Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR) - Pabst Brewing Company

Pries

4.98/5  rDev +66%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I've had beer on the World Beer Tour & many great brews, but Pabst Blue Ribbon will always be my favorite beer. It's full of a yummy crisp taste with only the finest of hops & grains with a patriotic appearance, a genuine decent price in liquor establishments & when you drink it you can feel the pride of Milwaukee in your mouth.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 01:31:17 | More by Pries

davidsumner

3.18/5  rDev +6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

PBR is harder to find on the East Coast where I live; I can only find it in some grocery stores. But I always try to keep a 12'r in my beer fridge at home.

Let's face it, I'm a beer drinker ( meaning that I drink beer every day ) and I don't want to spend a lot. So when I'm just kick'n around the house, I opt for a cheaper, lighter ABV beer.

PBR fills this bill perfectly for me. I'm a German pils/lager drinker. But I also grew up in Texas with Budweiser and Corona. So the slight Corn syrup taste in PBR doesn't bother me.

PBR is a good tasting beer, but at the end of the day, all and all, it is what it is. It's cheep because it uses less ingredients and therefore it's pretty bland and uneventful. But, it's a great session beer, even though it does give me a little head ache if I drink too much. It has a very clean, slightly dry finish. It's not very gassy at all. It's a good plain, hot day, refreshing beverage.

With saying that though, when it comes time to enjoy something better at dinner time; I leave the PBR in the fridge.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 16:18:35 | More by davidsumner

LWG1970

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev +29.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I like this a little better than Schlitz, because it's easier to find and its about $2.50 cheaper, and taste a little better.

Color-Nice golden yellow
Smell-VERY clean sweet beer smell
Taste- nice balance of Bitter to sweet, very smooth

Overall- My 12 pack of bottles was $7.49 at Kroger, it was NOT past the date on the bottle, (Something that is COMMON for pabst products in my area). I really Enjoyed this American Classic.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 02:39:09 | More by LWG1970

mrfrancis

Kentucky

3.1/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Pours a clear gold with a thin, fizzy white head that quickly settles into a ring of white lace. Compared to many American adjunct lagers, the head retention is pretty good.

S: Typical of the style, PBR is bland and inoffensive. Subtle aromas of grain husks, grass, lemon, and minerals are just barely detectable on the nose.

T: Compared to many other macro lagers, this is pretty tasty. Notes of lemon, grass, hay, straw, chalk, minerals, and grain husks wash across the palate. The finish is fleeting with a combination of grain and lemon notes.

M: Light-bodied, but somewhat heavier and fuller than many adjunct-laden lagers. Carbonation is very heavy, resulting in a bloating, but more filling and substantial beverage.

O: For the style, PBR is pretty hard to beat. It may not be exciting or interesting, and it certainly is nowhere near complex, but this is a solid, simple beer than one can return to time and time again. It's definitely better and more satisfying than the likes of Bud, Miller, and Coors.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 19:39:39 | More by mrfrancis

LittleCreature

Australia

3.35/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - 2.5
Pours a centimetre of dense white foam which quickly receded to a thin layer over a clear, pale straw coloured body.

Smell - 3.0
Light aroma of corn, powdery husk and a trace of grassy hops.

Taste - 3.5
Not a lot going on flavour-wise, but nothing offensive either. Light grainy, husky malt flavour, corn(?) and lightly grassy hops. Finishes with a pleasant, slightly bitter lingering finish.

Mouthfeel - 3.5
Light bodied and moderately carbonated.

Overall - 3.5
A fairly to-the-book adjunct lager with no nasty surprises.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 07:58:52 | More by LittleCreature

PossumMunsen31

Wisconsin

2/5  rDev -33.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

I like everything about this beer except the way it tastes. Bottle or can appearance is in my top three for all time. Made in Wisconsin, originally, check. My dad drank it at the cabin, also in Wisconsin, when I was growing up. It just doesn't tast that good. I hate to admit it but its true. It is a decent lager if you don't have too many other options.

Nevertheless...PBR me ASAP !

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 21:26:58 | More by PossumMunsen31

JohnBeerRun

Georgia

3/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This is a good cheap beer if you are on a tight budget and want a good clean american lager. The taste is better than your everyday bud light or natty.

