Budweiser Select 55 - Anheuser-Busch

Lee17

Texas

3.88/5  rDev +135.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Howdy from Texas, where this beer is excellent in the heat down at our ranch. I enjoy micros when traveling to Portland, IPAs in San Diego, good lagers in the east.
I rate this highly as it hits the spot when I need a few ice cold beers in the afternoon, and want to keep things in check with responsibilities on the land.
There is no need to seek the aroma, or any such nonsense. Obviously that is not the point; if you are buying this you know what you are getting, and this is a great ultra light beer.

Serving type: can

03-17-2013 03:13:21 | More by Lee17

Darkmagus82

Montana

2.13/5  rDev +29.1%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured from can into pint glass

I have always wondered what these super low cal beers tasted like, so when I got this one for 50 cents with an expiration date of 2/2013 I thought it was time to bit the bullet and try one.

Appearance –Pours a medium golden color with a big billowy white head. The head fades very fast to leave almost no lacing.

Smell- The smell is a bit offensive and consists of rice, paper, metal and a very light corn.

Taste – The taste is overall very light (not too surprising). It starts out with a light bready and corn flavor. Some rice comes to the tongue more toward the middle along with a light paper taste. These flavors take the taste to its end where a tiny amount of citrus and tin comes to the tongue. In the end the tastes leave a watery and decntly clean feeling on the tongue. It was quite a bit more easy drinking then I would have expected.

Mouthfeel – As expected it is quite watery with a medium level of carbonation. The watery nature is very appropriate for the very light beer style as it makes it very drinkable and refreshing, but a slightly higher carbonation may have suited the brew slightly better.

Overall- While expecting the worst, it really was not much different than the standard light beer (maybe just a little less flavor). If you are really concerned about calories (well you probably aren’t if you reviewing big beers on BA), then this may be a good option, but if like me you want something with a bit more robust flavor, then leave it on its own.

Serving type: can

01-05-2013 03:07:45 | More by Darkmagus82

mckenziac

1.55/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured from a 12 oz. can into a Samuel Adams Boston Lager glass.

Appearance: Pours a translucent, pale golden color. Has a small, thin, fizzy head that dissipates quickly down to nothing.

Smell: Has a very light, practically nonexistent, grainy smell. Really nothing here.

Taste: Very lightly bitter up front. Finishes grainy and slightly sweet with an unpleasant metallic aftertaste. This barely even tastes like beer, more like fizzy, grainy water.

Mouthfeel: The only thing separating this beer from water is that it's slightly carbonated. However, I get that they're trying to make this beer go down like water, so I won't hold it against them too much.

Overall: If you don't think of this as beer, it's a refreshing, mildly alcoholic, low calorie refreshment. If you do think of it as beer, it's a bland, tasteless excuse for a beer. I guess it depends on what you're looking for.

Serving type: can

09-11-2012 19:33:47 | More by mckenziac

rfgetz

New Jersey

1.63/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Pale fizzy yellow. Almost non existant scent and taste save for some faint kiss of cooked corn. Bubbly and uber light. Lifeless and uninspired, the weakest alcoholic beverage I have ever sampled. But when faced with this or other BMC Light products, maybe its almost better to not have anything to smell or taste or digest.

Serving type: can

06-25-2012 15:40:44 | More by rfgetz

tdm168

North Carolina

1.68/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

Pours a golden copper with some soapy white head that quickly fades. The nose has a strong corn presence and some apple fruitiness. The flavor is very, very faint; grainy and fruity with some apple notes. It's very sweet and has a faint metallic aftertaste. The mouthfeel is super light and highly carbonated.

Well, this is a very light beer so mission accomplished but this lacks any kind of flavor and the apple-like off notes dominate both the smell and the flavor. Pass.

Serving type: can

03-17-2012 00:27:52 | More by tdm168

Pegasus

Texas

1.85/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Appearance: Clear medium golden in color, with a moderate, persistent white head, good patchy lacing, and an abundance of small fast-rising bubbles.

Aroma: Dusty, with mineral notes, and a faint caramel presence. There seems to be a slight herbal hop presence.

