Shock Top End Of The World Midnight Wheat - Anheuser-Busch

pmcadamis

Illinois

2.8/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Cloudy purple/amber brew with a small beige head. Pretty good lace. Looks wheaty/yeasty.

S - Slightly malty with a whiff of odd spice and some wheat notes as it warms.

T - Tastes like bean chili with some beer mixed in. Not bad at all... works better than you would think. On the other hand, it kinda just tastes like chili powder and beans. Pretty one dimensional really. Gets worse with warmth.

M - Light in body, greasy, and thinly carbonated. Finishes with that weird chili note... this is subdued....not a big spice bomb like that Cave Creek stuff that gave me diarrhea.

If you like chili on a chilly fall day, this is worth trying for the novelty factor, but I wouldn't say that it's much more than that. It's also a fun beer to try with non-BA friends since it's not super-weird or over the top... just a nice beany chili flavor on top of an easy going wheat beer base. Burping tastes like chili 15 min after finishing.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 18:43:10 | More by pmcadamis

kylehay2004

Florida

3.1/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Half finger head with some lacing on a murky/muddy brown body. Chocolate malt, earthy hops and breads. Flavor is similar with a chocolate malt base, pepper, earthy good and a slight metallic finish. Medium body and moderate to high carbonation. As expected a bit watery, under malted but decent flavor for the brewer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2012 18:34:49 | More by kylehay2004

TheFunGuy

Virginia

3.88/5  rDev +24.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I am really impressed.

The pour is dark brown with a one once thick head that faded in two minutes. Cloudy. You cannot see your hand through it.

The smell is dark malt, no hops or spice.

The taste is dark malt, just the right side of sweet, some hops to keep things under under control. See the final taste in mouthfeel, which is where it should be.

The feel is a little bit of a creamy beer, after you swallow a very small amount of spice hits the back 1/3 of your tongue. Just a trace, just enough.

This is one of the best three AB beers I have had. I know there are 150 micros that do it better, but this is darn good and will reach many many more people.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 18:29:44 | More by TheFunGuy

zeff80

Missouri

2.93/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Poured out a hazy, dark amber color with a very small, short-lived head of white foam. It left little to no lacing.

S - It smelled of wheat and spices. A touch of maltiness.

T - Some sharp cracked wheat flavor with a good deal of spices. Somewhat herbal with a light malt backbone.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A light to medium bodied ale with a dry, clean finish.

O - This was an okay brew. It seems a bit like a mix of several different styles of beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 14:21:10 | More by zeff80

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev +9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Ending my day with the End of the World. Apropos, no? This stuff pours a clear sunset amber topped by a finger of dusty off-white foam. The nose comprises biscuit, light toffee, light green chiles, and a kiss of cocoa powder. Things are kinda bland and fairly muddled. The taste holds notes of honey, light toffee, light cocoa powder, mildly spicy chiles, brown sugar, and a bit of toasted biscuit. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a sorta/kinda grainy feel. Overall, not a bad little spiced/chile beer, one that doesn't let the chiles or spices overwhelm the background malts, nor vice-versa. Not bad, actually (kinda surprising, honestly).

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 07:43:18 | More by TMoney2591

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

1.78/5  rDev -42.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 1 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 1.75

This looks interesting:

Into a pint glass:

A: cloudy muddy brown colored body that leaves a nice two finger white foamy head that lasts for a good two minutes before slowly dieing. Lacing shows after the head concaves into the body, nice and spider-webs. The body is too dark for any carbonation to be seen rising.

S: chocolate and wheat combined decently up front, but something didn't smell right

T: basically the same and comes out extremely bland (anyone remember the old Wendy's commercial "where's the beef?", ok right here I'd like to say "where's the flavor?"). In other words, whatever happened in the smell didn't happen in the taste ... ???

