Old Milwaukee Beer - Pabst Brewing Company

MikeAAL

Wisconsin

3.45/5  rDev +43.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

A lighter beer, that's good on price.

Light, pale straw color. Fizzy, very carbonated. The head doesn't last very long.

Mostly smells like hops.

The taste is almost all hops and carbonation, a little bitterness. Everyone complaims how bitter this beer is, but it's not that bad. I like bitters though.

Light, carbonated and fizzy.

It's a good beer, cheap price. If it's cold, it's very refreshing. I'll pick it up once in a while.

Serving type: can

02-08-2013 20:56:47 | More by MikeAAL

EricTheJew

Missouri

2.8/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I've been beer slummin' lately; trying out various cheap beers. $11.99 for a 24 pack of this stuff. This will end up being either and incredible value, or a case of you get what you pay for. How bad can a fifty cent beer be? I can still remember fifty cent draws, afterall.

Okay, I am rating this beer according to its style. It is an American adjunct lager, intended for the working masses who don't have much green to throw out for "quality" beer. The first thing, serve this cold. Second, drink it from the can. The smell can be off putting if you pour it into a glass; sour grassiness mixed with a faint odor of...pee? As long as you drink it from the can so that you don't involve the olfactory organ, it's okay.

I was actually surprised by this beer. Rather than being a flavorless, watered down version of something claiming to be beer, it actually had flavor. Not great flavor, mind you. But flavor. It tasted of sweet grain with just a tad (a tad, mind you) of hops. The finish was nothing to get excited about; very short, but very dry. High amount of carbonation gives the illusion of more mouthfeel than is actually present. Served cold, it is very refreshing.

Overall, this is a nice beer, given its low price. I'm not a huge fan of this style of beer, but when I do drink it, I don't want to pay a lot of money for it. Lawn mower beer, yard beer, whatever you want to call it, it has its place. Old Milwaukee, served up cold, is a nice refreshing lager at a great price. When do you buy it? When it's on sale, and you've got a cookout that necessitates a large quantity of beer. Overall, very average,but sometimes that's all you need. Why eat steak when a burger will do?

This

Serving type: can

01-25-2013 03:48:14 | More by EricTheJew

Bertman

Florida

3.2/5  rDev +33.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

we had this the other night at our beer tasting club for our great american beer. it was offered in a blind taste test and overall it was recieved well. our goal is to get peolpe to try these old classics and not be detered by public opinion or the advertisment of big beer companies.

and if i recall this beer won 5 gold medals from 2003 - 2007 at the great american beer festival?

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 20:39:39 | More by Bertman

Tomhet

Illinois

2.23/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Cheap swill my friend unexpectedly brought by when picking up a CD he left during a previous night of heavy metal and drunken revelry. Appearance is clear golden straw with no head; I can actually see the label of the book behind it through the glass, haha. Smell is nonexistent; maybe a little bit of corn and adjunct grains. At least it doesn't have the dirty crotch smell of shit like Bud Light.

Tastes like corn and water, just like all of the other unexciting American macrolagers. Surprisingly, the carbonation is somewhat subdued in comparison to other adjunct pale lagers, and I kind of wish it wasn't. Mouthfeel is incredibly slick. This is bad, but not horrible, especially for the price.

Serving type: can

01-06-2013 06:47:00 | More by Tomhet

Darkmagus82

Montana

2.78/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from can into a pint glass

Appearance – Pours a straw color with a big billowy white head. The head has a pretty good level of retention, slowly fading to give a quite nice level of lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The smell is a mix of corn sweetness, some grainy aromas as well as a light citrus hop smell.

Taste – The taste begins with a grainy smell mixed with flavors of a corn and rice. While lightly sweet initially, some more sweetness comes to the tongue more toward the middle of the taste. At the end of the taste a light citrus hop and a tiny bit of paper flavors comes to the tongue giving a rather simple and mild, but mostly clean (beyond the light paper taste) and crisp flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is quite light in terms of its creaminess with a carbonation level that is rather high. The light body and the higher carbonation level are very fitting for the simple flavors and crispness of the brew, accentuating the drinkability of the brew.

Overall – Simple and highly drinkable with no highly offensive off flavors. With its cheap price, it makes for a decent party/session brew.

Serving type: can

12-31-2012 03:32:46 | More by Darkmagus82

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.35/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Served in an Ohio State shaker pint glass.