It pours a mid yellow with a thin head.
The taste is a mild lager taste.
Overall this is a really good beer for the price.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 14:11:38 | More by JohnBeerRun

djbow

Maryland

2.38/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Clear, light golden with a thin white head that forms an dissipates quickly. Active bubbles abound

S: Light cooked grains and a trace of malt sweetness.

T: Corn, malt, and almost no hops.

M: Thin, watery, medium carbonation.

O: This is not a beer I would choose to drink. However, it is better that Bud, MGD, "Beast" and Miller.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 02:15:41 | More by djbow

oldirtycaffrey

Virginia

3.15/5  rDev +5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

If I'm feeling like just an american lager that's easy to drink, I'm going with PBR over Bud, Miller Lite, or (most certainly) Coors. This pours a straw yellow with a slight foamy head. No lacing on the glass. Smell is grainy, hints of corn and barley. Carbonation is just right to make this a really drinkable beer to have when washing down wings or a burger. Never really gave much thought to this beer prior to just a few weeks ago, but now glad I have a new "basic" beer to get when I'm getting a little burned out on deciding among different craft beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 20:52:27 | More by oldirtycaffrey

nrbw23

Ohio

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

1000th review and probably the first beer I've ever drank.

A- Pours a crystal clear gold color with a fairly thin white head. Head doesn't have a lot of retention and leaves a bit of layered lacing.

S- Smell is a bit of corn, rice, metallic, and a bit of hops.

T- Follows the nose pretty well. Quite a bit of grain and corn.

M- Light in body and a good amount of carbonation.

O- Nothing super exciting here by any means, but I'd take this one over any of the other macros.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 19:58:58 | More by nrbw23

MrKennedy

Australia

3.08/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12oz bottle from Purvis Beer, poured into a Mikkeller tulip.

Real light golden colour, very clear appearance, nearly to the point where i could read my calendar through it! White head of foam that depletes too fast.

Smell starts out as corn then evolves into rice runnings. Then a clean, dry grain smell emerges.

Tastes of grain, with some corn backing. Little bit of a hop finish. Later on the flavour of white-rice runnings emerges.

Mouthfeel is decent, the hop finish adds a bit of interest. Moderate body.

I've had plenty worse, especially for the style. Decent enough adjunct.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 08:03:12 | More by MrKennedy

kjritt

Colorado

2.88/5  rDev -4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

served from a bottle into a glass.

a. clear yellow with a thin white head which dissipates quickly. no lacing.

s. slighly metallic and grainy. college parties.

t. grainy with a bit of hop in the after taste.

m. watery and light. very refreshing no matter the season.

o. favorite of the yellow standard. a go to when i am simply in the mood to enjoy a good beer without having my taste buds challenged too much. even better because of the lack of awful gimmicks and hyper mass marketing. if only it were not so popular amongst hipsters i would be bolder about consuming in public. never shy in private though. quality.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 22:03:14 | More by kjritt

RossPeterson

Minnesota

3.18/5  rDev +6%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Straw colored, 3-finger head but no retention. Died before I could sip.

S - Nothing really stood out; Grains and malted hops. Staple beer smell overall.

T - Surprisingly suited for my tastes. Full-body for an adjunct with mild hops. If it makes sense, this was a "fresh" tasting beer with a clean finish.

M - Very thin and pretty watery, standard for adjuncts but very drinkable. Clean finish with a tint of metal...

O - #2 on my "Shit beer" list. If I need beer and I only have a few bucks, or I need to throw a party, this is one of my go-to beers. Surprisingly satisfactory and rightfully deserves a spot on the top adjuncts.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 09:13:34 | More by RossPeterson

vrbulldog22

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev +21%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The first beer i ever liked...
Appearance is extremely pale & see through. Is this well water?
Smells metallic (yup, it's well water..), slightly sweet, slightly yeasty.
Taste is slightly metallic, bits of corn, grain, kind of bitter in the finish. Kind of surprised at the amount of flavor for a macro.
Feels kinda watery, but smooth, kind of crisp.
Overall i enjoyed it. It remains my go-to cheap beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 22:07:57 | More by vrbulldog22

madeofsteel

Michigan

2.6/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A - Pours a pale straw color with about two fingers of head, some decent lacing but no retention.

