Leinenkugel's Lemon Berry Shandy - Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

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

vickersspitfire

Texas

2.85/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint glass, this beer is a slightly reddish/pinkish color, almost like grapefruit juice. The body looks nice, semi-hazy and topped off with a thick head that’s fluffy and bubbly but thins out and has some good lacing. The aroma is rather light and overwhelmingly lemony in composition, some light grasses come through but not much else. Mouth feel is very light and the flavor is pretty much like that of watered down pink lemonade. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a bad beer just one of those beers that would be very refreshing on a hot day after working outside.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 04:01:17 | More by vickersspitfire

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

JoeAmerican77

Colorado

3.03/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Looks like some grapefruit juice from a cafeteria juice machine, small bubbled white head is gone quickly like the winter snowpack come spring. Lemon head and fruity hard candies hit the nose, it's like driving near the jolly rancher factory in Colorado. Sweet lemon drops and berrys cause the tongue to smile at first, but that fades as the sweetness becomes cloying. No trace of hops, a little bit of plain wheat, and white bread. Light in body with a soda pop style carbonation.

This could be a tagalong to a picknick with the Mrs. or maybea mix in for a beer cocktail of some sort. I feel like the fruit beer I've had lately is aimed at children, I would have loved this in middle school/HS.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 22:20:11 | More by JoeAmerican77

tito42

Missouri

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

Poured from bottle gifted to me at the Missouri Western @ Northwest Missouri State football game yesterday. Best by 12/24/2012.

A: The color of a Ruby Red grapefruit with a nice, foamy white head. Fruit particulate of some ilk is floating in the glass, and the beer has a bit of a milky hue to it. Intriguing appearance.

S: Wheat, lemongrass, lime, a touch of berry, and a bit of soapiness.

T: Carbonated lemonade up front with blackberry and raspberry juice. A spritz of lime, a bit of wheat, and some rich malt. Very much like a wine cooler.

M: Very spritzy and carbonated, again like a wine cooler. A tangy bite of carbonation lingers on the tongue. No note of hops to speak of.

O: What looks intriguing falls off to what I have come to expect out of a "shandy," a spritzy, lemonade-based wine cooler. My buddy loves fruity wheat beers. I'm not a fan, but hey, it was free.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 02:45:59 | More by tito42

Brenden

Ohio

3/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This beer pours out of the can capped by a reasonably sized lightly orange-tinted, fluffy head. It settles in the glass a murky orange-mauve sort of color. It actually manages to leaves patchy lacing in moderation and, also to my surprise, something remains of the head the whole way.
I'm not sure what substance there is to this beer because, while there's a light smattering of pale malts, I'm not getting much else besides powdered drink mix in the nose.
I was pretty sure going into it that this beer was just a mix of lemon shandy and berry weiss; now I'm convinced. While there really isn't much substance to it, the flavor does show a bit more in terms of a mildly floral note along with the fruit, with pale malts remaining throughout.
The feel actually isn't bad; it's light-bodied but not more than expected, and not watery. While it flattens out just a little (never entirely), crispness is enforced by a strong carbonation, which also provides a bit of smoothness as well.

Serving type: can

11-08-2012 15:50:34 | More by Brenden

Lemke10

Wisconsin

3.43/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

In early fall 2012; Leinenkugel’s introduced its newest beer, Lemon Berry Shandy. It is rumored that this was crudely made over the years at Summerfest by combining their Summer Shandy and Berry Weiss. It became fairly popular and even was made in the bars before finally being a beer of its own. Let’s see how it fairs when it comes down to rating.

It pours a murky pink color like grapefruit juice with a light pink head. There is a mild scent of lemons and blackberries in the mix as well as wheat. Overall there is a sweet aroma indicating a sweet flavor. This is fairly inviting.

The taste of Berry Weiss is very evident here with lots of blackberry juice flavor. There is an after taste of lemon that is a little off-putting. The taste is obviously fruity and kind of awkward throughout. It finishes kind of tangy and sour leaving an unpleasant taste in your mouth.

Two decently made beers combined sounds like a good idea, but the execution of the plan falls short. This is a great summer beer when you are thirsty after mowing the yard. But as a rate-able fruit beer, there are a lot better beers on the market. Better than average overall, but not by much.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 05:17:30 | More by Lemke10

TheSixthRing

California

3.35/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance - Pours hazy amber with a touch of pink, a white 2 finger head with 2 finger head, sub-par retention, but a spotty lace that shows nice stick.

