Olde English 800 - Miller Brewing Co.

sqkzula

Rhode Island

3.2/5  rDev +56.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance-- The beer is a golden color, no cloud, characteristic of a light beer.

Smell-- Smells like a very alcoholic light beer. Not unpleasant, but not "smelly" by any standard

Taste-- Slightly watery, light, with hidden potency. Goes down smooth.

Mouthfeel-- Light, heavily carbonated, easy finish.

Drinkability-- Large quantity? Desired. Frequency? Not so much.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2010 04:39:56 | More by sqkzula

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

2.45/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Pours a perfectly clear, golden yellow color with not much head and little lacing. It doesnt look terrible by any means, but isn't "obviously of quality" when viewed from a distance without your spectacles either.

Smells of a touch of grass, an open corn field and a touch of metal-shop, with a slight overture of toobin' on the river. It doesn't smell bad tho, just not great like a fine quality beer, and not very strong either.

Taste. Well it doesn't have a whole bunch of it, no matter how fancy a language you try to use to describe it. It's grainy and grassy with a touch of skunk and some fishin' on the lake to boot.

The mouthfeel is not very good. It leaves a slight aftertaste of corncob, with a smidge of bitter and a reminder that you've been working all day driving ridgecap screws on a metal roof in texas. Oh, the memories.

Ironically, the drinkability ain't that bad. It's friggin' CHEEP, and it goes down pretty easy, thus making it one of the beers that I've drank plenty of over the years, albeit mostly when either broke, or working dog friggin' hard on construction jobs. But then again, when you've been doing construction all day, you don't go for wine and cheese, you go for a 40 and some BBQ.

So in the end, OE8 it does serve a purpose in the universe, albeit not a craft-beer oriented type purpose. But for $1.89 a 40oz, how much complaining can you really do when you're almost broke, and payday is still three days away? Plus it makes a fine lunch when you're working hard at hardly working. Excellent for road crews.

Serving type: can

06-06-2010 20:15:34 | More by AlCaponeJunior

womencantsail

California

2.03/5  rDev -1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A: The pour is a golden color with an initially voluminous white head.

S: A bit of skunk, apple juice, corn, and a touch of alcohol.

T: Initially bland followed by some overly sweet corn syrup, apple juice, and more corn and alcohol.

M: A bit of a light body with a moderate carbonation.

D: Not as bad as some of the other malt liquors out there, but I wouldn't want to take the fawty to the face.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2010 06:21:03 | More by womencantsail

BabyBastard

New York

3.05/5  rDev +48.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the clear forty ounce bottle into my tulip, very pale straw color with generous head that recedes to a slight foamy top, bunches of carbonation bubbles float to the top thanks to that great laser etching. Average looking brew.

Smells a bit skunk like, probably attributed to that wonderful clear bottle, though I cannot say this is the absolute cause. Has that typical adjunct smell, corn like with rice thrown in for good measure. Uninspiring to say the least. Probably the worst part of this brew.

Taste is unoffensive, very light and lacking in flavor. Though not much flavor is present, this is one of the better malt liquors I have sampled. The subdued taste is most likely caused by the chilly temperature at which this was served, though my opinion is that all malt liquors taste better as cold as possible.

Feel is very light, decent carbonation makes it pleasant to drink. Alcohol content is hidden very well, barely noticable. No burn associated with this at all, but at seven point five, it is not too heavy in the alcohol department. Drinkability is good, in my opinion. Guzzled from the forty would seem to be the way to go with this brew. Serve ice cold and have a good time chugging that massive forty ouncer.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2010 04:07:39 | More by BabyBastard

mtnbikerpa

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev +80.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Drank straight from the 40 ounce bottle. Appearance was golden yellow. Strong scents of corn, rice, sort of a sweet smell. Lots of flavor corn, malt extracts, no real hop flavors. Mouthfeel is smooth, very easy to drink. Would I reach for another one? Yes.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2010 20:32:00 | More by mtnbikerpa

Clydesdale

District of Columbia

2.85/5  rDev +39%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: A clear, medium gold color. A medium-sized, foamy white head bubbles up with decent sticking power. Some basic soapy lacing.