S - Corn, slight booze. Not much going on at all, really.

T - Sweet, corn, slight malts. Mostly filler, and not really anything good. Kind of bitter finish.

M - Medium body and carbonation, watery.

O - To me, this epitomizes shitty American beer, the kind drank from coozies and sporting events and the like. Cheap. Not good. Honestly, if you're going for a cheap drunk, malt liquor is worlds better.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 04:25:18 | More by madeofsteel

Sachsenfreude

Germany

3.68/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

appearance; clear pale yellow with active carbonation and a nice white head theat dissipates to a thick film, leaving no lacing.

smell; some metallic, bitter hops with a solid malty backbone with a hint of sweet corn.

taste; not bad, pretty watery at first but some slick hops pop up, a little bit grainy with a solid malt finish. Some sweeter notes of corn in there blend nicely with the malts.

mouthfeel; very smooth and drinkable with a crisp finish. Cleanses the palate leaving little to no residual feeling on the palate.

overall; I must start by saying that I don't care much for this beer but considering the style, I am more than impressed...

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 02:50:54 | More by Sachsenfreude

kangarooAdam59

Maine

3.35/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Into a pint glass and a pilsener at different times (no change):

A: light yellow body with a small white head that quickly diminishes to barely nothing, no lacing

S: faint grains, light sweet corn syrup, no hops

T: sweet through previously mentioned flavors

M: light, sessionable, watery sweet aftertaste and finish

O: good for the style, decent to me, however, I admit I tend to have this one in the summer backyard BBQ, nothing like pourin' it over the pig roastin' over the firepit

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 23:27:19 | More by kangarooAdam59

shortbus7

Ohio

3.45/5  rDev +15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Hay yellow with a 1 finger white head.

S: Malt and corn.

T: Malt with a slight hint of hops. A little bit of corn.

M: Good amount of carbonation. Nice and crisp.

O: A very good macro, most likely the best one out there. There is always a few of these floating around in the back of the fridge.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 00:27:53 | More by shortbus7

kwc017

Arizona

3.83/5  rDev +27.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Hands down kills the other beers in it's price range and above. Just a great American lager. Grain, a bit of malt. Clean and refreshing. So much better than what the herd drinks. Do yourself a favor and grab a Blue Ribbon. The bottle is just freakin cool too. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 06:27:35 | More by kwc017

mostpoetsdo

Rhode Island

2.88/5  rDev -4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

"It's a whole different beer in a bottle!"

A: Pale, translucent yellow. White head vanishes as soon as it arrives.

S: Adjunct grain, steamed rice, old banana peels. Sour.

T: Has a sweet and sour grain-like taste to it. The bottle may have made this worse. Has a taffy meets corn taste.

M: Lots of carbonation, fairly light.

O/D: What's there to say? Stick to the cans. It's a different beer in a bottle: worse.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 15:33:23 | More by mostpoetsdo

rickyleepotts

Arizona

3/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer is an instant classic. I love that it is now associated with hipsters. I was having a conversation the other day with someone, and we were trying to build the perfect hipster. I said start with glasses… with no lenses. Then add skinny jeans, a flannel shirt, and a scruffy beard. Of course one hand needs a cigarette and the other a PBR. That is why I am SO happy that everywhere I go, whether online or in the 1001 Bottles book, I find hipsters being referenced. It just solidifies my point.

I have had this beer time and time again. I was initially worried that we wouldn’t be able to find it in a bottle. I have never seen it in a bottle, only cans. And most of the time it’s “tall boy” cans. Birdy’s Bar & Grill, one of my favorite live music venues, sells it and every time I am there I have to have one. It’s just the hipster thing to do!

(Please note that I am going to try a new style of writing these reviews. I will break down what it looks like in the glass, the smell (the nose on the beer), the mouthfeel, the flavor, and the after taste. I will then recap everything with a conclusion. Notice that I started this one with an introduction? Look for that in the future as well. So… here we go.)

In the Glass: In the glass, this looks like just another lager beer. Most lager beers, especially European lager beers, all tend to look the same. They have that crisp and clean apparel to them, and sit in the glass with a weak head and obvious carbonation. Nothing stands out on this beer while it sits there waiting to be sipped.

