1855 Celebration Lager
Miller Brewing Co.

1855 Celebration Lager1855 Celebration Lager
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From:
Miller Brewing Co.
 
Wisconsin, United States
Style:
American Adjunct Lager
ABV:
4.85%
Score:
68
Avg:
2.84 | pDev: 19.37%
Reviews:
78
Ratings:
88
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 23, 2021
Added:
Nov 01, 2005
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Ratings by tavernjef:
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Reviewed by tavernjef from Minnesota

3.06/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
OK, so my family is still not quite on the craft beer bus and gave me a sixer of this stuff as a gift thinking it was different and the kinda stuff I like to drink. Thoughtful, but off the mark. Kudos for trying and was worth a good laugh from my wife.

Poured a golden clear honey hay yellow with a stark white, medium sized cap of foam. Steady, slow, carbonation within. Lace is non existent though and the head flys away quickly.

Aroma is light with a slight grain bill with a puff of corn and a very slight snap of grassy hops. Becomes a bit sweeter with a breadish tone as it warms. But still quite light on the nose with challenging wiffs to get much of anything besides a clean, crisp air of light grains.

Taste is light and fairly crisp to start with a sweetish pale bready grain bill, sliding into a tad of corn-like sweetness. Lightly buttery and edged with popcorn fluff. Notes of apple-like sugary stuff recedes through the back as it finish short, sharp and quick with a very slight grassy hop. Warming helps even out some of the sharpness thats a bid forward to start and unevenly taking away from what really could be worthy of something. Although, once thats reached, its not all that worthy either.

Feel is about right for what it's offering. Crisp, lightly bodied with a push towards more tender smothness as it warms. Actually it is favorable clean, crisp, and smooth with a simple lager texture thats quite drinkable, if not altogether, plain and and boring. Not really much more effort here then what one could get out of the normal line up from Miller.
Dec 26, 2005
More User Ratings:
Photo of LesDewitt4beer
Reviewed by LesDewitt4beer from Minnesota

2.69/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5
Scrappy notes from 2008.
The 1855 Miller looked, tasted and felt a bit different than traditional Miller Beer that we usually buy today. 1855 is a little bit darker in color, more carbonated, has a bit of a head and has a little bit more hop taste but not much. It is also not as corn/grain-centric as todays Miller and has a hint of bread. It's okay.
Nov 23, 2021
Photo of LXIXME
Rated by LXIXME from New Mexico

3.07/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
Had this at the visitors center after the tour of Miller/Coors Brewing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
May 11, 2019
Photo of jzlyo
Reviewed by jzlyo from Iowa

2.95/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
Kind of like a fuller Miller Lite, although the sweetness is a little much. Not bad, better than the regular Lite but easy to see why Miller didn't continue to make it.
Apr 04, 2017
 
Rated: 2.75 by DaveMiller from Minnesota

Jun 25, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by Beer-Zombie from Oregon

Apr 17, 2014
 
Rated: 2.75 by harpus from Alabama

Oct 15, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by jrimmey from Pennsylvania

Sep 26, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by matjack85 from Illinois

Jan 26, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by spycow from Illinois

Jan 17, 2013
 
Rated: 2 by AlphaKing414 from Wisconsin

Apr 02, 2012
 
Rated: 2.5 by bonbini26 from New Jersey

Jan 11, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by djrn2 from New Jersey

Nov 20, 2011
Photo of magictrokini
Reviewed by magictrokini from California

2.97/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
During my years at U of A, my fraternity had a deal with a Miller distributor where we could buy 100 cases of Miller for $500. While it was far superior to Keystone and Natty Light, even we knew then that this beer was goat piss.

That being said, this beer is not horrible. Yellow, fizzy pour with a big bubbly white head. Corny aroma, but with floral hops and a pleasantly sweet waft. Same odd sweetness in the taste, almost like Frosted Flakes. Clean, light, with no metal or awful sweaty tang. I can honestly say that I do not hate this beer, but that does not mean I recommend it.
Jan 05, 2009
Photo of blakesell
Reviewed by blakesell from Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +51.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Thanks to Tim for 'donating' this beer to me. Poured from 12oz bottle into a curved pint glass.

Appearance- A golden clear with a 2 finger head of foam that quickly dissapates and leaves splotchy lacing on the glass.

While pouring I heard the comment, 'It's not really from 1855 is it?' My answer: 'no, then it would probably taste better.'