S: Some husky, sour graininess along with a healthy dose of corn sugar. Faint alcoholic and fruit-punchy notes as well. Not appealing, but also far from repulsive.

T: Thin, somewhat sour graininess up front. Fairly sweet throughout, but never overpowering. Definite corn syrup character. Alcohol is present, again with a bland artificial fruitiness and a faint hop bitterness.

M: Medium bodied. Carbonation is a touch subdued. A bit sticky and adjuncty, but it comes with the territory I suppose.

D: For what it is, it's okay. Rough and grainy for sure, but thankfully not a hot, sugary mess. Not very good, but for the style you can do a lot worse. Some nights call for something like Olde English, and tonight definitely qualified.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2010 02:58:57 | More by Clydesdale

MrHassellYaHurd

Louisiana

1.78/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Pours a golden yellow with a bushy white head that disappears as quickly as it forms.

Adjunct smell with an emphasis on the corn. That's about all.

The taste is crisp, but heavy on adjunct flavors and a horrid metallic taste. The body is thin and grainy and the drinkability is poor.

Serving type: can

04-21-2010 04:32:30 | More by MrHassellYaHurd

heissebier

Illinois

1.8/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

Oh man, I had a 40 of this last night just to see what all the hype was about. I drank it out of the bottle (for authenticity)

Appearance- The beer itself is pale yellow, with a lacy, thin head surprisingly not too terrible from what I could tell. The best part about this beer is its propensity to alter the apperance of the drinker. No matter how uncool and nerdy you may be by day, if you're holding a 40 of this stuff, you are undeniably "gangsta"

Smell- "like a homeless person" definately sums it up. Smells mostly of booze and grains.

Taste- very very grainy, with some alcohol coming through. Not the worst thing I've ever tasted, especially about 1/2 way through.

mouthfeel- not good. at all. thin and watery

Drinkability- Drinkable in the sense that you can drink a ton of this without becoming too full. but its not something you reall want to drink.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2010 15:50:22 | More by heissebier

Spineypanda

Texas

2.2/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Straw almost clear color. Somewhat lasting head that is actually not bad looking.
The idea behind this beer is to get drunk fast. Well we will see if it works!
Smells like crappy beer lots of alcohol smells and some soggy pennies.
Tastes like metal too, with a bit of grain to it. Oh joy! The good news is I think that this is an extremely cheap drunk for those of us who cannot afford good beer. Good thing I can.

Also PBR is a bit better. Thanks.

Serving type: can

03-26-2010 00:32:41 | More by Spineypanda

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

3.65/5  rDev +78%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Well, Olde English 800 is one of the mildest malt liquors available, and has a relatively low (5.9%) alcohol level. It has a thick, white head, lots of lacing, and higher-than-usual carbonation (for this genre). Aroma is faint, but very grainy (corn). Appearance is yellow and clear. The taste is more American-style lager than the harsh, cloying presentation one usually encounters with the malt liquor style (and which appeals to me). Mouth feel is heavy and filling. Overall, I really like OE 800, and it is a classic. NOTE: only drink this out of the can as the clear bottle allows light to cause spoilage.

RJT

Serving type: can

03-19-2010 01:08:51 | More by RonaldTheriot

Prostman81

Illinois

2.7/5  rDev +31.7%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Say what you will about malt liquors. For the style, this one is tops for me. Since this style is not known for it's quality of malt used or the hops, OE makes the best of bad brewing situation. The taste and drinkability are where this one's at. Smooth, and not in your face with fusel alcohols like a lot of this type are, an OE can go down in a hurry. For $2 and some change, you're in as much flavor country as you can buy.

But holy crap watch for the headache the next day.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2010 19:56:28 | More by Prostman81

Wasatch

Utah

2/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Pours a light yellow color, nice carbonation, small white head, with some sticky lacing left behind. The nose is malty, with some hops, slight caramel. The taste is slightly sweet, malty, slight hop note. Light body. Not drinkable, would not buy again.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2010 00:51:42 | More by Wasatch

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

1.13/5  rDev -44.9%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.25 | overall: 1.5

The Big Nasty. Don't drink 3 of these in a night, or you'll wake up next to something regretable. Anyways, looks and smells like human liquid waste.