Taste: Opens with slightly toasted caramel malt, as the taste progresses, a mild vegetable note appears, somewhat like cooked corn. Finishes with a lingering graininess, somewhat like unsalted, air-popped popcorn kernels.

Mouth feel: Rather thin, with aggressive, slightly stinging carbonation.

Drinkability/notes: I am not trying to be excessively critical, but at fifty-five calories, and an ABV of 4.8 percent, I wonder how different this would be from a "normal" 110 calorie, 5.0% ABV lager cut with fifty percent carbonated mineral water.

Presentation: Packaged in a twelve-ounce aluminum can, served in a standard Pilsener glass.

Serving type: can

02-25-2012 16:57:22 | More by Pegasus

WVbeergeek

Ohio

1.95/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Been watching my caloric intake so I saw this the other day and figured let's try it just to see how bad it is and also to see it filled a void that I had for my beer cravings. This is literally watered down Bud Select. Pours a fizzy yellow golden color with a highly carbonated quickly fleeting head, leaves sparse speckled lacing on the sides of my glass. Aroma has cooked vegetable, corn, generic beer nose, no actual hop component with a bit of metallic character going on. The first sip has a watery non discrete grainy quality with some more of the cooked corn rough husk quality, no herbal no hops just generic mass produced beer flavor. Ferments out to only 2.4% alcohol this is a glorified non alcoholic beer. Labeled as premium light beer, I'm just surprised that it's only 55 calories the only other drink other than water that I've had on a regular basis has been Gatorade G2 at 45 calories. Mouthfeel is light bodied with high carbonation pretty rough just because of the graininess light flavors and high carbonation.

Serving type: can

01-29-2012 15:36:41 | More by WVbeergeek

matjack85

Illinois

1.05/5  rDev -36.4%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

I found a shopping cart full of these 12oz cans at the Foremost Liquor store in Glendale Heights, IL for 50¢ a can, so I grabbed one to try it. Born on date on the bottom of the can says 8/25/11 on it, so this can is about 5 months old.

The beer poured out a crystal clear pale gold color and made a ½-finger fizzy white head that dissipated to nothing within 5 seconds - not even a trace of film on top and absolutely no lacing whatsoever.

The rest of the review can be summed up thusly: This beer has no smell, no flavor, no taste, no body, and no reason to buy it. Go get yourself a glass of ice water and you've basically got the same thing.

It is carbonated, so maybe change that to selzer water and there you have it. Nothing offensive about it other than it masquerading itself as a beer, but hey, at this price it's even cheaper than bottled water, so it's got that going for it I guess.

2.4% alcohol, so go knock yourself out with a six-pack, but if if you really want to try a decent light beer go get a Sam Adams Light. This Bud Select 55 does nothing for me.

Serving type: can

01-18-2012 12:46:54 | More by matjack85

match1112

Illinois

2.25/5  rDev +36.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

poured from can into a pint glass. body is a clear pale straw color with half a finger of white bubbly head that disappears rather quickly. smell and taste were almost none. was able to pick up on faint grains and a metallic tonic water flavor. beer goes down pretty clean with no hops flavor and too much carbonation. like drinking a glass of tonic, maybe i should of addded vodka and a lime.

Serving type: can

11-13-2011 12:58:20 | More by match1112

barrenbane

Ohio

1.33/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 1 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

A - The closest beer to water I've seen in my life. It makes BMC light lagers look like craft beer. Heavily, heavily, heavily carbonated.

S - Smells like water with a drop of light beer added.

T - Almost completely devoid of flavor -- I'm not exaggerating. I would think I was drinking Perrier if I was blindfolded.

M - Reminiscent of sparkling water.

O - The ads say it's the "lightest beer in the world". They aren't lying. I strongly suggest sacrificing an additional 40-60 calories and go with a BMC light lager instead.

Serving type: can

08-05-2011 06:53:14 | More by barrenbane

tone77

Pennsylvania

2.58/5  rDev +56.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a aple golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is mild, some notes of beer. Taste is also mild, a touch of malt, not much going on. Feels light in the mouth and overall, while not the worst light beer I have tried, there is nothing to seperate it from this unremarkable herd.