M: light and super watery, with nothing harsh on the tongue, but nothing exciting

O: ok, it says on the side of the bottle, there's chili and spice, and once again, I'll use that old Wendy's line, "where's the [chili and spice]?" So if this is supposed to be so complex with other flavors, where are they? In retrospect, I will say fitting name as this will be the "end of the world" for this beer. Cue Dierks Bentley - "what was I thinking?"

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 23:27:30 | More by kangarooAdam59

Vancoubeer

Washington

3.4/5  rDev +9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I was curious to see what this beer was about and grabbed a bottle at the local shop. It said midnight wheat...hoped it was black but it looks like the chocolate malts dominated. Its more like a brownish dunkel weiss. If you say there is midnight wheat, make it black as midnight...lame. The smell is not amazing but its definitely different. You can smell something going on in there but its hard to notice. Maybe the spices but not sure what those are...nutmeg? When it comes to the taste this beer is pretty good. Nothing outstanding but heck, it kind of burns from the peppers but in the flavor its hard to really determine what is going on. Kind of like the smell. It totally drinks stronger than the 6% abv on the bottle. I have had 10% beers easier to drink than this. There is a hint of dark malts but no hops of any from. The mouthfeel is very carbonated. It cleans away the flavor well to get ready for another sip. Overall, this is not that bad. is it worth a 6 pack? No. Was it worth a sample? Sure if you are into wheat beers. However I really think that the idea was a good one but at a macro level this beer kinda fades into the ether and I cannot see myself telling folks..hey that beer is a good one. I feel that the label got more time than the formula. But its not that bad. I think I am more or less disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 03:31:44 | More by Vancoubeer

UCLABrewN84

California

2.68/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a murky brown with a foamy khaki head that settles to an oily film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, wheat, and slight amounts of cocoa and spices. Taste is much the same with a mild roasty flavor on the finish. There is also a very mild chili heat in the back of the throat that quickly dies out. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty poor beer taste wise but the smell is decent enough.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 05:54:16 | More by UCLABrewN84

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

2.05/5  rDev -34.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

Shock Top End of the World Midnight Wheat
InBev

Appearance : Cloudy muddy brown color, white head and a bit of lace. Poor clarity.

Smell: Dusty wheat, and ultra clean malts, smells very little of the chocolate malts endorsed on the bottle.

Taste: Wheat malt, a small portion of watery chocolate malts, and a small residual burn from the peppers, as advertised. The chili aspect to the beer makes it interesting, but this brew is really lacking in body.

Feel: Very watery, with low carbonation. Soft feel, like seltzer water that's left sitting open all night.

Overall: A confused, mildly interesting tasting beer from the megabrewer Anheuser Busch, but far too watery to be considered a fine beer. Without some fullness or broader flavor it will be the End of the World for this brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 00:30:40 | More by Stinkypuss

harrymel

Washington

1.45/5  rDev -53.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1

Best by 24JAN 13

Had to do it. Pours cloudy tea colored with a etched surface of tan. Smells of wheat, coriander, cinnamon, some milky smells. Tastes like powdered cocoa, wheat, a bit of charcoal, some more coriander and a bit of fucking terrible. No, it's just terrible. Thin with hi carb and a dry finish. This is just really disappointing from such a reputable brewer.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 05:25:34 | More by harrymel

Pegasus

Texas

3.5/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Deep amber in color, nearly opaque, with a fairly large, dense tan head, which retains very well, with scattered Belgian lacing.

Aroma: Complex aroma of wheat, chocolate, vanilla, earth, and pepper.

Taste: Opens with spicy wheat notes, and abundant bread and toasted malts, and caramel notes. As the taste progresses, bitter cocoa notes and pepper make themselves known. Late in the taste there is a mild, lingering herbal hop wave, and a flourish of pepper, which brings the taste to a graceful close.

Mouth feel; Smooth, soft, rather pleasant.

