Old Style - Pabst Brewing Company

mfnmbvp

Illinois

2.4/5  rDev -17%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12 oz. bottle, with a best by date of May 27, 2013. "New and improved" or the "original recipe" I don't know and I guess I don't really care. Shameful that I wasn't around to try this beer when it was first released, when it was probably brewed with some heart, soul, and better quality ingredients. Either way, I needed to break a ten dollar bill, so I was united with a $5.39 six pack of Pabst Old Style. The biggest revelation to me was probably that Old Style is actually a Pabst product, which I didn't know until last night. Without further ado...

Poured into a Firestone Walker pint glass.

A - Pours a half finger of quickly dissipating white fizz. Clear, pale, golden lager color. Pretty typical of the style. No lacing, but tons of thin streams of bubbles rushing to the top.

S - Smell is grainy. Corn. Wheat. Straw. Yeast. Some alcohol astringency.

T - Corn. Cereal grains. Kind of a corn syrupy sweetness, I guess it would be. Very crisp, clean, and light bodied. Light carbonation.

M - Feel is light, crisp, and clean. Slight sweetness lingering, but it doesn't taste offensive or harsh in any way.

Overall, a cheap, light bodied, easy sipping beer with a low 4.72% abv. Nothing remarkable, but nowhere near as offensive as some lesser examples of this style like Bud Light and Miller Lite. Haven't drank a Pabst Blue Ribbon in a while (waiting until I can buy it in bottles to review it) so I can't say how it compares, but I imagine they are around the same, Pabst Old Style being less hipster and less likely to be chosen as the alcohol delivery vehicle. Probably one of the more inoffensive of the cheap American adjunct lagers.

Pabst Old Style ---2.5/5

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 20:33:10 | More by mfnmbvp

Bosoxfan20

Oklahoma

3.34/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a clean, golden-yellow. Filtered. Not a whole lot of head. What little bit there is sticks around for just about 15-30 secs before dissipating. Great lacing

S- not a lot going on here. Typical of an AAL. Grainy aroma comes through. Some corn possibly. Some light malt.

T- Grain comes through much better on the taste than the smell. A medium amount of bitterness that doesn't last too long. A slightly dry, but smooth finish. No harsh tones like you normally have with adjunct lagers. Crisp and flavorful.

M- Very drinkable and refreshing. Light bodied.

O- One of the best macro brews on the market. Another good one by Pabst. There is a reason this is a classic "ballpark" beer. I guess they recently implemented a krausening process the last few years that helps the flavor. I can't speak for that since i did not try this beer prior to that process, but others seem to think it has made a big difference. Very enjoyable beer on a warm day. If you like adjunct american lagers (not my style but they serve their purpose), don't waste your time with bud, miller, or coors. Go with this bad boy.

Serving type: on-tap

03-11-2013 20:18:32 | More by Bosoxfan20

MikeAAL

Wisconsin

4.68/5  rDev +61.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This was my grandpa's favorite beer and now it's my favorite beer.

Poured into a mug, it has a pale, yellow, straw color. Light carbonation, mostly natural carbonation. A short head, that appears for about 15 seconds.

Not a lot of smell, but has a grainy smell and a little bit metallic. The alcohol kind of burns your nose, which I love.

You can taste grains, hops and some malt. A nice bitterness at the end.

Light Carbonation, one of the heavier American Adjunct Lagers in my opinion.

Very drinkable and it's my favorite. Tastes great and there's a lot of history behind this beer. I am definately bias when it comes to where the beer is made, because all the best beer is made in Wisconsin. "Think local. Drink local."

Serving type: can

02-08-2013 18:46:41 | More by MikeAAL

michiganminer

Michigan

4.13/5  rDev +42.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This was "dad's Beer" when I was growing up. I tried it in 08 I think, and Preferred Blatz it was crap. I recently started watching the show "Shameless" on Showtime where the family Drinks Old Style and researched it. Apparently Pabst is now "Krausening" the beer so I wanted to try it again.

I picked up a 6 pack of 12 oz. cans for $3.59 the first drink I knew this was something different. I am a Budweiser drinker and this instantly reminded me of Bud. it has great mouthfeel and no nasty aftertaste like the old cheap beer did. the cost has increased (18 pack was $7.99 in 08 and now it's $10) but still a good price for a good beer!

