EATFREAK

So.  After over a hundred years of brewing human piss and vomit – The folks at Anheuser-Busch finally realized that they suck asses and need to release an actual beer.

Meet “Budweiser American Ale”

Now.  I am a serious beer fan.  A really really really big beer dork.  I’ve brewed my own beer a number of times.  I’ve read books on the brewing process and history of the beverage.  I’ve visited a number of breweries around the nation.  You get the idea.

I personally believe that one of the most beautiful things about beer is that it can be enjoyed at so many different levels of the culinary experience.  You can enjoy a top notch German Dunkelweiss alongside a perfectly prepared confit of duck.  The next day you can down a few Pacificos with lime on the beach with some cheap ass chips and gross cheese dip.

My main point is – I am not what you would call a “beer snob”.  I appreciate a good cheap lager in it’s right place.  But make no mistake.  Budweiser is not a “good cheap lager”.  Neither is Coors.  Neither is Miller.  Neither is Pabst (You hear me hipsters?  Yes even your precious little trophy throwback beer).

There are a number of porn genres which involve the videotaped drinking of human urine.  I am just dying to get one of those “actors” opinion of Budweiser.

Anyway – now that I’ve alienated and pissed off a bunch of people – lets get back to the point.

In 2008 (i don’t know exactly when)  Budweiser debuted it’s new “American Ale”

They are not the only cheap ass brewery to attempt to apologize for their years of shit brew with a new fandangled “real” beer.  But this is the bottle that I saw randomly at the market today – and so – this is the one I’ll be reviewing.

First thing noticed – nice pour.  It has a very pronounced Amber color to it.  Upon pouring it had a nice head on it.  Said head dropped somewhat quick, but that’s to be expected with most american style ales.  It has large bubbles.  You generally only see this in home brewed beer, small microbreweries, or smaller boutique beer companies.  It’s kind of neither here nor there but it is a sign that Budweiser isn’t pulling a quick one on us.  You can’t fake the large bubbles.  This means that this beer is indeed brewed in a somewhat old school traditional manner instead of the robots in Milwaukee.  (that’s not fair – it could indeed be the same robots who have just learned a thing or two about brewing over a few decades)

So visually – it gets – well … an A+

Next.  Smells like a good beer.  Definite Nutty smell.  I can expect a bit of that nutty flavor that you get out of so many Colorado Style Ales.  I don’t like that personally – but that’s just me.  Many people enjoy a nutty beer, that’s cool, just not my style.  Again, it kind of smells like a home brew.  It’s difficult to explain if you’ve never brewed at home or had home brewed beer – but theres this malty sort of thing.

Taste time.

well.  It tastes good.  I would love to tear this beer apart.  I would love to rub dog shit in the face of Anheuser-Busch and say that even their best effort couldn’t come up with a potable beverage.  Can’t do it.  For the last time – it even kind of tastes like a home brew.  Those bubbles go down in a very specific way that reminds me of many home brews I’ve had.  The nuttiness is subtler than I expected, which I like in an American Style Ale.  You definitely taste the Hops very directly.  As a Californian (home of the ever hoppy Pale Ale) I dig that.  But again it’s subtle.

This beer doesn’t blow my mind.  It definitely won’t join the ranks of my favorite beers – cheap ass or snooty.  I rank it above most of the stuff coming out of Samuel Adams – Below anything coming out of New Belgium Brewery (but then it’s a slight price point below them).

But I definitely do enjoy it.  It would go amazingly with a good burger.  It could also befriend a good steak.

If you are a lighter beer person, you won’t dig it.  I kind of don’t know what the hell your problem is – but whatever.

So um.  Where does this leave me – and you?  Well, we now know of one more good American Ale out there.  I don’t really see myself ordering it unless it’s the only beer in it’s class on a drink list.  Well that’s not true.  I’d order it over a Sam Adams.

I guess all this means is I don’t get to rant and rail on the uselessness of Anheuser-Busch (though this hardly excuses about 7 trillion other atrocities they’ve committed).  And maybe all you devoted Bud drinkers can finally grow up and drink real beer.

that’s all.

ok bye.