Drinkability/notes: Rather offbeat, but not bad. I would not mind having this again. It goes to show that Anheuser-Busch has no lack of brewing talent, too bad that they so seldom employ it to produce interesting beers.

Presentation: Packaged in a custom twelve-ounce brown glass long neck bottle with a twist-off crown, served in a New Belgium Brewing chalice.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 01:59:37 | More by Pegasus

Vashtar

Texas

3.7/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It's hazy and dark brown, with a lot of head and nice lacing. Head retention isn't the best

The smell is nice. It's like one big hop.

Tastes like one big hop. It hits you and then mellows out smoothly. Bitter aftertaste. Wheat, chocolate, and chili. It's a bit silly, actually.

The mouthfeel is smooth and slightly thick, if there is such a thing.

Overall, it's okay, but I'll stick with their pumpkin wheat.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 00:36:28 | More by Vashtar

tectactoe

Michigan

2.66/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

Pours a dark copper, nearly brown, highly opaque and hazy with a slightly off-white head that didn't last for too long and didn't leave much lacing to speak of on the glass. The smell was... off. Heavy metallic-steel smell - kind of off-putting and unwanted. Also picking up some fruity medicinal smells. Not terrible, but kind of strange for this style. Initial taste has some very, very slight toffee and caramel, I'm really not picking up the chocolate like they said. Toasted malts, maybe. Midway through, the chili powder comes through and I'm getting a nice meaty/chili flavor the rest of the way through. Almost no bitterness and no hops. Thin mouth, crispy, lots of carbonation.

The meat and chili taste was unique, and not bad, but this beer is just too... weird. It's not awful, but it's not good enough to want again and again. I commend the uniqueness, but that's about it.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 02:51:29 | More by tectactoe

mckenziac

2.3/5  rDev -26.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

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

Appearance: Pours a hazy, dark brown color. Has a medium-sized, fizzy head that dissipates quickly and leaves little to no lacing.

Smell: Smells yeasty and wheaty with some strong chocolate notes as well.

Taste: Starts mildly wheaty with a bit of yeastiness. Finishes spicy with a light chocolate malt flavor. The whole taste is so light and mild it's sometimes hard to even tell it's there. It's a common problem with Shock Top it seems.

Mouthfeel: Lightly-carbonated and watery.

Overall: A major disappointment given the interesting description of this beer. In different hands, I think a dark wheat beer with chocolate and chilis could be very promising. Unfortunately, Shock Top's version is just too light and half-assed to go anywhere.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 00:29:30 | More by mckenziac

Fatehunter

Oregon

2.2/5  rDev -29.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Into a pint glass. Finger and half of head, hazy copper colored body. Head retreated quickly.
The smell is off-putting; metallic, and a bundle of mixed up spices. Weird.
Watery taste, chocolate and wheat. The chili comes at the end, but it is very faint. The chocolate mixes really strangely with the wheat.
Soft and smooth texture. The feeling was the best part of the odd beer.
Just a strange drink with a mixed smell and taste. Did anyone at AB try this before it went to mass production?

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 23:45:00 | More by Fatehunter

Brenden

Ohio

3.43/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer is pretty dark, a murky brown too thick to see into with a dark orange tint. The head a loose tan cap, actually grows to nearly two fingers high but doesn't have enough to keep it tight, falling off almost immediately and leaving very little behind. There is, likewise, not much lacing to speak of, but a touch of spotting.
The smell would likely be just above average if not for the metallic tinge sitting over everything else. Otherwise, the wheat comes out clearly with a crackery emphasis, a touch of chocolate sits underneath and a ghost of the pepper heat just sneaks out.
More comes out in the flavor. The pepper is subtle but builds up nicely on the back of the tongue and the throat. The wheat base remains prominent with a bit of sweetness, chocolate but with a slightly sweeter, more vanilla-like touch. It's a little bit light, as expected, but the best any of the Shock Tops have been.
The feel is actually the best aspect. The body reaches medium and there's a creaminess that never falls off along with a crispness that is similarly steadfast.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 13:34:55 | More by Brenden

sardonicone

Ohio

3.45/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into regular beer mug.