Smell - Strong notes of lemonade and berry. Not much in the way of actual beer character, but I can dig it regardless.

Taste - Hits with strong notes of lemonade and berry, mid-taste a bit of wheat peaks through, then comes 'round more strongly as the finish approaches. Aftertaste is a well balanced affair with the wheat and the fruit flavors. Tangy.

Mouthfeel - Light in body, with a fair amount of carbonation, but the sheer tangy quality of the flavor keeps this thing lively by itself.

Overall - I imagine shandys as being the wine coolers of the brewing world, something refreshing that young teenagers would almost assuredly enjoy after snagging from their parents home. In any case, I didn't find it to be bad, just lacking in any real beer sense. Fruity as hell. No hops. Would I drink it again? Probably, but it's not something I'd buy... until I have teenagers in the home.

Just joking, people.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 04:05:30 | More by TheSixthRing

penguindude

New York

1.88/5  rDev -38.4%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Gift from a coworker who heard I "like craft beer" and wanted to share. The thought is what counts.

Appearance: Drinking from the bottle due to Frankenstorm (Hurricane Sandy) limiting my ability to do dishes. Label indicates wheat, lemon, and TWO colors of berry.

Smell: First wiff made me think of lemon cough drops. The second did nothing to change that impression.

Taste: The name really says it all. Strong elements of sweet berry-candy flavor (think fruit-roll-ups or the like) paired with some tart lemon-candy flavor. The word "candy" is key, because there is almost no hint of real fruit flavors in any way. Same goes with the tastes normally associated with beer itself. I try to pick out something besides the candy flavors, but all I get is a slight bitterness with seemingly no source.

Mouthfeel: Thankfully not over carbonated. Thin and smooth, at least it feels good going down.

Overall: I would not suggest this to anyone. Fruit beer fans will not find anything here, and nor will anyone else I can imagine. That being said, my coworker will get my sincere thanks.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 23:50:09 | More by penguindude

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

2.9/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

It is amazing what I have found in my refrigerator over these last few days of Frankenstorm 2012! It is even more amazing that this comes in a CAN and I am reviewing it from a bottle. Will wonders never cease?

The pour was somehow shocking to me as I did not expect it to be pink! Well, I should have known - it is the end of October and this is Breast Cancer Awareness Month with its signature color of pink. Think Pink, baby! Even the finger of foamy head with its moderate retention was a light shade of pink. I'm calling the Pink Panther for some help with this one. Color was a hazy pink, like freshly-squeezed pink grapefruit juice. Nose smelled like kiddie candy! Lemon, yes, along with a generic berry sweetness. My Old Lady would scoff at this stuff. Mouthfeel was medium and it had a greater tartness than I was expecting from the super-sweet nose. That is not to suggest that I found it to be terribly enjoyable, however. The label read "Weiss Beer with Blackberry Juice and Natural Flavors", but it seemed like a lot of the esters were chemically produced. It simply did not have a natural taste to me. Warming, I was getting more and more tartness and the label indicates red raspberries also, which can impart tartness. Maybe there was truth in advertising here, but it still seems a bit feminine for this bearded weirdo. I have a reputation to uphold, after all. This just struck me as something to foist off on those annoying chicks who still claim that they don't like beer. Baby, with the plethora of solid craft beers available today, how can you still not find something to your liking?!? Have one of these while the Old Lady and I do our thing.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 17:01:02 | More by woodychandler

boilermakerbrew

Indiana

3.85/5  rDev +26.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Pours a hazy, light orange to almost pink hue. A medium sized, frothy, 2 finger head. Retention was surprisingly good, and lacing was decent. Typical wheat beer look, but with some fruity colors thrown in.

S- Like blackberry lemonade. Sweet and light, with a lot of sweet notes, but also a hint of lemon tang. Fairly complex for a Leinie's, but most of the flavor is sweet, fruity, and a little tangy.

T- Just like the scent. Light and sweet with lots of fruit. Simple and straightforward, very fruity and sweet, yet not completely one dimensional. Lots of traditional wheat beer characteristics that are covered up by the dominant fruit flavors.

M- Light and easy to drink. Great summer beer, but also has the ability to be versatile for all seasons. Could drink as many as you want, but the wheat base could be a little filling.

Overall, a surprisingly delicious and versatile beer. Nothing especially good, but way better than the summer shandy. This is a good gateway beer for BMC lovers.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 20:28:06 | More by boilermakerbrew

Murrhey

Montana

2.3/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

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

A- Finger and a half white head. Thick, but low retention. Light coppery color with very little clarity. Interesting looking beer.

