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Budweiser is the arch nemesis of the Beer Police. Barring Natural Light (first-years, I have a sneaking suspicion you’re already up to speed with the terminology here, but “Natty” Light or Ice is the preferred nomenclature), Steel Reserve and the other uber-cheapos, Bud is the lowest of the low. It has no merit beyond getting you drunk, unless it’s your budget beer of choice.
This is why I approached Budweiser’s new American Ale with skepticism. Maybe the Belgian purchase of Anheuser-Busch have something to do with this new, purportedly respectable product. Or maybe the “American Ale,” dressed up in a decent bottle and sporting lofty prose on its neck about “quality” and “redefining the American ale,” fall in with Budweiser Select and Miller High Life – iterations barely distinguishable from their slummy originals.
The American Ale’s release stemmed a whole column of “wolves in sheep’s clothing” beers – brews by average or below-average major breweries trying to offer something a little more substantial.
Michelob Pale Ale – Michelob, generally on the echelon of Coors, Miller and the like, is trying to be legitimate with their new offerings. This particular experiment tastes like cheap beer with a pale ale flavor shot – with an emphasis on the cheap beer taste. It may reel in a few Mich drinkers or enthusiasts of other mass-produced beers that see love in the brewing, but pale ale fans won’t be impressed.
Michelob Dunkelweisse – Sickly sweet. A banana undercurrent is standard for a weiss beer, but I’m not too sure about the “clove and banana tones” Michelob injected for this attempt at prestige. Plain and simple, it’s a gross and poorly executed shot at a delicious style of beer.
Heineken Dark Lager – Heinken is a love-or-hate affair. I’m not a huge fan. The dark variant has the same bubbly, light texture and a similar aftertaste to the original. Heinken fans may enjoy it; dark beer enthusiasts probably will not. It’s kind of like Diet Coke gone beer.
Beck’s Dark – Beck’s seems to pull a certain amount of weight as an imported brew, and this dark take is easily superior. It’s dark enough that drinking it in my Guinness glass, I couldn’t tell it wasn’t the legendary Irish stout. The beer itself is thick but relatively thin on taste.
Budweiser American Ale – A Budweiser with character? Integrity? Merit? Yes, it’s a reality. You can actually taste and smell hops in this beer. It’s a medium amber color, not a neon, transparent yellow. It’s an actual beer – an ale – and although it won’t steal the mantle from microbrews like Sam Adams or Shipyard, it’s nice. It’s similar to a traditional pale ale, and the taste even sticks around for a while. This was by far the best of the five brews I sampled – I’ll be back for seconds.
