Blatz Beer - Pabst Brewing Company

buschbeer

Ohio

3.01/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

12 ounce can
Served in a pilsner glass

A - It is light straw colored with plenty of carbonation rising from the laser etchings in the bottom of the glass. It is capped with about three inches of white head.

S - The aroma is sweet grain and lemon grass.

T - I used to think this beer tasted like shit. Now I find it lacking in flavor. It has slightly more taste than a Bud. It almost reminds me of a PBR.

M - Thin

O - This is a cheap beer with little taste. The only reason it is unpopular with college kids is marketing.

Serving type: can

05-04-2013 20:03:53 | More by buschbeer

MikeAAL

Wisconsin

4.15/5  rDev +66%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

This is a really good beer for the price.

Light, pale straw color, plenty of carbonation. Quickly dissipating head.

Smells mostly of malts, but also you can really smell the hops.

It has a very malty taste and some delicious hops follow. Very carbonated, but that gives it a crisp taste.

Crisply carbonated, light and tingly. Refreshing.

This is a good beer. A lot of people might pass it up by looking at the price and the name and even review it based on that, but don't turn your nose to this stuff and give it an honest taste. You can't judge a book by it's cover.

Serving type: can

02-08-2013 20:40:26 | More by MikeAAL

BigH75

Massachusetts

3.14/5  rDev +25.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

It is thin with mediocre head retention and straw color. Smell of adjuncts. Lets face it, this is a cheap American lager, nothing more nothing less. Better taste an lower price than any of the products from MillerCoorsAnhueser. Similar to its sister beer PBR. Am I proud to drink it? Not really but I am proud to not waste money on mass marketed swill.

Serving type: can

01-20-2013 22:19:30 | More by BigH75

hardy008

Minnesota

1.46/5  rDev -41.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.25 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 1.5

Reviewed from notes.

Straw yellow with a respectable looking foamy white head. Poor retention and not much lacing. Smells and tastes like grain and corn. Somewhat sweet and musty. Feels thin and watery. Not something I care to try again.

Serving type: can

01-09-2013 02:37:22 | More by hardy008

Bertman

Florida

3.65/5  rDev +46%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

small head, gone rather quickly.

light amber color, cystal clear.

very light nose, some grain/corn.

light taste, smooth and dry. finished with minimal bitterness.

thinner than ice water in the mouth.

overall i would say for the price it was above average beer. i would buy it again and not be afraid to share it with friends.

Serving type: can

09-18-2012 20:51:21 | More by Bertman

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

3.78/5  rDev +51.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Blatz has a thick, white head and a clear, bubbly, straw appearance, with minimal associated lacing. The aroma is of sweet, musty grains, and the flavor is of grass, sweet grain, and a touch of hop bitterness. Mouthfeel is light and watery, and Blatz finishes crisp and dry. Overall, this is very good, and I recommend giving it a try.

RJT

Serving type: can

08-27-2012 15:30:33 | More by RonaldTheriot

scaliasux

Wisconsin

3.15/5  rDev +26%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance - Pale yellow. Clear and bubbly. Short and short-lived white fizzy head.

Smell - Moderately strong sweet pale malt. Corn.

Taste - Somewhat sharper than usual, but light, pale malt sweetness. Lemony and watery. Light and refreshing, but hardly distinctive.

Mouthfeel - Watery and crisp.

Overall - One could easily spend more on a worse beer. An adequate beer for the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 02:46:42 | More by scaliasux

MikeP

4.65/5  rDev +86%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A superb beer, with nearly unique qualities that set it apart from other brews and give it a delightful drinking experience.

The flavor’s initially dominated by grain, immediately followed yeast. The bouquet’s finally balanced by hops. The latter appears in what I call its head guise; that is, you get the flavoring of hops [the head], without a preponderance of bitterness.

But, it’s by the yeast flavor that sets Blatz apart from most macrobrews. Any quality microbrew that I’ve sampled has yeast as a prominent part of the flavor and texture of the beer. It gives beer a rich, fresh flavor. It’s probably present in most macros as well. I been on factory tours of some beer makers, and when you sample their fresh, unbottled/canned product, you taste what you’ll never get, once the beer’s been divided up into bottles/cans. What’s always struck me was how much of the yeast flavor was present. It’s apparently a fragile quality, since it seems to the first thing to go after bottling.

