Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR) - Pabst Brewing Company

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.1/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This review is part of Macro Smackdown X, in which this can of Pabst Blue Ribbon will be going up against its brewery stablemate, Stroh's. PBR has the distinction of being the first beer I ever drank. The summer I was 13, my friend stole a can out of his dad's basement fridge. We rode our bikes up to the local Little League field and drank it in the dugout. I remember that I didn't think much of it then and I'm pretty sure that I haven't had it since. Decades later...

Perfectly clear yellow-gold, a lighter and brighter version of Stroh's. I like darker, richer looking macro lagers so I'll have to give a very slight edge to the other beer. The head is where this beer really shines though. It's bright white, lightly creamy and sticky enough to leave a respectable amount of watery, sudsy lace. Overall appearance edge to PBR.

I've smelled them both multiple times now and my conclusion is that they might as well be the same beer. In addition to the usual graininess of the malt, the hops have a mildly pleasant fruitiness to go along with their usual muskiness. I hope that I'm able to discern some difference on the palate.

There's very little difference between the flavor of the Stroh's and the flavor of this beer. I can tell that I'm drinking two different beers, but I'm not sure why they taste different. I think it comes down to the fact that the Stroh's is (very) slightly more sweet and the PBR is (very) slightly more hoppy. I like them equally however.

Again, there isn't a dime's worth of difference in terms of body/mouthfeel. There is, however, a nickel's worth of difference. The Pabst has an ever so slight edge in terms of heft and is slightly creamier as well. It's just enough to earn a better score.

Both Stroh's and PBR have come through with flying colors in the tenth iteration of the MacSmack series. It's a shame that there has to be a loser. By virtue of its superior head and slightly creamier mouthfeel, Pabst Blue Ribbon takes the much-coveted crown. Really though, either one of these venerable American beers would be a good choice for reliving the good old days of one's youth.

Serving type: can

07-01-2006 12:47:56 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.65/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ok, so I was at Hooters and had to drink something, had never, and I mean that never had a PBR, so what the hell. was actually very impressed. Poured a dull, unremarkable pale golden yellow, lots of carbonation and a white fizzy head that faded immediatly. Smell was non descript and uneventful, nothing really to discuus to here. The taste was actually quite pleasent. Now dont get me wrong, it was not complex and full of flavor, but for the style it was superb. Light corn/grain taste, but mostly fizzy water. Very smooth and well carbonated and easily poundable all night long. I would have to say, hands down thi is the best Macro lager I have ever had, not that that is saying alot, but this was nnot actually that bad with some wings!

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2007 12:20:03 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

3.05/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

A: I usually just drink it from the can, but it's pale yellow with white foam.

S: The smell is not one of the finer points of PBR. It's got a slight grain smell to it and (surprisingly to some) a bit of hop character. However, it's also got a bit of a tinny/metallic twang to it.

T: A decent flavor of grain, which is a lot more than you can say for most American Light/Adjunct Lagers.

M: Very light and quite fizzy.

D: You can definitely put down a lot of them, and PBR is a lot better tasting than most beers in this style.

Serving type: can

08-15-2009 17:50:34 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev +16%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A:pours golden with a decent white head. Not too much carbonation.

S: grainy and slightly sweet.

T: sweet and grainy.actually has some taste.

M: medium-ish mouthfeel; definitely heavier than light beers.

D: drinkable. Much better than standard adjunct lagers.

Serving type: can

04-19-2009 03:40:45 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.2/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

16 oz. pint - $2.00 at Highlands Grill in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Clear, yellowish body with a thin, very short-lived, white head.

Smell: Very faint nose -- just a few hints of sweetish grain.

Taste: Sweet light pale malts with some creamy corn hints. Slight, slight graininess. A tad watery, as expected. Faint floral hops and bitterness. Finishes dry, clean, and crisp.

Mouthfeel: Light-bodied. Medium-plus carbonation.

Drinkability: Acceptable! A counter-culture classic that's super cheap and provides just a bit of flavor (without hittin' you up with foul flavors).

