Leinenkugel's Lemon Berry Shandy - Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.59/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This poured out as a murky brownish red color with hue of yellow near the edges. The head was white but faded quickly. There was no retention of lacing on this one. The smell of the beer is very fruity, plenty of citrus and berry aromas, smells similar to a soda honestly. The taste of the beer has a good balance of lemon and berry, but again it's much like a soda or fruit punch. There is a really nice strong wheat flavor in the finish which I really enjoyed. The mouthfeel is kind of watery but has a decent carbonation at least. Overall it's a decent beer. Something I would definitely prefer in the summer as opposed to winter.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2013 00:00:54 | More by Knapp85

merc7186

New York

2.74/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

Thanks Bros....I want to punch your new ratings system in the mouth.

On tap at Luckys Sporthouse in Wilkes Barre PA, poured into a pint glass.

A: Hazy Pinkish Hue, Passes Some Light, Thin White Head Ring, Very Minimal Lacing

S: Skittles

T: Faux Lemon, Skittles

M: Poor Carbonation, Light to Medium Bodied, Semi Sweet, Watery

Overall, its like drinking watery liquid skittles...fucking gross.

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2013 22:12:02 | More by merc7186

NorthsideFred

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed on tap at Vaj's Garage in Bristol, WI. Served by Chynee (not sure of spelling). She is beautiful, and a good cook, and funny.

On to the review:

A: Not great, dirty reddish orange.

S: Not great, artificial berry & lemon.

T: Not bad, refreshing.

M: Not too thin, not too thick.

O: Not my first choice, but if Chynee is serving I'm drinking!

Serving type: on-tap

11-12-2012 22:24:54 | More by NorthsideFred

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

3.65/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Lemon Berry Shandy pours an almost pink color, with a small disappearing head. There was a sweet sugary aroma, but not very pronounced. There was a very sweet taste, profound raspberry flavors, that blended with lemonade flavors, tasted like a raspberry lemonade, and also very carbonated, a yeasty taste mixed in throughout. Pronounced flavors, very carbonated, and pretty sweet. Overall I found this very interesting. Tasted more like a raspberry lemonade soda opposed to a beer, so might not be for everyone.

Serving type: on-tap

09-28-2012 03:58:15 | More by vette2006c5r

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.11/5  rDev +2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from can into a pint glass

Appearance – Pours a very hazy-murky pinkish orange colored brew. Upon poring there is a big billowy pinkish tinted head that fades rather fast and leave a decent level of lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The aroma is very sweet with a big aroma of lemonade. Mixed with these smells are some lighter aromas of a blueberry and raspberry smell.

Taste – The taste begins with a strong lemonade sweetness mixed with a little bit of a malt taste. The sweeter lemonade flavor remains rather constant throughout the taste and is joined more toward the middle by some flavors of a nondescript candy like berry. A light amount of a musky and floral flavors come to the tongue at the end leaving an overall sweet lemonade flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel –The body of the brew was very thin in creaminess and thickness with a carbonation level that was on the more average side. Both are good for the sweet and fruity flavors for the brew and make for an easy drinker.

Overall – Well not really anything all that amazing. Like a hard lemonade light beer blend. It may be good for a hot summer day after mowing the lawn, but otherwise nothing I would really go for on any real occasion.

Serving type: can

05-19-2013 00:48:46 | More by Darkmagus82

Kooz

New York

3.25/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Nice look to it--somewhat opaque, decent head when poured un-aggressively into a pint glass. smells sweet--mostly lemon. Almost smells like lemon-scented floor cleaner. It's nice, but unsettling. Tastes pretty good--it's sweet, even for a shandy, so it's a bit out of balance. But overall, it's refreshing and pleasant. I could have a few before the sweetness gets to me. Decent body, not too full, but okay. I'd like it to be slightly crisper, but it's good.

Overall, this is an above-average beer. It's a nice alternative on a hot summer's day to a Bud Lime or Miller Chill. It doesn't rate with better beers, and really isn't what I expect from Leinenkugel's, but it's not bad by any stretch. You can't go wrong bringing 12 of these to your next summer BBQ.

