Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy - Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

lordofthewiens

Maine

3.35/5  rDev +7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A pale, anemic-looking yellow color with a medium-sized white head. It had a citrus aroma, which seemed mainly lemon. Definite lemon taste, tiny bit sour. Fairly pleasant. I might have liked it more if I had been drinking it on a hot summer day, rather than the cold gray day that was present at the time.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2008 15:02:54 | More by lordofthewiens

Metalmonk

North Carolina

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

Pours a cloudy lemon-yellow, no surprise considering the addition of lemonade or "natural lemonade flavor" (both are listed on the label). Head is thin and gets smaller quickly.

The aroma is not bad at all, but it's way more lemonade than beer. There's the slightest hint of wheat/grain heartiness in the background, but in a blind test would I have called this anything but lemonade? Doubtful.

Flavor shows a little more balance between lemonade and beer than the aroma does, having a hint of bread-like heartiness under the lemony surface. The two things gel together surprisingly well, and despite expecting disaster, it's actually pretty good. The mouthfeel does what it's supposed to do, nothing remarkable about the texture, so I won't remark any further.

This is a simple beer, somewhat of a novelty, and nothing any beer lover should be embarrassed to admit liking. It's a step away from the usual summer stuff, and it might surprise you (it did me). The lemon element could've been 1) too tart, 2) too sugary/sweet, 3) too artificial tasting, and/or 4) wretched, but it's none of that. It's just a nice diversion from the big-ass ales many of us usually indulge in. Certainly a wiser choice than evil alcopops or those lime-infused beers the macro brewers are crapping out.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2008 22:03:44 | More by Metalmonk

KarlHungus

Minnesota

2.48/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This beer pours a cloudy pale yellow color. The head is one inch in height, and recedes quickly into decent lacing. The aroma is of powdered County Time Lemonade before it is mixed with water. There is absolutely no beeriness to the aroma. The taste isn't quite so processed lemonade like, but there still is nothing beer about it. The mouthfeel is medium-light bodied with lively carbonation. Overall, this "beer' simply isn't for me. The only flavored beer I've tried that I think is fair to compare it to is Bud Light Lime, and if forced to drink one I would choose the Bud Light Lime.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2009 23:03:32 | More by KarlHungus

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

billab914

Virginia

3/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle into my Three Floyd's glass. Hazy and a lighter, golden yellow color with a thin, frothy white head to it. Decent lacing on the glass as I drank it.

The aroma has a lemon-aid, slightly lemony household cleaner type of flavor to it. Just a hint of a grainy, sweet, beer base to it.

The taste shows a little more of a sweeter, grainy, beer quality to it up front. The finish is all about the lemonaid with a tart, lemony quality to it.

The mouthfeel is light and carbonation is above average. overall, it was a decent beverage but not a very good beer. I think I'd rather just have an actual lemon-aid.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2011 20:41:45 | More by billab914

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A six pack of this got left to me...free beer!

A very light yellow body that is cloudy but bright at the same time. A huge, at least three fingers, of head appears quickly. Not a lot of retention, but a couple thick bands of lacing are left behind.

Summer Shandy has an odd and slightly off-putting aroma. There is a very sugary, lemonade aroma, but there is also a slightly musty aroma. A little bit like old beer that has been sitting out over night.

Surprisingly, this thing doesn't taste that bad. A little strange, but it is exactly what the label bills it as. It tastes like a generic, weak, American Pale Wheat Ale that is mixed with lemonade. Probably about half and half. The aftertaste brings back just a little bit of the mustiness in the aroma, but it is not too strong or unpleasant. Although this isn't exactly fantastic, it's not too bad either.

Mouthfeel is medium in both body and carbonation.

This thing is really drinkable. It definitely shines in this part of the rating. Light, not bad tasting, and pretty refreshing. I could down these pretty quickly. A decent summer brew for a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2009 18:44:49 | More by Hojaminbag

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

2.83/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours out of the bottle a murky cloudy light yellow color with a smallish white head that dissipates quickly. It looks a lot like the liquid that comes out of one of those plastic lemons only this has a small head on it for a minute or two. The smell is pretty heavy on the lemon. There's a faint spicy wheat beer aroma deep underneath, but I mostly get lemons. The flavor is and odd mix of beer and lemon juice. It tastes like carbonated lemonade with a hint of macro wheat beer mixed in there. Medium to thin body with a spirited level of carbonation and a sweet and tart kind of mouthfeel happening. This one didn't really do it for me.
The lemony aspect of this I kind of enjoyed, but I think that the base beer that they used is just south of lackluster.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 00:41:21 | More by johnnnniee

Overlord

California

1.18/5  rDev -62.3%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

This. was. terrible.

