Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy - Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

brewskifan55

Mississippi

2.63/5  rDev -16%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a snifter

A: Light gold. A white half finger head that turned to a silky covering of tiny bubbles. Great lacing.

S: Lemons, light, zesty, fresh.

T: Kinda dry. Flat, watered down lemonade. Lemons should be stronger. Great lemon belches, though.

M: Medium, dry. Frothy carbonation.

O: Not impressed. The smell far outweighs the taste. Almost like a Michelob Ultra.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 19:00:52 | More by brewskifan55

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

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

socon67

New York

2.64/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

A - Cloudy yellow pour with a thin white head. Looks like a margarita...

S - Scents of lemon, light grains and floral scents. Unfortuantely the lemon smell is to much like cleaning solvent.

T - Refreshing and a fun witbier but this goes too far to the Mike's Hard Lemonade route and is more tart and sweet than subtle. I like lemon but this is a bit artificial.

M - On a warm day this would be refreshing. In that vein this does the trick. But it is barely what I'd call beer. Too much lemon flavoring.

O - For the non beer beer drinker this may be a fun thing to try. Craft enthusiasts should pass.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 22:31:48 | More by socon67

CDGoin

Virginia

3.38/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

Not a bad beer.. just a bit too strong on the lemon. Best described as an Cream Ale with a strong lemon addition.

Proved to be overly tart lemony and with little sweetness.. Closer to a dry Mikes Hard lemonade than a Lager or an Ale.

I can see it being a good summer beer or a beer for someone that normally doesn't drink beer. For me though I think I will pass next time.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 18:05:27 | More by CDGoin

json83

Ohio

3.24/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 2.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.75

I've heard a lot of take about this but everyone has a different taste. This taste like lemonade and if you're a fan of Smirnoff you would probably prefer this because it is manageable taste wise if you're not a big fan of the sweetness in the Smirnoff. I could probably drink more than a few, i.e. manage a six pack, without feeling sick. I would accept this drink but probably not buy it personally just because it's not my "cup of tea."

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 01:44:14 | More by json83

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

Serick507

Minnesota

2.44/5  rDev -22%
look: 2.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Enjoyed from a bottle

A: Hazy, pale, yellow. Some streaming bubbles, two fingers of a white head.

S: Lemon, some white bread

T: Lemon up front, bready, with the slightest hint of booze and bitter, the finish is kind of boring yet refreshing.

M: light, dry, low carbonation

O: Not big on flavored beers. To much lemon, not enough depth. Kind of boring and bland. Not terrible, it's drinkable and solid for what it is. For a hot summer day it'd be nice. I mostly drink it in summer on the boat. If your new to beers and don't necessarily like beer all that much TRY IT!

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 02:24:56 | More by Serick507

mfnmbvp

Illinois

2.88/5  rDev -8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle, no bottled on date present. I've been seeing a lot of this stuff lately, all the stores are getting rid of it for the winter cheap as hell, and it feels slightly off drinking one of these in the middle of December, but it works. Glad I could finally just sit down and review it, although this beer is ideal for a party.

A - Pale, boring, carbonated straw looking color. Kind of murky, swampy looking. Nice clean white head on top, though.

S - Smells kind of like a lot of wheat with a little lemons. Like someone just poured lemonade into your Miller Lite. Doesn't smell bad or off-putting, just doesn't smell very genuine to me.

T - Watery, alcoholic lemonade taste. This is a beer that would probably go over well with people who are not big beer drinkers or big fans of beer in general. Kind of on the borderline with being almost more akin to a wine cooler than a beer. There is a zesty, fresh lemon taste, but again it just doesn't taste genuine to me at all. It gives off that "mass produced" vibe.

M - Carbonated. Probably way more than it should be. This beer does have a high drinkability, with a nice moderate 4.2% abv, but the high carbonation just leaves me feeling bloated.

Overall, not great, but worse beers do exist. A good starter beer I suppose for people who are looking to rage, and for those who don't like beer maybe that wanna try something different.

Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy ---3/5

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 02:45:42 | More by mfnmbvp

PorterLambic

Florida

1.45/5  rDev -53.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

My nephew thought I would love this brew since I'm such a fan of beer and lemonade.

