Leinenkugel's Original - Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

Lemke10

Wisconsin

2.7/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

They always say “nothing is as good as the original.” Well, I don’t really think that always applies to the realm of beer. Leinie’s Original is perhaps the oldest recipe that the brewery still makes. This beer is aimed to be a slightly less than premium beer cost wise so you’ll see a case go for $12-$16 depending on the market you live in. So a lot of the drinkers of this brew are either senior citizens or poor college kids.

It pours a clear, pale yellow color with a foamy, off-white head. The scent is not very strong, but there is the aroma of cheap grains mixed with a little malt and citrus. Pretty basic, but as you would expect from a pale ale.

Well it tastes like good cheap beer so that’s always a good thing! There is a mild taste of grain and wheat that makes for a smooth and quick drink. For the price you pay, this really isn’t too bad. I would definitely drink this over a MGD any day. It doesn’t quite beat Pabst as my favorite cheap beer though.

We live in Wisconsin so Leinekugel’s is pretty much a household name around here. I will say though, I get out of town customers at work that pretty much go ape-shit crazy when they see we have Leine’s Original in 24pk cans and bottles. I hear them tell their stories of how they can’t find it where they live, etc. So you can’t help but feel slightly like a hipster while drinking this stuff even though there’s nothing all that special about it.
-Chris Lemke of WisconsinBrewReview.com

Serving type: can

01-27-2013 21:32:30 | More by Lemke10

WoodBrew

Illinois

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

Lienenkugels Original pours a clear yellow with good carbonation that provides a bubblely white head...bot which dissipate overtime. Some lacing was present. The smell had sweet corn and light grain with balance hop. The taste followed suit....sweet corn, grain, hint of malt and hop with good finish. The mouthfeel was good and could be sessioned easily. Overall it is a fine american adjunct beer.

Serving type: can

10-22-2011 13:16:45 | More by WoodBrew

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

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

This beer has been on my CAN Wants List for ever!!!! My deepest gratitude to Chaz for going out of his way to get me one at long last. This is not only a big deal in terms of The CANQuest (TM), but also due to the fact that I am proud member in good standing with the Leinie Lodge. I want to move to the Upper Midwest so badly that I just want to taste it in my mouth every day. Sometimes it tastes like Michigan, sometimes like Kleveland (sorry, GLBC, but yer city sux), and every so often, but not often enough, it tastes like Wisco. My new dream, having fulfilled so many others, is to attend UW@Madison to get my Ph.D./Po.D., the last half being a Doctorate of Pornography, in which I would study Victorian-era written porn in great detail.

From the CAN: "Famous Since 1867"; "The Pride of Chippewa Falls"; "Brewed with the Same Recipe by Five Generations of Leinenkugels"; "Back in 1867, our great-great grandfather, Jacob Leinenkugel, began handcrafting his distinctive beer right here in Chippewa Falls, in the very heart of the Wisconsin Northwoods. And, for five generations, our family has proudly carried on his tradition of bringing great tasting beer to the people of the Midwest. So we invite you to experience The Flavor of the Northwoods for yourself. And welcome to our family."

Best of all is the free Native AmeriCAN female with every case, YMMV. Mine was on hand to assist with the Crack & Glug and she did a fine job, producing a finger-and-a-half of bubbly bone-white head with moderate retention that would make any Lodge member proud. Color was a golden-yellow that would have made either/both King Midas and Croesus proud. The nose would make any local pig farmer proud, given its distinct resemblance to silage. The mouthfeel would make any chemist proud, given its resemblance to CO2. The taste would make Greg Koch proud, since he revels in being able to measure his beers by using AALs as his yardstick. The finish would make a drain proud as it either came from one or belonged there. No, sorry, that last was too harsh, but I was at a loss. It was simply a standard AAL. I remain a proud member of the Leinie Lodge, but I have better beer to put in my cooler. Again, YMMV.

Serving type: can

10-16-2011 11:23:27 | More by woodychandler

Arsenal11

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +52%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Case of Cans for $16.00 why would you not pay the buck ot two more for this over BMC? Wisconsins Finest !!!

a- Average American Macro, maybe even a little lighter looking then most

S- Sweet Malts hint of fruit

T- Tastes Great,Sweet, followed by a touch dark fruit, not sickly sweet like BL just right for the style, Grains balance flavor nicely

M- doesnt linger long on the mouth as it's a thin beer par for the style

This is a great example of AAL, it is skightly different since Miller bought out but probably the best macro for the money!