Beer shouldn't taste like lemonade. I'm not even going to bother with the five classic categories, as I'm not convinced this is beer and deserves that level of respect. It smells of lemons, it tastes like lemons, and it's like drinking carbonated lemonaid. Bad lemonaid.

At some point in the brewing process, didn't someone raise their hand and say: "this is a bad, bad product"?

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2008 09:12:11 | More by Overlord

rfgetz

New Jersey

3.33/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy pale straw color with minimal head. Scent is of lemons and pale malt - smells like lemonade mixed with a light BMC product. Taste is again a simple belnd of lemon and pale grains - the lemon is not too artificial nor too sour, there is no horrible big rush of sweetness, there is not even a twangy light beer taste. The backbone is a halfway decent fresh grain-like taste. Plain and simple - its a light lemonade mixed with a slightly above average beer. Light to medium bodied, a bit grainy in the mouth. Let me get this off my chest - i enjoyed it for what it was. That doesnt make it a great beer, but it was a nice drink.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2010 15:21:29 | More by rfgetz

dsa7783

New Jersey

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

Single, 12 oz bottle purchased from Total Wine and More in West Orange for $1.59...
Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat happened to be one of my all-time favorite light beers, so I usually eagerly anticipate sampling a new one from this brewery whenever I can...
"Beer with natural lemonade flavor" on the yellow front logo sticker...
Pours a cloudy, murky, straw-colored, light yellow appearance that really did mimic a hazy lemonade...
A distinct aroma of fresh lemons is immediately noticeable, along with a suggestion of other citrus and wheat...
Taste strongly complemented the aroma, with a burst of spiked lemon, citrus, wheat, and slight coriander, perhaps...
Light, watery mouthfeel, not too rich or thick, but certainly very drinkable and would do well on a hot, summer day...
Decent stuff, and an interesting take...

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2008 20:31:24 | More by dsa7783

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.03/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a tumbler pint, the beer is a hazy, opaque, clouded-yellow coloring that is pale and murky, with a thin, filmy coating of white head along the top. Aromas of roasted wheat are drowned out by a tart, sweet lemon zest bouncing out of the glass. Flavors are very lemon heavy, with a tart, effervescence that hits the sides of the tongue and the roof of the mouth like someone poured a Fresca into a wheat beer. Smooth, roasted wheat backbone that supports the lemondrop sweet main palate. The aftertaste is tangy and syrupy sweet, like you just ate a bag of lemon Jolly Ranchers. The finish is smooth and light, with a slight effervescence to it, as well. All in all, I can see how some people like this, but it is definitely not my mug of beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 00:33:11 | More by GarthDanielson

cjgator3

Florida

2.73/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

It has been hotter than hell here in Florida lately, so I decided to give this a try in search of another refreshing beer to enjoy in the warm Florida summer. 12oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Pours a really nice looking cloudy pale golden white color, almost like a yellowish witbier. The aroma is more lemonade than beer, with a little bit of wheat peaking through the lemons. The taste is a hint of wheat mixed with an unsweetened lemonade flavoring. Overall, I am not a huge fan of mixing things into beer, so it is not surprising that I am not a huge fan of this beer. It is not really bad or offensive, but it simply isn't my thing.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2008 04:08:38 | More by cjgator3

mdaschaf

Washington

2.95/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Had on tap at some bar in Rehoboth Beach, DE.

A: Served in a pint glass the beer is straw/light yellow in color, slightly hazy, with a one finger white head on top. Decent head retention and moderate lacing.

S: Reminded me of very strong and tart lemonade. It was very sweet and sugary, not much else came through at all.

T: Very similar to the aroma, lots of very sugary lemons. It reminds of cheap lemonade mix that I used to use as a kid, except this tastes like when you add WAY too much of the mix and a ton of the sugar sits at the bottom of your glass.

