Stiegl Gaudi Radler Shandy (Lemon) - Stieglbrauerei zu Salzburg GmbH

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

2.58/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Exceedingly light straw yellow--reminiscent of cider/perry--but with a more beer-like head. The head is simple white. Not bright enough to be cotton white, not dark enough to be off-white. It persists for a good bit and results in a decent amount of scattered, scrappy lace.

The nose is weak and grain-like with the barest suggestion of lemon. As one who loves all things lemon, I'm disappointed. There are plenty of beers that use nothing more than the four basic ingredients that smell much more lemony than this. There's some resemblance to lemon soda, but seriously watered-down lemon soda by my nose.

Gaudi Radler Shandy tastes like what it is, namely an equal mixture of rather pedestrian lager (I assume) and soda. The fizzy sweetness of the soda is dominant and, as in the nose, the lemon flavor isn't nearly strong enough. On the plus side, the soda doesn't cover up the beerness. On the minus side, the beer could do with some covering up.

Short, tart, puckery finish. The body is light despite the fact that the sweetness gives the illusion of a slight syrupiness. While fizzy at first, the mouthfeel becomes almost flat by mid-bottle, as a shooting star burns brightly and then fades to darkness (yeah... right).

I had no idea when I bought this bottle that it was 50% beer and 50% lemon soda. I had hoped that it was a fruit beer that, against all odds, would wow me with a perfect combination of lemon and beer. It can only be termed a failure though, as a beer and as a beverage. Perhaps the best way to get that lemony snap that I crave is with hops after all.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2004 15:42:53 | More by BuckeyeNation

brentk56

North Carolina

2.03/5  rDev -39.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Appearance: Pours a clear pale lemon yellow; looks more like a soda than a beer and acts like one too

Smell: Lemon soda with a slight yeasty aspect

Taste: Tastes more like a watered down soda; lemony and sweet, with a honey aspect

Mouthfeel: Light and watery

Drinkability: I had a radler on draft once in Munich so I should have known what I was in for; didn't like it then and don't like it now

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2007 23:17:53 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

3.3/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

1 pt. 9 fl. oz. bottle into a nonic pint glass.

A - Pours an extremely light extremely clear yellow color with a soda pop head that disappears after a few moments. There is actually some lacing on this beer.

S - Smells like a light beer mixed with watered down lemonade.

T - The taste is actually quite good to me. A very refreshing and dry beer. There is a crisp lemonade taste up front and a light beer maltiness at the end. I also am getting a honey essence as the beer warms up.

M - When this beer is poured it sounds very fizzy like soda, but oddly enough the carbonation is somewhat flat. However, this is a clean and dry tasting beer that refreshes the palate.

D - This beer is very drinkable and refreshing. With a 2.5% ABV you can keep at these with no problem.

Ok, so overall this beer is kind of like Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde. The appearance, smell, and mouthfeel are not too good but the taste and drinkability are good. For what it is, this is a good overall offering for the summer months ahead.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2010 05:06:35 | More by UCLABrewN84

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.9/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Sort of a pleasant surprise. Very un-beer-like up front with a sweeter than usual lemon aroma and fizzy carbonations. head retention is null, but I didn't mind after I began to understand the brew. Lightly wheat-beer like in the aroma and never gained boldness. Instead a lemon drop (like the candies that we ate as a kid; and maybe still do) flavor with a selzer water texture, made for a very efforvescent, light, flavorful, sweet, summertime drink. The malt (wheat or barley) never really came through, neither did the esters, yeast, or bread characters. As I finished the bottle, I began to describe this beer as a German-ish san gria. A mix of a German Kristal Weiss and a lemon Shandy. Tasty, but not really what I look for in a beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2006 17:13:56 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

2.98/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

My first radler,I should have bought this during the summer it would have been much more fitting.Poured into a pilsner glass a clear sprtizy lemon yellow with large fizzy white head that was gone quickly.Lemon lime pop and toasted cereal grain aromas wich really didn't amount to much.Tasted like 7UP with lighter lager toasted grain flavors in the back end,to me more pop than beer tasting.Fizzy in the mouth wich is a turn off but I could drink a few of these while out grilling in the summer,my wife loved it.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 19:40:55 | More by oberon

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Served in a Dogfish Head snifter.