Hoping to finish this Spelunky spree soon, as one can only take so much death before it starts to grate... Anyway, this stuff pours a clear pale sallow topped by a finger of white foam. The nose comprises corn, wheat, and light grass. The taste brings in more of the same, with some added sweet corn and some funkier wheat. The body is a hefty-leaning light, with a light moderate carbonation and a watery feel. Overall, a pretty sad little adjunct lager, one that hardly seems suitable for drinking on its own without some effort (read: beer ping and the like). Oh well, back to dying pathetically and not learning from my mistakes...*drink*...

Serving type: can

12-27-2012 15:50:09 | More by TMoney2591

ilovemacros

4.23/5  rDev +76.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Why didnt I try this sooner. I guess I listened to the stereotypes about this beer. Picked up 2 6-packs of the 16 oz. variety at Wal-Mart in San Antonio. It was only $3.45 a 6-pack. well worth every penny. i should have bought more. We dont have it in my lil hole in the wall town. It goes down so smoothly. Has a hint of a sweet taste to it. I will definitely buy this the next time I head to S.A.

Serving type: can

12-20-2012 04:16:36 | More by ilovemacros

StonedTrippin

Colorado

2.38/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

pretty rotten gear here, but still better than some crappy 30 pack stuff. pours pale and yellow, but who pours an old milwaukee right? this is a right out of the can product for sure. it smells a tad metallic, but mostly just watery, not much of a nose at all, which i guess is better than a repulsive aroma. boring. the flavor is about as exciting as the nose, maybe a touch of pale pale malt, but thats about it. this is flavored water to me, but the feel isnt horrible, great carbonation, maybe even too much, and a real light body. very drinkable if you like, but dont plan on getting drunk on this stuff and feeling very good. not bad when its freezing cold, but i will never ever ever buy this.

Serving type: can

11-23-2012 22:03:21 | More by StonedTrippin

SometimesIfart

Michigan

2.03/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Poured from a bottle into a lager glass.

A - Pours a transparent yellow with a monster sized bubbly white head, standing four finger's in height.

S = Strong corn adjunct and sour grains. That's about it.

T - Strong rice adjunct. That's it. At least it tastes like something!.

M - Mouthfeel adds a slight cooked corn flavor and nothing more. Heavy carbonation, and an odd stickiness upon the tongue.

O - Overall, it's a cheap beer. Not impressive, but much better than that wrongly marketed flavored water know as Stroh's. But, it definitely doesn't hold up to it's lables claim as " America's best tasting beer ".

Serving type: can

09-04-2012 05:43:41 | More by SometimesIfart

emerge077

Illinois

2.38/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

That's that Old Milwaukee. I just finished myself an Old Milwaukee. o_O http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUc5ZWAsLPo

AMERICAS BEST TASTING BEER™ ...lol.

Not getting much of that "insane lacing" you hear about on the internet from the experts. Looks like any other cheap swill... pale anemic urine gold, racing streams of carbonation, feeble broken skim on the surface.

Smells faintly like tea and crackers.

Tastes bland and insipid, like soggy saltines and watery tea. Astringent feel (not bitter, so many confuse the two) with a carbonic bite from high CO2 levels. If you want to get bloated, here is the beer for you. Not something i'm inclined to finish, especially as it warms up in the summer heat. Best thing going for it is the nostalgia/throwback brand appeal and the Will Ferrell commercials.

Serving type: can

08-06-2012 23:06:05 | More by emerge077

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

2.9/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Serving type: 12-ounce can. The freshness date on the bottom of the can is “SEPT 03 12.”

Appearance: Poured into a pilsner glass. The color is light straw. It is not too light to be suspect but has a decent color for an adjunct lager. About a finger of light, white, fluffy head dissipated to leave a ring around the edge and some streaks of lacing.

Smell: Light grains and sake-like rice adjunct. (It has that recycling-container-full-of-empties smell fresh from the can!) A little bit of lemon sneaks in, as well as some grassy hops.

Taste: Much like the smell, it offers light grains and sake-like rice. It is pretty sweet and has a little lemon touch. There is enough grassy hops to make it taste like a beer.

Drinkability: Though a little sweet for my taste (in regards to adjuncts) it is not bad. I would definitely buy this again for a camping trip.