Serving type: can

10-02-2011 05:54:39 | More by Arsenal11

Chaz

Minnesota

3.43/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours an almost-textbook "straw" in color, topped with a pale off-white head of about two fingers. Head drops at a pretty average rate, so it takes a good several minutes before there's nothing left but a thin film atop the glass, and a bit of stubborn, clingy lace on the sides of the glass.

Nose is pale malts and a light blast of corn grits (although from taking the tour I'm pretty sure that they use corn syrup). The nose reminds me a bit of Grain Belt Premium, but with just a little more soft, biscuit-y malt (there's a different proprietary yeast strain too, but there's no real yeast character on the nose to speak of...) Lightly-tangy lemony/citrus hop character on the nose -- just a touch though.

Crisp, lightly-sweet, and lightly tangy on the first sip. Aromatic hop use is evident here, some form of domestic and Nobel hop combination rising to prominence as the first sip winds-down; I'm getting flashbacks to my memories of "Schmidt" as a kid... Biscuit-y malt lingers alongside a rather good bitterness.

Second sip brings a little more hop bitterness and tang to the forefront (and the beer is warming also beginning to warm in the summer heat...), and this makes me recall both how well and how often I've enjoyed the basic goodness of "Leinie's Original" in the past. The bitterness here isn't too assertive, but it lingers nicely throughout, and this more than anything else sets it apart from other offerings in the "AAL" catch-all style category. A little tart/lemony hop goes a long way here, and just as the hop bitterness is never too assertive, neither is this too tangy.

There's a good mouthfeel, excellent hop/malt balance, and good drinkability overall. The adjunct quality never detracts too much from the beer's better traits, and this is just about the right weight (at 4.6%) for several in one sitting, especially on a hot summer afternoon.

Serving type: can

07-24-2011 02:26:58 | More by Chaz

GDBEERMAN

Colorado

3.63/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz can poured into Leinenkugel 2004 Challenge on the Chain Pint glass
A: Pours a golden body that is full of carbonation and clear. The white head settles slowly, but is left on the glass with nice lacing and good head retention.
S: A grainy norm for the style, nothing is too overly interesting, but quality none the less.
T/M: The standard for the style, with a bright spice on the mouthfeel that is smooth and refreshing, while the underlining tastes of malty character are expressing a Leinekugel's classic taste. The off taste is a short, quick off the palate sweetness.
D: I find this to be a good, drinkable beer for the style, one that is easy to put down and does make me want to have more (not that I could say that about most Adjuncts). Great in cans and represents the style in good fashion.

Serving type: can

09-29-2010 14:17:39 | More by GDBEERMAN

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.55/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served in a Dogfish Head snifter.

Ah, fishing in northern Wisconsin...the perfect opportunity to enjoy more Leinies than in any other situation. Get some. This "original" pours a clear pale straw topped by a finger or so of very quickly-dying white foam. The nose comprises corn, corn syrup, brown rice, and what the group collectively agreed was a mixture of taco seasoning and Jacob Leinenkugel's sweat and tears (no word on what happened to the blood, though...Count Yorga (or Iorga, to some) is a suspect). The other cans didn't really smell this way, nor did this odor come out of the can itself; we believe the snifter (clean, by the way) brought out some hidden smells. Something like that. Regardless, it smelled pretty damn awful. The taste mirrored the smell, minus that noxious second half of pain, though some tin and hard water seeped their way into the rice and corn syrup. The body is very light, with a moderate carbonation and a crisp finish. Overall, not the best of choices for fermented enjoyment, but the price and source are right for downing some brews on a boat while attempting to catch some fish.

Serving type: can

09-20-2010 01:48:13 | More by TMoney2591

Vdubb86

Illinois

3.05/5  rDev +3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a pint glass

This was the main beer consumed on guys weekend. Appropriately it was in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, just like this brew was intended to be enjoyed. The appearance as expected is a pale straw color with light head on it. The smell makes me think I shouldn't have poured it into a glass. It smells of corn syrup and stale hops (or some other foul off smell). It's rather sharp on the nose. The taste has a slight bitterness to it which seems ok for a pale lager that it is other than that it tastes similar to the smell, just a little less foul. Bitterness seems to come from the corn syrup but there is some malt and maybe honey in it. That makes it surprisingly a lot smoother than I expected. I will consume a lot of this so I hope it's as drinkable as I think it is.

