Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy - Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

xfactor9600

Indiana

2/5  rDev -36.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass

A - Pours a light gold. Short lasting foam

S - hops and lemons

T - A standard wheat with added tinges of watered down lemonade mixture.

M - Light and an a feeling of over carbonation. It's almost as if they over-carbonated just because it's a "summer seasonal".

D - It seems that it would have been better to use a regular lemon instead of the mixture chosen. I purchased a six-pack, but let guests finish the rest. I'm unlikely to ever purchase again.

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2008 19:57:35 | More by xfactor9600

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

davecavemaster

Ohio

2.08/5  rDev -33.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

It's almost 100 degrees where I am today, so here is a review of a summer beer. This one is from Leinenkugel, a brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.

Now in my experience, there are two kinds of "seasonal" beers... The first is an honest attempt to bring a seasonal characteristic to a well made beer, in order to give the consumer something interesting and enjoyable. The second kind of seasonal is one that is just a gimmick. A beer made to capitalize on the time of year, and the impulse buy of the customer. This beer clearly falls in the the second category.

leinenkugel's summer shandy

Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy, is a self described "beer made with natural lemonade flavor." The brew pours with a thick creamy head (so I thought I was in for a treat,) and is a yellow, opaque color.
It presents with a lemony aroma, and has the bubbles of a carbonated bottled water. When you take your first sip, your mouth fills with the lemon taste, but there is very little beer taste to it at all. In fact, the more you drink this beer, the less lemon you taste, and the more it just feels like your drinking a watered down lemonade. No matter what flavor the brewery is trying to infuse, I still like to be reminded that I am drinking a beer. The alcohol content is only 4.2%, the same as a Bud Light, so there is no kick or burn at all.

There is no shortage of summer beers out there, I would suggest putting this one very low on your list of ones to try. If you don't like beer, and prefer wine coolers and spritzers, this may appeal to you.

It should be noted that not everything this brewery puts out is crap...They actually make a decent Imperial Stout and IPA, don't know what happened to this recipe.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 00:53:44 | More by davecavemaster

klintok21

Michigan

4.93/5  rDev +57.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Great summer beer but only in small quantities. As described it is very lemony. You get a lot more lemon than beer, but still a great combination for the summer! The wheat off sets it enough to let the title of beer remain. Hey, if you like lemonade and beer give this a try. I also recommend pouring this in a glass and adding a real lemon wedge and circling the rim of the glass then putting it right in the beer.

Serving type: on-tap

07-24-2008 06:25:46 | More by klintok21

ELN

Washington

2.75/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

It was 70 degrees yesterday and I sat on my front porch blastin' out old foreign punk rock. Today it's rainy so I bought this to cheer me up. :)

Serving type: bottle. the only way it comes?
appearance: always drink from the bottle.
Smell: citrus, maybe a little bread.
Taste: citrus and real beer flavor mixed. It starts off as citrusy but then turns to a beer flavor. A smooth citrus rather than zesty and pronounced one such as Mike's Lemonade.
Mouthfeel: real light and smooth.

Overall: I didn't realize this was only 4.2 percent until I got it home. I never buy below 5% just 'cause I want a real beer and not "lite" beer. I liked the other 3 beers I had by this company last summer. One was blueberry I believe and another wheat? Can't remember exactly. Summer Shandy is something you could drink all day if it was sold cheaply enough or was free. I'm not gonna but it again because at $7 it's a bit expensive for the ABV. and falling into the "joke" beer category such as being a lemonade.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2011 19:12:33 | More by ELN

quikfish13

Ohio

3.13/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Poured a cloudy yellow with a very thin pale white head. Very low carbonation had the head disappear very quickly.

S: Very strong in the smell of lemons. Considering that this is a shandy it does have the aroma of lemonade.

T: Not much in the flavor of beer at all. Lemonade flavoring dominates this beer. Not along the same lines as a hard lemonade but none the less a nice alternative taste to such drinks.

M: Very easy on the taste buds and smooth going down. Quite watery however with no real body.

D: It's ok and maybe worth once in a while on a nice summer day. But I would not buy this on a regular basis even if I could.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2007 01:50:32 | More by quikfish13

Walsar

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Overall a nice summer thirst quencher

Beery lemonade -- if you like the other offerings from Leinenkugels this will be up your alley

Tart slightly artificial lemonade flavor

One is enough in a sitting - although I look forward to one on a 90 degree August afternoon

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2008 00:16:42 | More by Walsar

JonB1958

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer is strangely a little better than the sum of its parts.

Poured into a wet pilsner glass using the "Hacker Pschorr" pour video from that website. A cloudy, pale straw color with a nice thick head that stuck around much longer than I expected.

The aroma is a little overpowering; sort of like a lemon-scented cleaner mixed with beer.