That’s not to say that Blatz retains the kind of fresh-from-the-brewhouse-vat flavor I’m talking about, but it does offer more of it than I’ve tasted from most bottled beers [by bottled I mean bottles or cans]. And, that sets it apart from almost everyone else and makes it such a pleasure to drink.

Added to those qualities, it’s a lighter full beer. By that I mean that it’s not a light [or “lite”] calorie-reduced beer, but it significantly less filling than most other beers. I’ve checked the calorie counters on-line and they’ve show Blatz to be average, or even slightly higher, in calories. But, it really isn’t. You can tell it’s a lighter beer just by pouring it. After enjoying Blatz, many other high quality bottled beers seem cement-lead-heavy. Maybe that’s why some other guys here have called it watery. It’s not. It’s just not heavy and filling. But, it’s not some flavor-deficient light, low-cal beer. It’s a real beer.

If your idea of a good beer’s something that has the consistency of used diesel motor oil with cottage cheese mixed in, and with near homicidal levels of bitter hops, then this beer won’t impress you, and you might just pass it by. Otherwise, if you enjoy sane, lighter textured, nicely balanced brews, Blatz may surprise you. I think it’s outstanding.

Serving type: can

04-18-2012 22:39:31 | More by MikeP

Carlton1964

New York

2.2/5  rDev -12%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

OK...the head (or lack of) in pretty much a non factor. The 3mm of foam evaporates before you set the can down after pouring it into glass.

The smell is like that of any cheap commercial beer we all drank in our college days.

The taste....not all that horrible for what it is really. It has more flavor than a lot of the ghetto brews out there. If I get real poor...I'd probably pick this over the other budget beers out there.

Serving type: can

10-11-2011 06:37:55 | More by Carlton1964

dhannes

Wisconsin

2.95/5  rDev +18%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Update (11/13/11): Using a Perfect Pint, I was able to get the head to reach three fingers for about a minute. Flavor is a bit more present than before, so I'm bumping up appearance to 2.5 and taste to 3.5, as it is better than old school stablemate Schlitz and close to Hamm's.

A few years back, I recall being able to get $2 bottles of Blatz at a chic bar downtown...prompting me to revisit Blatz. Having not being able to locate any bottles, I picked up a 12-pack of cans for $6.99 at Woodman's the other evening.

A=Really awful, light, greenish yellow...not at all appetizing. One finger of foam lasted 30 seconds, tops.

S=Not much nose to speak of...maybe corn.

T=Not the flavor I recall...the corn presence came out, and this is much more of a cream lager (if there is such a thing). Sweetness abounds, but more hops than barley presence.

M=Watery, not much too it.

O=Not awful, but not one I'll likely buy again...even in bottles.

Serving type: can

10-03-2011 02:45:33 | More by dhannes

MrMcGibblets

Illinois

2.58/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

a: clear straw gold with a fleeting white head .
s: corn, maybe buttered corn dominates with possibly a hint of earthy hops?
t: sweetish corny adjuncts, manages to finish crisp despite a lack of perceptible hop bitterness.
m: not as thin as others of the style, perhaps being ontap helped here.
o: more tolerable than most aal's.

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2011 14:45:10 | More by MrMcGibblets

ktrillionaire

Florida

3.45/5  rDev +38%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Whilst drinking some admittedly fantastic beer (Double Trouble, Panzer Wolf, Port Mongo) at Haymarket in Chicago, I suddenly spied this long-time 'want' of mine; jubilation ensued.

I used to have a Blatz t-shirt, and was also a fan of the East Bay punk band of the same name. I had never had a Blatz beer, however, until now.

The beer is basic fizzy adjunct lager, really. It has a bit more grainy sweetness than most, akin to Old Milwaukee in that regard, and is expectedly light and watery. There is an unusual creaminess to the feel, as if the bubbles are smaller than normal. For what it is, it is pretty good. I am crushing the whole can as an (effective) palate cleanser between hop-bomb DIPAs.

Serving type: can

06-07-2011 13:50:20 | More by ktrillionaire

richkrull

Wisconsin

1.78/5  rDev -28.8%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured a very pale yellow color with quite a bit of fluffy white head on it. Smell is a little funky. Could definitely be better. Taste is pretty bland, kind of skunky with a weird aftertaste. Very light mouthfeel. Overall not a good tasting beer but it's cheap so it's got that going for it.

