Beck's Sapphire - Brauerei Beck & Co.

Maximusmaximus

Massachusetts

2.25/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Note: this stuff's made in St. Louis NOT Germany.

A: Pours slightly darker than your typical lager, but only slightly. Head is thin and full of holes without much staying power.

S-Sweet, boozy smell: not too enticing.

T-Sweet but thin. Near-decent at first, but then the aftertaste leaves you wondering if you just cracked a Steel Reserve. Not at all what I expected.

M-Thin and a bit fizzy. As the glass warms up, the mouthfeel quickly changes, becoming flat and very thin making me think..how long ago did I open this thing?

O-Seems like this is Beck's contribution to the craft-beer craze. Lately, I've been trying the other commercial brewery's offerings in the same idea, i.e. Bud's Black Crown & Coors Batch 19; mostly out of curiosity and to see how they stack up. I'd say this is a very poor attempt at tapping into a ripe market.

Constructive criticism: Thicken the head. Darken the color. Pleasurize the aftertaste. Make a more honest label. Keep the ABV.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 04:06:20 | More by Maximusmaximus

BillAnder

Michigan

1.95/5  rDev -29.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

This was a disappointment. After all the advertising, I was hoping for something special. But this is a bland beer with nothing special. I think AB is trying to compete with craft beers. But all they did was raise the alcohol level without adding any taste. Also: the brewery is listed above as being in Germany. That's not correct. The bottle says St. Louis MO (the home of AB) but I suspect the beer is brewed somewhere else. Also misleading is all the references to Germany and German hops on the bottle & carton. It's not a German beer. And it's not better than the original Beck's.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 03:11:51 | More by BillAnder

sixerofelixir

Ohio

2.41/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 2.25 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5

16 oz single picked up at the gas station. It was either $1.50 or $1.75.. I poured this shiz into my Sam Adams glass.

It poured lite and clear as only InBev can make it - I wonder if they have a spectrophotometric patent? Overall, my best description of the taste is "a bit of grass & leaf clippings inside a malt liquor/ice beer mess."

Overall, it seems like Beck's amped up the alcohol on an already bland base, and possibly froze the result. The new "Sapphire" hop? If those were the grass & leaf clipping taste, let's hope they lose the seed stock..

Serving type: can

02-27-2013 19:03:44 | More by sixerofelixir

davey101

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev +27.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

16 oz. tallboy into a pilsner glass.

A - Pours a crystal clear golden amber color. To be honest I wasn't even sure what style of beer this was going to be but the color is thankfully a few shades darker than the straw yellow I was imagining it would pour. Two fingers of soapy bone white foam. Rising carbonation.

S - Lots of cereal grain sweetness with a touch of grass. Pleasantly neutral.

T - That cereal corn sweetness with a bit of bready malts and some grass and light floral elements. A tame but lasting corn like flavor that I usually associate with adjunct lagers. Very clean and a bit bland but very drinkable and dare I say, tasty?

M - Light, crisp, and refreshing.

O - Far from being a great pilsner, but the reviews do seem a bit biased against Becks. I actually wound up enjoying this beer and would not mind downing a sixer of these on a summer day.

Serving type: can

02-27-2013 01:54:29 | More by davey101

DavidST

Texas

2.95/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass, I didn't see a bottled date. For some reason I was expecting this to be dark, instead its a crystal clear light yellow color with a long lasting white head. The smells are of light crisp grass smells. The feel is medium light. The taste isn't what I like, a light crisp hops, mild malts, not every appealing.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 04:32:44 | More by DavidST

scratch69

Missouri

2.74/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

I poured a bottle into a pilsener glass.

Appearance- Clear golden-yellow color with a fingers worth of head. Light amount of thin lacing.

Smell- Very light aroma of malt sweetness and cereal.

Taste- Subdued flavors of pale malt, sugar sweetness, and some hop bitterness for balance.

Mouthfeel- Light bodied with an average amount of carbonation.

Overall- Pretty average beer, reminds me more of an adjunct lager than a German pilsener. Flavors a re bland and the smell is almost non-existent.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 23:57:14 | More by scratch69

undeadozzy

Pennsylvania

2.63/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

A - Poured vigorously from the bottle into a 16 oz german glass beer stein. Explosive head that disappeared in what seemed like mere seconds. Does leave some lacing, but honestly judging by the dark bottle, I was hoping it'd be a dark beer.

