Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy - Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

Drew966

Florida

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

Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy pours a hazy golden yellow with a white head from a twelve ounce brown bottle. It smells just like lemonade. The body is very light as is the flavor. Up front the lemonade flavor isn't bad, but then it seems kind of artificial in the finish. More a malternative than a beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2008 00:14:37 | More by Drew966

mhewes

Colorado

1.5/5  rDev -52.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

A : Pours a hazy golden yellow color with good head

S : Mainly lemon and wheat. Not much really going on

T : Extremely sour lemon. So much that it was just undrinkable.

M : Good carbonation, light bodied

D : I don't plan on getting this one again. Couldn't finish the glass.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2008 01:52:07 | More by mhewes

Kemmerlin

Colorado

2.05/5  rDev -34.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

A: A creamy light unfiltered golden yellow color and leaves a thick head in the glass.

S: In keeping with the style of the beer, the smells were of lemonade, wheat, cut grass, salt, and a mild soap.

T: A strong taste of lemon pinesol that was very sour. A tepid taste like vomit and a mild taste of wheat beer rounded out this brew.

M/D: Light beer that was smooth and creamy. The drinkability was extremely harsh and because of the sour vomit taste it was very hard to put down the throat.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2008 03:24:20 | More by Kemmerlin

hopheadsal

Massachusetts

3.2/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

The best part about this beer is that you can drink a bounch of 'em...like coors light. The lemon is nice...but saying its infused with lemonade is a little misleading. The appearance is average, all the Leinies look the same with the exception of the berry. I would suggest this beer to an introductory drinker.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2008 03:12:58 | More by hopheadsal

drxandy

Michigan

2.17/5  rDev -30.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

5/28/08 on tap @ Reno's West, Lansing, MI -
Served in 25oz mug, bright hazy lemony yellow, white head fades

smells solely of lemonade!

tastes on first drink pretty good, lemony flavor is fresh and refreshing, very easy to drink, elements of malt hide in the background, high carbonation brings out lemon quite a bit, hmm alcopops?. This is meant to be drunk ICE cold, once it starts to warm up, and even a bit before I was trying to place the flavor it reminded of.. and it hit me.
Thera-flu.

mouthfeel is crisp, sessionable if cold, tastes like candy

overall, not something i would make a habit out of.

Serving type: on-tap

05-30-2008 19:39:33 | More by drxandy

SIRIUS2

North Carolina

2.1/5  rDev -32.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass.

A: Looks like grapefruit juice with a head. Color is murky yellow and pours with a decent white foamy head that quickly dissipates to a thin layer of bubbles and a white ring. Some very light lacing clings to the glass.

S: Lemonade. It comes through quite clearly. It mixes oddly with some light malts and some thing sharp and citrusy, perhaps hops. It's hard to tell through the lemons. Overall, it smells sort of 'fresh'.

T: Very first impression: Pledge furniture polish in a glass. Sharp and acidic, artificial and plastic. This just is not very impressive. The finish is just as bad with that "Pledge" taste lingering on forever.

M: I guess the flavors that are present do hold together well through the experience. Too bad it wasn't a better experience. Carbonation was about right - moderate and persistent.

D: This was really tough to get down. It's incredibly tough for me to pour something out but this was... tempting. I powered through it though and have to say that I wouldn't recommend this. To anyone.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2008 23:28:15 | More by SIRIUS2

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

Baileyuk

Michigan

3.33/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

A - A cloudy pale yellow. Okay head and lacing.

S - Very Lemony. Not much else including that of a beer.

T - Very Lemony again. Although I was expecting a little lemon this was more of an artificial, at least in the aftertaste.

M - Just Okay

D - Although not a great beer it is very refreshing and would be a good outside on a hot day beer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-22-2008 01:02:46 | More by Baileyuk

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

bort11

Missouri

3.03/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a hefe glass. Tall whipped cream-like white head that has some good retention. Thin spots of lace stick here and there to the glass. Hazy lemony yellow body color.

Smell is like Country Time lemonade mix. Very artificial. Taste is also predominantly lemonade with the slightest hint of wheat.

Mouthfeel is very light and crisp. A refreshing lemon aftertaste. I really wasn't expecting to like this, but it is a lot better than I thought it would be. It's nothing serious to be sure, but would be great for a BBQ.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2008 01:21:34 | More by bort11

RixBeer

Massachusetts

3.45/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Lemonade yellow/white with way too much pure white head. It really does look like lemonade with beer foam.

Smells like someone dumped lemonade into Miller Lite. That's it's no great smell here. Cheap lemonade with beer. I guess that's ok since that's what a SHANDY really is.

I wish it was 100 degrees out so this beer didn't taste so infested with bad lemonade. Since it's not I'm not sure which offends me more the lemon pledge lemonade or the beer it's sitting in. Now if it were 100 degrees I would really appreciate what this beer stands for. Since I've had it many times on a super hot day, this beer gets a pass from me at this moment.

Very smooth and easy to drink. Lemonade does bring back those thoughts of being a little kid and having a lemonade outside in the backyard on a hot summer day. Now that I'm an adult, I can appreciate the beer in there so I can have some alcohol without drinking vodka.