S- Blackberries, raspberries, lemons. Smells like a pastry. Very sweet and fruity. No notes of hops or malts that I can detect though, which is unfortunate.

T- Berry flavors, lemon pledge and some caramel hops. Very fruity, no beer backbone to give it any umph. The syrupy flavors aren't helping.

M- Smooth, light and creamy. Not bad, but could be less syrupy.

O- Way too sweet for easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 03:14:01 | More by Murrhey

jwc215

New Jersey

2.7/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours clouded pink grapefruit-ish hued with a thin head that lasts. Some web-like lacing sticks.

The smell is of blackberry juice. Slightly tart.

The taste is of a blend of fruit juices, mostly notably, blackberry, raspberry and lemon. However, not the same way the real juices are - there is a plastic-like taste to it. A hint of tart keeps it from being as sweet as the fruit malt drinks, raising the score a tad for me. Still it is sweet.

The carbonation stays just under the "too fizzy" category. It is smooth - more from being watery than otherwise, though there is a malty touch to it.

Not a true shandy in my eyes, as there is a lack of "beer" qualities. Though, as stated above not sickly sweet as the fruit malt beverages. If you want a fruit juice brew, it's tolerable, I suppose. I raised the overall just a hair because it is what it is...(better than the berry weiss from what I remember).

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 20:37:25 | More by jwc215

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.35/5  rDev -23%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Served in a shaker pint glass.

Morbid curiosity got the better of me here. This stuff pours a cloudy pink-ish topped by about a finger or so of off-white foam. The nose comprises Country Time lemonade mix, light vague berry, and a touch of bubblegum. The taste reverses things a bit, focusing on the fake berry flavor (coming across as stale Crunchberries with a slightly bolder flavor), though the lemonade mix doesn't go away. Things are just too fake-tasting: hell, there's even a general sense of mild plastic in the background! The body is a hefty light, with a moderate carbonation and an airy finish. Overall, a pretty sad beer, one that takes an already un-good beer and twists it with more artificiality and whatnot to make it even worse.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 12:43:31 | More by TMoney2591

punky796

Michigan

3.6/5  rDev +18%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a pint glass.

A - Pours a clean pinkish-amber, not clear, like a wheat beer. About two fingers of head that actually stayed for awhile. Wasn't expecting that.

S - Pink lemonade. Treading carefully at this stage in the game.

T - Primarily tastes of pink lemonade, with just a TOUCH of malt. It's in there to remind you it's a beer, because you might not know otherwise. But it works.

M - Slightly watery, but in a good way. Mostly because compared to Summer Shandy, it's much more mellow and the sweetness isn't thrown in your face. You won't involuntarily pucker from a cup of sugar in each beer like you probably do with Summer Shandy. Fair amount of fizz.

O - They made some efforts to remind you it's beer, because other than alcohol content and carbonation, it might not fit the bill. But that being said, it's nice...a bit of a novelty but I'd have one again. And smoother and less offensive than Summer Shandy.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 05:56:35 | More by punky796

eb003

Kentucky

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

Eh, not bad.

I don't know how much this resembles a "beer", but it's an interesting consumption. The appearance is a pinkish-purpley color that is somewhat cloudy like wheat beers. The smell is right on with berries and lemon. Another reviewer said it smelled like household cleaner...and I don't get that aroma myself, but it has a lemon undertone. It surely doesn't smell like a beer. The taste is very light and refreshing. It starts off very sweet and ends lightly on the palate. The mouthfeel is crisp. It has about the same amount of carbonation on the tongue as some draft ciders.

Overall it's not too bad. I got a 12 pack on sale and I'm glad I tried it. I won't say it's one of my favorites, but it's pretty good. If you like "lighter" beers and enjoy fruity beers, then this one is for you. If you're a hard core "beer guy", then I'd say not so much.

It tastes more like berry-lemonade than beer...

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 03:47:42 | More by eb003

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

RoamingGnome

Wisconsin

2.58/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

From 9/22/12 Tasting Notes

Sampled this with my brother. (Spoiler Alert) Thank the Lord, because I would not want a whole bottle. Poured from 12 oz bottle into a 8 oz glass. This was served well chilled.

A) This is a pinkish brew, fairly similar in color to their Berry Weiss. There was about a finger of foam, that appeared to have a pinkish tint to it. No lacing noted...

S) The aroma was more like their Shandy, which is kind of a lemon household cleaner. The berries were noted, but pretty faint compared to the lemon.