Taste is just alcohol and yellow beer. Mouthfeel, something, rice or corn wallows around. Kinda drinkable once you get a little tipsy and play some Too $hort.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2010 00:46:41 | More by Beerandraiderfan

corpulent

Nevada

1.2/5  rDev -41.5%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Oof. My gut hurts just writing about it.

Piss yellow. Sour. Thick greasy coating in my mouth. I'm going to smell like a hobo's blanket tomorrow.

No one is reading 8-Ball reviews wondering whether or not to try this.

"Hmmm, I saw Old E at the local liquor store, maybe I should try it. I wonder what the folks on Beer Advocate think about it."

No.

You drink this because you are broke. And you want to get drunk. And sick.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2010 00:24:29 | More by corpulent

yesyouam

New York

1.7/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Olde English 800 is a very clear and very lively bright yellow beer with a big, fluffy, white head that has really good retention and leaves clumps of lacing on the glass. It has an aroma of DMS and fusel. Yup, it smells like a homeless dude. It's medium bodied, pretty smooth and pretty crisp. It leaves the the tongue a little numb. There isn't a really strong flavor here but it's just kind of like... corn and vegetables with a little rumble of booze at the end. Man, after 40 oz. of this, I don't know if I'll be going outside naked in subzero weather or fighting a cop or both. I guess we'll find out in the morning..

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2010 18:27:27 | More by yesyouam

Vengeance526

Louisiana

2.1/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a decent clear golden color with a large foamy white head that sticks around for a little while and gradually dissipates leaving some lacing.

Smells of corn, maybe some other spoiled vegetables in there as well.

Taste is somewhat metallic and again a lot of corn comes out.

Lots of carbonation with a crisp feel. As long as it never gets above freezing temperature, the drinkability on this is okay. Once you start noticing any kind of taste, well you took too long.

Serving type: can

02-12-2010 04:59:37 | More by Vengeance526

BigBen61

Kentucky

3.23/5  rDev +57.6%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

As anyone else who enjoys malt liquors will tell you, this beer is not the kind meant for savoring. It is designed solely for getting hammered, however I do believe there are some redeeming characteristics for this "king of malt liquors" as Miller likes to claim. An easy drinking malt liquor with a palatable taste. I will say, however that the only positive about the aroma is that it is easily recognizable that it will get you messed up something quick. I did follow some suggestions of regular "malt advocates" and the consensus is they all look like piss so forget about it, the can however is a piece of nostalgic beauty, so it gets and average on this handle. I honestly believe that even though the taste is not pleasant, it is definately drinkable and therefore deserves a decent rating in both taste and mouthfeel. God forgive me for drinking this sh** and liking it. Long live IPA!

Serving type: can

01-25-2010 20:55:16 | More by BigBen61

ikelikesbeer

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev +92.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Cool close to freezing, work out in 75F+ and this becomes my go to beer! KIW ITA RH. 8===D ~o (j) all dat errday. Listen, this shiz cost around sixty seven cents per can an seven point five alcohol by volume. I'm on my third tonight and two hundred and fifty words is way to many.

Serving type: can

01-25-2010 01:45:15 | More by ikelikesbeer

erz316

Indiana

1.7/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

40 oz

wow. I've never had a beer that tastes like the way a wet-cat smells. this shit is pretty rank. the color is like the worst bmc piss has to offer. the smell is, like I said, as a wet-animal. the taste, well, anything could pretty much taste better. the feel is ridiculous bad: super thin and the d-bility is needless to say, horrible.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2010 03:52:44 | More by erz316

Mosstrooper

California

2.58/5  rDev +25.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Poured from 40oz bottle into Hofbräuhaus maß.

Appearance: Clear straw color with a massive white head that dissipates pretty slowly and leaves little lace.

Smell: Smells of grains and corn throughout.