Sh!t man you can drink these like water on a hot day! Today it's a little cooler and it's still really easy to drink [as I finish what's left in my glass]. I recommend this beer very cold on a very hot day!

Original Review 07-27-2007

A- Hazy light yellow, 2 finger white head fades quickly. Nice ring and lacing. Veryg ood sticking! Very light carbonation.

S- Lemonade. That's it.

T- Lemonade and a very light beer. (what? Is this still considered beer?)

M- Very light body, easy going down!

D- I could pick up a sixer here and there on a really hot summer day at the beach!

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2008 06:58:13 | More by RixBeer

beerthulhu

New Jersey

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

Brewed with natural Lemonade flavor.

A: Poured a very cloudy, lemony wit color with a foamy 1 finger white head that fell to a slight, fizzy layering quickly after the pour.

S: country time sour lemonade.

T: sour country time lemonade, and oranges. Tastes more like a hard lemonade then a beer. Some sour lemony texture.

M: light, with some fizziness from the carbonation with a tart lemonade fade.

D: A refreshing summer time alternative that looks like a wit but drank like a lemonade cooler.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2008 00:14:18 | More by beerthulhu

biggmike

Mississippi

3.25/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a hazy yellow color with nice white head that dissipated fairly quickly. Aroma was fruity dominated by lemons. Has a very citrusy taste to it. Pretty refreshing on a hot day. Body is on the thin side. Nothing spectacular, but not offensive and easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2008 09:46:15 | More by biggmike

EnojysAnyBeer

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottle from a 6-pack with 07218 mark (best by July, 21, 2008)

A- Looks like a very sweet lemonade. Transluscent, but I can't see through it. Fizzy head with soda bubbles.

S- Smells like a hard lemonade. I was expecting beer, but all liquor is good.

T- Not enough lemon flavor to be hard lemonade and not enough beer flavor to be a beer. Nothing offensive, but nothing impressive.

M&D- Feels light bodied and watery which is what I like. Easy to pound down when well refrigerated. Goes down like a nice glass of mineral water.

Overall- I will drink this when I want a light, refreshing, non-filling alcoholic beverage. Which is not often.

P.S.- This does not taste like other American Pale Wheat Ales. More like a Fruit/Vegetable beer if even a beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2008 04:15:29 | More by EnojysAnyBeer

rowew

Colorado

2.7/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Presentation: 12 oz longneck, same style as the rest of the Leinies logos. Bright yellow with a lemon, indecipherable date code.

Appearance: Cloudy and bright yellow, big head, nice retention.

Smell: Almost completely lemon, just a bit of a wheat hint as it warms up.

Taste: Again, almost all lemon. This tastes like a carbonated lemonade, with just a hint o beer in the finish.

Overall impression: Well, I haven't had any other beers of this style, so I don't have much to compare to. That being said, the beer is second stage here - this is an alcoholic lemonade with a bit of beer flavor in there if you really look for it.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2008 22:27:20 | More by rowew

BamaBeerBuff

North Carolina

2.25/5  rDev -28.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A: Pours a cloudy golden yellow--it looks like cloudy lemonade. The head starts out large and frothy, eventually settling down to a thin lace. It actually leaves a decent bit of lacing on the way down.

S: Strong lemon-zest aroma--tart and sweet. I can get some of the wheat malt mixed in, as well. This is a zesty, fruity smelling beer. Since it's a shandy, I think the smell is right on.

T: Ugh. It's got a lemony flavor, but like it's mixed with Coors Light or something. The pale, mildly bitter wheat flavors emerge mid-way through and subdue what little lemon flavor actually makes it to the beer. This really isn't any good at all. There ought to be some more lemon sweetness and the underlying beer ought to be better, too.

M&D: It's got a very light body and a watery mouthfeel, appropriate for the style they're going for. There's a good bit of carbonation, as well. As far as drinkability goes, the beer is light and summery, but it tastes pretty bad. I won't be getting another bottle ever again, and I would probably drink an American macro over this if I was just chilling on the porch.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2008 19:58:31 | More by BamaBeerBuff

cdkrenz

Wisconsin

2.73/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A - The pour from the bottle actually looks like lemonade. Once in the pint it has a yellow haze and a nice glow. The head is white and loudly fades away fast.

S - The aroma is filled with malt and lemon. The scent begs to be consumed.

T - The flavor starts with a kick of lemon. It moves on to a malty middle and finishes with an odd mix of the two.

M - The feel is coarse and abrasive. Partially because of the temperature and also because of the high carbonation in the brew. I don't think the feel adds much to the beer other than a refreshment factor because it is quenching my thirst.

