Molson OV (Old Vienna) - Molson Coors Canada

cyrenaica

Ontario (Canada)

1.63/5  rDev -34.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

My goal is to rate all the beer I've tried. That means rating the bad ones along with the good ones. This is one of the bad ones. Where I went to University, this beer had the raunchy nickname of "'Ol Vag___", but I was not informed of that until after trying it.
This is one of the old Carling O'Keefe products (Carling O'Keefe's Ol' Vienna Lager) that was popular in the late 70s and early 80s complete with television commercials. It pours a weak yellow colour with little head. The aroma was very skunky (every time I have tried this). The taste is rather skunky as well, not a friend to the mouth at all. Strong carbonation, and very little discernable maltiness.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2007 23:09:10 | More by cyrenaica

slitherySOB

Ontario (Canada)

1.73/5  rDev -30.5%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

I remember my grandpa drank this. I think this was his first beer. So, I decided to try it. Sort of nostalgic reasons. Anyways...
The beer bottle is prettier than the beer. Pours a clear yellow with no head. None. Their is a very thin ring of white bubbles around the rim of the beer. That's it. No lace. Smells of corn, grain, and grass. Tastes weak, but alright. Bit of bread, corn, and grain husks. Slightly overcarbonated mouthfeel. Thin and watery. Not very drinkable. Not very good.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2005 21:02:47 | More by slitherySOB

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

1.78/5  rDev -28.5%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Poured from a can, pale clear and yellow, a splash of white head at first, but no retention. The smell is of sweetish corn and grain husks, with a bit of a sharp bite, either from hops or chemicals, it is difficult to tell. Flavour is raw and husky, with an underlying sweet undertow. The mouthfeel is about average, but it has a caustic burn texture to it, from the adjuncts or other unmentionable additives. If you're gonna drink it then drink it ice cold and straight out of the can, it eases the pain a bit. Otherwise skip it completely.

Serving type: can

07-31-2004 20:32:01 | More by IronDjinn

1.8/5  rDev -27.7%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Appearance - pale yellow with a fair bit of foam.

Smell - sweet corn with a bit of hops, which is more hops aroma than you get in most other Canadian macro lagers.

Mouthfeel - very light bodies with spiky, harsh carbonation.

Tatse - easy drinking, sweet, a bit of floaral hops, and a dryish finish.

Extremely drinkable, but not a whole lot of flavour.

Serving type: on-tap

06-18-2011 01:41:33 | More by

allboutbierge

Austria

2/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Yuk.

Simply put, O.V. is flat golden straw water that has no discernable similarities to any good interpretation of the Marzen style. Aromas of corn and adjuncts dominate the smell. Most qualities are similiar to a cheap macro pale lager. Its fizzy, yellow, and smells like Busch.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2003 05:19:09 | More by allboutbierge

DrJay

Massachusetts

2.13/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Thin white head that disappeared rather quickly. Clear, pale, straw-yellow. Mild smell with little in the way of hops or malt, but with noticeable corn aroma. Corn sweetness dominated the weak flavour, with a mild sourness at the finish. Very thin body on the edge of being watery. I'm glad I tried this one for free.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2004 19:45:14 | More by DrJay

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

2.28/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

As noted many times already, this is a paternal bloodline beer - I vaguely remember the Old Vienna name from HNIC commercials when I was a kid, and my Dad confirmed that he and his buds drank this stuff in the 60s and 70s. Round 3 of my tour of the remainder shelf in one of the new liquor stores that have popped up in my hometown since I got the hell out.

This beer pours a clear medium straw hue, with one finger of soapy white head, which renders a bit of sparse lace as it recedes. It smells of mild white grain, and not much else. The taste is some sweet white grain, a bit of metallic booziness, and no hops apparent. The carbonation is average, the body clammy and medium weight, and it finishes off-dry, with some grain, and a medicinal edge that grows as it warms.

Nothing special here, just as dull and somewhat off-putting as the rest of the Molson/Carling 'premium lager' products. My Dad was bang-on in his one gulp assessment - "It tastes like yer average beer from back then." The times, they haven't changed.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2009 07:35:04 | More by biboergosum

kjyost

Manitoba (Canada)

2.28/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Bottle drank at a buddy's house, cold and out of the bottle.

I have seen this beer before. Pale straw with a white head that drops and does not lace. Smells of corn. A sweetness in the body that is clearly not from malt. Some vegetal and creamed corn flavours play on the palate. Surprisingly clean finish on the palate with no substantial off flavours (nor hop bitterness). For what it is, not bad... What I want? Not so much...

