Shiner FM 966 - Spoetzl Brewery

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3/5  rDev -11%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 ounce bottle - $1.49 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours out a ever so slightly hazed, pale yellow body with a smallish, white head.

Smell: Slightly sweetish sniff of saltine, pils malt. Pinch of ground clove and coriander. Low peach fruitiness, as well as some lemony citrus.

Taste: Soft, crackery pilsner maltiness with a light sweetness. Particularly tangy citrus taste pops in alongside the spicy phenols. Dash of Albariño, little hint of peach. Some acidity. Flirts again with the initial sweetness. Clove-like spiciness and light fruitiness on the semi-dry finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium carbonation.

Overall: It's saison-lite, and saison-like, really.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 03:49:29 | More by ChainGangGuy

UCLABrewN84

California

3.38/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

Pours a murky yellow with a foamy off-white head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, spices, and yeast. Taste is much the same with spice and citrus flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is an above average beer that is drinkable but nothing too exciting.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 22:52:51 | More by UCLABrewN84

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.99/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Nothing good comes through at that number on my radio. Texas must be so much cooler than Illinois... Anyway, this stuff pours a clear brass topped by a finger of lightly off-white foam. The nose comprises wheat, lemon zest, light coriander, and a touch of apple cider. The taste brings in more of the same, with everything funkified and rindy, making for quite the muddling of flavors. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a sorta/kinda drying finish. Overall, a kinda sad "farmhouse ale", one that comes across more like a spice-less wit than anything, and one that just doesn't work well at all.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 06:56:16 | More by TMoney2591

zeff80

Missouri

3.51/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured out a hazy, orange color with a one-finger, off-white head of foam. It left some sudsy trails of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled fruity but not like most saisons.

T - Fruity and sweet with some yeasty/spicy bite.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A light to medium bodied ale with a dry finish.

O - This is okay. A nice attempt at an ale and a very sessionable brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 00:16:11 | More by zeff80

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.49/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Pours an effervescent amber with a thumb of ivory colored head. Pretty good head retention & lacing

S: Pears & apple peels, plus apple blossoms

T: Follows the nose, some perfumy hops as well up front. A bit of breadyness & white grape as this warms, along with more apple peel, a bit of honey & some dirtyness. Finishes fruity with a bit of lemony hops, a whisper of barnyard & white grape sweetness

MF: Light bodied, soft carbonation. Thickens up as this warms

Not bad, a step up from a training wheels saison, a pleasant suprise from these guys

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 03:39:54 | More by russpowell

Halcyondays

California

3.59/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle,

A: Pours a clear goldenrod with a medium soapy white head, leaving some nice spotty lace.

S: Quite a barnyard character even though I doubt this has any brett in it. Hay, grass, floral and spicy hops character, hint of herbs.

T: More of a straightforward taste. Hints of barnyard, but really dominated by the pils style malt. Grassy earthy hop character.

M: Crisp, biting carbonation at first, but falls off thin in the finish. Needs some more body.

O: A solid effort, I don't expect the world from Shiner, and they definitely made a drinkable refreshing beer here. Hey where else can you find a saison for $7.99/six-pack.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 19:49:24 | More by Halcyondays

Bitterbill

Wyoming

3.3/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

It's a clear golden coloured brew with a 1 finger head of foam.

It smells spicy, there's some cloves with some sweetness that's very candi sugar like, some grain.

The taste is well, not as good as what I expected from the smell. Light spiciness, some grain, even some hints of the horse blanket flavour that I quite like in the style but there's a watery character that seems to mute what I like in the taste. Still, I think it's a decent shot at a Farmhouse Ale; it just need some tweaking to bring more of the flavours to the fore front.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 17:44:40 | More by Bitterbill

Tone

Missouri

3.48/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly hazy, golden color. 1/5 inch head of a white color. Slight retention and slight lacing. Smells of hint of alcohol, sweet malt, slight yeast, hint of wheat, slight spice, floral aromas, and a hint of hops. Fits the style of a Saison / Farmhouse beer. Mouth feel is smooth and clean, with a low carbonation level. Tastes of slight yeast, floral notes, hint of grass, hint of alcohol, sweet malt, hint of spice, slight of wheat, and a hint of hops. Overall, good blend and feel, but the body and aroma are muted.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 14:50:20 | More by Tone

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.48/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle pours a mostly clear gold color with a small white head. Not enough retention or haze for a 'typical' farmhouse brew.