Serving type: can

11-22-2012 12:40:29 | More by michiganminer

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

2.6/5  rDev -10%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Serving type: 12-ounce can. Freshness date printed on the bottom is “SEPT 1712.”

Appearance: Poured into a pint glass. The color is light straw. Two fingers of fluffy, buttery, white head, dissipated quickly to leave a thin skim and ring around the edge.

Smell: Sake-like rice and maybe a little corn. There is light grassiness, husky funk, and some lemon zest. It is an adjunct — no doubt about that.

Taste: Not as sweet as I was expecting. It also lacks a lot of bite. (I should probably be drinking it out of the can, actually. I bet that would help a lot.) Frankly, it is very watered down and tastes a lot like a light adjunct. Rice, a little grass, and a tiny bit of lemon. As it warms it starts to pucker the cheeks with a little sweetness.

Drinkability: Instead of being cursed by a goat, I think the Cubs are cursed by Old Style. I am pretty disappointed. It does the job, but it lacks a lot of the bite and flavor I associate with classic beers like this.

Serving type: can

07-14-2012 03:30:04 | More by TheQuietMan22

NuclearDolphin

Minnesota

2.73/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a Pint Glass. Seeing as how this beer is found on every corner in Chicago, I took it upon myself to try it.

Appearance - Clear pale gold with surprisingly little carbonation. Pours a 2 finger head that quickly fizzes away.

Smell - Barley, Slight Hops, Cereal Grains, Malts, and a faint Veggie scent. For this style of lager, it's not half bad.

Taste - Grains, Over-Cooked Veggies, Yeasts, Malts with a bitter hoppy finish

Mouthfeel - Light Bodied with a strong carbonated feel to it. The best thing I can say about it is that it feels very crisp.

Overall - About what I was expecting for the $1.70 I got for this, and it's fairly non-offensive for this style of beer.

Serving type: can

07-01-2012 02:15:59 | More by NuclearDolphin

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

There's a lot of malty sweetness on this one. And even though it reminds me of Harar (from Ethiopia), I still feel like it's a bit too much when it comes down to it, but it's a just barely kinda thing. But still it's smooth, overall. Very little grain tones hit you, and when they do, it's much later on. For an adjunct, this isn't all that bad really. I mean, I doubt I'm going to run out and make it my standard, but for the experience and price, it's not too shabby.

Serving type: can

05-09-2012 05:27:20 | More by RblWthACoz

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.23/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from twenty four ounce tallboy can into a pint glass.

Pours a brilliantly clear golden yellow with a puffy white head of foam. Said head is short lived, and there is eventually nothing. See through. Smell is corn adjunct. Nothing special.

Taste is clean crisp easy drinking lager. Goes down smooth and creamy. Nice buzz in the mouthfeel. Tasty enough for a clean lager.

Hey, it's not remarkable - but it's easy drinking and good enough. Better than bmc for sure.

Serving type: can

04-19-2012 02:16:15 | More by KTCamm

rangerred

Tennessee

3.43/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

16oz can into a pint glass.

Pours a clear medium yellow with a fizzy white head. Actually some lacing with this one which surprised me.

Aroma has some corn but also some bready grain and grassy hops faintly resembling a german pilsner. Pretty good.

The flavor starts off with some light cooked vegetable and corn and is unfortunately not as good as the smell. Some faint hop flavor and a light bitterness coming forward about halfway through. Mouthfeel is watery.

Overall, this is a pretty good AAL. A lot more flavor than BMC and a nice, cheap option.

Serving type: can

04-14-2012 00:52:14 | More by rangerred

Arsenal11

Illinois

1.15/5  rDev -60.2%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Thought I would give this a try bscause I like PBR, big mistake this stuff is undrinkable I couldnt even make one bottle. Those saying this beer has no off flavors, I am not sure what they didnt taste bc this beer tastes like stale moldy corn and urine it is one of the most unpleasant beers I have ever tasted.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 16:51:30 | More by Arsenal11

Etan

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a pint can: "Authentically kraeusened."

