Shock Top Belgian White - Anheuser-Busch

aletale

Ontario (Canada)

2.13/5  rDev -29%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.5

I really wanted to like this one...perhaps it's because I had the brilliant idea of purchasing 3 cans of it having not previously heard a single thing about it.

Similar to many other typical white ales, the nose reveals many citrus notes, however there is an abundance of lemon and lime peel to be found upon first sniff. Slightly off-putting, to say the least, seeing as how that's about the only thing you can smell. No hops to speak of.

When poured into a snifter, the beer reveals itself as being a nice hazy, golden-yellow colour. The carbonation is aggressive, and as such the one finger of fizzy white head dissipates within a few seconds, even after an aggressive pour.

At this point, the taste was not surprising. Despite a slightly higher abv than what I am used to in white beer, the alcohols presence is not felt. After an initial blast of orange and lemon, all that is detectable on the palate is a mild yeast flavour and excessive carbonation.

Qute easily the least impressive white ale I've yet to try. Anheuser-Busch strikes again...

Serving type: nitro-can

07-13-2011 17:39:18 | More by aletale

ElijahRivera

New York

2.24/5  rDev -25.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 2.25

12 oz. Bottle from a 12-pack that I got for free.

A- Pours a hazy golden color with a one inch off white head. No lacing.

S- Mostly I get a candy-sweet orange in the nose with some grain. Smells like an orange Starburst.

T- Sweet orange up front, then I get some spice that must be the coriander. The orange flavor tastes very artificial. I guess the wheat is there, but not the way you'd want it to be. It finishes with some off tasting grain, corn, and fusel alcohol flavors that help you remember that you are drinking an AB product. Whereas, a better witbier would help you forget that you are imbibing alcohol.

M- The mouth feel is reminiscent of a witbier, but it is too thin and not smooth enough to be a good example of the style. Also, the carbonation isn't there.

O- This is worse than I remember it being, and I remember really not liking it. It essentially tastes like an orange extract, mimed coriander, and almost wheat flavored Budweiser, which is very marketable but not very good.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 01:58:39 | More by ElijahRivera

ThePaintedGrey

Pennsylvania

2.4/5  rDev -20%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured poorly by a friend from a bottle into a pint glass a few days ago (jotted notes in my phone for review purposes, because I'm THAT guy).

A: Pale, cloudy gold-orange hybrid color. A bit more transparent and less color intensity than its most famous comparison, Blue Moon. Head didn't retain very well--dissipated to a very lackluster white lace, reminiscent of a light lager. This might have been a result of the poor pouring job. Not something I'd look at and think, "Damn. I want what he/she is drinking."

S: Orange above all, by my nose. Hints (very small hints) of coriander upon second or third sniff. Not a very aromatic beer, in my opinion.

T: Very orangey. Very fake. It's almost as though someone dropped an orange-flavored hardcandy in my beer. It's almost sour at points. If you concentrate really hard, you might find some wheat in there, hidden amongst the orange. I see what they were going for, but it wasn't executed well.

M: Mild to moderate carbonation. It almost feels soda-like in my mouth; it's light and crisp. It's not particularly bad, but it's not what I was hoping for, nor what I look for.

O: In a bit of harsh honesty, I wasn't expecting a whole lot from this and Anheuser-Busch didn't do a great job of changing my mind. While it's certainly not the worst beer I've had, it's definitely low on the list. It just comes off too... I don't know... Artificial tasting. I suppose this beer is acceptable if your only other choices are light beers, or if you're trying to open to door for someone to stray away from light beers; otherwise, it's best to leave this one on the shelf.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2013 09:02:25 | More by ThePaintedGrey

stella77artois

New York

2.1/5  rDev -30%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Mistakenly bought this brew when it first arrived on the market, not knowing it was an Anheuser-Busch product.

Some people like this stuff, but it's way too bland for me. The flavor itself isn't awful with the ornage added, but it's too dank and sour to be enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 15:38:54 | More by stella77artois

kristenspaintings

California

2.68/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75

I think AB missed the mark on this one. It's a tasty enough beer and would be good with a slice of orange but it's definitely not a Belgian White. I expected a light, crisp citrusy flavor and got a heavier amber-colored malt beer.