Serving type: can

04-09-2011 14:21:44 | More by tone77

ChrisCage

Alberta (Canada)

2.6/5  rDev +57.6%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 5

A- Well there's not much to say here but should there be? Surprisingly the color is more golden than I was expecting, being darker than the grassy yellow straw that I thought I'd get. That's where the good stops...lots of ginger ale like carbonation rising to the top and very little head initially, which quickly disappears to literally nothing. Also, there is no lacing to speak of, but I didn't have many expectations for the look of this one....

S- Not much to speak of here either, with the standard aromas available. Dry grassy straw, some raw grain and a little skunk sum this one up. No hop bitterness to speak of....just a slight metallic dryness...

T- While there is nothing impressive about the flavor of this beer, I have to admit that for a light beer with only 55 calories that the flavor is about as good as it can get! There is some very mild malt flavors but with a little skunk mixed in. Of course the finish is nothing special other than clean and a bit adjunct-ish.

M- Thin, watery body and with lots of carbonation, but what do you expect?! There isn't much else to say about this but it is crisp and clean which I guess is what it should be!

D- This is a very easy beer to slam back! It's light flavor and heavy carbonation would be killer as a patio beer, but I think it would be more effort than it's worth, having to use the toilet often and not getting the desired buzz effect. I'll stick to a standard macro before this but if I'm having a heavy meal, this might be a compromise. A notch below Bud Select but a notch above MGD 64!

Serving type: can

03-05-2011 04:41:26 | More by ChrisCage

Brent

Kentucky

1.13/5  rDev -31.5%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

First - the obligatory BA disclaimer - this was left in the fridge and was simply taking up space more worthily occupied by some (any) other brew. I decided I might as well give it a chance. Poured a very light gold. Some vague sweetness in the aroma. Flavor - well, there's the rub - there is none, or, at least almost none. I think I could pretty well replicate this beer by taking a Bud Light, and mixing it with three parts club soda. I am at a loss to understand why anyone, even a light beer fan, would bother to drink this. It is wet. That is about it.

Serving type: can

11-12-2010 14:40:58 | More by Brent

APKurt

California

2.95/5  rDev +78.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I got a great laugh from reading all the reviews of Select 55. I actually consume quite a lot of this stuff and it's really quite drinkable.

For all of you who are wondering why anyone would drink Select 55, here's the reason: it's pretty easy to drink a LOT of alcohol every damn night. Especially because I find it very difficult to grill my dinner without a beer in my hand.

I prefer IPAs and stouts with the occasional whit on warm summer evenings. I also like smokey Islay scotches and sweet bourbons depending on my mood. And, I like beer! I don't want to sit around sipping Perrier or diet soda every evening. With Select 55 I can enjoy the taste of an Arrogant Bastard or a Woodford Reserve to start off the evening and then drink four or five Select 55's without getting hammered or putting on 10 lbs a week. Five or six Lagunitas IPAs or Lagavulins every night would do some damage over time.

The taste of Select 55 is decent (i.e. non-offensive) and they go down nice and easy. It's light and pleasantly carbonated with just enough alcohol to take the edge off after a 10 hour work day. 55 is also perfect for camping or the beach when you literally could down a case of these throughout the day and not get hammered or sick. No it's not an objectively great beer, but it's perfect for what it is and therefore one of my "favorite" daily drinkers.

Serving type: can

09-21-2010 07:31:46 | More by APKurt

SeattleSteveK

Washington

3.63/5  rDev +120%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4.5

This is Hi-Tech Beer !

(like the computer you are using to view this review)

I'd challenge anyone to home-brew or even take the time to brew this beer.

This beer (?)/beverage is like malt flavored bottled water with a bit of a buzz. Judged on this premise, it can be AWE-some ! I wish I could drink this from my water bottle at work ! .. or on the bus, or in public ! :-)

Disclaimer: I've been doing ANA (Atkins, low carb) so I appreciate a low carb beer.

I can easily have fun drinking 4-6 of these to come up with a decent review and not get too buzzed ! 2.6 % ABV ? Damn ! .. maybe AB has re-invented the English Mild :-p (low carb).