Nose is honeyed grains with a grassy hop aroma. A fair amount of yeast presence surprisingly…a little tart and lemony with some sourdough. Nice.

Taste throws out more of the lemongrass yeast with a neutral, biscuity malt. Hops make their presence felt and crisp up the finish nicely. While this isnt going to compete with a fresh Saison DuPont or the like, it is not priced as such either. For about a buck a bottle, I think this is a very welcome addition to the fridge. I'll easily go through the 12-pack I purchased and most likely will buy another. Well done Spoetzl...well done.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 18:37:35 | More by twiggamortis420

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle. Served in a Unibroue tulip, the beer pours a hazy gold color with an inch white head. Head retention and lacing are both decent enough. The brew smells like wheat, bubblegum, and a bit of peppery spice. I think the taste is pretty much like the aroma, with the wheat flavor being the strongest. Mouthfeel/body is light/medium, it's a bit coating with moderate carbonation. I think it's a solid beer. $1.99 a single bottle.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 00:02:03 | More by bluejacket74

tdm168

North Carolina

3.1/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - gold with a large, soft, white head that has decent retention; there are a ton of carbonation bubbles rising to the top

S - white grapes, faint yeast

T - white grapes, sweet, grainy, some faint yeast

M - light to medium bodied, well carbonated, a bit warm

This is a simplistic if not over simplified beer. The yeast seems to do all the work adding some notes of white grapes. For 5.70% it's way too warm. As far as saisons go, there are far better out there. As far as Shiner beers go this is a nice change from their traditional lagers.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 20:34:23 | More by tdm168

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.46/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

So Shiner takes a whack at the farmhouse style.

A - Well its pretty lively with carbonation. A very clear yellow with a head that reduces to a thick lace ring.
S - Has some peppery spice, a touch of lemon peel. and a strong wheat base.
T - Well it's a pretty crappy example of the style since it drinks like a witbier. Lemon and wheat highlight with a mild touch of coriander mid palate. Not bad yet not very funky or spicy,
M - Pretty effervescent with the carbonation making for a light bubbly body. Goes down easy enough.

Overall it's not really a bad beer but if it was a witbier I would have rated it higher. As a farmhouse beer it's pretty sucky.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 04:12:50 | More by DrDemento456

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.81/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a bottle into a shaker pint, the beer is a slightly hazed, golden-yellow coloring with a thin, filmy, white surface coating of head. A bit clingy as you drink, leaving a sparse lacing. Aromas of bubble gum, cloves, and nutmeg, with subtle toasted grains in the backbone. Flavors of spice first and foremost, with a blend of clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Subtle backbone of toasted grains supports all of the spicing, and transitions into a semisweet, pepper spiced aftertaste. Very clean finish on a light, smooth body. Tasty beer Shiner...way to go.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 02:38:34 | More by GarthDanielson

Pegasus

Texas

3.93/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Slightly hazy, deep golden body with a large, dense cloud-top head that retains very well. The lacing is Belgian-like. A modest number of fat bubbles drift lazily to the surface.

Aroma: Prominent spicy notes, coriander and pepper especially, as well as grassy hops. There are some bread-like malt notes as well, and a sort of mustiness I associate with old hay. Perhaps a little understated for the style, but not bad at all.

Taste: Opens with cracker malt flavors, and a very decent flourish of hops. A wave of phenolic flavors soon appears, these carry throughout the taste. Grapefruit rind is present as well. There is a bit of tropical fruit sweetness near the finish. Mildly bitter herbal hops linger on after the close of the taste.

Mouth feel: Smooth, soft, very pleasant.

