Out of curiosity, I decided to try Budweiser's new American Ale. The label describes the beer as being brewed from American Barley from the heartland and hopped with Cascade hops from the Pacific Northwest.Relative to the rest of the Budweiser family, this is a fine beer. Compared to the other beers that American Ale is apparently trying to emulate, it is mediocre at best.
First, the Cascade hops are barely noticeable. This is the distinct flavor of American ales. If you are going to make American Ale to be like American ales, then maybe you should add enough hops to give American Ale that distinct American ale flavor. The hops don't have to punch you in the nose (which seems like a trend for many American beers), but I should be able to notice them.
The nose was weak. I nearly dipped my nose into the beer trying to get some aroma.
The taste provided a little maltiness, but is was all much too light for my tastes.
All in all, this is a good beer for Budweiser. I'm glad they made it. For lovers of craft beer, it may not be a big hit. However, this may be a great gateway beer for people to move from macrobrews to craft brews.
I was expecting more from this beer, but I think I got exactly what I should have expected.
2 comments:
I've noticed that A-B beers are always a little light on the hops. Also, I'm sure they went light on the barley and heavy on the rice adjuncts, per usual.
Personally, I love hops and if I have to chew my way through a beer (like, say a Stone IPA), all the better. But, you're dead on: if you're an 'American Ale', you should at least be able to sniff some hops in the nose.
Love the bottles, however. They have an elegant shape. I'll be collecting them for my homebrew.
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