Batch No. 23185 (Williamsburg, VA) - Anheuser-Busch

dhannes

Wisconsin

3.8/5  rDev +27.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured chilled from a bottle into a Perfect Pint. Paid $12.49 for the sampler pack, which is about $2 more than regular Budweiser, but $1 less than true micros.

A=Nice dark amber, but too light for a "Red" Lager. Three finger head lasted about a minute.

S=Nice presence of barley and hops...very appealing. Stronger aroma than BMC's.

T=First sip was enjoyable (had warmed up to about 40º)--subtle flavor, more malt but a faintness of hops (this is the second of the four bottles from the sampler pack, but I don't recall too much from the first bottle, as I only had half the bottle and drank it out of a non-beer glass). Smoothness, but do not really detect vanilla and only a hint of bourbon flavoring. Budweiser yeast flavor is rather predominant--so much so, that it reminded me of a slightly stronger Budweiser.

M=Body is a bit lighter than true micros, and carbonation is a bit more than usual.

O=If you like Bud, this is a better version and could be a good stepping stone to craft beers. In the literature enclosed, A-B encourages people to vote on the three versions, so it appears that one of the three will be marketed year-round, probably as Budweiser Black (A-B recently got approval on the new label). I doubt I would buy this again, but would choose it over other BMC's with the exception of Batch 19.

2/13: Had my last bottle, paired with Pizza Hut Taco pizza, and was impressed. Increased appearance, taste and overall by quarter point each.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 19:55:55 | More by dhannes

alk3kenny

Georgia

2.15/5  rDev -28.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Project 12 rd 3 light amber... Appearance is very similar to the "deep amber" about the same color and the same quickly thinning head. Really want to smell the bourbon and vanilla in this but... I don't might be there faintly but probably because I'm really looking for it... Not much of a scent at all really... but not offensive either. Common theme with these beers is the sweetness... this one is very light but is really the only flavor in the beer as well. Easily drinkable mouthfeel is a bit creamier then the others, but no bourbon or vanilla notes to be found at all. Not that impressed with any of these beers but they are all at least drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 05:07:55 | More by alk3kenny

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a pint glass.

Appearance
Golden amber with 2 fingers of fizzy head that dissipates quickly. Excellent clarity and an absurd amount of carbonation.

Nose
Honestly this one smells a bit like urine. A touch of bourbon-esque sweetness, apple cider and caramel.

Taste
The bourbon and vanilla flavors are suspiciously absent. This really doesn't taste like much at all. There are some caramel and apple juice flavors. Perhaps a touch of bourbon-like sweetness. No vanilla whatsoever.

Mouthfeel
Medium bodied, crisp and clean.

Overall
Not horrible, but there's really not much flavor there. The promise of bourbon and vanilla were disappointing. Very light but not offensive.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 20:45:14 | More by justintcoons