Brewery: Anheuser-Busch
Country: USA
Size: 33cl
ABV: 5%
Price: 15kr
Systembolaget: 1669
When it comes to global brands, Budweiser is one of the most world renowned. It is the name that most people will think of first when asked to name an American lager. The brand reach is massive. The beer was created in 1876 by Adolphus Busch and was inspired by the lagers he found whilst visiting the Czech Republic. It proved so popular that its sale soared and it currently has a 51% share of the beer market in the United States. Strangely though the beer has a Ratebeer score of 0 out of 100. Is that rating fair and accurate? Either the beer is actually that terrible and Americans have no sense of taste, or the beer has been unfairly judged due to its brand name. That is why I thought it was perfect for a blind taste test.
The beer was very pale yellow in colour. This is part due to it being brewed with up to 30% rice which imparts sweetness but no colour to the beer. The body was light and had a head that failed to hold for any meaningful amount of time. The aroma was very light and consisted of malt, grass and a small hint of lemon and green apple. It didn’t exactly make your mouth water but nothing particularly bad. The taste was also very light and the beer itself was easy to drink. Some small green apple notes appeared amongst the barely there malt essence but quickly disappeared. It was bubbly on the tongue and it was refreshing but had a very thin feel on the palate. The after taste was there and gone in an instant, which fitted the theme of the beer.
This isn’t my first Budweiser and I’m sure somewhere down the line I’ll drink another. I have the (rather unpopular) view though that I think Budweiser is a bit bullied. I’m focusing here on the beer itself and not on the sometimes disliked business practices of the parent company. The truth is that Budweiser isn’t exciting. It is easy to drink and it’s good in hot weather but it’s thin and watery. I do believe though that it is well made. I don’t think it deserves the 0 out of 100 score at all. I would rather drink this over a poorly made craft beer (of which I have had many in my time). I’m not saying that you should drink this as I think there are so many better choices out there, but for it to be classed as one of the worst beers in the world is just purely unfair and wrong. I don’t think Budweisers reputation will ever improve among the beer geeks of the world, but I think maybe it is time to be fairer in our judging of this lager behemoth.