Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy - Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

Riverwarrior

Texas

3.93/5  rDev +25.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

S = This had the aroma of a box of "Lemon Heads" candy.

T = The taste was more restrained than the smell. It actually tasted as if I'd eaten a lemon biscuit. There was no bitterness at all and the finish, again, left a lemon bread taste.

MF = There was moderate carbonation, but I felt it was a little thin.

Overall, I enjoyed this beer. It would make a great summer grass cutting brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2008 18:54:40 | More by Riverwarrior

splat215

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +25.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Cloudy, yellow color - looking like most good wietbier's I've had. Looks a tiny bit off like you can see the lemonade in it
S - Strong citrusy, lemons and limes, smells good
T - . Typical wheat-flavors, with good NATURAL tasting lemon flavor. I was worried about this being too sweet but it isn't.
M - Medium bodied, a little on the thin side, light carbonation.
D - In short - I like this. Much better then Leinenekuger's ill fated Berry weiser, this one still tastes like beer. The lemonade/lemon flavor introduced is natural and not sickly sweet. I see people comparing this to Mike's Hard Lemonade, but I think that's a complete stretch. This is just a decent wietbier with some lemon flavors added to it which complements it well.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2008 21:39:26 | More by splat215

tjwarren

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev +25.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I liked this beer more than I thoght I would. I was expecting a Miller Chill and got more than I thought I would.

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. It was a dull yellow and hazy with a decent head but very little retention.

Smell was very fresh and somewhat lemonade-ish. Really didn't get much of a hint that it was beer. Pleasant.

Taste was very good. I am not sure it would taste as good if it tasted more like beer or not. It is probably too lemony for some or most but it is not lemonade. The unfiltered nature of it keeps it from being Miller Chill soda pop like. Ultra refreshing. Would be a real hit on a hot summer day. Not an everyday beer by any means but in small doses at the real time it should be just the ticket.

Mouthfeel was slick and easy. Felt good on the tongue and coated the throat a little on the way down. Certainly not thick but less watery than I thought.

Drinkability. Again, in the right place, at the right time, I believe you could drink one after another. At 4.2% and with the slickness with which it goes, it is very drinkable. Not for everyone and probably not for purists but as a fun recreational drink I think Leine's got what they were going for. Would defintely have again.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2009 00:20:49 | More by tjwarren

ruckus232

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev +25.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 Ounce brown bottle

Appearance: Cloudy light yellow color with moderate head

Smell: Maybe not particularly beer smelling but it has a great lemon smell. It is the smell of a really flavorful lemonade and just gives a great summer feeling

Taste: The flavor is less lemonade -ey then the smell which actually makes it a lot better. If you expect it to taste like a Mike's, it will not be what you expected. On the other hand there is a light beer flavor that mixes with the lemonade but is not very strong

Note: This is a really good beverage but it is a little hard to consider it wheat beer because there is very little wheat beer flavors (fruity but lacks the variety of fruit flavors). But I have never actually made a Shandy before but I feel this would be a good representation of it (very refreshing)

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2009 02:44:27 | More by ruckus232

ChrisWashington

Indiana

3.93/5  rDev +25.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I have drank this from a can and bottle both. The bottle is a little better in my opinion. This is one of my favorite summer beers. Very refreshing on a hot day outside. Good lemonade flavoring that is consistent throughout the entire beer (even as it begins to warm). Drinkability is very good in that the flavor doesn't wear on you and there is no lingering aftertaste. Slight notes of lemonade in the smell. Appears very cloudy as it is an unfiltered wheat (I believe).

Outstanding hot weather beer!

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2010 01:34:05 | More by ChrisWashington

leezy

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev +25.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

One of my first beers as a legal adult, so this brings back lots of memories with friends and summers spent by a bonfire drinking a Shandy.
Think of this beer as a watered alcoholic version of Sunkist Lemonade (where available in your area)
Very light and fruity, not like Leines Berry Weiss but I still won't drink more than 12 pack at one time.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2010 08:26:21 | More by leezy

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

3.93/5  rDev +25.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy has a thick, fluffy, white head and a very cloudy, pale yellow appearance. The aroma is of lemonade and just a touch of white bread. Taste is of lemonade, white wheat bread, sugar, and a very low bitterness. Mouthfeel is light to medium, and Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy finishes mostly dry, tart, and refreshing. It’s not really a beer. It’s a flavored malt beverage. I think it’s very good, for what it is.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 16:00:07 | More by RonaldTheriot

ZenAgnostic

Texas

3.9/5  rDev +24.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a Three Philosophers snifter.

