Michelob (Original Lager) - Anheuser-Busch

Damian

Massachusetts

3.15/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Drank from a 12 fl. oz. bottle
Served in a pilsner glass
Thanks to my dad for this single.

Crystal clear, golden yellow appearance. The liquid was topped by a creamy, three-finger, eggshell colored crown. The head quickly faded to a thin yet resilient cap. Drips of lacing trickled along the upper portion of the glass.

The nose was unremarkable. Super powdery, lager yeast notes dominated. Crisp and dry. Not really much else happening. As the head died down, mild grainy notes were detectible. There was a touch of generic, adjunct-like sweetness as well.

Even through this beer claims to be an all malt lager, the flavor profile initially tasted adjunct ridden. Hints of pale malts were detectible, along with rice, corn and other fillers. Touch of wet cardboard on the back end. Mild hop notes rounded out the finish. As the beer warmed, the noble hops became substantially more apparent. The "off" flavors that were perceivable initially were soon overshadowed by the earthy, bittering hops. I almost always drink my pale and adjunct lagers ice cold, but this beer definitely benefitted from some warming.

The mouthfeel was fairly average. Light and crisp with a fine, spritzy effervescence.

When I think of Michelob, the first thing that comes to mind is their commercial from the '80s featuring Genesis's "In The Air Tonight." While this beer's heyday has certainly come and gone, it would likely hit the spot on a hot day (or night).

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 03:33:37 | More by Damian

beergoot

Colorado

2.85/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

Crystal clear, deep yellow body with a decent white head. There's a fair malt note to the aroma, a little like lightly warmed bread. Taste starts out slightly grainy and then gets overtaken by a metallic brightness with a light hop bitterness at the finish. Mouthfeel is light, fizzy, clean, crisp, and dry.

One can hope that appearances may bode well for a beer, but Michelob just doesn't deliver. It's rough around the edges for a lager with too much carbonation in the feel and a metallic twang and bite that really detracts from what malts are used in the grain bill. Complexity and depth -- forget about it. Well, had to revisit this one since I haven't had one (probably) in several decades. Can't say I've missed much of anything over the years...

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 00:25:08 | More by beergoot

Fatehunter

Oregon

2.48/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Finger of head, low retention. Clear, medium straw colored body.
Smell has the faintest scent of grain.
Taste is sweet then a nice bitterness with a slight (not nice) metallic flavor.
Texture is crisp with moderate to high carbonation and a medium body.
Descent but missing a solid scent and taste profile.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 03:29:53 | More by Fatehunter

mjurney

Texas

4/5  rDev +47.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance:
Light gold color, clear. Lots of bubble rising up. Nice frothy head, leaves a very nice lacing behind.

Aroma:
Barley malts, some spicy hops, crisp.

Taste:
Barley malts up front, slightly sweet and toasted, there some hint of hay. Hop bitterness is mild towards the finish, spicy-citrus. Body is light-medium, crisp, slight dry aftertaste, carbonation is soft.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 00:50:39 | More by mjurney

tdm168

North Carolina

3.08/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - golden yellow with a faint layer of bubbly, white head that fades quickly

S - sweet and grainy

T - faintly bready, grainy, sweet corn, mildly bitter finish

M - light bodied, crisp, a bit over carbonated

Not an awful beer. As far as macros goes this is better than most. It is grainy and sweet but it does have a bit of hop character in the finish. Overall, it's definitely one of the better macros.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 22:32:14 | More by tdm168

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

2.98/5  rDev +10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12-oz. twist-off bottle into a Sam Adams pint glass.

A: Poured a pale, clear, golden straw color with a frothy, two-finger head of white carbonation bubbles which held a bit bit faded quickly.

S: Faint, grassy hops and milled grains that throw some spicy and zesty effervescence at the nose.

T: Very light, grainy malt flavor up front, with grassy and some herbal, snappy hops throw into the mix. Washes down very dry and clean with minimal hop aftertaste. The malts aren't complex in the least and the hops mainly serve to dry the hell outta the flavor, but it's not all seltzery or cooked corn/rice tasting.

M: Very pale, clean and brisk with a slight grainy, metallic finish of hops, which are not used very well.