I just read a few reviews, and it's been said this tastes more like a "malt beverage" than a beer. That's fair to a certain extent--the sweetness is similar to what you get in those types of beverages. That said, this is a decent offering. (FYI, I did not change my rating.)

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 21:37:46 | More by Kooz

bnes09

Illinois

2.08/5  rDev -31.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Nice orange color and somewhat hazy. Descent head on the pour with solid retention and a few lace blotches.

Smells like berries and lemons, sweet overall.

Can't taste the malt underneath the overly sweet and mildly tart blackberries and lemon. No hop character to speak of.

Light bodied. Well carbonated but the sugar makes it slick and sticky on the tongue.

As a refreshing summer drink, its ok but as a beer, well, I don't think I can call it beer at all. Tastes more like lemonade to me. I'll pass.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 04:48:55 | More by bnes09

Jonada

New Jersey

3.15/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

12oz twist off bottle served in a pint glass. May 2013 printed on the neck of the bottle, so assuming the beer wasn't delivered in a time machine, I'm guessing this is a best before date.

Appearance: Dark orange color. An aggressive pour yielded a 3 finger soapy head that dissipated fairly quickly, but did leave some nice lacing.

Smell: Lemon, generic red berry and wheat. The lemon and berry aromas are totally artificial, but not unpleasant. Kind of like a starburst or other type of fruit candy.

Taste: Sweet, with a hint of tartness. The flavors more or less follow the nose with artificial berry and lemon being the most prevalent. There are some faint hints of orange, wheat along with some floral notes.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, soft mouthfeel. Medium carbonation.

Overall: Completely artificial tasting and really more of a "malt beverage" than a beer, but with that being said it's still not bad. Not something I'm going to want often, but every once in a while it could work as a guilty pleasure on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 02:17:28 | More by Jonada

Turbokat

Indiana

4.49/5  rDev +47.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

Fruity-Lemony
No bitter aftertaste
Good choice for someone who doesn't like most beers
I can put a couple of these away on a hot summer day

I was not much of a beer drinker...had a few favorites which didn't last on the market very long. Hope this does!

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 02:51:28 | More by Turbokat

Goosehunter75

Missouri

2.86/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Pours a slightly hazy pale red with a 1 finger slightly pinkish head

S - Wow that smells sweet! Smells like berries and malt!

T - Just like the smell. Very sweet with an emphasis on berries, I could pick up just a hint of the lemon as well. I tasted like carbonated Kool-Aid to me!

M - Very light, thin beer with lots of carbonation

O - Not bad, but I wouldnt want more than one. Too sweet for me. Its not what I'm looking for when Im wanting to drink a beer, but for what they were trying to create probably spot on.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 20:45:45 | More by Goosehunter75

mvanaskie13

Pennsylvania

2.68/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

Poured into a tall pint glass, color is copper with some lighter reddish hues, head is off to bright white with some redness.

Smell is sugary sweet, syrupy, kinda like soda, notes of berries and lemon.

Taste is literally like soda, syrupy, sweet, lemons, berries, maybe a dash of malt or grains but hardly perceptible.

Mouthfeel is pretty good, not overly carbonated as soda, smoother finish than the strong syrupy notes would suggest.

Overall, does not taste like or smell like beer, I've not had a real radler in a while so this may just be a premixed, so i guess it meets its goal.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 23:26:59 | More by mvanaskie13

tdm168

North Carolina

3.01/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - dark, hazy orange with a thin, very fizzy, pure white head that fades fast

S - tart lemon with some faint blackberry notes, sweet

T - sweet, artificial lemonade mixed with blackberries

M - light, crisp, over-carbonated, sticky

This is as advertised. It's lemon. It's berry. It's called shandy. I've had worse if that makes this better. I found everything about this beer to be artificial. It was definitely not an enjoyable drinking experience. I'll pass in the future.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 04:46:04 | More by tdm168

tronester

Oklahoma

3.13/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a hazy pinkish golden with a medium white head. Aromas of artificial berry candy. Taste begins with a sweet lemony berry flavor, followed by a hint of grain. The finish is of sour berry, and a bit of artificial sugar flavoring. Mouthfeel is average. Overall a average tasting beer. Cloyingly sweet, and artificial tasting, though better than some malternatives i've had.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 02:22:53 | More by tronester

RyanLaCount03

Wisconsin

4.58/5  rDev +50.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

This is the first shandy I ever tried after snowmobiling up north this year. The smell is very pleasant, while the taste is very good as well. Hints of lemon and blackberry are visable throughout. If you drink to many of these, they may give you a stomach ache due to the amount of carbonation. Overall, I thought this was a very good shandy and I am looking forward to the summer shandy.