Serving type: can

09-20-2010 01:33:58 | More by Vdubb86

herman77

Minnesota

2.55/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A: Clear pale yellow with lots of ripping carbonation bubbles. Decent sized eggshell colored head that dies off quickly. Has a decent amount of sticky lacing actually.

S: Sweet grain and corn. Adjunct sweetness. A little bitterness too.

T: Light malt and bitter hops. Cereal grain sweetness. Finishes a little dry. Nothing special at all, but as expected. Could be a lot worse.

M/D: Light body. Pretty thin and watery. Carbonation is on the higher side. Pretty easy drinking though. Probably would be one of my top adjunct lager choices, especially being pretty local.

Serving type: can

07-07-2010 23:00:20 | More by herman77

lester619

Wisconsin

3.48/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This has been my old man's brand forever. I have good memories of sneaking them from the garage fridge growing up. Pours a clear golden yellow with not any head retention to speak of. Just drink it from the can and you don't have to care what it looks like. Not much in the way of smell, some light grainy corn but not much else. Absolutly nothing great about it, but to quote Wendell "It's good honest beer." Nice crisp coarbonation, very drinkable. Just a normal yellow beer from a can. Nothing wrong with that.

Serving type: can

12-16-2009 18:13:02 | More by lester619

Wisconsin

Wisconsin

3.25/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 ounce can into a Leinie's pint glass

I've had this beer numerous times but have never taken the time to review it. Here goes:

A - Considering I have never poured this out of a can before I am actually somewhat impressed by how this looks. Nice golden, straw yellow, clear body that his about a finger thick head that is white and fluffy. Plenty of carbonation trickling up. Head fades to a nice lace after a couple of minutes. Pretty impressed with the appearance after having much lower expectations before pouring.

S - Here's where things start to go down hill. Plan malts, slightly sweet with maybe a hint of corn that is ever so slight. Some yeast, grains and faint hops are also present.

T - A real basic beer as one would expect. Lots of malts, grains, and a faint taste of corn. Smooth, and enjoyable throughout but nothing that blows you away.

M - Light bodied with a good amount of carbonation. Grains, slight hop body along with a light malt backbone all standout as the beer enters your mouth. Carbonation leads those aspects through and finishes very clean, crisp and smooth with a nice hint of corn.

D - I'm sure many of us from Wisconsin all have stories of wild nights drinking with this beer. In Wisconsin this has a bigger following than Miller in my opinion and it's quite enjoyable in just about any experience. The smooth, clean body makes it drinkable at just about any time or occasion.

Serving type: can

11-20-2009 06:21:32 | More by Wisconsin

CHSLBrew

Minnesota

3.05/5  rDev +3%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass.

A-Crystal-clear light-yellow beer, topped with a pale, large-bubbled white head. Pretty low head retention, resulting in a less-than-attractive beer, looking more like stale yellow water.

S-Grain, slightly corny. A hint of spicy hops, and a little bit of sweet.

T-Semi-sweet grainy malts, dry, with a subtle hop bitterness. Hop character also seems to be present in some nuance of spice, hay. Finishes semi-dry and bitter.

M-Light body, as expected for this style of beer. Carbonation was pleasantly lower than expected (still medium-high), which allowed the subtler flavor to fully play.

D-Appropriate for enjoyment while in the northwoods, as all of their ads now display. Leinie's is an odd duck. Original is a classic "dad's beer" in the region, holding a pretty loyal following of life-long Leinenkugel fans. The company seems to be somewhat straying from this thread (possibly under the influence of MillerSAB, 49% owner of the company), but while they continue to make Original, I'll continue to drink it.

Serving type: can

08-13-2009 19:51:55 | More by CHSLBrew

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.15/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 oz can poured into a Nonic. Markings but no date.

A - Poured a nice clear golden yellow with a sudsy and loose white head. Decent retention and some sticky lacing on the glass.