Serving type: can

04-19-2011 23:56:23 | More by richkrull

PapillonJohn

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev +48%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

3/21/2011

Served from a can into a pilsener glass.

I happen to love the can design.

Says: Established Milwaukee 1851
Brewed by G.Heileman Brewing Co.

Appearance: a light golden hue. Very little head is produced and what is, sticks around for only a minute.

Smell: Grainy. A little adjunct, almost no malt, and a tad bit of spicy hops.

Taste: Not too shabby actually. A little malt up front. A quick taste of cereal graininess and then the hops come in for a quick hit. The longer I let it sit and warm the more the floral hops show their presence. I'm quite impressed on the hops note. I'm a huge fan of hops and i'm glad to get a pretty mild hint of them in a cheap beer.

Mouthfeel: Mildly carbonated. Kind of like a light soda. Goes down very easy.

Overall I do enjoy Blatz. I can only compare it to Schlitz at this point. Better than any other macro out there.
I would recommend it if you were on a budget and truthfully I am. I will probably pick this up some time down the road again.

Schlitz may give you the shits. But i'm sure that Blatz will probably give me the shats.

Serving type: can

03-21-2011 20:04:20 | More by PapillonJohn

LWG1970

Ohio

3.3/5  rDev +32%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Good easy to drink beer.

A lot like the 60's Schlitz (Both beers brewed by Pabst).

Looks a nice yellow color, smells like grain and corn (Not a bad smell) Taste is very Smooth, more sweet than bitter. VERY easy to drink. Slightly sweet aftertaste.

Bought a 15 pack of cans for 7 bucks, so very reasonably priced.

Not a GREAT beer, but a very GOOD beer.

Serving type: can

03-17-2011 01:03:29 | More by LWG1970

shoney

Ohio

2.9/5  rDev +16%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Hard to find in C-bus but found a 15 pack at a Krogers, and decided to give it a shot. I was honestly surprised by it. In my opinion it's better than the big macros on the market and a hell of a lot cheaper.

A: Light pale yellow with a head that dissipated in seconds
S: Smells of grain and corn
T: What the style should be. Easy to drink slightly sweet with a corn taste in the finish.
M: Heavily carbonated but not overly harsh
D: Easily put down a few after a hard day

Serving type: can

02-10-2011 21:36:10 | More by shoney

ForWhatAlesYou

Minnesota

1.3/5  rDev -48%
look: 1 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

A: No head. Heavy carbonation. Pale-depressing yellowish.

S: Surprisingly only smells a little bit like malt. Reminds me of the inside of a macro-brewery.

T: Mildew, old canned corn.

M: Ultra carbonated with no other enjoyable aspects.

D: Didn't finish it. Not good.

Serving type: can

12-28-2010 16:35:04 | More by ForWhatAlesYou

schwanda

Wisconsin

3.73/5  rDev +49.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Found a place in Rhinelander Wisconsin that sells Blatz cases in Bottles. Decided to buy this retro in give it a try. I was very surprised at how good it was out of the bottle. In fact we still had some of the Schlitz 60's that everyone is raving about (myself included)formula beer so we decided to do a blind taste test. To our surprise the 2 beers were almost identical, with the Blatz a little smoother, in the end the Blatz beat out the Schlitz, will keep this on my summer beer list.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2010 11:52:29 | More by schwanda

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.48/5  rDev +39.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Hey Blatz beer, all super clear and super straw yellow. Aroma of the faintest degree of downtown Milwaukee.

Taste, no hops, malt was warmed, nowhere near roasted, but a yummy sweet presence with the corn does the trick in this guy. Great fishing beer in Northern Wisconsin. Goes down super easy, nothing more to think about, decent price, though slightly rising.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2010 23:30:01 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Clydesdale

District of Columbia

2.48/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A: Pours a slightly darker-than-normal yellow-straw color. The somewhat dense, foamy head is medium sized, and it manages decent retention. A few wisps of lace stick to the glass.

S: Light, sourish grainy notes in the nose. Mainly clean - a little adjuncty corniness but it's pretty bland overall. A mild soapy/lemony tartness accompanies a faint trace of nondescript herbal hop.