The taste is thin for a wheat, and a little overpowered by the lemon.

But surprisingly, both my neighbors and I agreed it was very drinkable, in the end. Suffice it to say that this is not the highest testament to the art of brewing one will find in stores this summer. But it's an interesting attempt, and a quite acceptable offering for a hot night out on the dec.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2008 02:28:26 | More by JonB1958

KingEdward

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +28.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is a very simple wheat beer brewed with lemon. Its a very refreshing summer beer. Had many beers like this in Germany. The main reason i am reviewing this beer is cause i feel its overall score is low do to people reviewing it and say "it taste like lemon... why would someone brew this"... First of all it says brewed with lemon so the lemon stands out! Why would you try this beer if you have a problem with the lemon taste? I like it a lot... reminds me of Germany...

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 22:45:59 | More by KingEdward

vicg12

New York

3.18/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

This is a weird one. From Leinenkugel the makers of weird beer. Lemonaid and beer mixed together, sounds gross right? Well it's better then I expected it to be, not great though. Aperently this style of lemonaid beer is biger in England and parts of Europe but it is the only one I have seen in the U.S. It is a good summer beer, light and taste like lemonaid beer. Neither flavor is over-powering which is what I had expected it to be like. I can't say I could drink alot of them but every once and a while it would be ok to have a few. You have to try this one for your self to really understand the flavor.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2008 15:58:38 | More by vicg12

Dunkle

Michigan

2.58/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This pours yellow with little head. Smells like lemon and tastes like lemonade mixed with a light lager. Light-bodied, but decently carbonated. This may be a session beer for some, but I could not drink more than two because it's too sweet and the taste just isn't for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2010 04:49:19 | More by Dunkle

Groucho75

Georgia

2.45/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Since the beer selection at the renaissance festival was limited to Coors products, and I was not in the mood for mead, I pretty much stuck with this for an afternoon.

Poured a murky brown-ish gold with some carbonation. What little head was there evaporated within a few minutes.

Aroma was slightly spicy with some citrus hints, but I"m also giving that edge to the lime wedge they gave me. Guess they were short of lemons that day...

As far as taste goes, a crisp start gives was to some malt flavor. Sugar (honey) was abundant throughout.

Mouthfeel was fine as this was the paramount reason to have a beer in the hot sun at a festival. Since the ABV was relatively mild, you could knock this back most of an afternoon and be fine.

For what it's worth, this isn't the worst beer in the world. Is it great? Heavens no. But if it's sunny, you're outside for a couple of hours and have to quench that thirst, you could do a lot worse.

Serving type: on-tap

05-01-2011 14:58:00 | More by Groucho75

mattfungus

Wisconsin

2/5  rDev -36.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

This is like a more lemony version of the sunset wheat and little more watery and a little more perfumey. At times I can't tell this and the sunset wheat apart, thought that hint of perfume in this one is the field mark I look for.

If I am going to mix lemonade and beer I will stick with sol or corona,

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 04:50:44 | More by mattfungus

TGZ32

Michigan

4/5  rDev +27.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: This beer screams summer to me, a lemon shandy.. the best appearance for a beer on a very hot summer day in my opinion.

S: Lemons, lemons and more lemons. faint lemon rind smell.

T: Tart at first, then mellows out almost like a lemonhead candy. wonderfully tasty and quenching when its miserable hot out.

M: Thin and crisp, yep.

O: Session friendly. Kicked many of these back in college.. great beer for chilling around the house/pool/lake on a nice Michigan summer day.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 02:45:50 | More by TGZ32

Plokhooy

Texas

2.93/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

I'll be the first to admit that I think that Leinenkugel's is a very overrated brewer. This beer won't change my mind. Very "lemon-y" and sweet which I personally don't care for in a beer. I expected a much more tart flavor but it is rather sweet which keeps one from being able to drink to many at a time.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2010 02:28:18 | More by Plokhooy

Chiefy770

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a Pilsner glass.

A: Pours to a hazy and yellow color. Not much head.

S: A noticeable hit of lemons. A beer smell is lingering behind the lemons but the lemon dominates.

T: I enjoyed the taste. My friends and I joke that this is the Arnold Palmer of beers. It has a straight-forward taste of lemonade and is accompanied by beer. The lemonade dominates the taste.

M: Crisp and refreshing. Fairly carbonated.

Overall this is a beer that I grab on a hot summer day. It goes down easy and really satisfies your thirst. My only complaint is that it is a bit too sweet. Drinkers who do not like flavored beers should avoid this.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 02:45:33 | More by Chiefy770

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

redzone3120

Delaware

3.43/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A - Pours a very cloudy golden yellow color with moderate carbonation. Minimal head is white in color and thin, dissipates quickly with little lacing.