T) This is pretty sweet and artificial. The berries are more prominent in the flavor than on the nose. There was something medicinal, it was a little like my kid's berry flavored ibuprofen. I mean, this definitely is beer, or at least kind of beer, but the flavor didn't work for me.

M) Light and quite a bit of carbonation, but that is what this beer calls for.

O) I know my ratings for the Shandy and Berry Weiss are slightly higher than average, but this combo does not work for me personally. Having said that, I can also see how this offering may be quite appealing to others. As for mixing Leinenkugel's beers, I much prefer the Berry and Honey Weiss combo. Nothing wrong with a refreshing honey bear on the patio.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 17:17:21 | More by RoamingGnome

flagmantho

Washington

3.33/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from 12oz bottle into a dimpled mug.

Appearance: pale pink hue, clearly a mixing of a golden wheat body with blackberry juice. Head is a thin finger of frothy white foam. I can't imagine what else this beer would look like with its ingredients, but the overall picture is somewhat sickly.

Smell: light wheaty aroma with a tart, fresh lemon scent. The berry is minimal. I guess it's not bad, but I'm not a huge fan of it.

Taste: lemon, berry and wheat beer characteristics. Really, it is pretty refreshing, and while it may not be my favorite beer in the world, it is definitely as-advertised.

Mouthfeel: surprising! Light body but a good level of carbonation which is actually quite creamy, yet appropriate to the style. I like it.

Overall: this beer just falls a little flat for me. Sure, it is refreshing, but I don't want to drink any more of it.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 17:22:04 | More by flagmantho

shand

Florida

4/5  rDev +31.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Sam Adams perfect pint.

Leinie's Lemon Berry Shandy pours a hazy peach color with a surprisingly nice head. The aroma is ... you guessed it ... berries and lemon! The taste is also surprisingly good, I wasn't expecting to like this nearly as much as I do. It's got a tart berry flavor at first, and finishes with the trademark lemon and sweet wheat aftertaste. Refreshing and tasty, although relatively far removed from beer. The mouthfeel is light, highly carbonated, and slightly drying, and the drinkability is great. I could almost feel my credibility dropping as I started reviewing this beer. I'm a sucker for shandys, and a sucker for fruit beers. This one jumped right into my weak point. It's just a tasty beverage.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 04:00:08 | More by shand

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

16 ounce can, best before 11/26/2012. Served in a pint glass, the beer pours a hazy orange/amber color with about an inch off-white head that stayed around for a while. There's also a good amount of lacing. It smells like blackberries and lemonade. It's not a bad smelling brew at all. It tastes like lemonade, blackberries and some grainy malt. Nice mix of sweet and tart flavors. Mouthfeel/body is light, it's refreshing and very easy to drink with a good amount of carbonation. I think it's a decent enough brew, it would be nice to drink on a hot day. $6.99 a 4-pack.

Serving type: can

09-16-2012 00:03:55 | More by bluejacket74

BrownAleMale

Wisconsin

3.05/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a Horny Goat pint glass.

Appearance- It is a hazy peach in color with cloudy 1 finger head that dissipates into a very tiny lining.

Smell- Pink lemonade.

Taste- Basically watered down pink lemonade.

Mouthfeel- Very watery and light.

Overall- Not as bad tasting as the summer shandy, also not as good as the Berry Weiss. Very watered down sweet beer. If it was summer this would be an ok option to quench my thirst, but nothing great when it comes to beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2012 21:29:34 | More by BrownAleMale

JimboHD2005

Illinois

1.53/5  rDev -49.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

Picked up a 4 pack to try. Summer isn't technically over and it's been in the 80's this week so was thinking would work well with the warmer weather. (Why they are releasing this beer this later in the year is beyond me but anyway....)

Heavy pour into a SA perfect pint glass left a 2 in head that dissipated quickly. What was left as color goes was as as close to what resembles a watered down pink lemonade as it could get and exactly what to be expected.

First sip impressions immediately made me imagine what carbonated watery cool-aid would taste like. Slight lemon with a mix of artificial "berry" flavor. Taste left the mouth quickly and mouthfeel was light, almost dry with a slight bitter aftertaste.

Overall, I am a lenie's fan, like a fruit beer once in a while and like most of what they have been releasing which includes the Big Eddy series. This beer however falls off the grid and can't imagine how this made it past the test batch phase.

Serving type: can

09-12-2012 20:04:03 | More by JimboHD2005