It's a beer people might enjoy, but it doesn't fit the style it claims to be.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 12:51:10 | More by kristenspaintings

thebigredone

Wisconsin

3.73/5  rDev +24.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Some buddies ordered a pitcher of this after a soccer game. I was going to keep drinking Spotted Cow until one of them said, "There's something wrong with this, this beer is sour." I have no idea how a macro product gets soured, but sure enough, the beer definitely had a pleasant sour aspect to it. Review is based on this soured batch.

Appearance, very hazy light gold/yellow color.

The aroma was sort of wheaty, with a moderate sour aroma.

The flavor followed the nose, with the moderately sour aspect dominating whatever light wheat flavor was in the beer. Certainly not how the beer was intended to taste, but I'm positive it tastes better this way than whatever it was supposed to taste like.

On the whole, I actually really enjoyed this. It tasted like a nice entry level lacto-based sour. For $10 a pitcher, I'll drink a decent sour all night.

Serving type: on-tap

05-16-2013 12:42:52 | More by thebigredone

Matthew_Phoenix

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Had this at a restaurant last weekend.

A: Cloudy and almost orange in color with a nice head. Not bad.

S: Orange and spicy, maybe a little wheaty, but mostly orange and spice.

T: Mostly follows the smell. Not awful, but it just stops after the fruity spiciness, nothing after that, I was waiting for more, not bad though.

M: Average carbonation. Maybe too watery, goes down pretty easy.

O: Its not bad, I think they were trying to be like Blue Moon too much, Blue Moon is better by the way. But this one isn't bad and you can have a few of them in a session just fine.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 18:55:39 | More by Matthew_Phoenix

chinchill

South Carolina

3.14/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

on tap.
A: Yellow-orange hazy White head no lacing.

Aroma: light and fruity, with a bit of light baked bread.

M: Light body with medium carbonation.

Taste: light and fruity with hint of coriander and orange.

O: Acceptable flavor and aroma except for bring very light and timid.

Serving type: on-tap

05-04-2013 00:21:39 | More by chinchill

Rocky9

California

1.6/5  rDev -46.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

Full disclosure - I did NOT know this was an A-B product when I drank it. Also, it was free, at an open bar. The draft options were limited, I hadn't heard of Shock Top at the time, and I thought, what the hell, I'm not paying for it, let's give it a shot. The other options were all Bud-Lite/Coors-type beers anyway.

Well, I remember that day, years ago, like it was yesterday, because it's one of the very few times in my life I didn't finish a pint of beer that someone handed to me. it looked fine, it smelled fine, I guess, but when I tasted it, I wondered what the hell had happened. To me it seemed like someone had taken a piss in a vat of beer, thrown a bunch of oranges in to mask the taste of peepee, and then watered down the whole mess to make sure no beer lover ever asked for it again.

What a terrible beer. I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of wheat beers/white beers to begin with, but there are some that I enjoy. Just not this one. Quite possibly one of the worst beers I've ever had.

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2013 14:43:24 | More by Rocky9

bambam2517

Arizona

3.11/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

20 oz draft at the dbacks game, this "premium" selection will run you $11!

A - hazy rusty orange. Watery bubble ring tries to form and dies off quickly. Belgians have been insulted by Inbev calling this a Belgian style beer...

S - Pleasant citrus smell, I like that orange can be picked out from the rest. Typical hefe grassiness in the background. None of the clove or banana from a quality hefe present here though.

T - Not bad really. A mild wheat and yeast presence, nice sweet citrus married in.

M - Very watery. Makes for the stuff of a run of the mill slugdown beer.

O - Good beer for the neophyte branching out from macros. I can think of dozens of better values for my beer money.

Serving type: on-tap

04-30-2013 18:23:51 | More by bambam2517

sharlie

Michigan

4.88/5  rDev +62.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This, again is similar to my favorite beer, Blue Moon. I enjoy this beer and have had it both from bottles and on tap. It has a light, golden appearance with a citrus style flavor. Little head, but the head that is there is a creamy light head. This beer is also great with a orange in it.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2013 12:36:02 | More by sharlie

Gluek

California

1.33/5  rDev -55.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

Almost undrinkable.
Overpowering taste of spices. Everything else is drowned out in this beer.

