O'Doul's - Anheuser-Busch

DrunkMcDermott

Illinois

1.43/5  rDev -32.2%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

Pours too big a head out of the bottle, like a heavily processed head-like aglommeration. Color is the usual Budweiser pale straw. Can't pick up odor at all, but I guess no smell is better than a bad smell, so extra points there. Taste seems sometimes nonexistent, sometimes like some mutant strain of sugar, and where the hell are the hops? That six of Clausthaler I had is really starting to look much better, in retrospect. Gassy as any other AB product.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2004 15:50:32 | More by DrunkMcDermott

Suds

Pennsylvania

2.3/5  rDev +9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.5

As the designated driver at a wedding, after a few Saranacs, I switched to NA beer for the evening. I’ve had O’Douls in the past, but this was the first time I’d had it in years. It’s yellow, very clear, and presents a moderate white head. The aroma reminds me of cereal grains and seltzer water. There’s not a lot of flavor, but it tastes similar to an average macro. I’m not a soda drinker, and I wouldn’t mind having this again, if I didn’t have a choice.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2004 20:44:59 | More by Suds

Zorro

California

1.73/5  rDev -18%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Pours a clear yellow brew with lots of carbonation.

Smell is just a little grain smell, not good or bad.

Taste is pretty watery and a little sour. No hop flavor detected.

Mouthfeel is weak, fizzy water.

Drinkability is watery, better than some NA beers but, not quite as good as a Budweiser.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2004 01:34:07 | More by Zorro

oggg

California

2.48/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

First I must confess I drank this out of the bottle.

Very clear... must be pale yellow on the pour. Head, I dunno, I drank it from the bottle. It's fizzy and slightly bitter. Hey it must be beer! Actually it wasn't that bad... Not the thinnest beer I've had, surprisingly. Not much taste though. The amber is much better.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2004 23:11:50 | More by oggg

mschofield

Massachusetts

2.17/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

So I think, I've never had a non-alcoholic beer, why not..
This actually did pour a respectable color, amber with a white kind of rocky white head. Appearance wise this is far better than most AB products.
Sulfur in the aroma, malty-sweet.
Malty-sweet taste is way too sweet, but does have a beer character. Very light feel, just a touch bitter. Not horrible, I could deal with drinking it. Would work well for a macro drinker. This does come across as beer, more so than say Miller Lite, or Michelob Ultra.
I prefer Goya's Malta soft drink, it's not brewed but made from malt and hops, they just don't add the yeast.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2004 22:43:20 | More by mschofield

Dubblebock

Texas

3.15/5  rDev +49.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

So here's the story...I went to see my in-laws over the Thanksgiving holiday. My father-in-law has cancer, in remission right now, but he takes a lot of maintenance medications that don't interact well with alcohol. But he likes his beer. Before he was diagnosed, he and I spent a lot of time together throwin' 'em back. Long story short, he keeps a few of these O'Douls in the fridge for when he wants to get a little malt on
. So I'm there, and the turkey is long gone, and I didn't take any beer with me...and that nice, cold O'Douls is starting to look kinda inviting.

Poured surprisingly well. Decent head, lots of carbonation. I expected a weak nose, but was pleasantly surprised by the crisp, malty smell. Extremely clear, pale appearance.

Tasted just fine. If I hadn't been aware that it was a non-alcoholic beer, I would have sworn that it was Bud Light or Busch. A bit of a watery mouthfeel, but it was very drinkable. The malt definitely came through in the taste. Little bit of hops on the back of the tongue.

Much, much better than I expected. If I were out and didn't want to drink alcohol, this would be my choice. It looked, tasted, and drank as good as any full-alcohol macro-light-lager. Good show.

Serving type: can

12-01-2003 18:24:38 | More by Dubblebock

proc

Michigan

2.5/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Extremely watery. No detectable aroma. No hop taste. Tastes like tonic water with a metallic twinge. They must've done something to increase the flavor in this NA as it has at least a semblance of taste whereas it didn't a few years ago. Very drinkable (due to watery nature). Not as good as the Amber version.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2003 16:27:44 | More by proc

Jason

Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev +60.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz can with the “Born On Date” on the bottom. The official beer for the confirmed alcoholics of the PGA Tour.