Appearance - Very cloudy light yellow. Looks strikingly like fresh squeezed lemonade.

Smell - Sweet cane sugar and fresh lemons. Yep, I can already guess what it's going to taste like by now.

Taste - Sweet. Slightly bitter. Basically like lemonade but with less of that cane sugar sweetness.

Mouthfeel - Light-medium body. Refreshing.

Overall Drinkability - Great novelty beer. Does well what I'm sure it set out to do (taste like lemonade).

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 18:35:30 | More by ZenAgnostic

razordm

3.9/5  rDev +24.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had never heard of the brewer but have bought a number of their beer recently as part of pick 6 sales at the local market. Slight leamonaid flavor, crisp, and refreshing on a hot summer afternoon. Nice head and aroma. I might buy this beer on occasion in the future but would not 'search' for the beer if headed for a party and I wanted to impress friends with my selections.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 22:44:18 | More by razordm

chilidog

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev +24%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I gotta tell ya, I passed this beer up accouple times already think'n, I'll wait. I guess I was affraid of the ade, Lemonade that is.

knowing what to expect, helps.
The beer pours a cloudy, hazy, pulpy yellow straw color. A nice white head forms and maintains well. Lace is pretty good too. No fizz.

The aroma, Wow!! set back and enjoy thisone. The aroma just pops out at you with big lemon, citric lime and some wheat.

The taste is good, Lemon yes, but toned down a piece. Hints of lime, sugar and wheat or bread-like.

The mouthfeel is alittle thin, watered. If they add lemonade to the beer, perhaps why. Myself, leave the pulp in.

Drinkable yes, goes down easy. A real pleaser on a hot day. We'll reach 90's, Im saving accouple for that. The low abv. is non-intrusive and aids the beers use.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2007 02:33:37 | More by chilidog

aletales

Oklahoma

3.88/5  rDev +24%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

The smell of lemon does not overwhelm the maltiness of the beer. It pours a bright sunshine yellow which foreshadows the presence of lemon. The tase is a pleasant balance of lemon and malt that surprised me. I was sure this would be some cheap "hard lemonade" concoction, but it wasn't. It was balanced and fun to drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2009 14:27:50 | More by aletales

StoutHunter

Michigan

3.88/5  rDev +24%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I got a twelve pack of Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy for around $10 at Krogers. I felt like starting out the night with something on the lighter side and it's a little warmer tonight so this beer seems like a good choice. Drink by date of July 4th, 2011. Poured from a 12oz brown bottle into a imperial pint glass.

A- The label looks OK, its got a summertime vibe to it. It poured a cloudy light yellow color with two and a half fingers worth of fluffy white head that dissipated pretty fast to nothing. If you poured it into a glass with ice it would look like lemonade.

S- The aroma of this beer is dominated by citrus lemons, so much so that it smells pretty similar to lemonade. There is just a hint of grainy malts at the end that let you know this is still a beer.

T- The taste is pretty similar to the aroma. The malts are more pronounced then they were in the aroma and taste wheaty. The citrus lemons are the major player here and they have some acidic tartness to them. The flavor is pretty close to lemonade with some wheat flavors coming through towards the finish.

M- Light bodied, crisp, refreshing, and with just the right amount of carbonation.

Overall I thought this was a nice warm weather beer and my personal favorite for taking with me to play some disc golf, I often go with oberon, but this beer is lighter and more refreshing then oberon and I like that better for playing disc golf. This beer is exactly what it's name implies, a Shandy, and thats how I grade this beer, not as a typical fruit beer. This is the only commercially available Shandy I have seen, most of the time Shandy's are DYI recipes, so I like the fact that it is already mixed and the fact it comes in cans helps also. I tend to keep this in my fridge all summer for those afternoon disc golf games, they are nice and refreshing and don't get you too buzzed, it just has great drinkability. If you are looking for a lighter refreshing beer for those active summer days then this beer will work well.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2011 02:36:32 | More by StoutHunter

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev +23%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Appearance - cloudy and foamy on the way out. Looks pretty much like lemonade with a head! It has a little head retention but doesn't completely cover the surface.

