Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy - Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

scottmbolt

Michigan

5/5  rDev +59.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A+. Hands down. I don't understand why this beer is getting such bad reviews from other users. Here is the way I look at the Shandy: it is not a "beer" per say, but a delicious flavored beverage that goes hand-in-hand with hot summer days, laying on the beach, going out on the boat, or sitting around a bonfire on the back deck on a late July night. Now if I am looking for an actual "beer", than I am not going for the Shandy. That is the point - the Shandy is a beer made perfect for specific conditions. It is extremely easy to drink, so it's a good session beer. The color is perfect for summer - a nice cloudy yellow with a white foam head. It has a sweetness to it, so I can totally see how that may turn off some of the other reviewers. Great for BBQ's and lazy summer days.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2011 14:43:19 | More by scottmbolt

bbluemzbeer

California

5/5  rDev +59.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This a great drank ! An A rating for sure, this not a beer but this type of beer usually has mixed with citrus-flavor, lemonade, cider . It is great on hot summer days, Laying on the beach, boating if you are not driving.If you are looking for IPA, pilsner, or sout this beer is not for you.

Appearance is a yellow, orange . The head is retains well.

Smells : lemons, and a some bit of malt and hops

TAste: It taste like lmeons malts and hops. It is very nice balce to it.

Mouthfeel: Is has a great mouthfeel . It is on the light side of medium.

Overall: A great beer to refresh your mouth on a summer day . I am glad six pack of this last night. I will be buying more of this beer in future. Ths is a grea beer!

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 15:42:16 | More by bbluemzbeer

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

cstrong821

New York

4.78/5  rDev +52.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A- Has a very cloudy, pale, yellow color with a foamy head to it.

S- Strong smell of lemons and wheat.

T- When they say brewed with lemonade Leinenkugels means it. Strong lemon start with a wheat beer finish, very enjoyable.

M- Smooth and quite refreshing actually a nice thirst quencher.

O- Easily drinkable, great taste, wish it was available year round. Perfect beer for summer. I've had it tap, bottle, and can equally enjoyable each time.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 02:56:24 | More by cstrong821

yuenglingfan101

Indiana

4.72/5  rDev +50.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

What a wonderful beer for summer. The appearance is wonder. The smell is exceptional. Taste is so wonderful. Very Lemonony and beer taste rolled into one. Mouthful is the same. Drinkability is so exceptional. I could drink this beer all day long. I crave this beer

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2010 00:47:44 | More by yuenglingfan101

davidaubrey

Illinois

4.7/5  rDev +50.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I poured this beer into a Hoegaarden Pint glass. There was little lacing, which immediately dissipated.

Flavor is mild and sweet. The flavor of a weiss beer immediately floods the palate. The lemon flavor is strong and sour. High marks for refreshment.

The aftertaste is all lemonade.

I just moved back to Illinois from California this summer. As such, I had know of the Leinenkugel beers, but had not tried any of them.

I was immediately thrilled to see that they a beer shandy. My college internship was in Windhoek, Namibia. There I spent many summer nights with my teammates enjoying Zebra, Sprinbok, & beer shandies.

Kudos to Leinies for bringing an unique beer flavor to the market. I enjoyed it with a little nostolgia & while listening to Paul Simon's "Graceland" album.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2008 04:35:02 | More by davidaubrey

chadj19

Wisconsin

4.68/5  rDev +49.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Excellent summer Beer. Hint of Lemonade and Orange flavor with hoppy aftertones. Not a beer for the winter. But the hot 90° summer days, there is not much better!It is very easy to drink. The color is a nice cloudy yellow with a 1" white foam head. Out of the Leinies summer brews this is right behind the Sunset Wheat for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2011 21:59:23 | More by chadj19

isualum12

Idaho

4.65/5  rDev +48.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I poured this beer this past weekend at Boise Beer Festival in Boise Idaho. I ended up having several of these over a few hours time. This beer was one of the most popular beers of the 200+ beers at the event. It was hot out so take that in count...

Appearance- hazy foggy yellow.
Smell-Lemon and hops
taste- Lemon and lots of citrus. there is a little hop showing in there as well.
mouthfeel- smooth lite and refreshing. It was creamy on a little level.
Overall- HEAVEN on a hot day. Seriously loved this beer...

Serving type: on-tap

08-08-2011 20:32:04 | More by isualum12

sneakymagician

Michigan

4.65/5  rDev +48.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I bought a six pack of this a few years ago. I polished off 5 bottles in 25 minutes, before I realized how much I had. This stuff is evil! I've sworn it off.

It goes down too easily. It's best to skip it, if you're thirsty. It tastes more like lemonade, than a beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 18:38:00 | More by sneakymagician

RickS95

Indiana

4.53/5  rDev +44.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I bought this beer by mistake, and I'm very glad I did. I've had shandies from overseas before, but this was the first I've had that used lemonade instead of ginger ale or Sprite.

