Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy - Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

metter98

New York

3.1/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is cloudy light yellow in color. It poured with a finger high white head that died down, leaving some lacing on the surface in the center of the glass and a thick ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light aromas of citrus and sweetness, which smells like a cross between a soda and a lemonade.
T: The beer tastes like lemonade but isn’t as sweet or acidic.
M: It feels light-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The beer is easy to drink and refreshing; it is a good selection for a hot summer day.

Serving type: can

10-31-2011 23:19:02 | More by metter98

WesWes

New York

3.13/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The beer pours a cloudy pale gold color with a thick frothy white head that quickly fades to lacing. The aroma is decent. It has a light pale wheat scent along with a citrusy lemon zest. The taste is average. It has a very light wheat flavor. It's a bit watery and is covered up with a lame lemon essence. The lemon flavor is weak and doesn't lend itself well to the rest of the palate. The mouthfeel is average as well. It is a low bodied beer with good carbonation. This is not a very good seasonal at all. It should have more lemon flavor as well as more malt content. This comes across as a weak wheat ale with an even weaker lemon content.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2007 21:16:10 | More by WesWes

Mora2000

Texas

3/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to bu11zeye for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a hazy light yellow color with a white head The aroma is straight lemonade. The flavor is more of the same. Nothing but lemons and the slightest bit of grain or wheat. Thin mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2010 04:57:14 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

2.48/5  rDev -21%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured out a cloudy, pale yellow. Very fizzy with a white, one-finger head. Looked like lemonade especially while pouring it out of the bottle to the glass.

S - Smelled just like lemonade.

T -Tasted like lemonade with some wheat and clove notes.

M - It was soft and smooth. Also, quite fizzy.

D - It was drinkable but it didn't remind me of beer. It certainly makes a nice lemonade.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2007 23:36:32 | More by zeff80

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.05/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

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

A: The beer is a light yellow color, with a large white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is mostly strong lemon along with very light malts, almost no hops.

T: The taste is likewise full of sweetened lemons to the point that it's a bit overdone and not much else. The malt character is very thin and there's a very mild hops presence. The after-taste is slightly sour.

M: Crisp and a little smooth, light body, medium-to-high carbonation, finish is clean.

D: A little tasty, goes down very easily, not filling at all, mild kick, decent representation of style, the lemon flavor is so strong and sweet that this beer is the closest thing to a "malternative" beverage that I've seen while still technically being a beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2008 19:41:02 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

2.78/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Summer Shandy pours out as a cloudy bright yellow color with a fluffy white head on it. The head settles and leave a little lacing around the glass in some areas. The aroma has a ton of lemon which is no surprise, there really isn't much getting past that. The taste of the beer is again a lot of lemon with just a little bit of grainy malts in the distant aftertaste. The mix of Lemonade and beer for me don't really mix too well. I'm just not a big fan on Lemons or Lemonade for that matter. I can see someone who enjoys those beverages may enjoy this a lot. I found the mouthfeel to be light and a decent choice for some people in the summer.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2011 17:01:11 | More by Knapp85

emerge077

Illinois

2.58/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

07-13-2012
It was either this, Old Style, or MGD at Lawrel Liquors Tap, and I went with the lesser of 3 evils. I was on mile 10 of a bike ride and was thirsty. Coors Light pint glass filled to the brim with a razor thin line of foam across the top. Pale opaque pastel yellow color. Aroma was faintly of lemonade, but the packet mix stuff... artificial. It was virtually flavorless, flashes of lemonheads candy and club soda, dull papery aftertaste. Slugged about 5 sips and was on my way. Not much better than in the bottle, though it has a time and place if simply thirsty and presented with limited options.

07-07-2008
a/s/t/m/3.5/d/4

On tap at Pizzeria Uno in Madison, WI.

This was served in a Weisse glass with a lemon wedge. Color was an opaque pastel yellow with an orange glow to it. Thin cap of foam, partially killed by the lemon.

Some lemon juice and wheat aroma, fairly faint. I'm just glad it doesn't smell like overly sweet lemonade.

Prickly, natural lemon tartness at first, backed up by seltzer-like carbonation. Light wheat in the aftertaste, with the citrus lending a slight pucker. Light bodied and really quenching in the 80º weather. This isn't something i'm running out to buy cases of, but i'd order it again to pair with dinner on the patio.

Shandy = Beer + Lemonade... know what you're getting into, it's a pre-mixed beer cocktail, and obviously not solely a beer.

Serving type: on-tap

07-13-2012 01:52:08 | More by emerge077

Halcyondays

California

2.5/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

12 oz. bottle,

A: Pours a cloudy yellow with a long-lasting white head, no lace.

S: Smells like 7-UP.

T: Very light flavour, hint of malt and hops. The lemon comes through in the finish, but overall very mild.