Drinkability/notes: A very nice example of a Saison/Farmhouse Ale. Perhaps just a touch on the light side. Nonetheless, well done, Shiner! FM 966 is a very ambitious effort that more than succeeded. Also, this beer a drop-dead bargain at the typical retail prices that Shiner beers are offered for.

Presentation: Packaged in a twelve-ounce brown glass bottle with a twist-off crown, served in a New Belgium Brewing chalice.

Sourced: Purchased at HEB in Georgetown, Texas at $11.77 for a twelve-pack.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 01:52:40 | More by Pegasus

HardTarget

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Bright golden glass shows a constant stream of tiny bubbles that struggle to hold aloft a cloud of foam. Some lacing of the glass, really a pretty beer.

Smell: Just a hint of farmy esters, firm banana floral Belgian yeast character. Shine made a Belgian beer?! Wow, ok, impressive step outside the usual range for the brewery; kudos.

Taste: All the nose is overwhelmed by a grainy sweet base of a standard Shiner beer. While I would prefer a bit more of a punch, Shiner is a middle of the road brewery so I respect the restraint showed in the profile.

Mouthfeel: Bubbly and gritty, fairly light body.

Overall: Just a bit of funk keeps the beer interesting yet refreshing. Glad to see Shiner reaching for new styles. Texans love Shiner, and having Shiner show Texans beer can be a lot of different things is top rate Beer Advocacy. Cheers to Shiner!

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 23:54:44 | More by HardTarget

JayQue

Virginia

3.45/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Not a bad take on a Saison. Certainly not up there with Hennepin or Dupont, but not bad either. Has a lot of Saison elements...light fruit, funk, and spiciness. Not as intense as the top offerings but enough there to make it interesting.

Color looks like slightly hazy apple juice, with a delicately bubbly head...medium size on a hard pour. A little lacing and fairly good head retention.

The smell is mild but gives a hint of yeasty funk as well as the apples and pears type light fruit.

Taste is refreshing. Fairly mild Saison elements, some funk,but you wouldn't say "horse blanket", "barnyard" or very musty in describing the beer.

Mouthfeel is fairly rich and crisp.

A good summertime brew but not a great Saison.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 00:16:46 | More by JayQue

hosehead83

Ohio

3.03/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a standard pint glass.
Chill-hazed gold in color,with an airy head of white foam.
Aroma-faint spicy yeast
Taste-Watered-down spicy yeast, faint hop note. Refreshing, if a bit too light-hearted. Too many high standards to compare against keeps the score down for me, when you think of all the outstanding examples of Saison/farmhouse ales out there. An "entry-level" offering at best.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 23:02:39 | More by hosehead83

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

3.39/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 2.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Tan and hazy. Head was less than half a finger and lacing was ok at best.

Aroma is pretty good. Bubble gum, yeast, coriander, spices.

Flavor is also pretty good. Spices, yeast, and a notable hops presence are forward, accented with coriander, bready malts, and a bit of funk.

Body is less carbonated than what I'd usually expect in a saison, but it's not much of a detractor. It's pretty easy drinking, and actually quite tasty.

I'm quite happy with this one from Shiner. I didn't think they'd do a saison that well, but it's not bad. It's not world class, but it's drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 19:51:55 | More by AlCaponeJunior

elNopalero

Texas

4.21/5  rDev +24.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I’m going to be the contrarian here and say I liked this one.

This pours an auburn gold color with tight lacing. There’s a pleasing honey-floral aroma to it. It’s pleasant smelling—pleasant enough, at any rate.

The flavor has a light, hoppy (for a Shiner) Belgo-IPA character to it, like a floral, slightly sweeter saison. It’s affordable and sessionable and I wouldn’t complain if I had another. To be honest this beer surprised me with its approachability, its character, and its drinkability. Not at all what I expected from Shiner, and one which I would stand up against any number of second-tier domestic saisons (at double or triple the price).