O: I could think of a number of worse beers to have (say, any BMC light lager or many adjuncts) but this 5% ABV "all-malt" American lager is just a pale beer to kick some heat or wolf a bowling alley cheese pizza. None of it appeals to me, but it's just about average for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 00:42:16 | More by Gambrinus1184

redfire89

Florida

2.98/5  rDev +10%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A- Very fizzy clear bright yellow color with a thin head
S- Faint hoppy aroma
T- Slight floral flavor but nothing else, nothing offensive though. Very neutral flavor nothing stands out.
M- Very light
O- This is pretty much a heavier Michelob Ultra with a little more flavor. Nothing really worthwile unfortunately.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 10:36:43 | More by redfire89

FlemingVSKing

Florida

2.15/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

This is really just your basic beer. It is one of the common American beers that exploded following prohibition and did so largely by being as generic as possible. That's exactly how it tastes.

There is nothing of much to note, aside from the ideas that in the line of generic American lagers, Coors is more refreshing and Budweiser has a stronger flavor profile.

Still it's not outright bad and is probably a good starter brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 20:01:48 | More by FlemingVSKing

acevenom

Louisiana

3.98/5  rDev +46.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a glass mug. Pours pale golden with a tall, frothy white head. Plenty of bubbles can be seen rising from the bottom of the glass. Lacing is not left on the glass as the head dissipates. Only a small amount of lacing is left on the surface fo the beer. Some lacing is left on the side of the glass during consumption. There are aromas of hops and pale malts. It smells bready, sweet, and clean. The taste follows the nose. There's a malty sweetness as well as some hops on the back end. It's clean tasting and bready. The body is light with adequate carbonation. The finish is crisp and dry. The drinkability is high. Overall, this is an excellent lager. Give AB credit where credit is due for making this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 19:22:39 | More by acevenom

AdrianRP

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev +37.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

As with many things, beer is very subjective to the person who drinks it. I'm definitely a fan of European brews and hate most domestic beer. I could be considered a beer snob, and to some of my friends and associates, they would have to agree.

But I HATE most American beer, except this one.

This is NOT Budweiser. Budweiser gives me a headache within 10 minutes of drinking it. This is an entirely different beer.

Going way back in time, back to around 1978 when I first began drinking beer (illegally mind you), this was one of the first beers that I actually drank and actively tasted. While all my friends were happily consuming Old Style, Bud, Old Milwaukee, and Miller products, I was drinking this brew. I simply liked the flavor and didn't mind paying the extra dollar or so for it.

In time I noticed how much better this beer was on tap. It's smooth with a slightly sweet, hoppy aftertaste, didn't produce headaches, or nasty hangovers.

Many of my parties through the years found me buying this in kegs and serving it to my friends.

As the years passed and my palette became more sophisticated, I began experimenting with different brew styles from all over the world, and completely forgot about this beer. Recently though I bought a 12 pack on a whim...it was on sale, and was curious to see if they changed the beer as they did with its bottle. I really liked the old bottle!

Well they didn't! And after all these years, and all the different and expensive beers I've consumed, and thoroughly enjoyed , this is STILL a halfway decent beer, and one of my *on occasion* favorites. Its laid back flavor is indeed unique which is something many beers cannot lay claim to...That says something in my book.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 17:36:03 | More by AdrianRP

donmonkey1

Tennessee

3.03/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Straw yellow, good head and carbonation, ok lacing.

Smell: Malt sweetness.

Taste: Sweet corn with a little salt.

Mouthfeel: Thin and watery, no carbonation.

This is a standard macro. A million cheaper beers are just as good. Also, there's a saltiness about it that bothers me.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 20:24:31 | More by donmonkey1

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Into a pint glass (later served in a pilsener):

A: clear golden yellow body, slight lumpy white head that dissipated within a minute. There was a fair amount of spiderweb lacing that also dissipated within a couple seconds.

S: corn and some rice with a very, very faint citrus.

T: corn and sweet malt. There is a sweet and sticky finish.

M: light, very wet, extremely sessionable

O: there is nothing complex about this beer, but just a standard decent beer that can pretty much go with anything

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 20:00:56 | More by kangarooAdam59

pheasantpete

3.53/5  rDev +30.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I have not had this beer in awhile. It was suprsingly refreshing while shooting the bull while ice fishing. I purchased a 12 pack for only 5 bucks. My friend volunteered me to help the ladies running the store get their cable tv working. 5 minutes later, two happy ladies, I remarked I am good with my hands and received a couple of laughs and a nice discount.