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2008 18:14:08 | More by ChainGangGuy

UCLABrewN84

California

3.43/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a crystal clear light yellow color with a 1 inch white head that fades to a film on the top of the beer. Small random spots of lace form on the glass on the drink down. Smells of corn flakes, sugar, and slight cooked veggies. Taste is of sweetened corn flakes and other grains. This beer has a high level of carbonation and is very crisp and clean in the mouth. Overall, this is a pretty good beer and my favorite macro beer I have tried thus far in my life. A nice go to beer when you are looking for something cheap.

Serving type: can

06-15-2011 16:30:30 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

1.5/5  rDev -50%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Can: Poured a very light yellow color beer with a medium white bubbly head with average retention. Aroma of corn and adjunct is not surprisingly dominating. Taste is as bland as it can be done with no aftertaste at all (which is probably the purpose but does not provide me with any satisfaction.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2006 18:07:14 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

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

01-02-09
Revisited this beer last night as I enjoyed some chicken wings and watched the football games at the local B-dub's.

This beer is picking up the pace in the Central Kentucky area since the In-Bev purchase of Anheuser Busch. The bar manager's take is that a lot of his Budweiser clientelle is put off by the acquisition and have turned to this American classic instead.

I actually think that this is a better beer than Bud. It has equal amout of pilsner malt flavor, but maybe a bit more robust if using less adjuncts. This beer also veers away from the acetaldahyde and sulftery flavors of Bud. Ceaner, bolder, and fresher make me a beleiver.

07-31-06

Went to pick up some beers to take to the lake and finally took up the recommendation from Kmpitz2 and purchased a sixer for the trip. The good thing about the beer is that there is nothing wrong with it. The look is a crystal clear and hightly carbonated canary yellow. Could have better head retetion. The flavors are grain, adjuncts, and vegetable-like. Nice tones of green apples and a light lemon-zest. Very light and playful in the body, with a very clean finish. A little dry and a little watery, but it is to be expected. Though there are no real standout characters, the flaws are what you'd expect for the style. Not bad stuff.

Serving type: can

07-31-2006 17:09:42 | More by BEERchitect

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

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

After drinking gallons and gallons of this on draft and in cans and bottles, I'm finally ready to give my review.

It has a nice appearance with a crystal-clear golden body and short head of creamy bright white froth that holds well and even leaves some nice lace.

The aroma, however, is not quite as shining an example of the brewer's art with a little bit too much yeasty sulphur and a distinct adjunct-laden malt sweetness. There are some very minor hops present in the background, but they're not really discernable.

It's crisp in the mouth with a medium-light body and median carbonation.

The flavor is as might be expected - "generic". The yeasty sulphur at least helps to balance the sweetness of the malt, although there is a decent amount of bitterness there. I'd call it firm. Not unlike its aroma, the flavor is also hop-challenged, and there's more sulphur in the finish than anything floral, spicy, or grassy.

It is, however, fairly cheap; and a throwback to what I used to think beer tasted like as a kid. Recommended? Not really, but you can do far worse!

Serving type: on-tap

06-25-2006 22:03:03 | More by NeroFiddled

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

2.17/5  rDev -27.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.5

I had been reading with interest the many newspaper and magazine articles relating the chic-ness that this lager enjoys within the cool and cultured set, and sought out to try one of these myself and find out if I can hang with the hipsters and quaff their brew. So I elbow-jabbed that mumbling, shaggy Bohemian-type, made off with his cold tall one, and absconded to a faraway booth in this desolate rock club, pen light in hand, to shine on my notebook as I search to divine the secrets of this mystical, magical beer.

Okay, I'm lying.
In truth, well, I'm a fraud. This is my beer. If I ever praised a beer before for it's flavor, taste, or character, well, that was bull. I don't think they should have anything to do with any beverage, especially beer. Yeah, if you ever catch me without a whole case of PBR in the fridge, I must be having a bad day.