M: Surprisingly crisp and refreshing, the slightly sour twang is nice actually.

O: Honestly, better than I expected it to be, but still, a bit over the top in terms of sweetness and not very beer-like either.

Serving type: on-tap

07-21-2011 17:21:28 | More by mdaschaf

tigg924

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance: cloudy, no head, bright yellow, medium carbonation

Smell:very lemony, wheat, and pepper

Taste: very lemony, wheat, and pepper

Mouthfeel: light, sweet, very carbonated

Drinkability:My own personal rank for this beer is higher--probably a B, but I do not think it meets the style guidelines well. I think this is great for a shandy, but not as a wheat ale. I would have several of these as a summer refresher, but maybe not the first thing I look for if I want a beer. The lemon is very strong.

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2009 17:56:28 | More by tigg924

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

bditty187

Nebraska

3.5/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

"Weiss beer with lemonade"

Isn't that a Russ?

Hazy, ghostly white in hue with a tint of yellow; white head, at the apex the head was two fingers tall. Good head retention, the bubbles were slow to fade to a soapy cap. Not much lacing, some unorganized clumps. Good appearance, overall...

Lemonade dominates the nose, as it should, I suppose. Clean wheat notes are noticeable once my nose adjusts to the massive lemon/citrus zest aroma. I can't really knock the nose; it says what it is suppose to say. I could envision, say, AB brewing something like this and either make it smell like a malternative or much weaker. Inviting for what it is... and yes, I do need to qualify my statement and dampened my praise.

The lemonade taste is not as strong as the nose indicated, which is okay. Wheat characteristics are easily detectable. I like the balance of sweet and tart. Clearly, the base beer is not a Bavarian-style wheat, it is just an American wheat ale. Modest wheaty-sweat-tart aftertaste, which was agreeable. While the beer is simple, lacks complexity, it does deliver the goods. I hated this beer last year... I was close-minded. Sure, it is not great but like I said, it delivers for a summer seasonal. I bet this would kill on a 101 degree day. I see why this beer is popular.

Medium-light in body, moderate carbonation, good mouthfeel; I like the clean, cleansing finish.

I am surprised by how much I like it as a summer seasonal. Granted, I'd rather mix my own Radler or Russ but this would do in a major pinch. Nothing to freak out about, nothing to bash... it is a descent, gimmicky beer. I must say, Leine does brew 4 really popular wheat ales (largely, for the non-BA crowd)... Summer Shandy, Berry Weiss, Honey Weiss, and Sunset Wheat. They found their niche, kudos to them.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2008 18:08:14 | More by bditty187

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

2.83/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Notes from 7/27/11. On tap at the Miller Brewery in Milwaukee.

A - Cloudy medium yellow with half a finger of white head

S - Lemonade. No malts or hops noticeable in the nose.

T - Lemonade at first with no obvious beer flavours. However, the finish has some grainy malt notes. Very sweet.

M - Light body. Somewhat heavily carbonated.

O - An interesting beer but not one that I would ever order again.

Serving type: on-tap

08-02-2011 13:54:20 | More by TheSevenDuffs

BretSikkink

Mexico

2.8/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This one is certainly unique. I'm somewhat familiar with the shandy recipe, but never had one bottled.

Cloudy but very pale. Not a lot of head, leaves a soapy rim. The aroma is a little weak, clearly some sugary lemonade but few other hints as to the contents. Lemon rind for sure. The flavor is lemon-astringent at first, the wheat keeps things even and drinkable. Ever so slightly reminiscent of Lemon Pledge.

Overall, I can see a market for this one, albeit a small one. It's a little easier on the way down than a Mike's Hard, not exactly a malternative but somewhere shy of a beer. Definitely drink cold, wouldn't hurt to have a beach handy.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2007 22:36:26 | More by BretSikkink

thekevlarkid

Maryland

3.4/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap this beer was a light golden color with a fluffy white head. It reminded me of a lemon meringue pie. The retention was only so-so though it did stick around as a collar and the lacing was scattered.The aroma was of lemons with hints of floral hops behind that. The flavors too were dominated by lemons but as it warmed up I tasted some crystal malt and a light note of bready malt. It started sweet but finished dry helping it to be a highly refreshing beer/shandy. The body was medium/light, the mouthfeel average and the carbonation a bit prickly.