Aroma - I can smell the lemonade immediately on the pour. After a minute or so, some basic but legit grain is there, too. Smells good!

Taste - well...it's lemonade and beer. That's what it tastes like. The lemon pretty much dominates but some wheaty beer-like flavor is present.

Mouthfeel - bubbly, light, crisp, quite refreshing.

Drinkability - a fine pick on a hot day. This is different, tasty, and a nice break from the norm. It has the sweetness that you might associate with alcopop but the lemonade does a nice job of separating itself from that group at least a little bit.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2007 19:09:08 | More by brewdlyhooked13

stingrayvr6

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +23%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This review will be on the product's merits as a beer but as a beverage in general. As a beer, this fails. It is extremely light with few taste characteristics of beer. However, it is not at all bad. It more resembles a mellow, less sweet lemonade. It is quite refreshing and fruity with some nice sweetness at first and then a more bitter/hoppy finish that balances nice. Quite refreshing and not at all bad for a hot summer day which is exactly how I am enjoying it. Worth trying for this purpose, not worth trying if looking for a great beer though.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2009 01:39:03 | More by stingrayvr6

hworking

Indiana

3.85/5  rDev +23%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

The summer shandy it's a bit cloudy and has very little head to it The smell of it isn't too bad but it does have a good lemonade taste to it but a bit of a after taste it is a great beer to drink on a hot day out in the sun overall it's a good beer

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2010 20:29:18 | More by hworking

coldmeat23

Oklahoma

3.83/5  rDev +22.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

GLASS: Saint Arnold Brewery Tasting Glass
TEMP: Cellared @ approx 45 degrees
(SUMMER BEER TASTING w/ a few friends)

It's a beautiful hazy golden yellow in the glass. Reminds me of a hot summer day, visually. Not 100+ degree 'heatstroke' kind of hot, but upper-80's to mid-90's. Where you're just starting to see 'heat-lines' in the air, if you look down the street.
Creamy one-finger head dissipates fairly quickly. Decent lacing. Minimal retention.

The smell is like effervescing lemons. If you had a pool filled with fresh lemons and they began giving off a wonderful bubbly gaseous mist, I think it would smell like this.
For all intents and purposes this looks and smells like a glass of strong homemade lemonade.

Taste is where it drops a little bit, for me. Granted, it is pretty much exactly what it claims to be. A well-done (American) Pale Wheat with lemonade blended in. The lemon seems to be a bit too dominant, though. While I do detect a tiny hint of yeastiness in there, the beer flavor is all but buried.

It feels a bit wrong to me, also. It's thin, which I would normally like, in this style. The problem is that there seems to be to many bubbles (overcarbonation). Makes for an odd mouthfeel.

After what I've just said about it, I'm surprised to say that I still find this to be a good, easy-drinking, refreshing summer brew. On a nice hot day, this would definitely do the trick.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2008 17:35:22 | More by coldmeat23

GuyNamedSid

3.83/5  rDev +22.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Smell- Strong citrus

Looks- Dirty blonde and cloudy

Taste-Right from the start you get a strong lemon zest that progresses into a thirst quenching brew.

Overall - Not the best summer beer by far, but worth trying. I'd say give it a go. It's a great summer beer to complement a summer BBQ or day at the pool/lake/beach.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 15:17:41 | More by GuyNamedSid

DannyDan

Michigan

3.8/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A. Pours out a yellow body with thin white head that lots of carbonation, no retention and no lacing.
S. The smell has a very strong lemon aroma with hints of pine, floral, and citrus hops.
T. The taste is pretty much lemons that are more on the tart side than the sweet side. Also in the middle and near the end I taste hints of the various hops in the beer.
M, The mouthfeel is a tingly like a soft drink feel to it thanks to its high carbonation.
O. Overall a pretty good light bodied easy drinking relaxing summertime beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2011 06:16:40 | More by DannyDan

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.8/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz can poured into a Leinie's imperial pint.
4.2% ABV, Jul 18 11 printed on the bottom.