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 06:17:45 | More by kjyost

Gehrig

Illinois

2.38/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Standard Canadian macro presentation--fairly thick white head on a light to medium golden body. Little to no lacing on the mug. It doesn't flatten, thankfully, but it's hardly a looker. Corn malt, corn malt, corn malt--that's the smell and taste in a corn malt nutshell. Fairly sweet, typically bland--anything but complex. Smooth when cold, but embarrassingly thin texture. This is fine if your well-intentioned neighbor hands you a cold one over the fence after cutting the grass on a hot day. Even then, I'd be inclined to pass and grab a real, and good, brew from the fridge. Avoid.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2008 05:58:15 | More by Gehrig

hero27

Iowa

2.42/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12 oz can.
5% abv

Pours a clear pale yellow. Despite the obviously thin body, the small head of frothy foam surprisingly sits around quite a while.
Very subtle aroma of grain and slight grassy hops if you really search for them.
Flavor is a smattering of toasted malts, a steadfast corn/grain sweetness, and an underlying herbal hop character.
Mouthfeel is thin and carbonation is acceptable for the style.
This was refreshing enough while fishing up in Canada this past weekend, but not something I'd be likely to turn to on a regular basis.

Serving type: can

08-04-2008 22:28:01 | More by hero27

dogfishandi

New York

2.48/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

11.5oz brown twist off bottle at fridge temp poured into a pint glass. best before AUG1411.

pours out a super clear light golden yellow color with a one finger of fizzy white head that wuickly settled to a thin ring with some patchy foam and then eventually nothing. no real lace to speak of, lots of carbonation bubbles.

light aromas of sweet corny grain. sulfer mineral lager funk and maybe the faintest hint of floral almost perfumy hops. definatly nothing exciting to smell.

tastes like most of your canadian macro lagers. sweet cooked corn, hints of grains towards the finish. mineral, sulfer lager funk and the faintest kiss of hops with some bitterness.

the taste is tolerable, but the mouthfeel was the worst part for me. very thin watery body, too much fizzy carbonation, has kind of a sharpness to it that doesnt make it all that smooth.

drinkability wise you could suck these down all night. i know they used to make splits my father used to pound down when he was my age. i believe this paticular bottle is a canadian reuseable bottle. i would never buy this (i was given a 12pack as a tip), but its worth atleast one try.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2011 00:54:22 | More by dogfishandi

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

2.58/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

"O.V", as my seatmate inspired me to try. Wow, did I ever get a solid two fingers' worth of fluffy, bone-white head off of that pour! Nose had the distinct lager-sweetness. Color was a medium golden-yellow with NE-quality clarity. Mouthfeel was medium with a honey-like sweetness on the tongue. Yowf! I was not expecting that! Finish had a lingering sweetness. Enough.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2009 21:08:48 | More by woodychandler

CrazyMike

Alberta (Canada)

2.58/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Pale yellow apperance with bubbly head. Smell is sweet and grainy with a hint of grass.

Taste is grainy with some corn and a hard to detect sweetness. Nothing in the taste is noticeable. Light bodied with high carbonation. Aftertaste is dry and a bit sweet.

Painfully mediocre beer with no redeeming factor other then being easy to drink. Got a bottle of this at a bar because I would never buy a six pack and wanted to get it over with.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2011 04:15:04 | More by CrazyMike

shirfan

New York

2.6/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours pale gold with very little head, and a slightly sweet aroma.

I would not be able to tell the difference between this and Molson Canadian; they both are fairly bland, lightly hopped, sticky lagers that must be well-chilled. Otherwise they have a sandy, swilly taste.

Properly cooled, OV was quenching and marginally drinkable but boring. Lawnmower or "give to your non-ba friends" beer...not up to par with Ex or Canadian Ale in the cheapie case department. Will not be purchasing this again.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2002 01:07:35 | More by shirfan

Fiset35

North Carolina

2.6/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

OV is a more inexpensive cousin of the Molson family - this is good and it is bad. OV is roughly $3-4 cheaper than the Molson Canadian case, and you can tell. But, you get what you pay for, and OV hits the spot.


OV is moderately yellow when you pour it, and it has little head. You get an acidic corn-taste after you swallow. Some will not like it. It isn't bad, but noticable. I'll call it "unique". There are better tasting beers out there, but let me also stress that this beer isn't BAD.

OV is a beer in which you can drink a couple, or several, and enjoy them all the same - they're easy going down.

You get what you pay for, and OV is a good buy for the price. I still wish they made OV splits. You could get a case of 'em for $7!

If you've got the extra $5, then go Canadian. But if you don't, then why not OV?