On Sale and in a can, I like this stuff. I buy it for about $ 14 per 18 pack, and compared to other low carb food, that's a damn good deal. Compared to bottled water it's pretty good too, plus a malt back and buzz. I'm not CRAZY; I'm not gonna pay top $ for this stuff.

It has a watery initial flavor, some mid flavor and an every so slightly malty after taste.

I serve this from a can, into a glass. I like to see this beer. I drink with pleasure and don't slam these. Do you 'slam' your premium bottled water ?

This brand is probably like "Pepsi One vs. Coke Zero" -- Miller 64 vs. AB Select 55, but I hope they keep the category.

For Buzz, 3 of these is pretty close to 1 12 oz. 8 % beers. with a way less carbs !

Maybe a designated driver could have one of these when out with a group .. Just One .. with some food ... maybe get a bit of a buzz which would soon be gone.

If Bud or any American mega beer is BEER, then so is this. (or a malty, watery beverage, brewed, and with a bit of a buzz)

An Ultimate Lawnmover Beer .. to have a couple or few before and after mowing the lawn !

Serving type: can

08-21-2010 07:20:03 | More by SeattleSteveK

morebeergood

Massachusetts

2.2/5  rDev +33.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A friend left one lonely can in my fridge after a get together this past weekend. I figured I'd pop it open last night and finish it off. Poured into a pils glass. Very light yellow body, with moderate carbonation. Small fizzy head. Smell was nonexistent. Taste also was pretty much absent. Barely more flavor than water. Mouthfeel had some bubbles to it, and it was an easy beer to drink, which is what AB is looking for. But at 2.4% abv, what's the point? Since it's basically a non-alcoholic beer, you'd be better off drinking a lemonade. At least that has some flavor and "low calories".

Serving type: can

08-10-2010 15:52:26 | More by morebeergood

puboflyons

New Hampshire

2.28/5  rDev +38.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

From the 12 fl. oz. can marked 07MAY10-WF09. Sampled on August 8, 2010. The pour is mainly yellow with a slight golden hue and a short-lived fizzy white head. The aroma is full of rice adjuncts but also there is a thin hoppy coating as well as a very fine pine-like scent. The body is not as watered down as many light beers I have had but I would not call it medium by any stretch of the imagination. There is a weak maltiness in the mix and a clean hopped shadow but nothing pounces out. Looking at this beer in an objective fashion it is very typical of light macros but not offensive.

Serving type: can

08-08-2010 23:08:56 | More by puboflyons

DrJay

Massachusetts

1.78/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Crystal clear and a darker yellow (almost gold) than I expected. A fizzy white cap disappeared shortly after the pour, leaving nothing on the sides of the glass. Light grainy aroma, faint apple, slightly vegetal - not much to talk about really. Low bitterness, minerals, cereal grains, metallic and watery finish. Thin bodied, sharp carbonation, super dry. Sort of tastes like carbonated water with a little bit of flavour added. Not much point here, as I expected - time to move along.

Serving type: can

07-11-2010 23:11:55 | More by DrJay

omowasu

Illinois

1.3/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 2.5

Oh man, this stuff is awful. Had a 12-pack mysteriously left in my car after a night out, now I know why.

Select 55 tastes exactly like club soda. There are practically no malt or hop flavors, nothing. Think of a club soda with a squeeze of old lemon and a small dash of bitters.

Frankly, this stuff would be better used as a seltzer water for mixing with inferior Scotch whiskies. It could find a niche there.

One thing Select 55 is, is thirst-quenching. Due to the lack of any flavor or body, I suppose one could hang out after a long jog or ride while wearing spandex with their "buddies" and quench their thirst with these. Other than that, there is really no place for this beer in a mans fridge.

Serving type: can

04-22-2010 00:58:14 | More by omowasu

Wetpaperbag

Washington

1.63/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Thanks for AKBelgianBeast for this one in that I lost the LNBA FF.

Alright so the Select variety of bud is supposed to be better then regular bud, at least that is the theory. Since I haven't had the regular Select version I don't know how this is supposed to be. But I'll give it a shot, and I'm stuck with two of them.

A- This looks like someone added a little bit of beer and poured water into it. My wife even asked if I watered down my beer.