Appearance: I did a bad pour on the first one, so had a TON of head that lasted a considerable amount of time. The second pour was better, gave a 2.5 finger head with decent retention, no real lacing. Kind of a nut brown color that looks sort of murky.

Smell: Smelled strongly like a typical American Adjunct at first, sour, with hints of chocolate

Taste: muted, but not bad at all, hints of toffee and chocolate, I really can't seem to make out much of the pepper up front, it does come through on the back end and I can feel it as it goes down as a warming sensation.

Creamy, very nice mouth-feel to me, could probably stand to have a little bit more carbonation, as the way it is you almost feel it's on the flat side.

Overall a pretty drinkable beer. 8.49 per sixer where I'm at, which isn't cheap, but not bad.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 02:05:43 | More by sardonicone

Tuey13

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a coppery amber color with a one finger off white head that dissipates quickly.

Smells are light chocolate, caramel and a bit of peppery spice... interesting.

Taste is caramel and hints of chocolate with a little toffee... finishing with a little peppery taste.

This is a fairly good beer... i love the premise and that they are brewing interesting Shock Top variations. This is by no means a top notch craft beer... but i do not think that is their goal. A wide market and drinkability is what they are striving for and in my opinion they succeeded.

I know that this will probably receive poor reviews for the most part... we have mostly become snobs lol... but it is a easy to drink, session beer with a unique flavor. For the cheap price and the ability to session... enjoy. :-)

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 01:57:05 | More by Tuey13

PossumMunsen31

Wisconsin

2.95/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Just bought this the other day...Marketing and packaging are pretty great which will make sure several people at least try this beer.

I expected more from this beer. Taste is understated which is usually what happens when Macro breweries try to produce a faux "craft" beer. Can definitely taste the chocolate and
toffee...Finish is different in a good way...No clue why they said there is chili in it because I tasted just as much bacon in it as chili.

The beer is slightly above average...I like their Wheat IPA better, but do appreciate that they
keep adding new beers to this line.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 20:44:32 | More by PossumMunsen31

ezec

Virginia

3.45/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: pours cloudy but an appealing bright amber color with a decent 1-inch or so head that sticks around.
S: complex aroma reveals cloves, chocolate, caramel, nutmeg, orange and pepper
T: starts with caramel malt, finishes with a slight peppery taste. In the middle an unusual fruit flavor almost like roasted mango (imagine). Took a few tastes to nail that down and still unsure.
M: full texture; creamy

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 17:01:12 | More by ezec

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.08/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Mahogany hue with a one finger white head. No lacing.

Aroma: Light caramel malt and some chocolate.

Taste: Like a light brown ale. Malty with the flavor of baker's chocolate. A little watery. Don't really taste any chili.

Mouthfeel: On the lighter side of medium bodied. Average drinkability.

Final Thoughts: High on ingredients and low on flavor. Would I drink this again? No.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 02:59:21 | More by JamesMN

Zorro

California

3.53/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The Label says "Ale brewed with midnight wheat , Chocolate Malt, Chili and Spice."

A hazy brown colored beer with not much head formation at all.

Smell is a little sweet with a wheat cracker aroma. Scents of chocolate and vanilla and fruity chili pepper. Scent is decent and better than I had hoped.

Starts out mildly sweet with a bit of a toffee flavor. Decent bitterness and a fruity chili pepper taste with a little heat. Not strongly flavored but certain is bad tasting. Little bit of warmth in the stomach from the peppers and not the alcohol level. Mild chocolate and vanilla flavors.

Mouthfeel is full and slick.

Overall not an outstanding Chili beer, but I'm going to finish the six pack and could see ordering this if nothing better is available. Probably the best beer in the AB Shock Top beer Series.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 00:34:08 | More by Zorro