The color is nice golden yellow that a good American lager is supposed to have. The smell is what I would expect from this type also. The head was small and dimished quickly as one would expect in an American lager. The flavor was crisp and refreshing with a light hoppiness. It does have a lingering after taste thats not bad just there to remind you.

Over all I am satisfied and will try again in near future. A note it was very cold as it was on the ice and I believe that is the best way to drink this style.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 00:12:43 | More by pheasantpete

mcoh1030

Florida

2.05/5  rDev -24.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

I have to say, I haven't had this one in a while. And it's a major disappointment. I have memories of this beer being one of America's better cheap beers. Not anymore.

I'd say Rolling Rock or Miller MGD are a better choice if you want to buy cheap beer. Not that Michelob is that cheap. I just paid almost $ 7 for a six, in Jan 2012. I think that's high when you consider you can buy Sam Adams for about $ 2 more.

I poured it into a wide neck glass, (pilsner). The head was momentary and then none existant. The color is a deep yellow, toward a gold. And considering it's competition, I'd say the color is the most impressive aspect of this beer.

Smell is nearly non-existant. And of what smell there is, it's bizarre. Kind of like shoe polish.

Taste, the same, poor to horrible.

Mouthfeel, blazay!!!

Avoid this beer until the brewers pull their collective heads out of their rears.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 01:07:38 | More by mcoh1030

ZenAgnostic

Texas

2.7/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into pint glass. Neck label stamped 11272; not sure if that's a date.

Appearance - Clear ultra pale body. Pours 1 1/2 finger head. Loose and white with low retention and no stick.

Smell - Faint corn. Almost nothing. I'm getting some faint citrus which may indicate a dirty bar glass. Or maybe not. Inoffensive and non-existent smell, basically.

Taste - Corn. Candy sweet malt. Sweet finish.

Mouthfeel - Some frothiness when agitated in the mouth. Otherwise somewhat effervescent and light bodied.

Overall Drinkability - Comparable to Budweiser. Perhaps not as complex and flavorful. Which, in this style, isn't saying much. Easy drink. Decent in style.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 00:04:50 | More by ZenAgnostic

CaptJackHarkness

New York

3.83/5  rDev +41.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours golden yellow not much head, despite fizzy body!Tastes malty, slightly sweet, a barest touch of hops perhaps, but no corn or rice flavours. It does not seem to be as I remember it 30 years ago, it may have been more bitter then. Overall nice for a mass market macro!

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 18:58:56 | More by CaptJackHarkness

BeerDocT

Georgia

3.03/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 3

Poured into a wide-mouthed glass.

-Appearance 3.0: Poured out a deep golden color with a very small head. Large carbonation bubbles all over the beer. Looks good, nothing special but nothing bad.

-Smell 3.0: Nice bouquet, but very subdued and very average. I smell malt and lots of it. No hops or other scents that I could pick up. Again, standard.

-Taste 3.5: Nice, big, malted barley flavor that is enhanced by a slight sweetness. No discernible hops, but no discernible adjuncts, either. Aftertaste is present and I taste malt again and subtle dryness. Refreshing and surprisingly good.

-Mouthfeel 1.0: Too much carbonation. WAY too much carbonation. I have seldom sampled a beer so carbonated that it burned my mouth when I was drinking it and burned my throat when I swallowed. Ridiculous.

-Overall 3.0: In spite of my negative feelings about the carbonation, this beer TASTES good. An average lager and one that you could depend on. I don't understand why they are going for over $6 for a 6 pack in Georgia, but there you go.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2011 03:56:48 | More by BeerDocT

JohnFatAss

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev +32.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

It has been decades since I have had a Michelob. It has been so long I can not remember if this version is anything like what I used to drink.

Anyway, on to the review.
For an American Macro Lager, it is pretty darn good. It is your typical golden yellow clear fizzy beer.

Upfront, it is crisp, has some sweetness,and goes down smooth. It finishes off with a little hop bitterness. It is a nice beer.