Thanks to XicanoBeerRun for passing this one my way.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 07:13:05 | More by elNopalero

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.2/5  rDev +24.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Shiner FM 966 has a thick, fluffy, off-white head, a hazy, golden appearance, some streaming bubbles, and some lacing left behind. The aroma is very bursting- spicy pepper, cracker, subtle citrus, and some other indistinguishable smells. Taste is of spicy, yeasty malt, some hops, maybe coriander, white bread, and sweetness. Mouthfeel is medium and slick, and Shiner FM 966 finishes mostly dry, easy drinking, and delicious. Overall, this is nice and well made. Check it out!

RJT

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 18:44:09 | More by RonaldTheriot

Fatehunter

Oregon

2.8/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Almost a finger of head on a hazy, orange/golden colored body.
The aroma is nice: banana, grain, lemon and nectarine.
The taste is watery with hints of banana and lemon. Too mild.
The texture is soft with moderate carbonation.
Not a bad beer but the taste could have more to it.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 02:58:47 | More by Fatehunter

bmwats

Louisiana

3.38/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a tulip.

A: Golden hue. Pretty hefty carbonation. Pours a slight, bubbly, white head. Effervescence continues to rise to the surface throughout. Head quickly disintegrates completely.

S: Sour, fermented raspberry.

T: Light, sourdough bready tone, with just the slightest hint of fermented fruit.

M: Very light body with a light sour finish and aftertaste.

D: Not much resistance here.

Atmosphere is decent. Shallow hue, effervescence and a slight head, no lacing. Nose is white bread, and fermented fruit. Tastes like it smells...light bread with some fermented fruit. Overall, this is a decent quaff.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 06:05:39 | More by bmwats

Kromes

Georgia

3.53/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A clear gold color with a thick white head that leaves sheets of lacing down the glass. Good head retention on the beer.

Belgian yeast, tropical fruit, grassy hop, and a bit of grain.

A nice tropical fruit and Belgian yeast flavor at first. The grassy hop kicks in during the finish and a slight bitterness and grain flavor remain with a lingering faint clove. The flavors do drop out a little in the finish and it gives the beer a little bit of a "watered-down" sense of flavor.

A nice light body with good, peppery carbonation. Does feel a little bit too light though.

I was surprised by this beer. All the other Shiner beers I've tried were very straight forward, no nonsense, easy drinking beers. This one is easy to drink, but it does have a little bit more depth to it than the others. An above average Farmhouse ale that would be great on a warm spring day.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 00:53:22 | More by Kromes

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

3.14/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

I admit, I miss Texas. Even though I grew up here in New Jersey, I've driven through the Lone Star State enough times to have an affinity for it. I like how Shiner celebrates their roots and when I saw this in a store near me, I wanted to give it a go because dammit, I miss those back roads in Texas. I wasn't expecting this to be on part with its counterparts from Belgium or Ommegang but as an easygoing beer, this was just fine on a night like this.

Sure enough, this had a pour to it like a Macro Lager - malty, light, and with a fluffy head that filled up the remainder of my pint glass. The carbonation was good and there was even a bit of sediment on the bottom to swirl out. No lacing to be seen either and the aroma was that of white grapes and some sour yeast. This was complemented by grassy notes and a watery mouthfeel that made this slide down pretty easily. The back was very floral with some straw thrown in, but the typical Saison taste and funkiness faded relatively quickly afterward.

The alcohol was a bit strong in this but I never tasted it at all or felt that it detracted from this beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 08:52:21 | More by JerzDevl2000

rangerred

Tennessee

3.35/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a clear medium gold with a fizzy one finger white head that is quick to fade into some wispy lacing on top and on the sides of the glass.

Aroma is very Saison-like with hints of coriander and orange peel with a little underlying caramel. The yeasty citrus is quite nice and better than I was expecting.

The flavor, however, is a bit of a let-down. Citrus and coriander up front but it is very dialed back and weak. A tiny bit of acidity before the abundant carbonation washes away nearly all hints of flavor. Mouthfeel is extremely dry which is nice but it nearly goes too far and becomes chalky. Absolutely no lingering finish which is really a shame.

Overall, there is a lot of potential with this beer but it just falls short. I feel like Spoetzl was trying to play it safe and appeal to the masses but it is a little too safe. While this is not something I would pick up on a regular basis, it could be a good introduction to the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 23:29:54 | More by rangerred