S - Not really picking up on much, some cereal a little hoppiness, but mostly just standard beer smell.

T - Tastes corny. Maybe like corn flakes, with some sugary sweetness and a little bite from the sapphire hops. Nothing offensive, definitely drinkable, but nothing deep or meaningful. Would never guess this beer was 6% ABV.

M - Very smooth, almost creamy feel. Some bubble and turbulence when drinking, but overall fairly smooth.

O - I've never had Beck's before, but was told it was a decent German macro. Not bad, tastes like beer, would definitely drink it again if I needed a stronger session beer, but that's about it.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 05:23:57 | More by undeadozzy

CloudStrife

New York

2.79/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

12oz bottle poured into a tulip.

A: Pours a clear light amber golden yellow with a 1 finger white head. A decent amount of visible carbonation.

S: Hard to detect much aroma, a faint sweetness, malts and a hint of booze.

T: Not an overly flavorful beer. Balanced blend of light malts and the hops. Non-offensive but not interesting. Gets a little sweet as it warms.

M: Light body, average carbonation. Fairly clean finish, easy drinking.

Overall I'm not too impressed but really wasnt expecting much. Better to drink it cold. Take a pass.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 03:03:23 | More by CloudStrife

mdfb79

New York

2.58/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

From 02/20/13 notes. Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass.

a - Pours a clear yellow-gold color with one finger of fluffy bright white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of bready malts, grains, wheat, corn, earthy notes, light floral notes. Not bad but very bland; pretty average overall.

t - Tastes of sweet corn, grains, wheat, bready malts, vegetables, earthy notes. Sweeter than the nose but I didn't like it. A big step down for me.

m - Light to medium body and moderate carbonation. A bit of a watery feel.

o - I'm not a big fan of the normal Beck's and I didn't really care for this one either. The nose is bland thought not offensive, but I didn't really like the sweetness in the taste and the body is a bit thin. Wouldn't have it again, and wouldn't reccomend it.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 16:58:57 | More by mdfb79

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.26/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

The color and clarity are good, enjoyed chilled in a tulip, deep gold with thin head of white which leaves copius lace and beading is fine and retention is good. Smell is faintly mineral with grainy and light floral scent with a mild sweet tinge. The feel is somewhat creamy with mild dry feel and light bitterness with subtle spice in the finish.
Taste is decent with floral hop and light pilsner sweetness with low alcohol and hop bitterness adding to the smooth malt taste. Overall a decent lager but it didn't stand out among the style and pretty tame it could provide more of a hop taste considering it has the variety listed on the label.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 14:58:22 | More by Slatetank

Amalak

New York

2.54/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5

A. It is crystal clear gold color with some streams of bubbles coming up through the middle. It has a thick foamy white head that dissipates quickly. Little lace.

S. Slight metallic scent.

T/M. It has a grape taste. A mild hop feel. It is smooth. Underneath it is a sour metal taste. It has a light body.

O. No real flavor or kick. Tastes like a smoothed out Becks. Nothing special here.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 00:57:00 | More by Amalak

Brad007

Vermont

2.65/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5

Never heard of the hops so I thought I would try a bottle. No way I'm paying for a full 6 pack of this.

Golden color that resembles apple juice a bit. A thin head forms and ample carbonation seems apparent.

Light and full of sweet, buttery malt. Hops add a bit of spice but not much more to the overall aroma.

It's a bit crisp with some buttery malt and spice from the hops. Inoffensive but the mouthfeel is another story.

Very thin mouthfeel that is barely there. Reminiscent of juice. Some malt and hop flavors but not much else back there.

Better off sticking with regular Becks. Not impressed.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 21:55:32 | More by Brad007

screamking

Ohio

2.36/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.25

16oz can poured in pint glass. Purchased at gas station.