On a hot summer day, you can't beat this drink. It is extremely refreshing, not a heavy beer at all. This is what you'll want to grab after cutting the grass or playing 18 holes of golf.

There is a strong flavor of lemon in the nose. Mouthfeel is very crisp, but not even slightly bitter. In the finish, there is a strong punch of lemon, but not so overpowering that you forget you're having a beer.

This beer will remain in my fridge until they stop making it.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2008 17:11:33 | More by RickS95

JoLight

Georgia

4.53/5  rDev +44.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The appearance is a hazy, almost solid yellow, leaning slightly to an orange touch. The head is stark white and retains pretty well.

For the aroma, it smells of lemons, and a tad bit of malt (wheat, maybe?). Hop presence is just slightly noticeable, but it's hard to tell with the straight-forward lemon/citrus aroma.

The taste is primarily lemon zest, with some small sweetness, and a tiny backbone of malt- which to me, is hard to distinguish between barley and wheat. A nice balance, I suppose. Just bready and lemony.

The mouthfeel is on the heavy side of light, and the light side of medium. You really get a bite from the carbonation and the lemon zest.

Overall, this is one of the most refreshing beers I've ever had, and I suggest giving it a try, especially if you like citrusy beers.

Serving type: on-tap

04-04-2012 01:45:47 | More by JoLight

BobatHTBN

Washington

4.53/5  rDev +44.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I really liked this beer. Very refreshing. Lemonade is nice complement to the wheat. I could drink several of these on a hot summer afternoon or evening.

I would recommend that you try it. I think many of the reviews just missed the point of this beer.

My wife says it has a beautiful color (lemondrop). Very nice head. Lemon smell. Wheat beer initial flavor and nice lemonade finish.

Keep in mind that the kind of glass you use does make a difference in head, head retention, how it releases the aroma and ultimately how much you will enjoy it.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 08:45:38 | More by BobatHTBN

kahjdfh

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +43.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bought this as part of a six pack mixer from Liberty Street Tavern. Great beer for a hot and humid summer day. It had a nice cloudy yellow pour. Had a nice head of foam with a nice lemon scent. The first taste had pleasantly sweetness to it but finished with a nice slightly bitter lemon. One of the better fruit beers I have had.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2010 01:08:35 | More by kahjdfh

jasonpeckins32

Michigan

4.47/5  rDev +42.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This was hands-down my favorite new beer of the summer. . . and I'm sure it will be a staple of mine next summer, god willing they brew it again.

It pours a bit more yellow than your average pale beer, and obviously smells of lemons. I consider it to smell like a sugary sweet lemon, almost similar to a kitchen cleaner of some sort.

The taste really is what it says: Half beer half lemonade. That may not sound too great, but wow it is the most refreshing drink to have on a hot summer day. Some of my friends loved it, others hated it. Its really hit or miss with this one. With me its a hit. By taste alone I would think they actually did just mix a normal beer with minute maid lemonade, but it still has a reasonable abv, making me believe that is not the case.

All i know is that I like it and I will buy it again next year. From my experience, it is much better on-tap than from the bottle, but suitable either way. For me, this is one of those beers that you like so much and your so confident that people who dont even like craft beer, or beer at all, will actually enjoy it- so you stock up and hand it out.

My summer refreshment can be summed up right here with this one. . . and at a nice low price!

Serving type: on-tap

10-16-2007 03:50:48 | More by jasonpeckins32

Tuey13

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +41.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I loved this beer! As soon as I opened the bottle I could smell the strong aroma of lemon. Poured a hazy yellow with a thick creamy white head. The taste was definately lemonade with wheat flavor abounding. I found this to be quite refreshing while sitting by the pool on a hot day, grilling, or just enjoying the warm summer nights. This beer goes down very easy and compliments the season well. This is my second review of this beer... Now that the dog days of summer are in full swing I felt like this one needed a second look since for me the hot weather makes it even better!

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2007 01:33:20 | More by Tuey13

buschbeer

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +41.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I poured into a pint glass to a small white head after I finished mowing the lawn. It was a cloudy yellow color. It smelled lemony. It tasted like Blue Moon infused with lemonade. I guess if you're going to garnish wheats with friut you may as well do it during the brewing process. I thought it was very good and I apologize for the Blue Moon reference (not a fan). The Summer Shandy hit the spot on a warm day after some yard work. It is a very nice summer session ber.

Skoal!

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2009 23:41:45 | More by buschbeer

RushLimbmalt

Minnesota

4.4/5  rDev +40.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

After drinking a Dubbel this certainly goes down like water. It is pretty pale looking and has a weak head and is not very cloudy for a wheat beer, but it is made by Leinenkugel :) Ok, well they still make some ok beers.

