Brewmaster's Private Reserve

Ok People. Hang on to your hats, because I have a good one for you. Today, I plunked down $11 of my hard-earned cash and bought a bottle of Budweiser. Granted, it was a big bottle, a magnum to be exact. That’s a full 1.5L of beer. But man, what were you doing drinking 1.5L of Bud, and paying $11 for it on top of that?

Well, my friends, this wasn’t any old Bud I bought. No siree, this was a bottle of the rare and special (so they tell me) Anheuser Busch Brew Masters’ Private Reserve 2005. When I saw this in the store initially, I was a bit puzzled. Anheuser Busch had certainly been producing an increasing number of forays into the craft beer world, with beers like Michelob Pumpkin Spice.

I was intrigued by this huge, swing-top capped black bottle with a gold foil label so elegantly affixed to the front. The whole thing comes packed in an attractive looking gift box, too. I wanted to know more, so I read the box.

Decades ago, Budweiser brewmasters started a holiday tradition carried on to this day. Once each year, the brewmasters collect the richest first part of the brew as it is tapped to the brew kettles. This richer, more flavorful reserve-prized for its unusual smoothness despite its robust alcohol content-is then shared exclusively with their family and close friends. Until now. Introducing Brew Masters Private Reserve. A remarkable beer to be shared with your family and friends,

Ok, I thought, some idiot in marketing must have written this load of baloney, but I still decided to buy a bottle of the stuff. Sure, the brewmasters might make a special brew for the holidays, and they may use the first runnings of the malt to do it. After all, the more you sparge your mash to extract fermentable sugars, the fewer sugars you’ll get. It’s the simple law of diminishing returns.

But collecting this “as it is tapped to the brew kettles.” And “prized for its unusual smoothness despite its robust alcohol content”? Whether you’re taking the beer before or after its hit the brew kettle, it has yet to ferment-so not only will the brew not have a robust alcohol content, it won’t have any alcohol at all.

But as I said, I couldn’t resist, so I bought a bottle. They are right about one thing, at 1.5L and 8.5% alcohol, this is a potent one. I drank about half the bottle, and that was a lot. I capped the rest with the swing top and stuck it back in the fridge for the Patriots game next day. But I’m getting ahead of myself. What did I think of the stuff.

When I poured a bit of Brewmasters’ Private Reserve 2005 into my glass, I was surprised at the rich golden color. I think I was expecting something darker. But as soon as I sniffed the soft, fruity nose I almost went into shock: this tasted like a Belgian-style tripel to me, or at least an approximation of one.

I never thought I would see the day I would be drinking a beer like this from Budweiser.

But life is strange, and here I was. And actually, it wasn’t bad. Not as good as most of an original, or even many domestic microbrews, but not bad. The color was rich and inviting, the head thick and foamy, the nose soft and fruity. The palate was slightly sweet with good body up front, and a pleasant malt character. There are notes of cotton candy, pineapple, banana, spicy yeast notes. In the finish, the beer thins slightly, and a touch of bitter hops (but only a touch) balances along with the alcohol warmth. I originally thought this was a tripel, but it's not.

This is pretty impressive. I think it could use just a tad more of those first runnings they brag about to give it a little more body. But other than that I enjoyed Brewmasters Private Reserve a lot. It’s a great sipping brew, and the beautiful packaging makes it a great gift for the beer lover on your list (or maybe buy yourself one). It’s a great deal at $11, too. I suspect that if this sells well, they'll try a new style each year. Don't be afraid to sock a bottle away, too: this one should keep for a while.

Finally, I suspect that a lot of non-craft beer drinkers who would normally eschew this style will hail the merits of Brewmasters Private Reserve, just because it says Budweiser on it. And because it’s so strong. But that’s ok, because we’ve wanted the big brewers to do something like this for ages.



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