A: I'm drinking it out of the can for this review but the last can I had I poured into a pint glass. Very pale yellow with a slight, bone-white head.

S: Relatively unpleasant grain. Slight alcohol.

T: Much better than the smell. Perfumy, sweet grain. The sweetness is a little corny. Ghost of hops, barely there. The grain taste is pleasant and big enough to escape wateriness.

M: Very low carbonation, but the body is slightly thicker than most AALs. Slightly. No alcohol.

O: Pabst makes some of the most tolerable AALs, including Old Style. The grain taste is just enough to make it worth it when it's very cold. Not that bad.

Serving type: can

02-11-2012 04:34:08 | More by Etan

boilermakerbrew

Indiana

2.73/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

$5 pitcher at Harry's in West Lafayette.

This is the Cubs' beer, so as a Reds fan, it's everything I despise. That being said, if you're looking for an adjunct lager to drink, it's not bad. Appearance is typical AAL....light golden, little head retention, and little lacing. Smell is all rice and other adjunct grains. Taste is pretty smooth, light, and all adjuncts. Nothing terrific here as far as cheap, shitty beers go, but better than Coors or Miller.

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2011 01:30:24 | More by boilermakerbrew

TTAmod

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

16 oz. can poured into pint glass.

This one is a midwest classic!

A: Clear yellow liquid and a thick, white head. Plenty of carbonation.

S: Honestly hard to get much of a smell out of it. A bit of grain and cereal.

T: Taste is thankfully better. Not offensive at all. Some cereal, grain husks, little bit of hop bite and some malts. When I'm drinking AALs, I'm looking for beers that are not offensive rather than groundbreaking, amazing taste. Many macros are just horrible, so the further away from horrible, the better.

M: Mouthfeel is actually thicker than you'd think.

O: There's something about this beer that makes it better than many other macros. Maybe it's the mouthfeel? Maybe it's the pleasant taste?

Go into any small town pub and you'll find Old Style in every one. A classic to have while chilling out and watching a football game or while at the ball park enjoying a hot dog.

One of the better macros out there.

Serving type: can

12-12-2011 05:42:11 | More by TTAmod

Shibbykaiyai

Michigan

3.35/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Nothing says summer baseball more than a can of Old Style. The beer is horrible on tap...and that is because that isn't the way that this beer is supposed to be served.

And for a non craft beer, it actually isn not all that bad. Taste is decent, goes down well, and is an easy beer to drink.

A very good summer beer. I would imagine most persons who are consulting beeradvocate might choose to go with a more expensive or refined beer, but for an American Style lager, it's pretty good.

Serving type: can

12-05-2011 04:13:52 | More by Shibbykaiyai

secondtooth

Indiana

3.38/5  rDev +17%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear, clean pale yellow in my glass, with a sizeable head of foam and only a hint of lace.

Nose is creamed corn with yeast. Mostly sweet and adjunct in feel.

Taste is creamy and sweetly malty, with a definite lack of hops presence. Really, a typical adjunct, though with much more flavor and character than it's big brother, PBR, or the bigger boys. A step above the aforementioned, but not outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 22:39:56 | More by secondtooth

brewyou2

Oklahoma

3.6/5  rDev +24.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

What can I say, it beats the hell out of Budweiser, Coors and all the other "frat" beers. Definitely my session beer of choice. I love the richness the krausening process adds to this light, flavorful beer. Hardley bitter and far from malty, kinda like chicken soup when your sick.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2011 00:42:14 | More by brewyou2

projectflam86

Ohio

3.03/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

16oz can.

A- Pours a clear golden yellow color with a thin sudsy white head that fades away to nothing.

S- Faint sweet malt and corn aroma. Not really much going on.

T- A bit more happening in the taste. Light toasted biscuit and sweet malt in the finish. Some cooked corn and a very light spiciness in the finish which I gather may come from the hops.

M- Light bodied and well carbonated. No lingering unpleasant aftertaste.

O- One of the better Adjunct Lagers as far as flavor is concerned. Worth a try.

Serving type: can

10-13-2011 20:50:15 | More by projectflam86

SDtastentune

California

2.5/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A - Light yellow/thin/clear. No head/no lace/no sediments.