S- Smells like barley tea and not much else. There is something sort of sweet smelling too.

T- Did someone accidentally put a touch of beer into my water? Wow this is weak sauce. Why even bother with this? I'm completely blown away on how much this is just carbinated water with a bit of beer in it. I wonder if the people at bud said, "Hey lets increase profit by taking our beer and cutting it down in half and selling it for the same as our regular line up." Well if people buy this beer on a regular basis they are stupid. Yeah you only get 55 calories, but you'll be drinking a case and a half before you get a buzz.

M- Thin as tonic water.

D- Yeah though a bong this would go down smooth.

Serving type: can

03-23-2010 03:57:19 | More by Wetpaperbag

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

2.3/5  rDev +39.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

I CAN see giving A-BInBev another shot today since with the blowing snow, I CANnot leave the house at this point. Feel free to come along on the CANQuest.

The two fingers' worth of rocky, bone-white head were reminiscent of the blowing, drifting snow out my back window. The head held up so poorly that I wished that the snow could take its cue from the beer. CAN nothing cheer me up today? The color was a pretty deep-gold with NE-quality clarity, like a ray of sunshine on this snow-white afternoon. That was nice. Nose had a faint lager-sweetness, but only faint. Mouthfeel was thin and watery with only a light sweet taste on the tongue. Finish was equally watery and did not leave me with much of any taste, pleasant or not. It was really a bland beer, overall, and while not worthy of outright avoidance, I would not seek it out unless you are on a CANQuest.

Serving type: can

02-10-2010 18:46:43 | More by woodychandler

Drew966

Florida

2.23/5  rDev +35.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Budweiser Select 55 pours a pale yellow color from a twelve ounce can. The aroma is mildly grainy, I can't particularly detect any hops or malt. The taste is predictably mild, a touch grainy and that's about it. Watery is probably the best description for this one. Okay for what it is, just not what most of the people on this site are looking for.

Serving type: can

12-14-2009 22:23:15 | More by Drew966

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

1.55/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Very light yellow beer, tons of clarity and filtering going on. White head that is fizzy and disappears into the nether realms of diet beer.

Smell is faintly recognizable as a AAL. A little bit sweet, like that kind of canned corn they seem to add sugar to (creamed corn?).

Taste? Like Mr. Tekagi: "WHAT taste?" Slightly sweet, very watery, very thin. No hopping, just comes off as seltzer water. Really feels like they thought Bud Light was too thick and strong, so they added some club soda or 7up to it.

They should ship this stuff out next time there is a hurricane or no running/safe water, this will probably hydrate you moreso than give you a buzz. Actually, this might be good for when you have to stop drinking, but you don't want a headache from your body wanting more, this might satiate it in like a methodone/heroin kind of way.

I guess the upside is also that it has no off flavors. But then again, its hard to have off flavors when you don't have "flavors".

This beer made Jon Spencer Blues Explosion "Flava" pop in my head "Who gots tha flava?" Not bud 55.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 20:30:46 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Kooz

New York

1.25/5  rDev -24.2%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Pale yellow with no head. No discernible smell. Tastes grainy and slightly chalky. No bitterness, but a slight sourness (not in a good way). It almost tastes rancid. There is a bit of body, surprisingly. Not much, and not enough to be good, but it isn't the worst I've had. Overall, if I want beer, I'll pass on this. If I want low cal, I'll get a Michelob Ultra, and if I want a cheap Big Brew beer to get drunk on, I'll find some Coors Light. This beer has no place in my rotation.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 00:55:36 | More by Kooz

Bierwolf

Missouri

1.18/5  rDev -28.5%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

12 ounce bottle poured into a pilsener glass. "Born on" 26 April, 2012.

Appearance: Clear, light yellow with 1 finger of quickly fading foam leaving no lacing. No carbonation bubbles.

Smell: A slightly sweet, wet grainy aroma.

Taste: Dry, bland grainy taste.

Mouth Feel: Thin and watery with little carbonic bite.

Overall: This is a poor excuse for a light beer. A lot of light beers are at least somewhat refreshing but this doesn't do that. I won't be having this again.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 02:48:21 | More by Bierwolf