Smell- Slight fruitiness, corn, and a minimal amount of Saaz. As usual for Miller, that hint of green apple that I am oh, so familiar with, although I haven't drank an American Macro for at least a year.

Taste- Corn and malt with a hint of hop but then the corn comes back and its like eating off the cob. Not skunked from light or buttery with Dyacital. This is actually drinkable.

Mouthfeel- Light bodied, well carbonated and clean. Perfect for the swilling needs. A bit corny, but I would take this above the traditional Miller Lite any day.

Drinkability- High drinkability on this one. Not my favourite beer, but a high scorer due to the fact that it doesn't have a lot of flaws. I can only assume that this is what Miller was planning 150 years ago with an easy drinking lager. This doesn't have near the apple that a regular Miller Lite has, but much more corn. I would prefer this actually. But given the choice between this and a Dogfish, Stone, or Bell's, there is no question, I would take the latters.
Nov 06, 2007
Photo of zeff80
Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri

2.47/5  rDev -13%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
A - Poured out a pale yellow color with a small, short-lived head. No lacing.

S - It smelled of corn, barley and a hint of grasses.

T - It was fairly bitter with a strong grain/barley/corn presence. Some hoppy flavors, too.

M - It was slightly on the thin side. A light to medium-bodied beer.

D - It reminds me of a hoppy version of MGD. Still an average beer.
Mar 10, 2007
Photo of TheManiacalOne
Reviewed by TheManiacalOne from Rhode Island

2.58/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a very pale yellow color with a thin white head that fades quickly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of barley, grain, corn, malt and a very faint touch of hops.

T: This one has the typical Miller macro flavor of sweet malt, corn and barley that dominates. There’s a very minor hops flavor and this one seems to taste a bit breadier than most other Miller products.

M: Smooth with barley and crispness, light body, high carbonation, clean finish.

D: Considering the style it’s kind of tasty, goes down easily, not very filling, although it’s better than most other macros, it’s still a macro. Since this one isn’t available on-tap anywhere that I know of, any liquor store that would carry this beer would have several other beers that I would choose first. Even if I were to go with a macro, I would go with a cheaper one since the taste isn’t all that different.
Jan 21, 2007
Photo of orfeu
Reviewed by orfeu from New Mexico

3.2/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Four bottles of this dubious-looking beer were left in my fridge after my 30th birthday party. I have to say, it is a very cool looking retro label they put on this bottle. I'm not really sure how old this bottle is, but it must be several months since it was bottled as the first review of this 150th Anniversary beer was logged last November (2005). Anyway, on to the beer itself... A vigorous pour yields a seriously pale straw gold brew with a modest dusty-white foam cap. Rapidly rising carbonation struggles to maintain this head to no avail really. Soured corn mash and yeasty bread dough aromas with some almost sickly sweet notes. A cleanish lager hop aroma is also detectable. It smells like the beer I remember my dad drinking at Omaha Royals baseball games when I was a kid. Bready malt flavor with a sweet corn character, punctuated with floral hops. A clean, slightly minerally finish. Actually, this is a very clean-flavored macro lager. Certainly better than many others in its stable. Medium-thin body and smooth, well-carbonated mouthfeel -- not too watery or thin, nor is there a cloying sweet-sour twinge to the mouthfeel. Slightly hoppy (and even nostril buzzing!) burps. Actually better than expected. Maybe I would have liked it even more if I'd tried a fresh bottle.
Sep 09, 2006
Photo of tesguino
Reviewed by tesguino from Mexico

2.75/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Excellent artwork, good bottle, nice crown, regular beer, to this commemorative beer, it needed a little flavor, because the flavor of hops does not have it, however his presence of corn and rice I am very strong, its total indicative color of lager, little defined and smooth body, liked single to collect it, recommendable 65%, I proved it in a pilsener glass , to observe its quality and oxidation, complemented with Mexican food.
Jul 28, 2006
Photo of dbalsock
Reviewed by dbalsock from Vermont

3.54/5  rDev +24.6%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
appearance: poured a sick yellow with minimal head. retained no head throughout the session.

smell: smells almost as bad as miller light, except it has a sweet quality. As it warms a little it gets better.

taste: For a macro lager this is amazing. Minimal grainy quality and a nice malty sweetness, almost like honey. I'm impressed.

Mouthfeel: nothing abnormal to speak of.

Drinkablity: As quaffable as any life lager, but better tasting
May 11, 2006
1855 Celebration Lager from Miller Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 68 out of 100 with 88 ratings