Appearance-color resembles apple juice, with 1 finger white head that disappears in less then 60 seconds. 3

Aroma-corn, stale wheat bread, hint of banana, not much. 2.25

Taste-dried wheat, corn, very earthy, banana is there, but all flavors are bland. 2.25

Feel-water, mid carbonation, smooth-ish, drys a bit with alcohol. 3

Overall-I don't think I will be buying this again, feels and tastes like an American beer not German. Which isn't a bad thing I just don't understand this release other than to make more money out of an inferior product. I like beck's, but this tastes like beck's and Budweiser had a baby and that baby was left out in the sun to long then stumbled into a frat house to become a college beer. 2.25

Serving type: can

02-17-2013 04:42:47 | More by screamking

ZAP

Minnesota

3.03/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Was excited to try this Sapphire hop which I have not had before.

This beer pours an impressively clean, clear golden color with minimal head.

Aroma is grainy with a soft herbal/spicy note backing it.

Taste is unremarkable. Grainy...lingering sweetish maltiness....light hops which lend just a hint of spiciness. This is not a hop forward pilsner.

There is some lingering dryness on the finish...body is medium...nothing bad about this but nothing to recommend either except its exceptional clarity if you want to look at it.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 05:53:02 | More by ZAP

Kromes

Georgia

2.83/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75

A crystal clear, light straw color with no noticeable head.

Sweet honey malts with a bit of grassy hop and maybe some corn.

A sweet honey flavor with a bit of grassy hop and then a sweet lingering grain flavor in the finish with a touch of bitterness and alcohol.

Light and watery. Easy to drink. Matches the style.

Below average pilsener. Seems like the goal was to make a cheap lager with higher than normal alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 17:39:18 | More by Kromes

UCLABrewN84

California

2.9/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Pours a clear honey orange with a foamy tan head that settles to a small amount of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, and some grass and hay aromas. There is also a slight vegetal aroma that comes out as the beer warms up. Taste is much the same with a grainy bread flavor on the finish. There is an extremely mild amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is an average beer with very mild hop aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 05:55:51 | More by UCLABrewN84

delta490

Virginia

2.49/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Poured it into the 12 oz. Sam Adams glass. Clear and gold, with a very short-lived head. No lacing on the glass. Aroma is almost absent, as all I got was a faint whiff of any malt. Taste isn't too bad, but there is very little distinctive about it. It just has a little sweetness (but nothing I can put my finger on) and little hop bitterness on the finish. Moderate carbonation, a little heavy on the finish. Thinner in texture. It might be the one I'd choose out of a selection of mediocre beers but not one I'll ever seek out again. Of note, the beer color on the packaging is decidedly NOT the color of the beer when poured from the bottle. Also interesting, brewed in St. Louis (by the AB part of InBev-AB), so it's not even a German import anymore. But clearly trying to appeal to that market.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 08:56:42 | More by delta490

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.59/5  rDev +30.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Wow a brown bottle! Hope it's skunk free
A - Clear bright yellow with a mild orange tint. Head is just a 1/4 inch of head that sticks around for a while.
S - Has the typical lager corn and sweet malts. Not very skunky yet not very strong.
T - Corn sweetness with a touch of lager yeast, some biscuit malt is surprising and some sweeter malts too.
M - Light to medium not bad.
Overall I never really liked Beck's but this one is as advertised, smooth and somewhat hoppy (I guess)

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 05:04:23 | More by DrDemento456

Gmann

New York

2.58/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a super clear golden straw color, perhaps a slight touch of toasted straw. The white head was minimal, settled into a light straw.

The aroma is very very light. I pick up some light grain and an adjunct sweetness. It doesn't smell bad, just doesn't really smell like anything. No pilsner characteristics.

The taste is of light grain and a corn like sweetness. A bit of a metallic twang. No hop flavor whatsoever. This seems to be Beck's take on an American macro lager. The traditional Beck's at least has a bit of a grassy hop flavor, this has nothing. It does have a smooth flavor as advertisted but I fear what this would taste like if warm as the adjuncts would pop through. On a plus side it does not have that skunky flavor to it.

The feel is light to moderate, actually has a bit of body to it. The carbonation is quite crisp, burns just a tad. Very sweet on the palate, would be slick if not for the carbonation.

A big ole adjunct bomb. Yeah, they smoothed out the beer but it sacrificed whatever flavor the traditional Beck's had. I would much prefer the traditional Becks as it has some resemblance of a german pilsner.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 19:09:06 | More by Gmann

tjsdomer2

Illinois

2.33/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.25

Appearance: Weird carbonation, like soda water or Bud Light. Maybe a shade darker than regular Beck's, but just maybe.