Appearance: One of the palest brews I have ever seen almost the same colour as DC tap water. Minimal lacing ends up holding its ground for a while.

Smell: Good balance between hops and grain, almost smells like a real beer.

Taste & Mouthfeel: Wicked light in flavour, light grain … very watery. Nice crispness within the extremely light body. Did I say light? Yes very light. Not too starchy and very clean in the dry finish.

Notes: I could have confused this with a regular light beer … perhaps one of the most beery NA beers around.

Serving type: can

09-01-2003 13:07:38 | More by Jason

SetarconeX

Florida

1.75/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

I actually didn't buy this with any intention of drinking more than a single bottle of the six pack. I buy non-alcoholics specifically for the purpose of cooking with them, so I won't have to sack something I'd rather drink. If you must drink it, however, you could do a lot worse. It's certainly drinkable, which is what you're really looking for in a non-alcoholic anyway. A friend of mine claimed it tasted like "watered down weasel piss," which is probably a fair assessment, but unfortunately that's just enough to make it one of the best of it's kind.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2003 04:13:38 | More by SetarconeX

hotstuff

Indiana

1.4/5  rDev -33.6%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

When I poured this beer into my glass, it poured a large white creamy head with small-medium sized bubbles.The body was clear with carbonation and the hue was yellow.There was good lacing with this beer.The flavor was relatively smooth and the mouthfeel was watery and thin.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2003 12:28:20 | More by hotstuff

bditty187

Nebraska

2.03/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Sickly pale gold, translucent, minimal animation, underdeveloped soapy white head, no retention, no lace. The nose is uninviting, husky, grainy… funky… smells like Science Diet dog food. Rather flavorless, husky, grainy with a minimal influence of hops or malt… a whisper of cooked vegetables. Quick finish; empty… no enjoyment in drinking this one. Moderate carbonation, medium-light body, this part of O’Doul’s is decent. If you want an N/A try a Clausthaler Premium and if you’re just thirsty, drink water.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2003 13:01:09 | More by bditty187

guinness33

New Jersey

1.45/5  rDev -31.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

i really don't understand the point of non-alcoholic brew, but i'll try anything, so here goes: actually poured a nicer colour than expected. still piss yellow all the same but slightly deeper than the standard a-b piss yellow. that's the only thing going for this one, which isn't very impressive. the green bottle brought the exoected skunky flavouring, which prevailed over any other tastes here, which were pretty much non-existant save for a slight hint of maltiness every now and again. watery, watery, watery. not very enjoyable. kinda like (bad) beer flavoured seltzer water.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2003 13:12:50 | More by guinness33

AtLagerHeads

Ohio

2.17/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Not a bad effort for a non-acoholic beer. Of course there is some acohol, but not much. Certainly not enough to add any flavor or body overtone. The appearance is not that bad, nor is the malty nose. The flavor is actually BTB, but not by much. An OK offering if you've got to have beer, but can't have the alcohol. But in all honesty, what's the point?

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2003 16:19:36 | More by AtLagerHeads

Pegasus

Texas

3.25/5  rDev +54%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Light golden color with sparkling clarity, a small white head, lively streams of carbonation, excellent lace. The appearance is absolutely correct for a light American lager. Solid malt aroma with moderate hop notes. Taste begins with solid grain flavors and much less of the sticky sweetness often found in NA beers, carbonation stings slightly to good effect. The hops that are present in the aroma are largely absent from the taste, save for perhaps a whisper. Finish is clean and dry. The mouth feel is fairly good. Considering that this is a non-alcoholic beer, it’s a remarkably good effort.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2003 18:58:50 | More by Pegasus

Rifrafboy

Minnesota

2.63/5  rDev +24.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours dry like a typical N/A brew. Decent head with lacing abound. Taste is dry and smooth. Malt is there, mostly from grains and in particular, corn. This a decent example of the type. I would try this again for a good N/A American lager. Best if served ice cold.