Pours a cloudy straw yellow with an off-white head. Retention is poor, dropping to a thin film very quickly. No yeast noticeable or any indication of bottle-conditioning to explain the haziness.
Smell is forceful, all lemon meringue pie and lemon peel with a whiff of floral. Not much in the way of balance but with this style I wasn't expecting too much here. All scents are completely artificial.
Taste is even more forceful and completely artificial in nature. All lemon pledge with faint floral hops. Nothing else.
Light bodied, medium effervescence. Slightly oily texture. There is nothing in this beer to indicate it is a beer. It seems to be more of a lab experiment that some uneducated person or persons thought might pass as a beer. They were so wrong. Can't see the attraction to this one. Not refreshing at all. Gave the rest of the bottle, nearly 8 oz., to someone who wanted it.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 21:23:14 | More by PorterLambic

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

1.9/5  rDev -39.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

12oz bottle

Pours a piss water yellow color with a top of white head.

Fizzy water with lemonade and light biscuit malts.

Lemonade. Plenty of lemons with pithy citrus peel and crystallized sugar. That's pretty much it...basically lemonade and adjunct.

Lighter body, decent carbonation, sticky and sweet on the tongue. Definitely a gimmick and not my style at all, but I can see a market for it during the summertime.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 08:33:55 | More by xnicknj

NHGrafx

Massachusetts

3.1/5  rDev -1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured with a nice head, yellow in color.

Smell is malty, grainy, lemon and citrus, some grass and sweetness.

Taste is decent, malty and grainy with lemonade. A slight hint of hops on the finish. A bit thin, but not bad for a hot summer day. Really easy to drink too.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 23:19:40 | More by NHGrafx

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

Jadjunk

Georgia

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

Part of the Leinenkugel Summer Variety Pack 2012. Marketed as a Weiss Beer brewed with Lemonade. Date on bottle is July 30 2012.

Poured into a Leinenkugel's Pint glass. Served at 46º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a carbonated frothy cream white head over a very hazy pale murky yellow body. Head retention is average- a bit better than average for Leinenkugel, settling to a thin surface with limited staying power. Carbonation is busy. Decent appearance, I can see where it comes closest to a Weissbier by appearance but falls short in head quality. 3.5

(Smell) A ton of tart lemons, mild sweet caramel malty backbone. Very much a hybrid drink of a beer. Alcohol aromas are mild but don't allude well to the lemony flavor- at times I feel I'm sticking my nose into a lysol can. Aroma is mild but any subtleties of a weissbier are far overshadowed by the lemonade in the beer, and the end result isn't far from smelling of a Mike's Hard Lemonade. 3

(Taste) Mild pale wheat malt background with a substantial murky bitter lemonade character- not fresh or clean tasting but that could have something to do with the date. Like the aroma suggested, the drink is only half a beer at the very most, and the wheat base is damn near impossible to find, wiped clean by a sharp artificial lemon rind finish. The balance isn't ideal, but the style wouldn't suggest any less. If you can't decide between a lemonade and a beer, but like lemonade ever-so-slightly more, I suppose this would be your dig. 3.5

(Mouthfeel) Texture is a bit flat, very little carbonation but some creamy pulpiness reminds me that there's more to this than beer than just malt and yeast alone. Alcohol presence is fairly low, accentuated slightly by the lemons, and the body is also low. Overall it's a bit flat for the weissbier crowd but lemonade isn't usually carbonated, so I suppose it's a fair draw. 3.5

(Overall) I'd prefer a weiss bier that's wheat-malt forward with lemon subtleties any day over a Lemon Shandy, but this one isn't half bad for the emerging style. If you've never dabbled in the style before it might be worth seeking out but otherwise know that this is likely just another craft beer trend that will sweep in and out again in time, and enjoy it while it lasts. 3.5

Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company's
Summer Shandy
/5.00

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 19:36:19 | More by Jadjunk

Billolick

New York

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

12 ounce bottle without freshness information.

Pours light, cloudy and lemony. Larger near white head slowly shrinks. Leaves decent tongues of thicker stickage.

Nose of lemon pledge (you know the cleaning product)

Lemon theme is bold and continuing. Lemon note is kinda artificial tasting and off putting.