S - Sweet roasted corn, light malts, and a touch of dry straw. A very light hop aroma on the nose as well.

T - Starts with a sweet corn and light malt flavor and turns quickly to dry straw and light hops. There is a mineral water and slight metallic taste being imparted that I don't ever remember in this beer. Possibly the can on this one.

M - Light bodied, crisp, and refreshing, it's got a small carbonation bite to the finish.

D - It's beer. Not fantastic and definitely not bad for a lawnmower brew. I enjoy it from time to time and would never pass up the opportunity to consume one...especially for free.

Serving type: can

06-29-2009 18:29:32 | More by BeerFMAndy

hardy008

Minnesota

2.6/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Appearance - pours a light golden color with a small foamy head which disappears quickly.

Smell - typical adjunct smell of corn. Also some malt and hops present.

Taste - Corn flavor with some malt and hops. Not bad.

Mouthfeel - lightbodied, thin, decent carbonation.

Drinkability - decent drinkability. Not bad at all.

Serving type: can

06-02-2009 03:25:44 | More by hardy008

WJVII

Wisconsin

2.6/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a can into a pint glass this brew is a light straw color with minimal head. The aroma is mild with hints of corn, malt, and some alcohol. The taste is a little metallic, and the carbonation is a little much for the light flavor. For a "local" competitor to the Miller empire it is a good beer, but doesn't strike me as impressive on the whole.

Serving type: can

03-31-2009 23:19:26 | More by WJVII

AdmiralDiaz

Minnesota

3.4/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12oz can to pint glass.

A: Pours a transparent golden body with great streams of bubble under a large white head that stayed composed after exceeding the rim of the glass. The frothy head becomes very rocky as it dissipates. leave a bit of sticky lacing.

S: Typical adjunct smell. Light hops and malts with a small corn scent. Couldn't tell the difference between this and most adjuncts.

T: Malty with a bit of a hop and corn bite to it. Not amazing but better than most of the style.

M: Average, well carbonated.

D: Good taste and easily drinkable, great go to beer.

Serving type: can

02-23-2009 19:03:33 | More by AdmiralDiaz

association330

Michigan

3.35/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a healthy straw color with a big, soapy head. Decent retention for the style, eventually fades to a thin cap with some surprising bits of lacing. Large numbers of bubbles rise to the surface, like a glass of champagne.

S - Sweet malted grains, corn, honey, and a metallic effervescence which calls the brewer's knowledge of hop usage into question. It is, however, inoffensive, which is a good start for this style of brew.

T - Sweet grains, sparkly citrus, and hints of corn. Finishes with a misused, coppery kiss of hops, but that's par for the course. Overall, the flavor is definitely above average for the style.

M - Extremely crisp. Carbonation is heavy and contributes to a somewhat creamy character and a body somewhere in-between light and medium. Quenches thirst well.

D - It's a Wisconsin staple and comes in at a step above BMC. You really can't go wrong with this as a lawnmower beer, or to wash down some summer food.

Serving type: can

02-11-2009 23:23:30 | More by association330

solargoat

Wisconsin

3.4/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

My first Review so I thought I would do a local Classic.
Poured a original Leinie's into a pint glass. It's Light, golden, lagerish.
A Nice Retention for a lager. Slightly metalic(It was a Can). It is a very drinkable beer, cant beat the price in NW Wisconsin (>14 for case). A lot of bashers on this beer, but it seems that most are lager haters, For the most part I dont like them, but this a better example than most.

Serving type: can

01-29-2009 00:28:12 | More by solargoat

morimech

Minnesota

3.3/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from a can. Straw yellow color with a small white head that quickly settles to a thin layer of foam. A little lacing is left on the glass. Immediately after the pour, I was able to pick up a nice Noble hop aroma but it soon is overpowered by adjunct aromas. As far as taste it is about average for macro's. More on the drier side with light hop flavor. Finishes crisp and clean. Light body with fizzy carbonation. A decent macro and a good thirst quencher.

Serving type: can

10-25-2008 18:15:41 | More by morimech

wheatyweiss

Wisconsin

3.43/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a light straw with a moderate head. Active bubbles rise to the top.

Aroma is adjuncts and slight hops.

Flavor is malt and adjuncts with a nice hop flavor that stands above most macros.