The aroma is below average.

Mouthfeel is almost passable, but I can't get past the poor taste.

One of the worst beers I've ever sampled. Needless to say I will avoid at all costs.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 03:23:26 | More by Gluek

Thaddeus

Michigan

3.56/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Orangish-brown in appearance, average foam head.

Aroma & Taste: Strong smell of orange right off the bat. Not as strong of an orange taste as I expected. Orange is still the main taste, but it contains other citrus notes and a slight spice.

Great for a summer day. Not too high of an ABV combined with the sweetness, makes it a good beer when the suns out and you're playing beach volleyball or at a graduation party.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 13:12:50 | More by Thaddeus

UstickM

Michigan

2.86/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

The beer pours a nice white head with a gold tone and cloudy appearance. The beer had a nice wheat flavor with hints of caramel, coriander, orange and lemon. The flavor dissipates quickly; therefore, the beer is too light and lacks lasting flavor. It would be a good beer for the summer with its light, slight refreshing flavors.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 21:51:25 | More by UstickM

SometimesIfart

Michigan

3.23/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Pours a murky gold with a moderately disappating two-finger. white head that leaves no lacing.

S - Lots of lemon grass and orange zest followed by a heavy dose of wheat and a slightly malty finish.

T - Banana clove and wheat up front followed by a good dose of orange and lemon. The flavors aren't balanced very well and they fade quickly.

M - Medium bodied with light carbonation. Feels quite flat.

O - Overall, It was pretty average. Would make a good summer beer. It isn't putrid vomit like some close minded BA's who aren't open to opinions other than the code of beer snobbery. Those guys can GETTT OUT.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 02:20:46 | More by SometimesIfart

Wendysd

New Jersey

3.8/5  rDev +26.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured bottle into weizen glass. hazey yellow orange color. White foam reduces fast. Nice citrus taste. Not overly carbonated. Mouth feel is smooth. There are instructions on puring on the side of the bottle. Give it a little swirl before emptying the whole bottle in the glass. Not to bad of a beer. Nice summer party beer, I would put some in the cooler for camping. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 22:26:24 | More by Wendysd

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

2.44/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a bottle into a weisse-vase, the beer is a cloudy, pale, yellow-orange coloring with a steady flow of carbonation throughout and no head on top. Aromas of toasted grain, a dash of citrus sweet, and not much else. You really have to go crashing in there with your nose to find anything. Flavors of roasted grain, citrus highlights, and a touch of clove spicing, all on a bready backbone. Flavors are subtle, and slightly weak compared to the smooth, mid-body feel in mouth. The carbonation leads to a quick, filmy, slightly sharp finish after a muddled, semisweet aftertaste. Not good.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 17:12:53 | More by GarthDanielson

cmp26

California

5/5  rDev +66.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A great beer that has a good citrusy after taste. before you drink this be sure to swirl and carefuly tip upside down to mix properly to get all the flavors ..this is a beer for seahawks fans cause this is all we drink at century link feild..let's go hawks!!

Serving type: on-tap

03-25-2013 05:35:56 | More by cmp26

dalygnus

Maryland

3.93/5  rDev +31%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a Hooegaarden glass

Look: similar to other Belgian whites/hefeweissens. Cloudy but didn't hold head very long
Smell: citrus and spice
Feel: good, a full feel -- tempted to swish it around
Taste: very drinkable but lacking somewhat in the full flavors of top notch whites
Overall: very good but not the equal of best imports or Sierra Nevada Kellerweis

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 19:40:10 | More by dalygnus

punky796

Michigan

3.34/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Straight from the bottle at The Blue Gator in Mt. Pleasant.

A - Hard to see in the bottle but I presume it has a cloudy sunny-yellow color akin to Blue Moon and other wheats.

S - Pretty much your standards - orange, wheat, coriander, and with this one, alcohol.

T - Actually I was a bit surprised, but it's heaviest on the orange and coriander, with the wheat being a little less pronounced. Also a touch of the good ol' adjunct corn malt, etc.