M: Light-bodied, thin and watery.

D: Interesting enough to try once, but the beer got boring fast, not something to come back to.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2010 23:15:33 | More by Halcyondays

jwc215

New Jersey

2.3/5  rDev -26.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours lemon-drop yellow with a thin white head that vanishes.

Smells like lemon merangue pie with a powered "artificial" lemonade mix. Interesting - where's the beer?

The taste is of powered lemonade - ala from a mix- slight lemon merangue. Sweet. I guess this is what they were going for...Again - any "beer" flavor is hardly detectable - some maltiness at most. Hardly, though.

Light-bodied, weak, a bit watery, with a lemonade dryness.

The concept is fine - but, this is hardly a "shandy". Regardless, this will be suited to the people who like lemonade from a powder mix with just a tad of undetectable alcohol. Too sweet, in an "artificial" way, for me, though lemonade dryness almost makes up for it - almost.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2008 16:02:54 | More by jwc215

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I think this one should be filed under fruit beer. There's a big, tart lemonade flavor up front with a bit of wheat flavor following. The aroma has a bit of lemon. It's kind of like they took a very pale wheat beer and dumped Country Time lemonade mix into it. If you love lemons and NEED them in beer, go for this otherwise, its not much more than lawnmower beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2007 04:01:24 | More by tempest

WVbeergeek

Ohio

2.93/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Hazed lemong glow golden with a bright white creamy head forming thick witha fizzy head, lacing is nice fine and scattered on the sides of my chalice. Aroma heavy with the lemonzest almost like a cleaning supply lemon, it's very zesty. Flavors clear out the nostrils with lemon zest and really hit heavy with the tartness definitely some biscuit/wheat malt characteristics but the lemon zest rolls a bit too hard I couldn't drink many of these even though I really like the can they're packaged in. Very carbonated light bodied mouthfeel that is a bit too much. Drinkability is weak, tasty brew a bit heavy on the lemon zest doesn't work out as a standby regular for me.

Serving type: can

05-29-2010 14:26:49 | More by WVbeergeek

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Nearly no head and definitely no lace. Cloudy, chalky even. Lemon yellow color.

Strong lemon aroma. I've never had a shandy before, but I imagine this what it might smell like.

This tastes like lemonade mixed with a pale ale, which I guess is exactly what it should taste like. Hard to evaluate since the lemon is so dominant--from initial taste through the swallow and aftertaste. I would say that it is refreshing after walking 12 miles, it doesn't necessarily make this a good beer--just easy to drink. Soft drink carbonation but decently bodied.

Serving type: on-tap

09-03-2012 18:21:38 | More by smcolw

jdhilt

New Hampshire

2.28/5  rDev -27.4%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a five finger white head that fades quickly to ring and leaves some lace. Murky pale amber color. Medium carbonation and light-medium bodied. Lemonade nose. Flavor is like slightly fizzy, sweet lemonade with vague hints of hops way in the background not at all like an English shandy. $1.50 for a 12oz bottle from Capitol Convenience Concord, NH.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2008 22:55:48 | More by jdhilt

Billolick

New York

3/5  rDev -4.5%
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

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

2.45/5  rDev -22%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Cloudy yellow pour, if it had lemon pulp in it, you might be thinking you gots lemonade up in here. Head disappears even though it was large, contributing to that thought.

Lemon aroma, slight yeast like aroma to it. That part was enjoyable.

Taste, is uh, weird. Lemon, but not the way I'm used to, usually its like lemon sour, or lemon citrus hop feel, but no, this is like, lemon candy almost. The beer isn't bitter, yet has lemon as its most defining characteristic. Just doesn't come across like beer, or a fruit beer even, like a hotty totty/boilermaker type of drink, something with lemon and beer in it, but not a 'lemon beer' per se. Anyways, I wouldn't recommend it to someone who likes beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2011 00:03:48 | More by Beerandraiderfan

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

2.88/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I CAN tell you that I was not a huge fan of this one last year around this time, bottle give it another try. I CAN't wait to get back on The CANQuest (TM)!

Wow! I have to give it props for presentation. Two fingers of bone-white head above a cloudy banana-yellow colored beer!?! It looked like liquid lemon meringue pie! It smelled like it, too, that or Lemon Pledge. Mouthfeel was medium and the taste was a sugary lemonade. I would have preferred it to tend more towards tart and/or dry, but the inherent sweetness was not to my liking. Finish was still too sweet for me to really get behind it. I am a member of Leinie's Lodge, but I am not putting this in my canoe (unless Pocahontas is coming along and she would like to drink it, in which case ...). Nah, this is just too close to kiddie alcopop for my taste.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2011 00:14:58 | More by woodychandler

beerthulhu

New Jersey

2.95/5  rDev -6.1%
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

Brad007

Vermont

2.4/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

I've got mixed feelings about this.