Mouthfeel is good, almost feels bottle conditioned as the carbonation is soft on the tongue.

Good lawnmower brew and probably the best of the macros to me.

Serving type: can

07-27-2008 03:11:19 | More by wheatyweiss

Chugmonkey

Wisconsin

2.35/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

I've been knocking these back for 20 years. Used to have an Indian head on a white background on the can - really cheap looking. You had hard time giving it away cuz nobody knew what it was. Amazing how well they did marketing the brand - now acquired by Miller.

Average boring lager with a slightly bitter, grainy bite that lingers. Really not much else to say about this beer. They brew a Light in cans which I don't mind taking along on hot days out in the boat as a nice thirst quencher however.

Serving type: can

06-24-2008 17:01:35 | More by Chugmonkey

44ouncer

California

2.9/5  rDev -2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Sorry this review sucks so bad -- but there really wasn't anything distinctive about this beer at all. Has a darker, slightly redder color than your typical lager like Bud. Kind of a corn smell to hit. Decent head that quickly fades.

Describing the flavor is kind of tough to do. Doesn't have a hop like bite to it. Just kind of heavy and blah -- almost like the brewmaster added a little bit more of each ingredient to give this beer more flavor -- or shorted the amount of water used.

Heard so much about this beer for years -- yet it isn't anything that special. OK to bring to a party and toss a few in with all the other stuff just to be different, I guess.

Serving type: can

04-13-2008 07:35:24 | More by 44ouncer

pweis909

Wisconsin

2.05/5  rDev -30.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A regional version of an American macrolager. Pale gold and with a thick white head, as is typical for all these beers. Aroma? Nothing special. The smell anticipates the taste. You can tell it is a beer. The high carbonation puts an unpleasant burning bite to the taste, so I found this more palatable as it sits a little.

Serving type: can

03-11-2008 22:09:19 | More by pweis909

hylton44

Minnesota

2.8/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

(Can, but can poured into a pilsner glass.)

Leinenkugel is prevalent in my neck of the woods (Minneapolis-St. Paul), and a 12 pack of bottles can almost always be had for at least a buck or two cheaper than a 12 of some of my other, more preferred craft brews. I've always considered Leinies (Leineys?) to be in that strange no-man's-land, in the shadow world between microbrew and macrobrew. Obviously, there's more to some of their beers (their Red being comparable to Killian's, their respectable Sunset Wheat, etc.) than your standard macro-lager, yet the entire lineup is pretty much outclassed when compared to other Midwest brewers such as Summit or Schell.

So - the "original." A title I always fear, as it gives me the feeling I'm about to taste a beer that's not made itself any more substantial since the days of prohibition. Nevertheless, I'm very glad I checked out some of the other reviews before writing this. It seems that some of my peers had a good approach: rather than trying to hold it up against the finest, most sophisticated ales the craft brew industry has to offer, judge it for what it really is: a plain old American macro pilsner; and (in light of that, I can recognize), not a bad one at that. Pale, weak and straw-colored in appearance, with a rapidly disappearing head, and a smell that is nearly non-existent. Yet, there is some flavor there, and it is undeniably refreshing. It's not at all brackish like its big brothers from Milwaukee & St. Louis, and even has a pleasantly little tart taste and not at all disagreeable finish. It's watery, no doubt, and won't be making me forget a Sam Adams Boston Lager any time soon. But as to the four I ended up with after a potluck summer gathering with coworkers - well, I will drink them and enjoy them.

Serving type: can

08-03-2007 01:36:11 | More by hylton44

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

When Homer said "I would kill everyone in this room for a drop of sweet beer", he was talking about something like this...

The can cracks with a quick hiss and pours a clear yellow-gold body beneath a bright white head that exhibits just slightly better than average retention and lacing. It maintains a thin but solid surface covering. The nose is generic lager with a sweetish malt, lightly grassy hops, and yeasty sulphur. It's medium bodied, gently crisp, and then smooth across the palate. The flavor follows the aroma: malt, hops, restrained but balancing bitterness. Dry, grassy finish. Thank God this beer has some character!!! It reminded me of the Schlitz my parents gave me as a kid - a beer with hops, not like most of the mass-produced swill available these days.

Serving type: can

01-22-2007 02:36:07 | More by NeroFiddled