Serving type: can

06-29-2012 03:58:14 | More by TheQuietMan22

acevenom

Louisiana

3.88/5  rDev +61.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was an old favorite of mine because I used to purchase six packs of Old Milwaukee or Old Milwaukee Light after I turned 21. I liked it more than some of the other adjunct lagers at the time, but I haven't had this beer in years. The can says, "America's Best Tasting Beer." I liked this beer a lot when I was younger, but I'm going to review this as if I had this for the first time. Let's see if this lives up to the slogan.

Poured into an Old Milwaukee chalice. Pours pale yellow with a two-finger length white head that quickly dissipears. A small amoung lacing remains on the top of the beer with a thin white ring around the side after the head recedes. Very little lacing is left alongside the glass during consumption and the cap atop the beer disappears. However, that ring of lacing on the side of the glass atop the beer remains throughout consumption. There are a lot of bubbles visible rising from the bottom of the glass. This looks like the typical adjunct lager. There are aromas of barley malt, maybe a little corn and some hops. The smell conjures up memories of Schlitz, which is only natural because this beer was the budget alternative to Schlitz. The aroma is mild, but still pleasing.

The taste is bready from the malt and that flavor comes through very well. There is some sweetness in the background from the corn and the hop flavor is very mild. It has a little bite to it that you don't get with BMC, but it's not quite as strong as Schlitz. It is very clean tasting and well balanced. The flavor is excellent. The body is light and the mouthfeel is watery. The finish is crisp and dry, which is typical of adjunct lagers. It's very easy to drink like you would expect from an adjunct lager. It's very refreshing.

It's pretty easy to understand why this beer wins gold medals when you try it. It is a solid beer with good flavor and it is also very refreshing. This is a very good beer. If you are looking for an adjunct lager on a budget, but also want some flavor, you can never go wrong with Old Milwaukee. It may not be America's best tasting beer, but it is a very good beer.

Serving type: can

04-27-2012 22:54:34 | More by acevenom

adjunctjonez

3/5  rDev +25%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Old Mill was as staple of the 70s and 80s. Everyone knows it simply "dont get no better than this", and if you can appreciate the grammar, you can appreciate old swill. In my area old milwaukee is only carried in one grocery and offered in 6 pack tallboy form only. The appearance is light straw colored, paler than either schlitz or pabst (old swill owned by pabst, sub-brewed by miller) with large white head that fizzes away. Surprisingly some lacing is left in the glass. The smell is rather neutral to weak, generic grains is about it, nothing offensive but nothing of note. Taste is similar, a bit weak with slight bitter, a cardboard papery taste as well. Mouthfeel is crispy and dry, is drinkable. Overall old swill is superior to other budget brands like natty, keystone, busch, etc but schlitz gusto is way better for slightly higher price.

Serving type: can

04-20-2012 13:38:41 | More by adjunctjonez

startreker

North Carolina

3.73/5  rDev +55.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

No need to rate the appearance, as I drank it straight from the can. Before I review this beer, its been interesting for me reading about so many different beers, and how they rate on this site. One person may rate a beer close to a 5, and following that rating could be a 2 or lower. It truly does show, that taste is truly subjective. In other words, one mans paradise, can be another mans garbage indeed.

As much as I love a good craft beer, Samuel Adams being my all time favorite, closely followed by Highlands Gaelic Ale, Ive been searching for something that when funds are low, would make for a good go to beer. Genesee beer, is one that fit the bill for me (pardon the pun) But now Ive had the pleasure of trying Old Milwaukee. So now for my review.

S. Grains upfront, sort of sweet smelling. Not offensive at all.

T. Definitely what one would expect from a macro, and thats what I expected. Cereal grains, however a very nice malty taste as well. I realy enjoy the flavor of this versus a Budweiser, Miller, as this has much more of a bite with more flavor then the aforementioned.

M. Medium carbonation, not bland or watery but just right.

O. If anyone is feeling the pinch of how expensive things are getting these days, wich Im sure alot of folks are. I recommend giving Old Milwaukee a try. Its quite refreshing and quenching, a great working mans beer sure to satisfy!!