S - Interesting smell for a beer, very lemony and sweet. Strangely, there is very little hint of standard beer scents like malts or hops. Though not like a standard beer, there is certainly something there to set it apart from a lemonade.

T - Very refreshing taste with an immediate lemon flavor. The lemon is a little sour and masks some of the wheat in the background. It finishes with some sour notes and a little aftertaste.

M - Very carbonated feel, almost a little harsh when you first take a sip. After the initial feel, the bubbles thin out quickly to reveal a moderate body.

D - Moderately drinkable, especially in the summer. The lemony flavor is very nice but gets a little sour after awhile. Good for a summer seasonal beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2009 01:54:10 | More by redzone3120

StoutishDan

Georgia

3.65/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a hazy yellow color with a finger thick head that fades relatively quickly.

S - Lemon note is strong. But there are other citrus notes such as orange and even cloves.

T - Lemon peel is strong upfront, and follows you all the way until you swallow. Yeasty finish that would come close to making up for a person's dislike for the lemonness.

O - I can imagine after mowing the lawn or running pouring one of these and enjoying it greatly. Lemons are a little too strong for my liking. It's close to leaving the beer category and entering the fruity fun drink category, which is fine, but this is a BEER.

Depite this I cannot deny that it is a good tasting beer. I liked it and I will no doubt be drinking this again.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2011 18:22:56 | More by StoutishDan

Ahoyhoyindeed

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev +27.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Admittedly I'm a sucker for sweeter beers, but even I was skeptical at a lemonade/beer combo. However girly it may be, it is a delicious and refreshing beer that manages to eliminate all of the negatives of a malt beverage like Mike's Hard or a flavored beer like Bud Light Lime. There's no lingering sweetness, and isn't harsh on the stomach acid wise. You can taste the beer and the lemonade, but neither are bad. The flavors don't taste fake or forced. Great refreshing beer for a summer barbeque.

Serving type: can

07-14-2011 16:35:11 | More by Ahoyhoyindeed

UpNorthLager

Wisconsin

3.3/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Usually I've had this in a bottle, but the tavern my friends play volleyball for had it on tap. I was surprised to see a nice full head on the goblet. The lemon zestiness of this beer certainly makes this a mood beer for me. But the refreshing taste makes it very drinkable. It had a slight tan tint to the golden hue. Nothing too complex, a lighter flavored beer with a thorough lemon infusion.

Serving type: on-tap

07-31-2010 15:40:42 | More by UpNorthLager

Enish266

California

2.73/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Purchased for $1.49 from BevMo. Poured aggressively into a shaker pint.

A - light yellow golden with some cloudiness. Head disappears after a few minutes leaving zero lacing.

S - lemon cough drops with a touch of menthol.

T - very similar to the nose. Tastes of days old lemon juice with a light tartness and minty herbs. Has some potential as an easy summer drinker but flavor is not as natural as advertised.

M - bubbly and effervescent. Thin and has a watery finish that disappears immediately from the palate.

O - I enjoy lemonade but the flavor of this beer does not agree with me. Buy this beer if you like watery lemon cough drops.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 07:14:54 | More by Enish266

TerjUGA

Georgia

2.93/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

pours a yellowish copper color with little head.

smells of very strong lemon scents, almost to much.

taste is way more lemon than i expected but as i drank it i got more used to it, it does have a bite to it but thats from all the lemon flavoring.

heavily carbonated, lemon flavor covers the beer and you can really almost taste nothing but lemon, its a bit overwhelming.

easy to drink, decent beer for after a hard day of work or maybe out at the pool, it seems to be more of a refreshment than a beer, somewhat like lemonade. not bad though.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2008 05:10:55 | More by TerjUGA

krukster

Pennsylvania

2.65/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Small amount of lacing and somewhat cloudy appearance

S - Overpowering lemon smell. Sorta smells like lemon flavored dish detergent. Not the worst smell in the world, but not great.

T - Very light tasting

M - Light to medium light body. Crisp mountfeel and minimal after taste.

D - Somewhat drinkable. I am thinking the heavy lemon flavor would get to me by the third beer.

Overal: Blah

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2010 00:41:00 | More by krukster

Dave_in_GR

Michigan

3.06/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance is really interesting - a bright, opaque yellow. There is about a finger-width of foamy head, but it disappears fairly quickly - typical for a citrus beer.

Smell is dominated by lemon, not much else going on there.

Taste is very tart and lemon. It is pretty pleasant for a warm day, but not much "beer" flavor.

Mouthfeel is nice, great amount of carbonation and a very dry finish. Very easy to drink.

Overall, this is my wife's favorite beer and I can see why - it is easy to drink and extremely refreshing. I also like that it isn't overly sweet. I'm more of a fan of subtle fruit beers, however, and the lemon is a bit overpowering for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 19:28:35 | More by Dave_in_GR