Smell: This really does smell like absolutely nothing. Some dry hay only.

Taste/Mouthfeel: A bit of lemon peel. Less malt and more hops than regular Beck's. Decent crispness in the mouthfeel, but the bitter lemon overwhelms.

Overall Drinkability: About what I expected. Should be sapphire, but really fool's gold.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 05:13:04 | More by tjsdomer2

baddogrudy

Indiana

3.3/5  rDev +20%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is one of the smoothest lagers on the market. No extremely flavors or alcohol content so many will under score this brew. its not imported, thats good news for us beers because this brew is equal to or better than stella. If your looking for an extremely smooth lager this is a fine choice.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 00:42:59 | More by baddogrudy

plaid75

New York

2.25/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5

Poured a medium straw hue with a one finger foamy white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured adjunct sweetness and a grassy hop.

The taste consisted of a round artificial sweetness and a slight hop.

The mouthfeel was full for the style.

Overall a poor euro lager. Stripped of any character in an attempt at smoothness.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 02:51:47 | More by plaid75

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

2.91/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle poured into a pilsner glass.
6.0% ABV,

A - Bright golden in color, this clear beer shines with pride and is topped with a towering white head of foam. As the loose bubbles slowly collapsed, light wispy lace was left adorning the glass.

S - If there were such a style as German Adjunct Lager, the aroma of this beer would make it a prime candidate for it's categorization. Grainy pale malt and additives smell cheap and hops seem underwhelming for the advertising push of their existence.

T - From the light smattering of sweet pilsner malts to the abundance of grainy pale malt and adjuncts to the creamed corn finish, Beck's Sapphire tastes cheap. German hops are afoot though, coming in on the back end with some herbal characteristics which greatly helps alleviate the cheapness of the malt flavor.

M - Sapphire's best quality is the fact it strays from going all out effervescent with explosive carbonation like a lot of mainstream lagers. Instead, Beck's Sapphire has a nice smooth (albeit slick) entry into a faintly dry finish with a suggestion of lingering hop bitterness captured on the back end.

O - Beck's Sapphire manages to bring fourth some hop flavor and presence in an otherwise ordinary "import" lager but it doesn't save it from being mundane, like it's awful commercial. This "German adjunct lager" isn't worth any elevated cost above the American swill we've already got here. Probably because it's also not made in Germany. It's made in St. Louis.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 02:15:09 | More by BeerFMAndy

smakawhat

Maryland

2.79/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2

Poured from the bottle into a pilsner glass.

A very dark amber, kind of a gold light bronze and crystal clear. Lots of giant cola bubbles though, many sticking to the edge of the glass. Head is barely a finger with soapy white color and consistency. Seems to settle to a small puck. Not bad looking, but quite dark for a pilsner.

Nose is a bit muted. Mild hop, but a very earthy mud sensation and mild fresh cut lawn grass. Sort of hints at German Pilsner but quite neutered. Return to the bouquet after some sips and there is that macro sweet smelling sensation again.

Palate hints with a brief hint of wet, but then some density comes in. Sweet tasting almost adjunct finish. Malt action comes with a minor macro sense, then there is a large hint of macro sweetness on the finish. Crisp and hints of club soda like finish, but sweeter. Mild watered honey and sugar on the front palate. So where are the special hops on this brew?

Overall first sip hints at something like a muted pilsner, but then the sweetness (corn?) like taste just starts dominating. The emphasis on making this a hop specialty beer? who could tell.. just another pale euro macro lager for the masses.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 00:32:47 | More by smakawhat

BlurryVisi0n

New York

2.89/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in a pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a very transparent gold with little to almost no bubbles on the body. They definitely are floating creating a subtle head maybe 1/8" coming off white.

Smell: Easily the weakest property of the beer, light hops. If you ask me it comes off a tad skunk which it isn't but then again most pilseners never have amazed me when it comes to scent.

Taste: Light bitterness with a creamy wet hop infusion.

Mouth: Feels a touch dry, with a smooth bitter after -taste.

Overall: Not a bad beer at all, doesn't hit you hard in the pockets either it feels and tastes more like a bolder Beck's for the same price why not. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 06:38:00 | More by BlurryVisi0n