O'Doul's - Anheuser-Busch

Phatz

Pennsylvania

2.68/5  rDev +25.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Stuck in Podunk PA with nothing to drink I wander out to the grocery store after my in-laws are asleep. Of course in PA you can't buy beer in a grocery store and all the bars close early around here so the only thing sold is N/A beer at BiLow. I got O'Doul's and I won't do it again. It is not the most awful thing I have ever tasted but seriously what is the point. Other than cooking with it I see no use. Even there, it is just as cheep to get a regular cheepo beer in a can from the distributor so it doesn't save money. I don't get it? Pours clear, nothing but grain in the nose, little if any taste and very wimpy in the mouth. Simply boring!

Hope this is helpful.
Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2006 07:23:05 | More by Phatz

Rayek

Colorado

2.48/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A: Straw colored brew with excellent clarity and minimal carbonation. Soapy head starts out well, but fades quickly. No lace was left behind.

S: A lot like a macro lager. Rice and straw and little else.

T: Weak but presentable. What flavor there is to be had is dominated by rice and dry malt. Bitterness is there, but adds no taste. Finishes very clean.

M: Ultra-light body has the right amount of carbonation.

D: Not bad for an NA. Pretty much Bud with the alcohol zapped out of it.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2008 19:05:28 | More by Rayek

adamette

Ohio

1.93/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 4.5

Live Review. Odouls poured from a can into a clean, clear glass. "Premium & Extra Smooth"

A Big fluffy head over a straw yellow body with carbonation rising up. Basic look.

S Kind of a fakey pilsner smell, not entirely off putting, some grains.

T The least amount of taste of any beer that I have had. Really, it is water with some grains, maybe some pilsner grains? I have an obligation to give this the lowest rating that I can due to it almost non existent taste.

M Very light indeed. I may even detect a hint of syrupy stickiness but I am really searching for something interesting here.

D Excellent but I will not be testing its drinkability anytime soon.

Serving type: can

05-07-2009 23:16:20 | More by adamette

pmcadamis

Illinois

2.08/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A - Yellow and bubbly, clear and watery looking. Looks like any old macro lager to me.

S - Not much to the nose. Maybe a little waft of hops on top of a lot of ricey notes.

T - Much more full flavored than I expected , but still pretty weak. Tangy hop-like approximations of flavor really aren't that bad. I taste loads of rice, and some quinine-like tonic flavors.

M - Ultra-fizzy carbonation adds bite and crispness, and the light body is really soda-like.

D - Not as bad as I thought it would be. It's by no means good, but this is actually better than Michelob Ultra or Bud Select, and those actually have booze in them. Not a bad choice when you can't drink beer...it's better than soda!

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2007 14:11:43 | More by pmcadamis

HalfFull

California

3.18/5  rDev +49.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I remember having O'Douls's Amber and heading for the hills. This lighter version seems much less obtrusive.

From a 12 oz. bottle and poured into a pilsner glass, this 'beer' pours a clear straw and offers a thick and soapy head of foam. Retention is miraculously brief however, surrendering to a surface cap in a minute or so. Nonetheless I enjoyed the albeit brief ride.

Typical nose of raw grain and with no negative influences. Touch of nondescript vegetal flavors don't deter. Flavor follows suit and is light and grainy without being too thin. Feel and drink are slightly better than average for the style though there seems to be little variation in that regard in my experience. Like many of the style this is best consumed directly from the bottle or added in short increments to a glass so as to maintain a crisp carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2009 04:45:50 | More by HalfFull

jera1350

Minnesota

1.9/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Pale yellow with a thin fizzy head that leave no lacing at all.

Nearly foul smelling. Canned corn and white rice smell. Grainy and semi-skunky smelling.

Not putrid, but not good either. Lightly sweet and watered down grain taste. Very bland and unfresh tasting.

Thin and watery. Nothing else to report here.