Serving type: can

03-14-2003 18:01:15 | More by Rifrafboy

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev +58.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I've got to hand it to Anheuser-Busch for brewing one of the most authentic tasting NA's. Of course, it still tastes like a bland American lager, but what do you expect? On the other hand, it doesn't really stand out as not having alcohol. It doesn't have that dull and sticky malt character that many NA's have; or should I say it has it to a lesser extent where it's not continually noticed and distracting. It's got a nice golden appearance with a short and creamy bright-white head that immediately drops to a thin collar. That, of course, also happens with most standard American lagers! The aroma expresses some non-alcohol character with a starchy, semi-sweet, grainy note that's decidedly different than a regular beer. Once you get past that difference, however, it's actually fairly nice. There are no hops present, but again, we are talking American lager here. The body is light with a fine, median carbonation. It's lightly crisp and then mildly creamy in the mouth. The flavor is as might be expected from the aroma with a softly sweet grainy malt that's well-balanced by a mild, underlying hop bitterness. It finishes drying with some residual maltiness. Very nicely done and highly recommended amongst NA's of this style.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2003 12:39:57 | More by NeroFiddled

Dogbrick

Ohio

1.1/5  rDev -47.9%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

I finally broke down and tried one of these they were giving away at the Convention Center in Anaheim during a reception. Any curiosity I had is now sated. I'll get more wine instead next time I have the choice. How could anyone like this? By definition this is not really even beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2003 08:43:38 | More by Dogbrick

garymuchow

Minnesota

2.98/5  rDev +41.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Big full head with gold color. Looks like a typical Am. lager. Mostly sweet water aroma with some tinniness/metalic qualities, with some malt. Taste is non-distinct, yet somehow not excessively watery. Little less of sweet water taste than many. Some metalic tones. Seems a little less thin that many, with a satifactory carbonation. Other than being a N/A, there is nothing terrifically wrong with this. It'll do if a N/A is required, but the European ones are generally better.

Serving type: can

11-24-2002 15:24:06 | More by garymuchow

yen157

New Jersey

2.35/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 1 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

This may be the ugliest beer I've ever come across. It was so pale yellow, it almost looked a bit gray. Very strange. That aside, it had a thin, grainy aroma and a touch of floral hops. I was really impressed because AB gave their NA beer a hop aroma that their regular beers lack. The beer had a macro, super-carbonation, thin mouthfeel. It had only a very faint malt tase. The other flavor / aroma struck me as odd. It could only be percieved by retronasally. It was a very faint, soft fruit. It reminded me of Diet Snapple Peach Iced Tea. Very strange.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2002 07:26:03 | More by yen157

psugrad98

Pennsylvania

2.33/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Light straw with slight head and lace. Slight sweet aroma with dextrin cooked grain nose. Light and slightly fizzy. Somewhat skunky taste, like beer that hasn't had enough time to ferment (duh, its a NA). Finishes slightly cabbagy. Still, not bad for a NA.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2002 12:05:51 | More by psugrad98

bewareOFpenguin

Massachusetts

1/5  rDev -52.6%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

They claim there is no alcohol, but there is. They claim it is a beer but I have my doubts. Is this brewed for 12 step programs or for giving to people you don't want at your party? I tried it and found it bland, tasteless. I think this is the water they use to wash out the brewing barrels.

Serving type: can

10-03-2002 11:01:14 | More by bewareOFpenguin

BeerBob

Nebraska

2.1/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

O’doul’s “Premium & Extra Smooth” NA Brew pours weak yellow from a 12oz green bottle with a twist off cap. Head goes to about one finger then poof, its gone... no wisp no lace... the top of the Brew is smooth as glass.

Nose is a slight damp corn and a hint of hops. Palate is slight corn and slight malt with a slight bitter hops and the carbonation.

O’doul’s is a slight of everything Brew, no yummy malt, no well bittered hops bite, just a lot of gas (carbonation) and if you ask me, its a slightly boring Brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2002 18:04:06 | More by BeerBob