Another entry in the fishing weekend beer fun. This one, bringing back memories of Germany and Austria from a decade ago, pours a pale jaundice topped by a half-finger of quickly-dying white foam. The nose is a simple combination of corn syrup, very light floral hops, and lemon zest. The taste closely resembles that of Lemonheads, though a small bit o' flowery greens is in there as well. Clearly, the limo (as the Germans call the lemon-lime-ish soda added to radler) overpowers the light lager it's mixed with, but it still tastes great to me. The body is very light, with a moderate carbonation and a ridiculously smooth and easy-going feel. Honestly, you've gotta like radler in order to enjoy this beer. I do, and I subsequently have never encountered a more drinkable beer. I suggest more people learn about what radler is and ought to be...maybe more would like it as much as I (and others in the German-speaking world) do.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2010 01:56:04 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

2.7/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Label reads:"50% Steigl-bier, 50% Lemon Soda" Sounds like what I do pretty often in the summertime, mixing a lager, weizen or pale ale with a fruit soda for increased refreshment and lengthening the drink, cutting down on my alcohol intake. An especially helpful technique for improving a boring or nasty-tastng lager.
As for Steigl's version: Color, a clear, bright yellow, fully transparent at the foot. Poured into an Aventinus glass, it gives a prodigious, albeit short-lived, snow-white head.
Aroma: fizzy, citric, sweet & sour, but a bit too little.
Taste: firmly on the blase side of things. I can taste the soda and the lemon, but not the beer. It must be a pale lager base they use here, for there's nothing in the way of flavor, beyond the lemon. No finish, the faintest body, texture is nil, nothing to recommend it at all.
The notion can be appreciated, but consider that this 17 oz bottle ran me $2.50, and then check out my version: 1 12oz bottle of Summit Hefe Weizen at $.85 + 1 12 oz can of Orange/Mango soda= significant savings, superior satisfaction! Skip this beer and build your own!

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2003 22:03:11 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

3.73/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours an almost clear color with a hint of yellow along with a thick frothy white head that quickly fades to lacing. The aroma is average. It has a light and refreshing lemon zest scent, but no sign of malts or hops. The taste is good. It has an unique flavor that is very refreshing and very smooth. It tastes nothing like beer, but it goes down easy anyway. The mouthfeel is good also. It is a low bodied beer with good carbonation. This is a fine lemon brew. It has average appearance and aroma, but the taste makes up for it.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2004 01:18:34 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

3.18/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I like beer and lemon soda...why not? Served in an Erdinger weizen glass.

Beer is light yellow and very carbonated with a three finger head of medium and small bubbles that is slowly falling into the beer, aggressive and steady carbonation, color is really light and it is crystal clear. Interesting...

It kind of smells like 7-UP. Lemons for sure, maybe some sugar and lime...

Beer is sweet and has a citrus flavor at the backend which is unfortunately connected closely to a grainy acidity and some aftertaste. It is an unfortunately husky finish. Otherwise, for what it is, this beer nails it's purpose in life, it tastes like lemon soda.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2011 01:03:15 | More by drabmuh

zeff80

Missouri

3.43/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - This is the palest of pale yellows that I've ever seen. Small, fizzy white head with no lacing to speak of.

S - It smells like lemon. Some overall sweetness, too.

T - It tastes like lemon soda with some beer like bite. Very refreshing on a hot day. Sweet with a touch of tart.

M - It was crisp and sharp. Very light bodied with a hint of pucker to it.

O - This is good for what it is. I enjoyed it. I'm surprised by the relatively low score. I didn't expect this to be very beer-like and that may be why I enjoyed it more than others.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 20:00:43 | More by zeff80

emerge077

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pale gold with fizzy carbonation. Foam looks a little like soap bubbles, and dwindles to nothing.

Faint grain aroma, not much lemon or soda to speak of.

Sweet spritzy lemon soda similar to Italian Limonciata soda. There was a hint of pilsner malt in the back. Low acidity from the soda, sweet aftertaste. Well carbonated, light bodied. Ok to try on a summer's afternoon, but ultimately too boring to return to. The base beer lacked flavor. I actually preferred the hefe wheat base of Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2008 19:17:04 | More by emerge077

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.05/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to Sue and Meg for sharing their case of Shandy. This is an old sub-style (lemonade+beer) I've wanted to try for a while. This one however, is more just an ultra-light lager with lemon syrup added. Instead of juice, the lemon tastes more like Lemon Drops and candy. The light lager is pleasant and clean, but this beer is too sweet. However, if you dig the thicker, sweeter fruit lambics, this might be up your alley.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2009 21:25:23 | More by tempest

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.2/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

(Served in a weizen glass)

A-This beer pours a very light pale yellow clear body with a strong carbonation of big bubbles. There is a rocky active white head on top.