Serving type: can

04-17-2012 22:26:30 | More by startreker

ElCommodoro

Texas

4.38/5  rDev +82.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I enjoyed this one straight out of the can, the way it's meant to be enjoyed, so no appearance notes here. Smell is grains and corn syrup. Very pleasant though. It has a delicious "old man beer" smell. On the sweet side, for sure.
Taste is classic "old man beer." Which is a term I use to refer to a that taste that is present in many of the older beer labels that got bought up by Pabst. I honestly enjoy that "old man beer" style. It's refreshing and cheap and way more enjoyable that most of BMC's shit. This is no different, except surprisingly one of the best I've had. It's a perfect classic. It's EXACTLY what I want when I look at the can. It may not be fancy, but it is just so positively dead-on-target for what I'm looking for in a cheap adjunct lager. And it's cheap as all hell, too. This may be a new frontrunner for the "best beer for your money," which is important to me. I like to spend money on fancy over-priced beers when I have it, but nothing is more important to me in a beer than economy x quality. Either of those alone is fairly useless information to me. This has tied Big Flats and Schlitz Gusto for economy x quality. It's not amazing, but it's a lot better than you'd expect at $8.41 for a 12-pack.

Back to more useful tasting notes though:
It's got all that delicious wet grain and corn syrup flavour that was on the nose, but it's not as sweet as the smell would suggest. It's really fairly dry. And as obviously cheap as the flavour is, it's really just indescribably pleasant. It's hard to put into words. The ingredients just taste good and natural. It doesn't have any weird flavours you don't want in there like Budweiser, Coors, MGD, or any light beer. It's just a regular old, easy-drinking beer-man's beer. Well, impoverished beer man, anyway. This is quite possibly the best ADJUNCT lager I've ever had, not including higher alcohol brews like euro strong lagers. It may be the only adjunct lager I need to buy from now on, but I will keep trying new ones when I find them. This one is so damn cheap, though.

Serving type: can

04-07-2012 06:38:06 | More by ElCommodoro

Douberd

Netherlands

2.68/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Reviewed from notes.

Can 710 ml, ABV 4.6%
I bought this in Mexico, at a local Walmart. The head of this beer is ridiculous, most of my glass was full of it, no matter how softly I was pouring it or the amgle. Light yellow colour.
Aroma is sweet and fruity, I am thinking apples or maybe is the corn syrup.Taste is also fruity sweet, pleasantly drinkable after all the head has finally gone off.Very thin on the body, almost watery, not much carbonation.

Serving type: can

03-27-2012 15:55:32 | More by Douberd

JoLight

Georgia

3.73/5  rDev +55.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very light straw colored body and a stark white soapy head, which retains as a small ring of foam.

The aroma reminds me a lot of Pabst, but less sweet and less hops - more adjuncts. But nothing off-putting or unpleasant. A very original, pleasant beer aroma.

For the taste, you get clean and carbonated water with a bite, then a generalized graininess from the corn; and short after that, you get some barley malt white breadiness, with a sweetness that does not linger or stick out much. And soon after comes the grassy hop bite, which is soon cleansed from your palate as soon as it hits.

There is no after taste to speak of. The flavor it pretty bold, and reminds me almost exactly of Pabst Blue Ribbon, except the barley malt is less present, with no bready after taste, and the hops have a little less character.

The finish is super dry, clean, crisp, refreshing.

I seriously doubt that if I hadn't seen the price, I would not have known this was a budget beer. This is much bolder, more flavorful, rich, and delicate than say, Miller High Life or Milwaukee's Best Premium.

Even though I would buy Pabst over this, I still think it is a very fine beer, and should continue to be available to anyone.

Serving type: can

01-15-2012 20:43:01 | More by JoLight

secondtooth

Indiana

3.43/5  rDev +42.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a pale yellow, with a huge head of carbonation. Boasts of a large and detailed crown of lace, even. Delightful.

Nose is creamy and malty, very corn and barley-oriented. Hops presence is negligible at best. Fairly average.

Taste is sweet and adjunct but balanced. Very thin and easy to drink. Still, pretty well your typical adjunct lager, but a perfectly acceptable one.

Serving type: can

12-24-2011 19:23:18 | More by secondtooth

MirkoCroCough

Croatia (Hrvatska)

3.5/5  rDev +45.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pounder can into pint glass.

Looks like beer. Clear and light gold.

Not bad. Malty and a whiff of alcohol. Beer smell.

Good. Not sugary or corny, just a muted beer flavor.