A - Likek cloudy, fresh lemonade, this beer is pale straw yellow and hazed through completely. A billowing white head crowns the beer and descends from three fingers very slowly while leaving lace down the whole pint!

S - Pale malt, soft wheat, and a big, strong aroma of citrusy lemonade give this a seasonally delicious aroma that signals the beginning to summer fun and refreshment.

T - Pale malt, notes of dry straw, and soft but mild wheat make up the base of the brew. A mildly sweetened lemonade citrus comes through at the end.

M - Citrus tang all over, this refreshing beer is crisp and medium-light bodied with a high carbonated, refreshing, semi-sweet but not cloying finish.

O - Hey, it is what it is; a refreshing summer thirst quencher. Would I want more than one or possibly two? No, not really, but it gets the job done and anyone that likes lemonade can't say this isn't good, cause that's basically what it is.

Serving type: can

06-21-2011 12:10:21 | More by BeerFMAndy

jimmah120

Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle best by Jul 08 12

Pours looking like lemonade, cloudy yellow with a weak sudsy head. Smell is pure lemonade, the only other scent I pick up is watery grain. Tastes is mild wheat/corn with a lot of lemon flavor. The lemon has bite and zest to it, but is in balance with the beer flavor. This isn't too sweet, which I appreciated. Mouthfeel is a little thin, like all leineys.

This beer gets ragged on unnecessarily I think, because it's sweet and not very beer-y. Kind of a gateway beer. It's not something I would drink all the time, but I might keep some around for the less beer-inclined among us.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 12:44:56 | More by jimmah120

zrab11

Indiana

3.78/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A- pours a golden yellow with small head

S- Strong lemon notes with some hints of yeast

T- Lemon hits you right away but its nottoo strong.

M-Light bodied with average carbonation

D- Love this "beer". i know it may not be considered a beer by some but dang this is soo good and easy to drink on a hot summer day!

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2011 04:02:11 | More by zrab11

Mitchster

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

$1.70 for a 12oz bottle at Jack's. Pours out to a cloudy pale yellow, forming a soapy white head with poor retention and no lacing. Carbonation is moderate. The aroma is invigorating with a crisp nose of lemonade which is Pavlovian in it's saliva-inducing ability. Mouthfeel is ffizy, crisp and thin with a light body. The taste is actually pretty dang good, as far as shandies go. Lemonade up front with a continental macro-wheat middle and finish. Seeing as how the other Leinie's are ridiciously sweet, this isn't so, and is actually quite palatable. Slight degree of lemon-bitterness with a cracker finish. No off-putting yeast.

Not a very good beer, but as far as shandie's are concerned, this is pretty damn tasty. I could kick back a few of these on a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2007 21:48:27 | More by Mitchster

HoppyMcStout

Missouri

3.75/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I don't see why people kill this beer. For those who complain it doesn't taste like a "beer" that is because a shandigraff is a combination of beer and lemonade; and considering that, it REALLY DOES taste like a beer - not winecoolerish in any way.

It is a solid session brew for hot afternoons in the backyard. To me, the lemon flavor wasn't cloying or artificial (as you might find with the Berry Weiss).

Don't compare this to your favorite IPA or RIS, have reasonable expectations, and you might just find that this brew is pleasing.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2008 22:54:14 | More by HoppyMcStout

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy poured a light color, with a decent head. It smells very strongly of lemonade, and had a sweet smell. The taste had a very strong lemonade flavor, and was rather sweet. Very very easy to drink, anybody would enjoy this beer. Overall its very different, and not bad, worth a shot, great on a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2010 22:16:36 | More by vette2006c5r

cooch69

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer is a really murky and pastel colored yellow. It only had traces of a head, but a decent looking bready one at that.

Nose is really lemony and rather tart. Just like smelling a lemon tart desert pie. A little bit of grains and bready malts in the backdrop.

The flavors on this one are as smooth as chalk. Smooth semi creamy mouthfeel. Very lemony and slightly tart. Really thirst quenching and satisfying for a hot, humid summer day. I can't complain with one of these in weather like this. Only a little bit of wheaty malts comes through in the finish which blend rather well with the flavors of lemonade. One would never think that these actually complement each other until it's tried.

Is this a really light and unrefined beverage? Yes but it's damn tasty in the sun.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2011 00:27:17 | More by cooch69