Definitely not something I want to drink ever again. I would rather have a glass of water than this.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2010 22:50:43 | More by jera1350

aasher

Indiana

2.15/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

My uncle is undergoing chemotherapy so he can't consume alcohol without getting sick, so we got him some O'Douls in the meantime. It looks just like ginger ale. It's the brightest of yellows with no head but insanely carbonated and bubbly. It doesn't smell too horrible. It's definitely bready with the lightest hoppiness. Other than that it's flat with little else going on. The taste is almost nonexistent but does have slight breadiness in the after taste. It drinks very light and very fresh and crisp. This is drinkable only if you can't go for the real thing.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2010 19:56:51 | More by aasher

Proteus93

Virginia

2.28/5  rDev +7%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

This is how I am marking the #500 milestone in reviews :P The opportunity to try a bottle was there, and I figured it was as good a time as any to give it a shot!

A: Pale yellow, though not as light as some others I have come across. It almost looks like it might have some colouring added, as it doesn't seem all that natural in a strange way. A notable finger-high head resting on top with a reasonable retention and an actual trimming of lace that was unexpected.

S: Quite a strong aroma, considering. Quite vegetal, with a fairly notable scent of corn husks and a grain scent - a smell that always reminds me of big bags of puffed wheat or ricecakes. Not really an aroma I have a whole lot of love for, honestly.

T: A very notable rice flavouring - again, very much like ricecakes. Fortunately, I enjoy those, so that's not too offensive. There's a soft, sweet taste to it, which makes it alright. It's not something I can't tolerate, and it's not devoid of flavour which I think, in some cases, is the greater crime.

M + D: It could ease up on the carbonation a little, though it does have a fairly decent density in the body - only in beer do I ever like my bodies 'dense.' It's a reasonable shot, though the rice aromas and flavours seem to be a bit of a move in the wrong direction when trying to reproduce the 'flavours of beer' without the alcohol content. Drinking something that hopes to reproduce such a flavour when not wanting alcohol always seems like a rather unusual idea, too, but that's just me. It was ultimately drinkable, and I wouldn't pour it down the toilet by any means. I just don't see myself going after it again any time soon.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2008 01:19:20 | More by Proteus93

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

3.35/5  rDev +57.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from an amber, 12-oz. twist-off bottle into a plain, tumbler pint glass.

A: Poured a completely clear, ultra-clean looking light yellow color with a one-finger head of frothy, white carbonation which actually maintained pretty well, but left zero lacing.

S: Crisp, metallic grain and lightly toasted rice.

T: A sharp, crisp bitterness grips the palate almost immediately, giving way to some cooked rice and corn flavors before washing back clean and dry with almost no aftertaste.

M: Exteremly light-bodied, crisp, clean and dry with a pretty grainy, almost sharp mouthfeel.

O: Honestly, not half as bad as some terrible macro light beers I've had. Could have fooled me as a macro light lager of some kind. That said, I'd never reach for it and only accept it as a courtesy to the host. If I couldn't drink at a party, I guess I could find worse things than an O'Doul's.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 14:28:22 | More by Gambrinus1184

jsprain1

Minnesota

2.55/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

A- Pale amber/dark straw. foamy head. some persistance to it.
S- Slightly toasted grain. Other than that not much.
T- Grain. That's about it. Nothing offensive, but nothing actively great either.
M- Clearly thin.
D- I can imagine worse. I mean it's not much worse tasting than most light lagers out there... I just wouldn't ever drink it by choice.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2011 07:48:26 | More by jsprain1

AtLagerHeads

Ohio

2.17/5  rDev +1.9%
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

BeerLover99

New Jersey

2.28/5  rDev +7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

A: pale yellow, more clear, trace head, almost no lacing

S: hops, grain, tricking my nose into thinking its 'real' beer.

T: light grain up front, watery body, not sweet, nor bitter.

M: light body, dry finish

D: Not bad, but the alcohol is clearly the missing flavor ingredient. If one wants to drink beer, but avoid the buzz; just pass on beer. It's not worth the sad calories.