Color: Whitish, pale color, much like the color of lemonade.

Aroma: Strong but nice lemon wheat aroma. Seems more like carbonated lemonade than beer.

Taste: Lemon upfront that fades to a bitter wheat taste. Very much like bitter, unsweetened lemonade. Light. Somewhat refreshing.

Mouthfeel: Dry and sour at the same time. Unappealing.

Verdict: I really don't like this much. The aroma was nice but it goes downwards after that.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2008 23:29:48 | More by Brad007

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

2.25/5  rDev -28.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Poured into a pint glass.

This beer is basically lemonade meets beer. It pours a hazy yellow with a head that didn't last very long. It was overpowered with lemons and I barely could tell that I was drinking a beer.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied with a crisp taste to it.

I personally think that lemonade and beer shouldn't be mixed, but I know of some friends that think the shandy is a great idea. This wasn't too drinkable for me.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2008 06:50:42 | More by mothman

Dogbrick

Ohio

2.2/5  rDev -29.9%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

On tap at Easy Street Cafe in Toledo. Murky bright yellow color with a nil white head that looks a little too similar to a glass of lemonade. Very little lacing. Aroma of Lemon Pledge and hops. Light-bodied and fizzy with a taste like...lemonade beer. Lemons and grassy hops are really all there is to this beer. The finish is citrusy and mercifully short. Not for me.

Serving type: on-tap

10-11-2007 18:53:04 | More by Dogbrick

thagr81us

South Carolina

2.55/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Served from bottle into a Samuel Smith Euro pint. Pours a hazy pale yellow color with one finger white head that slowly subsides. There is no apparent lacing throughout. The aroma is of a malt beverage with a massive lemonade note. The flavor of this brew is almost not flavor with a subtle lemonade hint. It is light on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this beer is not that enjoyable. Might be okay for getting someone off Mike's Hard Lemonade, but for an avid beer drinker, this is kind of blah...

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2010 16:24:17 | More by thagr81us

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.55/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This beer is a cloudy amber rather like a good wheat beer. Aroma is strongly lemony and wheaty, more the former. Flavor is typical of a wheat beer but with a much stronger citrus component, suggesting a blend of beer and lemonade, i.e., shandy. A smooth, refreshing drink for a warm sunny day - or to bring sunshine into a dreary day.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2008 22:30:36 | More by Cyberkedi

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

2.1/5  rDev -33.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy

Beer blended with lemonade, geared towards summer consumption for the unassuming.

Pours like a wheat beer, hazy straw yellow, small head that fizzles away. Aroma is lemony and artificial. Musty lemon like cleaning product and lemon drop candy wrapped into a blanket of grain. Taste is full of lemon syrup, with a wheat malt base. Tangy, but not without a touch of bitterness, like watery lemon candy soda. Fleeting grain reminds you this is a beer. The mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, crisp carbonation and lingering lemon flavor. Overall, it is lemony.

Serving type: can

01-23-2012 07:46:48 | More by Stinkypuss

ZAP

Minnesota

3.38/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Have been putting off trying this one for ages and decided to spring for a mixed 12-pack with this in it.

Not a lot to report....american wheat ale meets lemonade....aroma is big on the lemons....taste leans heavier toward the wheat ale...then some lemonade notes and some honey feel to the taste as well....really looks the part in the glass..

In a way it is kind of refreshing. Low ABV....I sweated my ass of in the weight room tonight and this actually kind of hits the spot for me. Might grab one out of a friends cooler on a hot day or something but not thinking I'll be buying much of this.

Serving type: can

07-12-2011 04:13:10 | More by ZAP

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I shared this with the mrs. -into a pint chilled.

The color is slightly hazy like lemonade golden yellow with rocky white cap that retains ok and has small beading. The carbonation is visible and lace sticks haphazardly. The smell is kind of lemony, but a little like lemon pledge without much beyond that. the feel is good with slight juicy citric bite and refreshing feel of semi-high carbonation with slightly clean and semi-dry finish with only a slight amount of sweetness throughout. Tangy and somewhat like lemonade in that it starts sweet and the tartness comes later.

The tastes is actually better than I expected with nice lemony and slight citrus peel tinges with slight malt flavor rounding out the flavor with slight astringent in the back of the throat like lemonade but the shandy maintains a balance of mild malt with tart lemon and seems to finish uncannily clean. Overall what can I say - I like this as a summer quencher and could probably enjoy this year round it is really decent if you enjoy arnold palmers or tea coolers depending on what you refer to them as. The malt is mild and the lemony flavor refreshes in a natural way. I consider this pretty decent for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 22:37:33 | More by Slatetank