S- The soft smell of lemons is balanced with the nose of German hop bitterness and a hint of pale malt.

T- This beer has a very light taste with a sweet lemon finish. There is definitely some soda pop sweetness in the finish. There is a faint hint of German hops in the finish but it is a compliment to the lemon not the other way around.

M- The mouthfeel is medium with a fizz from the strong carbonation

D-This beer has a nice balanced nose but the taste is really one sided. It’s all lemon soda. If I want to drink pop this would be my choice but if I want to drink a light refreshing beer this would not be it. The sweetness of the soda doesn't really quench my thirst and it hides the flavor of any malt and barely lets the hop thru.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2005 02:41:50 | More by rhoadsrage

Zorro

California

2.63/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Clear extremely pale yellow colored beer with a minimal head formation that almost completely disappears. This looks remarkably like American Light Beer.

The smell is pretty much like what is on the label 50% Stiegl beer and 50% lemon soda." Scent of German lager and lemon. A little grain and bread and a little Nobel hop and the scent of lemon.

The taste begins beery and sweet with a strong lemon cola taste. The beer flavor here isn't totally obliterated the bread flavor comes through fairly strong. Lots of lemon taste with mostly beer aftertaste. I could see drinking this to kill thirst and the Stiegl beer does a great deal better at standing out from the soda than a lesser beer would.

The mouthfeel is OK.

An OK beverage but I wouldn't recommend drinking this for just anyone. Kind of a kindergarten beer. Worth trying but not stuff your refrigerator full out it though.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2007 04:46:31 | More by Zorro

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clean pale yellow with a small white head. In the aroma, sweet lemon syrup. In the taste, sweet lemon syrup and citrus. A smooth and medium to lighter bodied mouthfeel, with a small dry lemon citrus in the aftertaste. Refreshing, interesting and different.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2011 12:31:06 | More by OWSLEY069

twiggamortis420

Texas

1.75/5  rDev -47.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

500 mL bottle without a freshness date. Pours an uber-light yellow color like a witbier with clarity. Frothy head recedes slowly and leaves plenty of lacing on the glass.

Nose is disappointingly only of lemonade. I cannot detect even the slightest hint of malts, hops or yeast. More akin to a lemon meringue pie.

Wow, much sweeter than I was expecting. I was thinking maybe a lighter lager with some of the nice puckering sourness of a fresh lemon. Nice tangy berlinerweiss it is not! Instead, this tastes like the bastard offspring of a drunken affair between Natural Light and a box of Lemonhead candies. I do not like this in a box, or with a fox. Rarely do I leave a beer behind, but this wounded soldier needs to be put to rest.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2009 00:37:35 | More by twiggamortis420

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.1/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured with little head which faded to almost none. There is no lace. Very well carbonated. Clear, yellow gold color. Tastes like what it is, except that maybe, it tastes better than I thought it would. Beery natural lemon aroma. Clean and well balanced. Short finish. Would be very easy to drink lots of these on a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2007 21:04:18 | More by drpimento

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Snagged a bottle of this for a buck. Watered down lager eh? Hope it at least has a lemon twist

A - Bright clear pee yellow with a full inch of head that seems to be fizzing out rather quickly.

S - Has a bit of hops and yeast but mostly smells of lemon zest with a bit of sprite soda.

T - Yet it drinks more like a soda with lemon leading into a somewhat sugary base and some malts in the back. Little to no hops either man it's what I guess people want beer and lemonade.

M - Light, crisp, and somewhat like beer.

Overall much better than the Shady I had from Labatt so that's saying something. Worth picking up on the cheap for a pound able summer brew that wouldn't get you trashed!

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 05:01:48 | More by DrDemento456

mynie

Indiana

2.7/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

White like a macro with a big neonwhite head that dies quickly.

Smells like club soda, lemon juice, and Bud Lite.

Tastes like club soda, lmeon juice, and full flavor Bud. The lemon hits you up front, tart and sweet, and gives way to a creamy middle of very mild macro beeriness--light grain and hints of floral--and ends on dry, club soda carbonation. Meh.