Only time I could see enjoying this would be on a very hot day and if I was very thirsty. Definitely not something I will likely try again

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 17:35:58 | More by Billolick

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

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

2.35/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Bottle: Poured a light bright yellow color ale with a small bubbly head with minimal retention. Aroma of light sweet malt with sweet lemonade notes. Taste is also a mix between some sweet lemonade notes with sweet malt. Body is light with average carbonation. Refreshing drink though it is almost alien to beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 17:03:37 | More by Phyl21ca

dogfishandi

New York

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

12oz twist-off bottle at fridge temp poured into a pint glass. best before oct 29, 12.

pours out a very cloudy, very light straw yellow color with a nice big tight, pure white head. very good retention as well as some nice thick lacing. lots of carbonation bubbles rushing to the top as well.

the aroma is pretty much straight up lemons. a little one dimensional, but theres no second guessing and nothing really fake about it.

again, some nice authentic lemon citrus is all over this with some grains and maybe even a touch of wheat as well.

smooth, somewhat creamy, good amount of carbonation. mega refreshing! mega drinkable!

call me crazy, but this is a really solid summer beer. so chugable. overall, it is a bit one dimensional with the lemon and all, but il definatly be drinking more of this. great ABV as well.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 21:22:36 | More by dogfishandi

stephenjmoore

Maryland

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

A- Cloudy grapefruit juice looking body with a frothy bone white head.

S- Lemonade definitely comes through along with a sweet malt note.

T- The sweet lemonade taste hits immediately, but last briefly, followed by an extremely faint malt note. Aftertaste is like lemonade made with dirty water.

M- Crisp with high carbonation. Very thin body.

O- One of my wife's friends left this and I figured I would give it a try for the review. Actually better than I expected, but I didn't expect much. Passable as an outdoor summer beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 00:26:08 | More by stephenjmoore

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

FreshHawk

Illinois

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

A - Slightly cloudy, dark lemonade color. Medium sized, smooth, creamy, white head. Head disappears pretty fast leaving only a slight patchy lace.

S - Lemon juice/lemonade dominates the nose to a point where it really just smells like lemonade. And more lemonade concentrate than fresh squeezed.

T - Also dominated by the lemonade flavor but there is at least some malty flavor mixed in. Finished with a strong malted wheat flavor with the lemon dying off at the end. More malt comes out as I drink more but it isn't really exciting. Two note beer with them coming and separate times.

M - Light body with slightly above average carbonation. Slight spritzy feel. Refreshing and crisp finish.

D - Easy to drink on a warm summer day. Refreshing and a nice way to beat the heat, but it isn't enticing enough for me to want it more than the fact that it is a cool beverage.

Notes: Two notes hit you at different times and neither is all that great or complex. It does its job of being a nice summer beverage. Not overly tart or sweet. A good alternative to lemonade without being overly sweet. As a beverage, it has its place, but as a beer it is sub par.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 03:21:18 | More by FreshHawk

Signal1

3.6/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

For me it has nice carbonation. The fragrance below average, it should have a much stronger fragrance of lemon since its lemon the beer touts as one of the selling points. Needs a stronger lemon up front not just the hint on the after taste. An above average summer cook out beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 04:12:45 | More by Signal1

BigPlay1824

New York

2.78/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Enjoyed in a pint glass

A: pours a very hazy golden color with a slight off white note to it, pours with two fingers of very fizzy pure white head which dissipates almost immediately, leaves virtually no lacing
S: i pickup the wheat note up front and then a nice lemon note which is sugary sweet but also sour, reminds me of the fresh brewed lemonade i get during the summer time at the saratoga race course
T: begins with a spritzy lemon note up front, less reminiscent of fresh lemonade and more of what i would call a lemon seltzer, the blanket of wheat is just barely discernible at the end of the sip, leaves lemon on the palate, pretty much dominated by the lemon note, refreshing and nice for a phenomenally hot night
M: tight carbonation up front, leaves the mouth feeling just slightly dry almost like the seltzer note has robbed the wetness from the mouth with its tiny bubbles
O: its nice for a hot day, drinks smoothly and light, wheat note is lacking, lemon can seem a bit fake like lemonade made from powder and sugar, decent

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 23:31:12 | More by BigPlay1824

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

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