~ In my humble opinion I'm not to impressed with the Summer Shandy. I will say though, I think the brewers succeeding in what they were attempting to accomplish. This is a beer and not a wine cooler. It does a good job satisfying thirst and can likely be consumed in large quantities. It is not something I'd purchase necessarily but it does have it's place among beers.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2008 02:49:02 | More by cdkrenz

MrHurmateeowish

New Hampshire

3.45/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

12oz brown bottle. Pours a murky light yellow with a quarter inch of off-white head. Smells intensely sweet and lemony - almost like fake lemonade. Tastes very citrusy and somewhat pithy, though the flavor isn't as intense as the aroma is. On the lighter side of medium-bodied with a small amount of carbonation. Not bad, very easy-drinking and refreshing, and i can definitely see putting back a couple of these after a long hot day. That said, it seems less beery and more like an alco-pop, though it beats the heck out of Mike's or the like.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2008 01:55:26 | More by MrHurmateeowish

Natural510

Ohio

2.7/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Pours a good-enough head with a golden yellow color.
Smells strongly of lemon, barley & a slight cherry note.
Strong flavor of lemon/lime; wheat & cherry are deteced also. Tastes as if someone mixed a pale ale with sweet&sour mix (which is basically what they did).
The citric acid leaves a puckering quality in the mouth, otherwise not much in the way of carbonation or other mouthfeel.
Overall this is not something I would drink again, in fact I had to force myself to finish it. It would have been better with less lemonade, as it was too sweet and way too acidic...leaving me feeling slightly queasy. A sharper hop bite would've also given it more balance.
Nice attempt at something different, but they need to tweak the recipe before I try it again.

Serving type: on-tap

05-08-2008 08:16:56 | More by Natural510

BEERchitect

Kentucky

2.98/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Caught somewhere between lemonade and an American Wheat, the beer is both appetizing and distracting at the same time. The aroma opens with a burst of lemons with a confectionate counterpart that takes the acidity off of the nose. A wheat malt balance attempts to balance out the lemonade character, but falls a bit short. Looks timid on the wheat with a slight haze, fizzy head formation and low retention levels. Straw colored and over-carbonated; quite spritz-y. Flavors are dominated by the lemonade sweetness and tartness with, again, lacking wheat beer flavors. Lightly bready, underhopped, and a timid barley / wheat base malt flavor keeps the beer acidic and one-dimentional. Textures are light, crisp, and a bit thin, but certainly refreshing and thirst quenching. Finishes, well, lemony with that mild bread base. Palate cleansing and ready for the next sip. The beer is pleasant enough, despite the lack of 'beer' qualities.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2008 13:48:47 | More by BEERchitect

jenbys2001

Florida

1.68/5  rDev -46.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

Unfortunately, in spite of my love for Leine's Sunset Wheat, I have yet to enjoy any of their other varieties. Although not as sickening as the Berry Weiss, this beer is no exception. It smells and tastes exactly like watered down lemonade. It reminds of Mike's Hard Lemonade, which I dislike, as it tastes nothing like beer. I imagine Leinenkugel is attempting to copy Radler (A combination of beer and Sprite), as this made me think of the Radler I drank in Germany. However, there is not enough beer flavor to this brew to make it enjoyable. I couldn't finish even one bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2008 14:48:41 | More by jenbys2001

Brencr

Maryland

3.7/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

The aroma is great. The color when poured gives the appearance of an unfiltered beer. The first taste leaves you in confusion as to what type of beverage you are drinking. Overall, this is a good summer drink. It is light, fruity, and quite tastey once you adjust to it.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2008 14:07:54 | More by Brencr

Portertime

Florida

3.55/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Just picked this one up and I am enjoying it chilled in my Samuel Smith pub glass. Pours a very cloudy pale sulfur color with an enormous white headthat stays up for ever and leaves great lacing. Smells very delightful, just like fresh lemonade. The taste is a little disappointing, it is pretty much like lemon water and nothing much more. Smooth at first and then a sting at the back of the tongue before a wet lemony finish. Pretty good beer but needs more flavor!

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2008 22:41:58 | More by Portertime

Straz85

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +28.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this beer for the first time this weekend. It was one of the most refreshing beers I've ever had. Not for the beer drinker who doesn't like a light, summery beer. I expected it to be lemony since it says on the bottle that it's "lemonade beer", and it definitely was. I couldn't taste much wheat, but there were very vague traces. I don't think Leinenkugel was going for a beer that should be sipped, and has many different tastes, and I don't think they had the beer aficionado in mind when brewing it. But they succeeded at what they were going for.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2008 06:30:17 | More by Straz85

marcpal

New Jersey

2.98/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into thin tube kolsch glass.

Clearly not my style of beer, didnt enjoy it, but one of my wife's new favorites so Im sure it will be on my next shopping list when I hit the beer stores.

A: Light yellow with a thick head and considerable lacing. Wheaty color and bubbles, plenty o fizz.

S: Lots of lemon. Nothing else, not much wheat, malt or much else.

T: Powerful lemon hits you, lemonade flavored beer. Didnt taste painfully sweet but just not my thing. Flavor wasnt fake but just too tart, almost like it had a lemon slice added.

M: Lots of fizz and carbonation. Needs some more wheatiness and breadiness.

D: I guess its drinkable for the summer if I was sitting by a pool in the mood for a lemonade. Refreshing characteristics, Ill give it that.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2008 23:48:41 | More by marcpal