Serving type: can

02-20-2013 19:18:17 | More by RyanLaCount03

CBearNM

3.18/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

The lemon flavor was much more prominent than I was expecting. Good flavor, but just too much of it.

Like most Leinenkugel beers, they are willing to experiment with flavors. A more subtle use of lemon would have made this a better brew.

Worth a try, but more than one is a sitting may not be recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 16:18:50 | More by CBearNM

mralphabet

Virginia

3.2/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into pint glass

A: Poured a pink lemonade color with a nice 1 fingers worth of white head that settles to a thin layer with spotty lacing from start to finish.

S: Very fruity smelling.... lots of lemon and berries. Sweet with touches of tartness.

T: Sweet like pink lemonade right up front with a wiff of berries.... Little tart mid-palette, finish is clean with a little sweetness.

M: Crisp, light and highly carbonated. Finish is clean and a little dry.

O: Hey, for what it is.... it is great. Not much of a beer but a very refreshing beverage. Would be very nice on a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 22:50:40 | More by mralphabet

gmfessen

Michigan

3.26/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a pint glass, Leine's Lemon Berry Shandy is a slightly murky, peachy-golden color with a thick, pillowy white head. The nose is what it advertises; lemons and berries dominate the nose - smells more like punch than beer. The flavor follows suit but is not as cloyingly sweet as I had anticipated. Mouthfeel is medium to light in body with a slightly dry, slick finish. Overall, if you buy a beer that is called "Lemon Berry Shandy" this is what I would expect to get. Leine's does a good job at delivering what they advertise. That being said it's not really my cup of tea but it definitely has it's place.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 22:45:58 | More by gmfessen

hackmann

Michigan

2.66/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: rosy peach fuzz with a thin white head that leaves some lacing behind

Aroma: berry soda, more like strawberry-raspberry than blackberry, undertone of lemon, very fresh

Flavors: berry bowl, tart blackberry, a faint lemon note floats around, undertone of wheat … maybe. Add some more carbonation and you have a rose’ champagne.

Mouthfeel: mild-moderate carbonation, fresh and crisp, light lingering berry note – artificial like, the touch of lemon controls the sweetness.

To the Point: I was not looking forward to doing this beer but, I think I like it. As for a beer … forget it … it’s a berry cooler. I was planning to take a few sips and write a review and then hand it off to the wife to finish but, I think I’ll light up a cigar. Okay, halfway through I have had enough. It would have to be one hot day to finish this beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 23:20:29 | More by hackmann

mfnmbvp

Illinois

2.6/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12 oz. bottle. Bought as part of the Leinenkugel's autumn sampler pack. This is the last beer out of the 4 that I'm reviewing tonight. Bottle says to enjoy by December 31, 2012 so I'm a little late, but I don't think it matters much. Uncapped and poured to a Boulevard tulip. *Shivers in fear*

A - Quick pour yields about a finger of bright white foam that disappears within seconds. Has the appearance of grapefruit juice mixed with a little bit of vodka, perhaps. It looks like the worst beer in the package, yet at the same time it looks like it might be the best.

S - As soon as I uncapped this beer, the artificial smell of lemon-berry furniture polish hit me in the face as the bottle let off smoke. Smells of tart, fresh lemons, I will give it credit for that. Throw a bunch of fresh fruit into this and say you made it from scratch.

T - Very tart and artificial tasting. Like someone mixed a bunch of Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy in with a gallon of blueberry and grape juice concentrate and added some everclear or vodka. Carbonated like hell, although I would definitely enjoy a few of these in the shade on a blistering summer's day.

