Lager PUI thread later this evening.

LOL Smoking TREEZ.... Your just too much... Keep it up and let us know how your tree hop experiments go...

Hey Pooper, how's that Munich lager tasting?

Sweet, Carmeally and with a sulfur of a nice Pilsner.

It's like an Oktoberfest, But lighter and dry.

Really a damn fine beer, It would taste a lot better if I wasn't going to drink it. LOL

"It would taste a lot better if I wasn't going to drink it."

Well said.

Does budweiser owne Killians cause this is exacteally what this beer taste like.

killians is owned and brewed by coors, as is blue moon.

has anyone tried michelob pale ale? I was really surprised at the amount of hop flavor it had. Don't get me wrong, it is no snpa, but pretty decent for an AB beer. Why didn't they use this recipe for the American ale? It is about ten times as good as the American and actually has some cascade flavor to it.

Really? So it is decent?

I was looking at it and wondering. Maybe I'll buy a sixpack. I had to remember it says "pale ale" and not India pale ale...

I am not saying that it is great beer, but I was amazed at the flavor for a macrobrewery. I have had micro pales that had less flavor than this.

I wouldn't have tryed it, but a homebrew buddy of mine had a party and a few were left at his house. He told me it wasn't bad and surprised him with the flavor, so I gave it whirl a few nights ago, and I was expecting something more in line of the American ale, but the michelob actually had hop flavor to it.

I enjoyed Michelob's Pale Ale, it actually had discernible hop flavor and aroma. I actually enjoyed the craft brew variety pack (12 beers for $10). It included the Marzen, Pale Ale, Irish Red, & Porter. For $10 it was an affordable and enjoyable purchase. I think it's funny how their Amber Bock seems to be the biggest seller, yet I can't stand it. It literally tastes like someone mixed water with my Dunkel.

I have the American Ale and just recently, SWMBO brought home the wit beer. Both have that Budweiser flavor. I used to think it was something from the rice or hops but now I think it's their yeast.

Niether one will see a future dollar from me but that won't stop me from trying anything new they put out. I'm open minded but would rather see my money go to the smaller guys.

They wouldn't be using the same yeast for a wit, though, would they?

Maybe that depends whether or not Inbev has someone around to make sure a real Wit is done?

Maybe they use Cry Havoc for the ale yeast.....

It's not great beer, but I order them instead of reg Bud or Bud light.

I've had the AB Shocktop wit and while it's no Hoegaarden, it at least tastes kinda like a wit.

I thought Denny hated wheat beers!

>I've had the AB Shocktop wit and while it's no Hoegaarden, it at least tastes kinda like a wit.

That's the one Denny. Did it taste like it had a wit yeast? Didn't it have familiar Budweiser flavor to it. Certainly it had wheat and some spices in it but it was hard for me to get Budwheatwizer out of my head.

Dan, it just barely tasted like a wit, but there a bit o' wit to it, IIRC. Jeff, someone gave me a bottle so I tasted it out of curiosity. If there's ever a wheat beer I'll drink, it's wit. Still not one of my faves, though. I've dumped a couple partial kegs of wit just becasue I didn't enjoy drinking them.