T: A light, one-dimensional grainy maltiness up front. Sweet, faint corn notes are also present. Mild herbal hop bite into the finish. Overall, a bit sour and slightly sulfury.

M: Body is more thin than straightaway light. Carbonation is a bit on the perky side, lending a decent refreshing quality.

D: Fairly inoffensive, but so faint and nondescript that there's very little to recommend even over its other Pabst-brewed ilk. Moderately, mindlessly refreshing when cold, but there's no reason to turn toward this beer.

Serving type: can

07-22-2010 02:04:32 | More by Clydesdale

emerge077

Illinois

3.08/5  rDev +23.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Three "pint" mugs in rapid succession at Miller's Pub.

Crystal clear, pale yellow, feeble head, visible carbonation.

Skunky aroma at first, sulfur, corn... ehhh. Nothing too exciting going on here. At least it's reined in and somewhat passable...as long as it's super cold. The skunk seemed to fade after a little while.

Flavor is similarly average, dry with the barest indication of bready malt and some minimal white grape. Sort of crisp, not that offensive really. Not getting much in the way of hops, but that seems to lend to the whole "inoffensive" thing. Somewhat watery and gassy, yet it dries up on the palate quickly. Pretty bland, but it gets the job done. I'd proudly drink this over Old Style. There, I said it.

Serving type: on-tap

05-04-2010 04:37:35 | More by emerge077

88blkiroc

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev +40%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Blatz. The official beer of Vintage Snowmobile riding. When its 10 below and you screaming across the lake at 30mph on a 40 year old snowmobile, Blatz is the beer for you. Another great throwback from G. Heilmann, keeping the memory of a bygone era where clear yellow lager was the ONLY choice alive. An american tradition and not a bad beer.

Serving type: can

01-29-2010 02:48:07 | More by 88blkiroc

biggred1

Indiana

2.48/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Clear yellow with a steady stream of rising bubbles and a snow white head that actually leaves some lace behind on the glass. Untoasted grain, grits and a touch of grain alcohol make up the nose. This brew is pretty lacking in the flavor department, raw musty graininess with a touch of honeyed sweetness. Light and fizzy, finishes squeaky clean. Blatz is a pretty lousy beer but not any worse than the most popular macro lagers out there.

Serving type: can

01-02-2010 22:30:17 | More by biggred1

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

2.9/5  rDev +16%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

CAN you dig it? I pulled off a major trade in the Heinz Field parking lot a couple of weeks ago before watching Pitt lose (by a missed PAT!) to Cincy. I think that I developed a slight head cold during the snowy weather and so my reviews got put on hold until my sinuses cleared. Let the CAN Quest continue!

Well, well, well. If this does not transport me back to my misspent teenage years, I don't know what will. My best friend's dad used to buy this by the case in returnable bottles. We would sneak several at a time up to his room to consume while listening to Zep, Aerosmith, whatever was spinning on the turntable. Ah, memories. Bill Hull, this one is for you. R.I.P.

I got a finger-and-a-half of bubbling, rocky, bone-white that was falling like Wile E. Coyote to the canyon floor. The lacing was nice, though. The color was a straw-yellow with NE-quality clarity. The nose was very sweet with obvious cereal qualities. Mouthfeel was medium with the standard lager/cereal sweetness on the tongue that seems to present itself in so many of these throwbacks. Is this true to the 1970's/'80's recipe? I cannot remember, but I am not impressed. The finish was standard, middle-of-the-road, ho-hum fare.

I'll stick with my memories. Reality is too depressing.

Serving type: can

12-23-2009 00:02:29 | More by woodychandler

WJVII

Wisconsin

2.28/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a pint glass from a can this brew had a fast foaming white head that quickly vanished as fast as it came. The brew was a thin light straw color and had fast bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass. The brew has little to offer the nose. Strong corn taste, high carbonation, and a slight bitterness to it. I give it respect for being a Milwaukee brew (being a Milwaukee born and raised boy myself) but it is not much to write home about.

However it gets props for being value priced for those summer weekend fishing trips where (in some cases) quantity is more important than quality, AND word on the street from my step-dad is that back in the day, of the 3 Milwaukee breweries that gave tours (Miller, Pabst or maybe Schlitz, and Blatz) only Blatz was all you can drink...

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2009 00:58:57 | More by WJVII