This is a neat novelty, but it doesn't have much in the way of substance. It'd be cheaper to mix a Miller Light with 7Up.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2006 05:52:13 | More by mynie

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a crystal clear pale yellow in color with some moderate amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a three finger tall foamy bright white head that reduces to a thick film covering the entire surface of the beer and a slightly thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: There is a moderate aroma of sweet lemons with some lighter notes of malts and a slight amount of tartness. Also, I can detect a light presence of floral hops as well.

T: Upfront the flavor of the lemon soda is most present with a light to moderate amount of sweetness but then the flavors of the beer start to come through... There is a light amount of malt with a hint of some graininess and just a touch of floral hop presence.

M: Light bodied with moderate to heavy amounts of carbonation. Crisp, slightly thin/watery, and with just a hint of dryness in the finish.

O: Not really a beer per se but it is quite easy to drink and very enjoyable. This is extremely refreshing and would go down super easily on a hot summer day. I could easily have quite a few of these in a session, especially considering the low ABV.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 20:26:52 | More by dbrauneis

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

3/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - pale straw color, rather light, and a white fizzy head of soda bubbles that dies rapidly. An occasional dot of lace here or there.

Aroma - very brief grain aroma, which quickly evaporates. A teasing lemony scent that is not overdone. Pleasant and interesting.

Taste - a faint hint of malt/grain, followed by a sweet lemony, candy-like flavor. It's very basic as far as flavor and the soda is more prominent and flavorful than the beer. I suppose that's to be expected when mixing a standard beer with sweet soda. I can't tell much about the beer component, but the lemon is tasty.

Mouthfeel - crisply carbonated, light on the palate.

Drinkability - light on the abv but not on the wallet. This would be great during summer if it weren't so expensive (2.50-something for a 17-ounce bottle). It's a novelty, probably worth having on location in Austria, but not imported. I can make my own approximate radler if I experiment. Still, as a first sample of the radler style, it was a positive experience.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2006 02:31:50 | More by brewdlyhooked13

kmpitz2

Tennessee

3/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a crystal clear yellow color with a 2 finger head that falls to a slight coat over the beer. The nose is very lemoney with a slight vegetable-like aroma in there as well. Its a fairly odd smelling beer if you ask me. The flavor is okay. The lemon is very apparent. There is also a very sugary sweetness present as well ontop of a slightly grainey brew. Its almost too sweet. The feel is moderate with a nice active carbonation, as is needed for this beer. Overall, this is an interesting drink. Would be very nice on a very warm day. I can't do big drinks of it.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2005 19:34:03 | More by kmpitz2

morimech

Minnesota

3.28/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a very pale straw color with a thin white head that settles quickly to a thin skin of suds. Virtually zero lacing is left on the glass. The aroma is a combination of a grainy pilsner with a touch of lemon. Actually has an interesting aroma. Very light beer flavor with a sweet lemon finish. A bit cloying in the finish but thankfully does not last long. One bottle is refreshing but more than that and it would get old quick. Light body with fizzy carbonation. I would drink this over Leinenkugels's fruity beers.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2009 21:43:10 | More by morimech

ktrillionaire

Florida

4.28/5  rDev +28.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This is one of my favorite Sunday morning pre-football beverages, especially if I am going to be out in the sun getting dehydrated.

A - Looks like pale lager, but appears less carbonated.

S - Smells like lemon soda, but not Sprite or 7up, with a hint of grain.

T - Tastes fantastic. Not very beer-like, but it's only half beer, so what would you expect? It has a flavor more like a Stewart's, Jarritos, or Jones lemon-lime soda, coupled with a dry, clean pilsener.

M - Sharply effervescent and thirst-quenchingly refreshing.

D - Awesome. Unless you want to get drunk.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2010 07:17:26 | More by ktrillionaire

mcallister

Ohio

2.4/5  rDev -28.1%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

I would get this mixed up with an average american macro if I saw it just sitting at a bar. Piss fizzy yellow with a small white head that fades quickly and leaves little lacing.

Aroma is very laid back with bready type malt and very little in way of lemon. Can actually smell the carbonation in this.

Not bad tasting at all but not great either. A little sweet and very thin. I think more carbonation in the mouth would greatly enhance this. Lemon stands out more but to much RS makes it slightly cloying. At least it is unique which earns extra points albeit little.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2007 00:30:36 | More by mcallister