Nice carbonation. Not too much or little.

Very decent. Like a slightly boozier High Life but with less corn flavor and more malts. Absolutely worth the $18 for a flat of pounders.

Serving type: can

12-23-2011 05:55:27 | More by MirkoCroCough

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

2.55/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 12oz. can into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a very light gold color with a short white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is very faint but contains light malts, adjuncts and the slightest hint of hops.

T: The taste starts out with bready flavors of adjuncts and a thin malt character followed by a mild sweetness. The hops presence is extremely mild even for the style. The after-taste is slightly bready and slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and a little smooth, light body, medium carbonation, finish is clean.

D: Poundable but not very flavorful, goes down easily and not too filling since there isn’t much to the beer, mild kick, it’s very typical of the style but there are better inexpensive beers out there.

Serving type: can

12-14-2011 00:59:47 | More by TheManiacalOne

Treath

California

3.93/5  rDev +63.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Golden yellow, with a big frothy head that dissipates but leaves a slight layer of foam. Leaves a bit of lacing.

S- Smells kind of tinny and slightly of alcohol if sniffed heavily.

T- Corn, malt, slight tin, No Bitterness. Finishes very clean with some aftertaste of corn cobs.

M- Watery, thin, bubbly. Very easy to drink.

O- Overall, it's a good beer when it's very hot outside or if you want a beer that goes down easily. Pretty good for a AAL.
No hangover.

Serving type: can

11-11-2011 19:49:15 | More by Treath

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

2.48/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

473ml Can

Appearance – Clear light yellow colour with an average size fizzy white coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there is some fair lacing. The head lasted for around 4 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Grains, bread, corn, malts

Taste & Mouth - The beer has an average amount of carbonation. I can taste malts, bread/grains, and corn. There is also a bit of a corn syrup or apple sweetness. It ends with a grainy corn syrup slightly sweet aftertaste.

Overall – Nothing offensive and yet nothing memorable. I suppose it's decent for the price, but nothing I would revisit any time soon.

Serving type: can

10-31-2011 16:02:40 | More by spinrsx

Jerone

Florida

2.65/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Straw and gold color with a quickly fading head and lots of bubbles. Smell is of grain, corn and some grass. Taste is okay, with sweet grains and a bit of malt. Mouthfeel is light with lots of carbonation. Not my favorite, but would do at a party or a camping trip. Nothing bad at all about, just nothing that makes me wanna come back to it.

Serving type: can

10-20-2011 21:34:40 | More by Jerone

mempath

Pennsylvania

2.98/5  rDev +24.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

for what it is and after YEARS since i had any and ALL those stellar real brews i've had, wow, it looks more than decent. big head that laces quite nicely and complexly. looks good just sitting there. it's a deeper straw color than many macros...actually looks better than the 'new' Schlitz gusto formula...so sure, i'm going through a bad retro phase (in other words, fasting on this and PBR and the like until the first day of Autumn when i start my own oktoberfest....)!

smell is....thankfully more like some sort of warehouse packing foam instead of corn...or canned veggies...if the warehouse was an acre away. nothing special. or horrendous.

taste is a solid AVERAGE....not too sweet, but i'd rather it not be sweet at all (go try Schlitz 60's formula!)...but pleasant enough and i am sure tastier after riding my rigid 29er singlespeed for 3 hours this weekend...mouthfeel is pretty neutral. not sure if counts for a beer like this....

overall, i think in longneck this would be a bit better. super cold on a summer day...late summer can poured into a tulip doesn't quite cut it, but then, i should've had the DFH punkin ale after not before i had this....

Serving type: can

09-21-2011 22:55:43 | More by mempath

Converge

Alberta (Canada)

2.5/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

355ml can poured into a 16oz pint glass.
Can is pretty dinged up, but it did come out of a shopping cart full of singles...

A - Big effervescent head. Fizzles out in no time. Transparent golden-yellow.

S - A lot of sweet grains and some skunk. Really tame.

T - Flat, musty grain. Not terrible, just really one dimensional. There's really nothing else going on here.

M - Fairly light feeling body, with medium carbonation. Once again, not a lot else to say.

D - Overall not terrible for the style, but not a great beer overall. Maybe I'll remember it next time I need to find 24 of something cheap.

Serving type: can

08-20-2011 10:09:45 | More by Converge