Just above drinking water/liquid bread.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2011 19:36:45 | More by BeerLover99

AlexJ

North Carolina

1.45/5  rDev -31.9%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

sampled out of sheer morbid curiosity (fiancee's father is diabetic).

pale straw yellow in color, white head has sprite-like appearance before it disappears.

aroma is metallic cereal and grain, cut grass or hay, and wierd corny sweetness

taste is similar, yet even more diluted. beer flavored seltzer. like a malto goya but less sweet

razor thin body and diet soda mouthfeel. if you can not drink beer, stick to water, it's better than this.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2005 19:28:06 | More by AlexJ

DarkerTheBetter

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev +69%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Received as a gift...

This one pours a brown golden color that is a little too much on the brown side for its own good. There is no head at all, save for a collar no thicker than two or three bubbles.

Smells of lightly toasted wheat bread backed by a dry and crisp snap of ambiguous hops.

Tastes of light grains, like oats and white bread that picks up a dry numbing sting from the CO2 and hops. This transitions over into a light, woody bite with a touch of chrysanthemum and celery. No booze here? Nice!

The body feels bold and dense with a playful buzz of carbonation. Nice.

Not bad at all. Looks dull, but if you're in the mood for slugging a few brews with zero chance of a buzz, this isn't a bad call.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2009 22:04:34 | More by DarkerTheBetter

guinness33

New Jersey

1.45/5  rDev -31.9%
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

kangarooAdam59

Connecticut

1.75/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 1.75 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.25 | feel: 1 | overall: 3

After hockey game freebie (though I`ve had this many times over the years):

In a pint glass:

A: super clear light yellow body yields a half finger head that immediately dies, streams of bubbles rise at a moderate pace, lacing tries to cling here and there but slides then stops repeatedly

S: cooked corn, rice, light malts

T: bland cooked corn slightly sweet but construed as off-putting

M: do I really have to say something here, look at the abv and you tell me if this is sesssionable, just too light, kinda makes Bud Light look like a heavy beer

O: this is a "low alcohol beer" by style, so I`m wondering is it necessary to go any further other than - good for style but not one I would seek out, and yes I pounded this b/c my body was craving after hockey calories

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 05:34:13 | More by kangarooAdam59

THECPJ

Delaware

1.95/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Reviewed from notes

Appearnace: very pale, with a slight yellow tinge, minimal head, no lacing

Smell: faint malts/breadiness, skunky

Taste: bland, watered down, a bit skunked or maybe that's how it actually tastes

Mouthfeel: it had bubbles, while weak, they were there, very light

Drinkability: shared this beer with the Montpellier Domino Club Beer Drinking Pigs; they enjoyed it much more immensely than I!

Cheers!
The CPJ

Serving type: can

03-04-2011 01:34:04 | More by THECPJ

russwbeck

Virginia

2.08/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A: Enjoyed straight from the bottle at work while watching NFL Playoffs (Stillers!). Brown bottle, seems to be very see-through. Decent amount of carbonation as seen from the bubbles in the bottle.

S: The smell is pretty poor. Wheat, straw, malt. Can't I smell much difference between this and something like Natty Light.

T: Grainy and sweet up front, with a really offensive maltiness on the backend. Really a horrid aftertaste. If it wasn't for the aftertaste I might actually, dare I say this, like it. It just sits on the palate well after the sip has been taken and is very unpleasant.

MF: A little heavier body than I thought it would have, still light, it isn't as crisp. Medium carbonation. Would be very drinkable, again, if it wasn't for that aftertaste.

O: This wasn't all that bad. Do a blind taste test with this and a number of beers like Natty Light and I bet you'd be surprised how close it is.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 21:56:30 | More by russwbeck

Bendurgin

Maine

1.73/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

Snagged a botte the other day because it was a dollar for the single and I thought it was a great idea. Poured into a pint glass. Pours a hazy golden color with a fizzy white head that settles quickly. Lots of visible carbonation.