I lie again. I sample this in the spirit of honoring that adage of not knocking it if you ain't tried it. Actually, I must have tried it at some point, but how could I remember? So, here we go...
Appearance: sickly pale yellow color, very clear, just the way beer is supposed to be, dammit! Head is bone-white, fluffy, and quite prodigious, slowly, softly setling.
Aroma: very spare, bone-dry, but not terrible. Typical plain lager-y smell, without skunk or trace of adjuncts. A bit of sweetness, too, just a bit.
Taste: wetness. Nothing. The nadir, nada. Zilch. If it exists at all, it comes and goes without saying hello. Actually, again, not BAD, per se, but not really anything, either.
Body, light as can be, texture, none, finish? F'geddaboudit!
Really, there's nothing to recommend and no pleasure to be found, if you a seeker of taste in any form.
I'll quote beer scribe Stephen Beaumont's #1 reason to drink PBR, from his webite:
"You just don't care anymore."
Time spent with this beer is time wasted indeed.
This does the opposite of what a beer should do, in that it makes me more thirsty! For a real beer!

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2003 09:47:58 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

3.18/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a pale gold color with a thick frothy white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is average. It has a crisp, pilsner malt and adjunct scent that's light and dry. The taste is decent. It has a smooth pilsner malt flavor that low on hops and clean in the finish. It's a warm weather brew, no doubt. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a low bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a highly drinkable beer. It's one of the only macro lagers I drink.

Serving type: can

05-25-2009 20:55:03 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

3.08/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Beer poured from a can into a pint glass. Beer is yellow and completely clear. Forms a thin white head of small bubbles and there is a lot of carbonation. No lacing.

A little sweet in the nose, smells a little of cereal grain or corn.

Medium to low body, there is a strong aftertaste, mild sweetness up front. Aftertaste negatively affects drinkability. Overall not as good as I remember.

Serving type: can

12-25-2009 21:34:30 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

2.53/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to bman1113vr for sharing this silver can of goodness.

The beer pours a very light yellow color with a white head. The aroma is not good with lots of corn and wheat. The flavor is full of adjuncts with tons of corn, rice and wheat. Overall the aroma and flavor are incredibly bland. Light mouthfeel and medium carbonation. This is a beer with nothing positive going on.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2010 02:01:40 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

3.23/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a 16 oz can into a glass. Straw yellow color. It had a descent head, but it didn't last long. It smelled grainy and of corn. It tasted very malty. The mouthfeel was dry. It's drinkable if you're looking to get a buzz.

It was better than I expected. Somehow I had never had PBR while I was a poor/college student beer guzzler. I had to try it and see how it tasted.

Serving type: can

05-29-2006 12:25:25 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

3.08/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: The beer is clear light yellow in color and has a moderate amount of carbonation. It poured with a finger high bright white head that died down but consistently left a thin head covering the surface.
S: There are moderately strong aromas of adjunct malts in the nose-corn seems to stand out in particular.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and has flavors of corn adjuncts and a light amount of bitterness.
M: It feels light-bodied (but not watery) on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is very easy to drink and has no offensive flavors. It's noting special, but pretty good when compared to other beers in the style.

Serving type: can

12-14-2012 02:45:16 | More by metter98

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

2.3/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 16oz. can into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep yellow color with a short white head that fades quickly and leaves a decent lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of light malts, corn, grain and a touch of hops.

T: The taste doesn’t seem to have much to it and contains mostly grain and corn. It has the usual macro sweetness but it’s very faint. The malt character is thin and there’s very little hops presence.

M: Smooth and a little crisp, light-to-medium body, medium carbonation, clean finish.

D: A little tasty, goes down ok, not too filling, it’s all right for an inexpensive beer but there are certainly much better beers out there even within the style.

Serving type: can

06-21-2007 00:57:19 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

2.9/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

An American Classic of a beer. Although this beer doesn't have very much to offer it's still standing the tests of time. This beer is you typical American style Lager with a Fizzy white head that fades into a flat yellow liquid. The mouthfeel isn't as light as a "light" beer but but it's not even close to being heavy either. This beer keep it simple.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2011 02:16:02 | More by Knapp85

Halcyondays

California

3.8/5  rDev +26.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

24 oz. tall-boy can,

A: Pours a typical, pale yellow lager colour, but the head is really nice and leaves some nice lacing in a pint glass.