S - Smell is bread and biscuits, but not much there at all. Kinda a baby beer.

T - Tate is very one dimensional. Watery bread.

M - Thin, watery, fizzy yellow beer.

O - Overall this one has little taste and smell, probably meant for people who don't like beer to much. Very thin, watery, and has no taste. Water beer, very basic and easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2011 01:26:26 | More by SDtastentune

fx20736

New York

3.45/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz can into a Pilsener glass. Pored yielded a very pale golden yellow with a modest white head that left no lacing. There is an amazing amount of carbonation going on here with hundreds of pearly bubbles everywhere.

Aroma is sweetish corn with a touch of malt & hops, not alot but it is there.

Mouthfeel is thin.

Taste: virtually tasteless up front with a slight whisp of bitter hops on the back. The beer finishes very dry and clean with virtually no aftertaste.

Notes: This is not light your socks on fire beer, but it is an immensely drinkable American Adjunct Lager that has no off taste or impurities. It is sooo easy to drink. If you are in a mood where you don't need to be challenged or surprised this beer drop kicks Bud, Miller & Coors and is a cheap, quaffable Lager that anyone could drink. It is a step better than PBR and two steps ahead of Schlitz. It is too bad that it is not distributed in the Northeast as I would keep a case of it on hand at all times.

Serving type: can

08-05-2011 20:51:37 | More by fx20736

cagocubs

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Finally getting around to reviewing Old Style. After all the Wrigley Field bleachers, college dorm rooms, and barbecues it is time.

A: Pale gold, bubbly white head, dissipates and doesnt lace much.

S: Grain, corn, nothing much.

T: The grain/corn/adjuncts with some moderate sweetness.

M: Crisp, carbonated, good coating.

O: If reviewing this against similar beers from the macros, it is good. In the grand spectrum of beer this would be on the low-low end. That being said, it is consistent and traditional beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 01:28:41 | More by cagocubs

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to woodychandler for yet another canned beer. Poured from a 16 oz. can. Has a very pale yellow color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of grains and corn. Taste is rather mild, some grains and malts are present. Feels light in the mouth and overall is a mediocre beer.

Serving type: can

07-30-2011 15:24:57 | More by tone77

LWG1970

Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +50.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Color: Golden Yellow

Smell: Nice and clean, Light Citrus

Taste: Nice Smooth taste, Nice Balance of sweet and smooth.

Bought a 12 pack of bottles in Chicago for $5.99, it's more expensive here in Ohio. Here a 6 pack of 16 OZ cans is 7 Bucks.

This is one of my favorite beers. Wish we could get bottles in Ohio. But next trip Chicago I am stocking up.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2011 02:43:34 | More by LWG1970

chicagoabbot

Illinois

2.08/5  rDev -28%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

12 oz bottle, straight out of the bottle, handed to me by a friend at The Continental at about 4:30 in the morning. Don't pour this in a glass, it's a waste of water to wash the glass after...this beer doesn't deserve it. Tons of corn flavor, some hop flavor. Better than Budweiser and Miller and Coors (the worst of tasting of all beers). Went down pretty easy anyway and quenched my thirst.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2011 03:18:39 | More by chicagoabbot

BeerLover99

New Jersey

2.68/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: golden pale yellow body, 2 finger fluffy head, no lacing

S: mild whiff of corn and grain

T: big sweet corn and grain, very mild bitter dry finish

M: light body, dry crisp, big carbonation

O: Retro American adjuct lager with a hipster/yuppie feel. Hugely popular in Chicago and especially on the North Side.
Ok session beer for some, but the sweet corn/grain flavor was not much fun for me.

OK, BUT NOT A MUST HAVE!

Serving type: on-tap

05-08-2011 00:12:07 | More by BeerLover99

regionrat37

Indiana

3.1/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

Appearance: Didn't feel like pouring it
Smell: Very Clean
Taste: Slight Maltiness, hoppines with no bite, and a little corn
Mouthfeel: Moderate to high amounts of carbonation
Drinkability: Very Drinkable

It is very crisp and refreshing. You could easily drink these all day long.

Serving type: can

03-09-2011 03:13:11 | More by regionrat37