Nose: You get a TON of carbonation on the nose, and a lot of aroma. More aroma than expected for a beer that is so cheap. This beer is actually one of, if not the cheapest beer in production today. The bottle that we bought was less than $1! We bought this at the Liquor Barn while out of town for the weekend… anyway, moving on.

The aroma on this beer is exciting. It has a lot of corn character. As it sits there and I smell it, I can’t wait to taste it. (I say that having had this beer countless times before. Every time I have had it in the past, it has been based solely on the price. This time, however, I am taking the time to appreciate it.

Flavor: It’s not bad… it has a quick trip across the palate, and then settles on the back of your tongue for a second. This beer would obviously taste better the colder it is, and will in fact get gross as it heats up. I know that from personal experience. The flavors are solid, though, and once you get past that carbonation you are settled into a warm, malty character. It’s good, and one that you could drink a lot of.

Mouthfeel: Holy carbonation… this beer is packed with it from the get go. It doesn’t stand on your tongue for a long time, and as it slides down your throat it is light enough to not stick around into the aftertaste. It’s crisp, clean, and refreshing but that carbonation is almost enough to make me leave it on the shelf.

Aftertaste: The aftertaste is solid. That corn character… the malts continue throughout. It’s not a typical lager aftertaste, and it sticks around longer than expected. It’s enough to keep me going back for more.

PBR is cheap… it’s intended for hipsters… but I will order this all day long. I would prefer this over any other domestic beer you throw at me. Well done for such a cheap crappy beer. (I say crappy in the nicest way possible, and from the reputation that this beer has been given over the years.) Bottoms up people.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 18:33:55 | More by rickyleepotts

startreker

North Carolina

1.35/5  rDev -55%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

Im stunned that this beer has been getting decent reviews! I decided to give PBR a go When I was dead broke, and could afford little else. This is the only beer, I repeat, Only beer that has ever made me feel nauseated from the get go. Its also the only ever beer, that I ever poured down the sink, and felt sorry for the fish that were about to recieve it. I`d never drink it again even if I were facing poverty! Pours a pale straw color that I anticipated given that its a macro. Mouthfeel was below average. Drinkabilty simply felt horrible from the onset.

Avoid at all costs!

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2011 02:08:12 | More by startreker

barrenbane

Ohio

2.93/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: typical AAL appearance -- see-through golden, quickly dissipating head, and a decent amount of carbonation.

S: less corny than other "flagship" AAL brands. Grains and malt permeate the air.

T: once again, typical for its style. Has a generous amount of malt and grain, with negligible hints of corn.

M: nothing special here. Has a decent body for the style.

This is a good, less-expensive alternative to full-priced American lagers. If a bottle, pint, or can is $2 -- or less -- at a dive bar, I will usually drink one or two.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2011 00:52:54 | More by barrenbane

Sensaray

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a clear light golden color with a bubbly fizzly white head that dissipates quickly.

Smells like grains

A nice spice leads to a grainy corn taste that finishes with a crisp hop i guess. Sometimes a light light sweetness, not huge flavors but easy to drink

Smooth mouth, light body, somewhat dry close.

Overall very drinkable beer. I'll drink this when low on cash, or just outside, or anytime I just feel like drinking.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2011 00:27:35 | More by Sensaray

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

3.05/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Straight pour into a pilsner glass. The color is straw leaning toward gold. One finger of white head dissipated very quickly to leave a thin nebula shaped film in the center and a ring around the edge.

Smell: I cannot say I have ever taken the time to really study PBR, so here we go. Lightly (very lightly) toasted grains, a little barnyard hay, and corn. It also exhibits a hint of strawberry-perfumed-hair-burning-on-a-curling-iron.

Taste: The mouthfeel is crisp and clean. It has a nice, though slight, bite — one you would associate with a higher end adjunct. (Golly, Wilbur! There may actually be a few hops in there!). The flavors mostly mirror the scents: grains (though the light toast is absent), a little hay, and corn. Just as the smell, the taste also has a hint of strawberry-perfumed-hair-burning-on-a-curling-iron.

Drinkability: I like PBR, but it is what it is: an adjunct. There is nothing really special about it; it is just another mass produced, cost efficient American lager. But it is one of the better ones.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 04:12:02 | More by TheQuietMan22