This is exactly what you want in an American Macro Lager.

I have been pleasantly surprised with some of Michelob's recent offerings.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 01:06:59 | More by JohnFatAss

gonger

Iowa

3.18/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I have to give AB credit for making the effort to produce an adjunct-free beer.

Hard pour into pint glass produced a 1-inch head that dissipated quickly into nothing. Not even a pancake of head on the top. No lacing. Looks thin and pale in the glass.

Taste is a cut above the average mega-brew though, because it actually has some. Ice cold, it's not bad. I wonder why American mega-brewers are afraid to add enough hops to actually taste.

A higher gravity brew and the addition of a few more hops might make this a pretty drinkable brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2011 18:30:56 | More by gonger

kflorence

California

2.6/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Imported from my ratebeer.com profile - JAN 18, 2008

Not much aroma or flavor, typical of American-style pale lagers. Tastes and smells grainy with faint metallic hop tinge. Heavier than other pale lagers, smooth and drinkable but nothing special. Preferred over Bud and others, but it’s usually more expensive and not worth the extra money.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2011 04:25:27 | More by kflorence

erosier

Connecticut

3/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

L: Pours a clear golden yellow color with a short and light white colored head that laces the glass a bit on the way down.
S: Smells of sweet toasted malts, a hint of hops, and that's pretty much it.
T: Tastes as it smells with a light malt aroma followed by a light hoppy aroma; pretty light tasting .
M: Light feeling, perfect amount of carbonation, refreshing at least.
D: Overall it was very light flavored, very light bodied, a mediocre lager at best, but not bad for being mass produced.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 10:35:42 | More by erosier

tjsmith910

Florida

3.65/5  rDev +34.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer that started it all for me. Smooth to drink. Good enough balance of taste so long as it is cold. Does not warm quickly and is easy to forget how many of these you have had. Easy drink to have regularly. Nothing special, but then again, you never forget your first.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2011 21:14:48 | More by tjsmith910

JednoPivoProsim

Maryland

3.18/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 fl oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a semi-decent white head that hangs around for awhile. Color is light golden, very thin body with a lot of carbonation.

Smell: Somewhat sweet and malty. Not great, not bad either.

Taste: Not bad, definitely some flavor. The flavor tastes recognizably Bud-like, but better. A malty, sweet tasting brew, I'd accept the claims on the bottle that this is heading in the direction of a "Munich-style lager." My one gripe would be that the flavor does not linger long enough, a la a lot of Bud products - I guess AB is not used to people actually wanting to enjoy their beers.

Mouthfeel: Appropriately carbonated, light on the palate and refreshing. Not too light, however, it is arguably full-bodied at the same time.

Overall: For all of the BMC-bashing that goes on, you have to figure AB does something right. In this beer, I'd say they are doing something headed in the right direction and something that, at the least, can start to compete with the craft beer world in terms of flavor.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2011 00:51:04 | More by JednoPivoProsim

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

1/5  rDev -63.1%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

First had: ?

Better than Bud, I suppose. And that ain't saying much. Pours a pale straw color, very carbonated, with a thin head of quickly dissipating bubbles. Light aroma of pale malts, skunk, and old corn. More of the same in the taste; skunky with rotten hay and stale grains, leaving an acrid aftertaste. To be avoided.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2011 21:27:23 | More by Rifugium

forsakenpariah

Alabama

3/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Drinking this one as I review. Got a sixer at a gas station in the middle of nowhere with a crap beer selection -- it looked like about the best beer there.

ice cold bottle -> pint glass

A - Light gold, about a shade darker than Bud. An impressive half-inch head that chilled for about half the beer and left some nice lacing on the way down.

S - I picked up a faint woody and earthy noble hop aroma, and not much else. Pretty straightforward but not bad for a pale lager.

T - A slight pinch of hops, and a tiny little bit of caramel malt. Surprisingly malty; light, crisp, and refreshing in a generic sort of way.

M - Moderately thin body and lots of fizz.

I must admit, while I won't be buying this again any time soon, it's really not too bad for what it is. I certainly wouldn't call this "a distinctive, high-quality beer for connoisseurs," but in a tight pinch like the one I was in when I bought it, this will be my go-to BMC beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 03:14:15 | More by forsakenpariah