Serving type: on-tap

07-28-2012 14:46:28 | More by thekevlarkid

rye726

Colorado

2.4/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

This pale wheat ale is a cloudy yellow color and has a beige head. Poor retention. The nose has a mixture of grainy malt and wheat. The taste is light and has a decent amount of mild malts. A middling body is heavy on carbonation. Not the most drinkable in my book. Just too light.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2008 03:51:39 | More by rye726

allengarvin

Texas

2.15/5  rDev -31.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1.5

Into a 12oz mug, this beer is a very pale straw color, quite hazy, with a nice creamy head on top. EGAD the aroma is like Lemon Fresh Pine Sol (tm). Huge lemoniness, but not pleasant like, say, lemon-aid. This tastes like those disgusting lemon malternatives. I can't find any hefeweizen flavors under the overwhelming lemon, except maybe faint fruitiness.

I couldn't finish this. It doesn't taste like the shandy's I used to drink in the UK during vacations in the 80s. Bleagh.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2007 02:42:45 | More by allengarvin

harrymel

Washington

2.2/5  rDev -29.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Best by 20SEP12

Pours yellow and diaphanous with a etched white surface. Some spotty residuals on the rim. Smells like lemon juice, and a bit of detergent - really not much else going in the nose for me. It's ceratainly lemony, but in a antibacterial sense. Taste is empty wheat water with a bit of artificial lemon flavor - like the innards of a lemon head candy (not the sour part). Very commercial to me, in a bad way. Water body with moderately hi carb and an unobtrusive finish. I can see why many folks dig this, and why my WI buddy asked me to find some for her - and why she also loves The Beast outta Milwaukee.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 04:22:06 | More by harrymel

garymuchow

Minnesota

2.75/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Purchased as my better half found it appealing for the summer.
Pours looking a lot like lemonade, but in the glass looks more like a pale beer mixed with some lemonade. It did develop a head. A rather loud beer in it fizziness. Very cloudy pale yellow.
Strong wheat aroma at first and followed by sweet lemonade. Doesn't balance too much as the later is generally stronger throughout the drink with just hints of wheat.
Taste is similar to aroma with a strong wheat flavor, but still holding a stronger lemonade flavor. A few other tastes show up too, such as a greater sense of sourness and at the end more like a lemon rind taste (zest maybe?). Flavors don't seem to sway too much from this combination.
Carbonation is intense, plentiful and at time effervescent, and leads to a sense of fullness. Body is bigger than expected. It's not really light and thin.
This is alright. I won't go searching for it, but I can see that there could a an appeal for some not necessarily immersed in the hard core brew scene. In the end the lemon is too strong for my taste, and a more lightly balanced drink would have been more satisfying.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2008 00:48:36 | More by garymuchow

armock

New York

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

I think this should almost be in the fruit beer category because of the strong lemon nature of this beer. Anyway this is what I think of it.

A - Poured a light hazy yellow looks close to lemonade big white head fades to an even cover fairly quick

S - Holly lemon scent batman didn't even have to get that close to be overpowered and theres a touch of wheat that fights through

T - Theres a lot of fake lemon flavor to this its like putting some country time in a wheat beer

M - The feel is actually average it has a lighter body with medium carbonation feels good at least

D - I don't really know about this one I don't think I can drink another full bottle of this stuff again I hope my wife drinks the rest of the six pack after all it was her idea to get this stuff

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2008 23:43:29 | More by armock

Redrover

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev +8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

After a surprisingly warm (+70 degree) April day spent fishing for walleyes, I was talked into trying this beer. It greatly exceeded my expectations.

It is a slightly hazy gold/yellow with a fluffy but quickly collapsing white head.

He aroma is of lemons backed with some grains.

The taste tracks very close to the smell. Lots of lemon, but is held in check by underlying beer. The malts are more prominent as you work through the beer and the lemon favor recedes slightly.

The mouth is a bit slick and seems to have low carbonation. Not a bad summer beer. I could see myself having this about three times a year, but some folks may really like it.

Oh and yes, we caught walleyes while fishing on the Fox River just south of the Buffalo Lake Dam.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2008 18:16:45 | More by Redrover