M - Not bad, but too fizzy. I expect this type of beer to be a little flatter, but this would probably have a head fizzier than expected if it were poured into a glass. Decent aftertaste, not really bitter or anything like that.

O - A pretty good showing, makes you wonder why Anheuser-Busch made Golden Wheat when they already had this. I'd buy it if it's cheap, but not likely to happen when there's Oberon, Blue Moon, Sunset Wheat, and Hoegaarden around most of the time instead.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 08:04:24 | More by punky796

Danomeister

British Columbia (Canada)

2.51/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Take some macro-swill (or club soda, there's not much difference).

Add some orange smell (not good orange, think bitter orange peel rather than sweet citrus).

Add a minute amount of wheat sourness and malt flavor to attack the palate first.

Let it resolve with a significant amount of orange and coriander spice flavor.

Make it linger with the taste of soggy cereal grains.

And there you have it! Shock Top!

It's not something I would ever willfully select, but at a NASCAR race it was a spot of fun compared to the other options (bud, coors, and bud light).

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2013 04:26:51 | More by Danomeister

jtierney89

New Jersey

1.3/5  rDev -56.7%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Drinking at a Trenton titans game, only non light lager available at the bar. Hazed bright orange with little head. Sweet malt and even toffee on the nose which seems odd. Smells like a bad taffy shop.

Light effervescent body. Malt sweetness with a big tangerine flavor. Tastes like orange soda with unfermented malt extract added a the faintest whisp of wheat. Really a lot worse than I remember, haven't had it in a couple years, worse than blue moon and I don't like that either. Overly sweet and reminiscent of soda

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 23:54:57 | More by jtierney89

PhantasIPA

Delaware

3.85/5  rDev +28.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

This beer has a light amber colour. It pours with a 1/4 inch head and leaves very little lacing against the glass. It clearly has some carbonation visible but not much at all.

The smell has a nice balance of earthy, wheat tones mixed with coriander and a solid orange scent.

The taste is very pleasant. It is light and refreshing and leaves a good orange flavour on the palette. The wheat is not overbearing and nicely balanced with the orange.

The mouthfeel is a little too carbonated for me. right from the initial drink you can feel the gritty carbonation in the brew. This is really the only hit on the beer, as far as I'm concerned. Makes me burp a lot...too much? Well it's true. But the flavour and balance are still very nice.

Overall this is a solid beer. It is not too strong at 5.2% ABV, has a nice balance of flavour and a nice scent. The carbonation is a bit much but not bad at all. Worth a try and is a real all-season beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 22:50:47 | More by PhantasIPA

FosterJM

California

2.61/5  rDev -13%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

1738th Review on BA
Bottle to Pint

@StoneBriar Dallas, TX

App- Pours out this weird orangey, hazy color with a soft 1 finger off white head. Very cloudy and carbonated. A small 1/2" head that was a lite white.

Smell- Artificial orange scent with some soft malts. Nothing really going on in the nose with a base witbier wheat aroma.

Taste- This was just under average for me. Not the greatest witbier but paired with some off artifical orange and other spices, bring this one down a couple more notches. Slightly grassy and earthy as a balanced witbier that fell short.

Mouth- A lighter body with a higher carbonation. Off witbier flavors with a bit of a grainy orange and spice residual flavors.

Drink- I didnt have to pay for this. It was free so oh well. They cant all be wales.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 00:56:23 | More by FosterJM

Haydn-Juby

Quebec (Canada)

3.24/5  rDev +8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Served from a 341ml Bottle

A: Cloudy orange color typical of a Wit. Extremely fast dying head which was quiet disappointing. No lacing whatsoever.

S: Very little aroma. A little bit of coriander and some orange peel.

T: Pretty light tasting. Not much on the tongue. Initially some coriander and orange hits the tongue but it fades very quickly into that typical Michelob grainy displeasing after taste. Next to no hops at all and there was no bitter taste.

M: Fairly smooth and carbonation is pleasing for this style of beer.

O: Something for the average BMC to enjoy and break out from their standard beers from but not my thing. It could be a good lawnmower or porch beer but it was forgettable for me. Pretty watery and bland overall.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 00:33:52 | More by Haydn-Juby