S: Light, typical of a macro lager, but still more robust and has more substance than average, mainly of malt and corn.

T: A very good taste for a macro, a simple malt and corn flavour, with a hint of hops that's easy to drink.

M: Very good, again for a macro, medium-bodied, not over carbonated, creamy and smooth.

D: A great example of a macro lager, my favourite of the style so far, much better and tastier than BMC.

Serving type: can

10-11-2007 16:59:50 | More by Halcyondays

jwc215

New Jersey

3.13/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours straw yellow with a fizzy head that slowly descends to a wisp. A little lacing is left.

The smell is typical macro adjuncts with some grassiness thrown in.

Slick hops and a touch of alcohol are noticeable at first. There is also some sweet malt and subtle grass. A touch of corn is hinted at as the drink progresses. Water nearly dominates after awhile, but it's not as watery as many other macros.
It has a drying quality that cuts some of its refreshingness, but maintains some aftertaste.

For a very cheap macro, it could be much worse. I had a few of these at the pool in the heat on Sunday and found that I felt more like I was drinking beer than if I had many the big, more expensive macros. If you are in a place that allows only cans, you can do worse, especially for the price.

Serving type: can

09-18-2006 23:23:31 | More by jwc215

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

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

This beer pours a clear pale yellow colour, with a few fingers of puffy, soapy white head, that leaves no lace. It smells of slightly acrid white grain, and lightly skunked grassy hops. The taste is very mild rice/corn sweetness, and a tiny amount of grassy hops. The carbonation is a bit too high, the body so-so, but not bad, I guess, for the style, and it finishes off-dry, some mealy sweetness carrying on.

Better than any other adjunct lager that I've had from south of the border, but it still yet may be time to cut that ribbon already...

Serving type: can

07-02-2009 22:26:39 | More by biboergosum

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev +11%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

What is it about this beer. I'm not a dirty hipster and I can afford to drink better. But $1 PBR drafts come along and I can't help myself. It isn't much to look at and the smell is only sweet and grainy. But the taste is smooth with a touch of malt. As it warms the adjunct sweetness is a bit much for me, but for what it is, it aint bad. If they just put a little more hops in here we'd have a really decent beer. Alas.

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2007 04:58:48 | More by tempest

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3.03/5  rDev +1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Yeah, at 12.50 for a 30 pack of cans it's hard to beat this for a lawnmower macroswill selection. I prefer the bottles in overall taste, but poured out of the can this one has a very smooth creamy mouthfeel. Fizzy yellow with a frothy white going on, this beer is designed for people like me. In college and broke, so as far as aroma goes it's has a cereal grain adjunct based aroma but it's actually not that bad kind of pleasant in fact. I can definitely get down with this beer, for it's taste, price, and flavor can't go wrong. Taste is sweet with some balancing hop bitterness to create one of the best shittiest beers in the world. An American classic that is designed to be drank in high capacity.

Serving type: can

04-29-2003 12:57:30 | More by WVbeergeek

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a very clear yellow gold with a thin white head. Nose is grainy and smells like pee. Flavor is actually quite smooth. Slight sweet tone. Grainy kind of earthy tone. Feel has a thick carbonation that really makes me burp. Liquid feel is typical. This is an easy drinking lager IMO. For what it is, I don't think you can go wrong with it.

Serving type: can

11-01-2008 16:45:40 | More by RblWthACoz

Wasatch

Utah

2.53/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a light yellow color, nice carbonation, small white head, with some sticky lacing left behind. The nose is malty, with some hops, slight caramel. The taste is slightly sweet, malty, slight hop note. Light body. Not drinkable, would not buy again.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2010 02:05:45 | More by Wasatch

jdhilt

New Hampshire

2.23/5  rDev -25.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Pours a four-fingered white head that quickly fades to a thin layer leaving some lace. Crystal clear, very pale amber color. Light carbonation and light bodied. Malty nose. Flavor is honey, very one-dimensional, hops are hidden, works as a lawn mower beer. $1.75 for a 12oz bottle from Barb's Beer Emporium Concord, NH.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2008 22:24:36 | More by jdhilt