Standard BMC lager aroma here. Corn and that beer aroma that you would associate with the big guys. So well all know how adjunct lagers kind of suck by nature. And how light lagers tend to suck even more by nature. Just make those suck a lot more and this is what you've got. Flavorless swill is all I'm drinking right now. There is a very faint sweet corn flavor and it's a little bitter to the end but this is just no thrills at all.

Standard feel here. Light body with lots of carbonation. The problem is I can taste it when it's in my mouth.

Seriously, I want my dollar back.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 01:41:49 | More by Bendurgin

Fatehunter

Oregon

2/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Half finger of head. Clear, golden body with a few bubbles coming up.
Smell is a strong metallic and grain.
Taste is metallic with a little bitterness. Nothing really here though.
Crisp texture. Moderate carbonation.
Probably one of the better n/a beers, but then what's the point?

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 22:10:05 | More by Fatehunter

soju6

Missouri

2.18/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Pours a pale yellow color with a small head that fades quickly.

S: mild aroma of malt sweetness and grainy.

T: Taste is similar to the aroma. Mild sweetness and grain. No real bitterness and a slight aftertaste.

F: Light body, crisp and a bit refreshing. Not much else.

O: Could have been worse, decent beverage for "Duty Driver".

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 23:16:02 | More by soju6

mschofield

Massachusetts

2.17/5  rDev +1.9%
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

cdkrenz

Wisconsin

2.35/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A - To start, it looks decent for a lighter brew. The head is bright white and fast to fade. The body is a crisp, clear gold color with allot of bubbles. Once the head is gone it doen't look like much.

S - The smell is not good. It has a musty soap scent that does not sit well with a beer I'd care to drink.

T - Relative to the smell the flavor isn't half bad. It has a crisp malt taste that gives it an edge.

M - The feel is light to begin but toward the middle it starts to get some coarse character. I think the texture actually helps this beer a bit by bringing out the malt flavor.

~ I don't think this is a brew I'd care to sample much more than this one time. I feel sorry for my beautiful wife that she has to endure this as a beer-staple for the next five and half months due to our expecting a baby in late March. This is a true sacrifice.

Serving type: can

10-02-2009 22:25:24 | More by cdkrenz

BedetheVenerable

Missouri

3.53/5  rDev +65.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Presentation: 12oz green screw top bottle

Appearance: Light/medium gold beer with decent carbonation and a stark white head that soon falls to a thick film

Smell: Very light; cereal grains and actually a tiny bit of hop grassiness in here; a bit sweet for me, but pretty decent actually, esp for a NA beer

Taste: Very light; a touch of grain, medium sweetness, a light metallic twang, and the slightest hop bitterness...it's a bit overly sweet/sugary, but again, for what it is, this isn't any worse than some of the macro lagers I used to drink

Mouthfeel: Ultra light

Drinkability: Highly Quaffable

Conclusion: What began (and failed, after about a month) as a Lenten exercise has now led me to drink NA beer a couple of nights during the week to save calories and money; they are what they are, I'm not going to argue that NA beers are super tasty or anything because even the best are mediocre by normal standards; that being said, this and Busch NA are about the only ones worth drinking.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2009 05:32:39 | More by BedetheVenerable

scottoale

California

2.73/5  rDev +28.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Why? Oh that's right, a picnic at the beach with non-drinkers? Whatever!

From the 12fl.oz. can and into the plastic tumbler pours a very pale gold with a 1/4 inch white cap that settles to 1/8 inch and leaves little lacing. Carbonation looks good, almost resembles beer...

The smell is malt and wheat and almost a bit of hop in there somewhere. Smells like beer. Doesn't smell sweet either which is kind of refreshing.

Tastes of feathery light malt with very little sweetness and finishes clean and crisp with a nice balance, no unpleasant aftertaste at all. It even actually tastes like beer.

Ultra light body with a pleasant watery mouthfeel, the carbonation keeps the stuff alive and somewhat refreshing.

If your stuck with a non-alcoholic barley-pop situation, this isn't a bad way to go...right up there with St. Pauligirl NA. I wouldn't wish that upon you however!

Serving type: can

07-31-2006 00:22:16 | More by scottoale