M - It's got that tart fresh-squeezed pucker, but it is definitely not genuine. It's refreshing, yet at the same time it makes me cringe in terror at how artificial and mass-produced this beer is.

Beer? Is this even a beer? If you ask me, it's more akin to a variation of a wine cooler or a Mike's Hard Lemonade. Moderate 4.2% abv, this beer is still something I would drink when it's $5.99 for the sampler pack, but not something to seek out.

Leinenkugel's Lemon Berry Shandy ---2.5/5

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 04:21:32 | More by mfnmbvp

cousineddy

Illinois

2.5/5  rDev -18%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Was offered this by a buddy trying to clean out his fridge, poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: Golden with a pink hue light thin white head

Smell: Skittles

Taste: Light beer with skittles in it or as Homer Simpson calls it "Skittlebrau"

Mouthfeel: Bubbly and thin

Overall: Tastes more like a "Mikes" malt beverage than beer. MIght be ok on a hot summer day on the lawnmower. Otherwise pass this one up.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 22:30:13 | More by cousineddy

metter98

New York

2.78/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: The beer is very hazy dark pinkish yellow in color and has a very slight amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin white head that died down a bit but left a a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface.
S: If I didn't first look at the color of this beer, I would have thought this smelled exactly like lemonade.
T: The taste has an equal mix of lemony and blackberry flavors.
M: It feels light-bodied and a little tart on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: There's nothing overly special about this beer, except for the fact that it is very easy to drink. It kind of reminds me of a radler in Germany.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 00:40:45 | More by metter98

Ricochet

Ohio

2.75/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

So, here's a fruit beer. There is only one place that makes the best fruit beers I've had, otherwise in a bottle, they tend to underwhelm.

S: Huge lemon smell, natural lemon with a bit of orange and blackberry with a faint plum as well.

A: No head, small lace but sticky.

M: Tiny bitter. Watery. Slight citrus remainder.

T: This was a surprise. It was nothing like a fruit beer, and in fact, nothing like a beer at all. It wasn't a fruit punch either because it was not as sweet. In fact, this was rather enjoyable and I could see having this on a warm summer evening at a bonfire. Of course, I'd use it as an alternative to the occasional wine cooler...

Nice orange impression while sipping. Lemon was not assertive but was clean and present. There was a sweet wash and slight wheat texture. The sweetness is a bit artificial, like Pez candy but it didn't detract. It's the "hairy buffalo" flavor without the alcohol. I hate to rank it low, but this is BA...

O: Again, not really a beer. For what it is, refreshing and light, when you're NOT in the mood for a beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 02:51:24 | More by Ricochet

buschbeer

Ohio

2.98/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle
Served in a nonic pint glass

A - It is orange with a pinkish tinge to it. An inch of white head made a brief appearance.

S - It smells like raspberry puree.

T - It tastes like a raspberry wheat beer.

M - It has a lot of carbonation.

O - It is pretty sweet with lots of raspberry flavor. It is probably refreshing in the summer but is less satisfying on a cold December day.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 21:29:15 | More by buschbeer

SometimesIfart

Michigan

2.9/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A - Pours a pinkish-purple with a two finger slightly purple head. Decent lacing.

S - Strawberry, slight adjunct, lemon, slight blueberry, kiwi.

T - Lemon, grape, sour cherry, strawberry, pretty much as expected, though doesn't really seem like a beer.

M - Watery with a medium body and medium to heavy carbonation.

O - Overall, this beer was exactly what I expected. I'd have again on a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 04:36:26 | More by SometimesIfart

scaliasux

Wisconsin

1.55/5  rDev -49.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Appearance - Grapefruit juice color. Is that salmon? Cloudy. Tall soapy white head - just a touch of pink. Quickly dissipates.

Smell - Sweet lemon with a hint of berry.

Taste - Quite sweet. More berry in the start transitions to more lemon in the finish. Not clear to me what is the "berry" of the namesake. (Label claims blackberry.) Sweet but unobtrusive to the point of blandness.

Mouthfeel - Light and crisp. Highly carbonated.

Overall - I'm not surprised that there's a market for this. It's refreshing and inoffensive, but the pretension to beer seems unnecessary.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 05:04:16 | More by scaliasux