Taste: Tastes of sweet corn throughout, with an alcoholic finish and some grainy hints.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, balanced carbonation, and thin finish.

Drinkability: No, this is not the best tasting beer around. Still, it does manage to taste better than some American macro brews and, if you wanna get drunk, there's nothing better.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2010 18:52:59 | More by Mosstrooper

wahhmaster

Virginia

2.38/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 40 oz. bottle into a 1L Hofbräuhaus mug.

Appearance: Pours a translucent golden color. Has a thick, foamy white head that dissipates slowly and leaves little lacing.

Smell: Smells strongly of corn and other adjuncts. At least it smells a little more strongly than most BMC products.

Taste: Has a weak corny taste up front that finishes sweet. However, I find this to have much flavor than your typical light beer.

Mouthfeel: Thin, watery, and over-carbonated.

Drinkability: Pretty atrocious tasting but let's be honest here: Do you really drink Olde English for its hop and malt profile? Nah. You drink it to get drunk cheaply and it succeeds marvelously at that. For that alone, this beer is a winner in my book.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2010 00:38:58 | More by wahhmaster

mambiso1123

Florida

1.1/5  rDev -46.3%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

I'm writing this from memory lane, as I decided to buy a 32 ouncer to relive some teenage memories. I live in Florida now, but I recall drinking 40 ouncers back then. They used to sell a 64 ounce bottle of OE (yikes) that was so large the bottle had a handle. Yeah. A handle.

Memory lane was paved poorly. God, this is a nasty brew. The color is visible in the bottle (you don't pour this into a glass), and it looks like how it will leave your system: as urine.

Taste: If you drink it at ice-cold temperature, it's fine. At cold temperature or less, it tastes like it looks.

Just an awful, awful beer. When I have children, and see them try and drink this like I did when I was their age, I won't say a word. They'll learn like I did---this is just bad, bad, stuff.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2009 02:31:03 | More by mambiso1123

beer256

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev +53.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

this is another cheap beer from my past.i think it the best of the cheap beers out there.the taste isnt as bad and the appearance of the beer is pretty good.keep in mind i keep saying cheap beer because thats what it is and im rating it against other cheap beer

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2009 00:33:37 | More by beer256

deruiz10

California

2.08/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Poured a 40-oz bottle into a 1.0L mug.

A - Pale yellowgold with a fair amount of carbonation. Initial 3-finger egg-shell head fades to light lacing.

S - Very little smell, just sweet hops and not much more.

T - Flavor-seekers need not apply. Really not much taste in the body, just generic light beer taste of unremarkable malts and some alcohol. Finish is slightly bitter and metallic.

M - Very watery, quite carbonated. Just like any light beer.

D - Not unsmooth and quite tolerable if served ice cold, but this isn't the beer that you go to for sipping. It's not meant to be consumed for pleasure, but it's honestly better than some of the horrifying light beers out there and gets you buzzed quicker which is probably what you'd be going for if you're in the market for light beer or malt liquor.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2009 20:25:15 | More by deruiz10

ShogoKawada

Rhode Island

3.85/5  rDev +87.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Ah, Olde English. My first love.

As an ongoing series, I plan to knock out the malt liquor reviews. I will say that I am quite fond of Malt Liquor and will be reviewing TO STYLE, critics be damned.

Served out of the bottle, in a 40 koozie, as the good lord intended.

A- Light, golden honey, not much of a head, but fizzy enough carbonation. Not winning any awards, but a hell of a lot better than others similar to the style.

S- Corn, malty adjunct sweetness, mild cooked vegetables. Not O.E.'s selling point.

T- Much better. Light, crisp, sweet, a tad bit corn-y. Metallic, slightly hopped (but that could just be more metallic taste), not offensive or off-putting. I like it... but I drank enough of this stuff to develop my palate, lol.

M- This is where the mbeer shines. High marks for good carbonation, crisp mouthfeel, and a not-too-lingering taste.

D- High. I can down these like water. Tasty enough, though there are tastier malt liquors, this one had nothing major working against it. A solid package that doesn't dissapoint. I like it.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2009 01:11:29 | More by ShogoKawada