It smells very lemony and refreshing. Maybe it is a bit like household cleaners, but it sure smells good!

It has a very lemony flavor... Intense, but very clean finishing. I hate to say that I really like it. It is almost an alcopop, but the nice wheat beer finish saves it from being too sweet and girly.

It is light bodied beer that is super refreshing in my opinion. I could drink these all day long on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2007 03:44:39 | More by RushLimbmalt

SaCkErZ9

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +38.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass. Emerges very hazy and resembles fresh squeezed lemonade with sugar. Slightly bronze but mostly very hazy and lemony.

Aroma matches the title of the beer; fresh lemons. Not much else, but I wasnt expecting much else.

Flavor is lemonade plus beer, just what a shandy is. A bit tart with some sweetness to match the tartness and make this an all around decent shandy.

This is much more convenient that a beer with lemonade added, and if I must say, this isnt bad. It doesnt taste like beer, but it isnt supposed to. A real easy drinker and not a bad "beer" at all.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2009 20:23:14 | More by SaCkErZ9

supercolter

Minnesota

4.3/5  rDev +37.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

I have to go out on a limb here and disagree with a lot of reviewers here. I thought this was the best Leine's I have tried. I have a couple left, but I have had a good portion of their selection. Anyways, what I was most impressed with was the smell and taste. The appeance and Mouthfeel as debatable, but the mix of lime, honeydew and light citrus hops with a touch of sweet malt can really hit the spot on a warm day.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2007 23:02:32 | More by supercolter

jaredeppy

Nevada

4.28/5  rDev +36.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this at a beer dinner that paired the Summer Shandy as well as the Sunset Wheat from Leinenkugel with an orange creme brule. The two paired amazingly with notes of lemon throughout the Shandy. Character that holds strong to both the Lemonade as well as the Wheat flavors that this beer is designed around. Keep this in the fridge for the ladies this summer!!!

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2008 21:38:39 | More by jaredeppy

armiakhe

Michigan

4.26/5  rDev +36.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

The appearance if Leinenkugel Summer Shandy is a pale yellow color. The aroma of it is a lemon and citrus smell which i like a lot. It tastes like lemony beer as well and is very crisp and refreshing especially on a hot summer day. The overall taste and appearance is perfect for summer and really anytime. If you like lemonade you will love this. It does not have the typical beer taste to it.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 20:08:31 | More by armiakhe

crazybrody06

Indiana

4.2/5  rDev +34.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

This is a really surprisingly tasty beer. I had one straight out of a bottle at a party and liked it so much I wanted to give it a real taste at home. The ale taste is low end but the lemonade flavor perks it right up and makes this a very drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2007 23:29:33 | More by crazybrody06

MLasoski

New Jersey

4.2/5  rDev +34.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: Bottle, poured into a pilsener glass.

A: Golden, straw-colored hazy body. The 1/4 inch head is sticking with the beer quite nicely with some lacing.

S: Smells just like it tastes - lemonade and wheat.

T: Tastes like lemonade was poured straight into a Blue Moon. People may diss this beer because it tastes "cheap" and what not, but it tastes how it's advertised with no surprises.

M: Very smooth, doesn't have the sourness of some lemonades out there. The wheat is present the entire way. It mixes well with the lemon.

D: Great summer beer. I thought Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat took top honors out of this brewery but Summer Shandy is a close second when it comes to having a refreshing lighter beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2009 01:14:28 | More by MLasoski

goblue3509

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +34.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a cloudy yellow color with a little head and good lacing to follow. The overall smell is of lemons with some wheat beer characteristics. The overall taste is lemonade. The lemonade however isn't over powering like the berry weis is. The mouthfeel is dry and not overly carbonated. The overall drinkability is very high, you could have about 12 of these without knowing. Very refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2009 17:28:37 | More by goblue3509

larsee01

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +33.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 12oz bottle into pint glass.

A--Cloudy, straw pour with moderate, creamy head. Most of head doesn't stick around too long.

S--Smells a lot like lemonade...maybe even an Arnold Palmer. Not artificial nor overwhelming. Some malty dryness to balance. Very nice.

T--How do I put this? It tastes like beer and lemonade. I've never bothered with anything like this, but the Leinie Boys do a nice job here. Not sweet, not overly lemony nor artificial. Malty, dry character to the "beer" part of the taste, with a slight bittering balance at the finish. Quite good. Doesn't taste like it has much alcohol, and at 4.2 ABV, it doesn't. Nothing to get really excited about, but aren't you just chilling out on a hot day with this one?

M--Not syrupy nor acidic, which was a prejudicial concern. Balanced body and feel. Not overly crisp nor dry either. A lot of things could have gone wrong in making this beer, but it hasn't.

D--Certainly drinkable and sessionable. Refreshing. Bring a twacker in the rowboat as you jig for crappie!

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2008 01:39:29 | More by larsee01