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2004 01:43:10 | More by Fiset35

CBFanWish

New York

2.63/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Not up to par with other Molson products. Pours pale golden yellow with no head. Corn in both the aroma and in the taste. It is smooth going down. I don't know about buying this again. It was not true to the style. I was dissappointed by the whole thing.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2004 20:11:38 | More by CBFanWish

jayc333

Ontario (Canada)

2.63/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours an pale yellow with about a quarter inch of bubbly white head. The head doesn't disappear right away, but it does come and go a little too fast, leaving behind sub-par lacing.

Smells of sweet malt and citrusy hops, but nothing spectacular.

Had a sort of dank taste to it, and finishes dry. It's quite different, but once again, nothing spectacular.

Mouthfeel was thin on the palate, but far too fizzy.

Like I've mentioned twice before in this review, this beer is what it is, which is nothing specacular. Will not be buying again.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2006 03:56:49 | More by jayc333

Hibernator

Massachusetts

2.65/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Molson O.V.
11.5 ounce brown bottle
Served mainly out of the bottle

I had never heard of this beer until his past weekend in Buffalo. Had the opportunity to have one and hence this review.

Pours a straw-yellow golden appearance with a mini white head that disappears rather quickly

Faint nose with whiffs of grains.

Sweet toasted grain and corn flavors. Mouthfeel is kinda thin and watery, but drinkable. Medium carbonation too. Best served cold.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2010 01:44:19 | More by Hibernator

Litterbean

New York

2.68/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Strange beer, sold for a dollar at the local hot-spot. I expected a flavorless beer, but it actually had something to it. There was definite maltiness in this one, something along the lines of a light bock, no kidding. Bready, toasted flavor even though it was masked by a watered down, carbonated, awful watery flavor. There was something to this but not a whole lot. I'm impressed that it had any flavor at all, considering the place that I frequent has basically nothing decent but Yuengling. A cheap and effective beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2005 07:31:32 | More by Litterbean

yesyouam

New York

2.85/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Old Vienna is a clear, light golden lager with a quickly dissipating white film of a head. The aroma is very faint and fruity, perhaps wooden. Light to medium bodied, it starts smooth but ends up shredding the mouth. The flavor is pretty faint, but I can actually taste some hops. There are notes of grass, hay, corn; maybe wheat and lemon. I really expected much worse.
(rated Jul 22, 2008)

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2008 05:05:24 | More by yesyouam

pootz

Ontario (Canada)

2.93/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

This beer has been misclassified. This is the O'Keefe brand lager known as Old Vienna that molson bought out in the seventies. It still bears the blue lable and OKeefe knight. Molson has kept the OKeefe Old Vienna (O.V.) formula pretty well untouched. OV is a Canadianized version of the sweeter vienna lagers. It is sweeter than most Canandian mega brews.

The last time I had this beer was when my high school buddy used to snich a few of his dad's beers. I never really liked this beer then so I have had no desire to buy it regularly since. I had one recently at a pub down town and I realized it isn't as bad as I remembered.

Pours a darker straw color, small white head that laces out, medium carbonation, smells of cooked grain, fusil sweetness and corn aromas. Starts crisp then sits with a medium light malty body then finishes thinly with a sweet after taste.

Not a really memorable beer but it has been a staple in Canadian beer stores for 50 years so It must have a following among older Canadian beer drinkers.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2004 07:55:29 | More by pootz

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

2.93/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I attended a training class in relation to my job, and of course beer talk ensues wherever two or more like-minded people get together. The instructor was one, and following the class she wanted me to try these not because she holds it as the pinnacle of beers but because I am up for anything and told her I'd put the review on the internet! Plus it is one of those beers from her past that are part of a person's up-bringing, you know? Anyway, she gave me a whole 12-pack that had been sitting in her basement for a year+. I have my doubts, but the bottles are brown and the box has been closed, so it has been in fairly optimal condition. Let's give 'er a go...

Appearance - I've got two bottles chilled and ready to go into a big A&W root beer float mug. Pours a slightly hazy straw color with a tint of orange. Despite a bouncy pour, very little head forms up and what does melts away pretty fast. There remains a scant cover on top which somehow defies the odds and stays awhile despite minimal beading from below. Some sudsy lacing around the mug handle, that's about it though.

Aroma - while forewarned of a possible skunk in these older bottles, these first two were fine. Sweet and diluted grain, maybe a touch vegetal but a very neutral smell for the most part, at least at these initial cold temperatures.

Taste - I wondered if this was really just another adjunct-laden macro knock-off with a misnomer for a title. As a Vienna lager, it can't really compare to my standard of Viennas, Sam Adams Boston Lager. But it is categorized here as a Marzen/OFest. 'Yeah right' was my initial thought pre-taste. It does, however, have a slight Marzeny taste that is passable. It's just a bare hint of toastiness and/or butteriness, mind you, but it's there. The buttery/diacetyl could even suggest a light ESB style, the beer needs more flavor to have an identity one way or the other. Some huskiness from the grain is there too, in the aftertaste primarily. A late drying and touch of bitterness along with a mild vegetal flavor. The flavors are well below par on volume but what registers ain't bad. A budget OFest? Could eke out another half-point if fresh, probably a reasonably flavorful beer on tap.

Mouthfeel - an element of smoothness, whether that's from a slight diacetyl effect or not I can't tell. It's not enough flavorwise to suspect a defect, so I consider it an asset here. Evenly carbonated and an average body, good levels for the style.

Drinkability - for a beer that's been sitting in a Cleveland basement for a year or more, I'm impressed. Kudos to Molson for brown bottles and light-blocking boxes, eh? I was initially struck that this reminded me in a distant way of a bottle of Avery Samael, a 14.5% monster I had last night. Obviously there is a world of difference, but the grain sweetness has a similarity that just made me think of it. This is like an "OFest Extra Light". I' m happy to have received a half-case of these and hope my return toss of a Young's Double Chocolate 4-pack will be equally enjoyed (you *know* it will...hell yeah!). Here's to beer and the people that enjoy them. Thanks Lori! ;-)

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2007 02:48:33 | More by brewdlyhooked13

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

2.96/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

341ml bottle poured into pint glass 28/3/13

A clear straw yellow with plenty of bubbles feeding a surprisingly well sustained foam that ends up as a thin film leaving some random lace

S sweet corny malts, a little bubblegum and cotton candy and I'm not sure where that's coming from, metallic notes and everything's rather faint but unoffensive

T some purple candy and cracker on top of what I smell but with a little faint skunk

M thin but well carbonated, grainy aftertaste

O better then I thought but nothing special, just another macro lager

I'll admit I thought this would be a drain pour but it wasn't that bad, it wasn't that good either but drinkable

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 02:20:00 | More by wordemupg

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

3.08/5  rDev +23.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

355 mL can from TBS. #2 in my series of cheap lager reviews that I am only doing because of the embarrassingly limited selection in this town. I've been a little curious about this stuff for a while because of its long history, but convincing myself to buy a 12-pack (the only format I've been able to find until now) just wasn't going to happen. A six-pack seemed fair though, given the lack of other options.

Pours a golden-yellow colour; a bit deeper in hue than most AALs, but in the grand scheme of things, still fairly pale. Two fingers of frothy, pearl-white head erupts at the surface, but vanishes quickly over the next minute, leaving behind nothing but a filmy cap and soapy collar. The aroma is muted and completely uninteresting, but to be fair it's not bad for the style - pale grainy malts, corn husk and a vague whisper of weedy hops. Not off-putting, at least.

Actually, this stuff really isn't so bad - it's a little sweeter than a lot of adjunct beers, but not in the usual sickly, corn-syrupy way. Don't get me wrong - there is obviously adjunct filler in here, but it is supported nicely with a pale grainy flavour and a light honey sweetness. The lack of any sort of hop presence prevents this from being significantly above average, though. At least it finishes cleanly, without any of those nasty vegetal, cardboard notes I sometimes find in cheap lagers. Light-bodied and fairly watery, with slightly less carbonation than most of Molson's flagship brands. This definitely tones down the bloat factor, and makes it easier to drink in large quantities.

I find it a little hilarious (and unsurprising) that one of Molson's best pale lagers is one with a recipe that originates from a completely different company. Reminds me a little of Foster's, another adjunct lager I don't mind drinking on occasion. Both of them are what I consider 'old guy beers' - a little more flavourful than average, easy to drink en masse, and consumed primarily by blue-haired people who pine for the good old days.

Final Grade: 3.08, a C+. Old Vienna is a decent adjunct lager that really doesn't deserve its legendary nickname. As far as Molson brands go, it's probably in the upper tier (excluding their pseudo-craft stuff like Rickard's) - and as a bonus, the price isn't too bad either. If I had to choose between this and Canadian, it would be a tossup. If you're looking for something a bit sweeter than Canadian with a clean finish, this stuff is probably worth a shot, but I think it's safe to say this isn't the kind of beer most BAs are going to be terribly satisfied with.

Serving type: can

09-11-2012 22:46:46 | More by thehyperduck

Shiloh

Ontario (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev +34.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is slightly better than average for a Canadian beer. All aspects of this brew meet criteria with one exception...Where's the Head??? Appearance is weak due to the fact that it looks like apple juice. Put two fingers of lasting foam on this puppy and you have a contender.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2002 21:32:53 | More by Shiloh