Michelob Lager
Review Date 12/9/2001
Try?
Re-buy?
Imagine, if you will, walking into a music store to pick up a CD or two. You
browse the shelves, but all you see are albums by the Backstreet Boys, NSYNC,
and Brittany Spears. No Beethoven, Mozart, or Wagner. No Beatles, Rolling
Stones, or Chicago. In fact, not much choice at all. Discouraged, you trudge
on out the door and, deciding to pass the day reading instead of listening
to music, you head down the road to the bookstore.
Arriving there, you proceed inside and scan the titles in search of a good novel. But there’s a problem. The only books offered for sale here are Harlequin Romance Novels. No Dickens, Tolstoy, or Hemingway. No Clancy, Asimov, or Clarke. Once again, your choices are limited to the bare bones minimum. Frustrated, you storm out of the shop and decide that you’ll just rent a movie at the local video store.
Hopeful of finding a good flick or two to settle in with, you head to the new release section, but there’s nothing there. The only videos available are Teen schlock movies, and “Legally Blonde” just isn’t your thing. The store has nothing by Spielberg, Coppola, or Lucas. There’s no Capra, DeMille, or Kubrick either. At your wit’s end, you figure you’ll just have a beer or two and call it a night.
Stopping by the local liquor store, you head for the beer aisles and look for a hearty pale ale. Sadly, all you see are rows and rows of Budweiser, Miller, Coors, and Michelob. No Anchor, Sierra Nevada, or Sam Adams. No Geary’s, Rogue, or Goose Island. Fed up, you go home and go to bed.
Three of these scenarios may seem a bit far-fetched. The last, unfortunately, was all too real in many parts of America as recently as 20 years ago, and in some areas is actually still the case. Choices may be few and far between, and the best you can hope for might well be a beer like Michelob.
Anheuser Busch’s Michelob is considered a Super Premium beer and is a step up from Budweiser. Personally, it surprises me how many people drink Budweiser when Michelob is available for only a bit more, usually about 20 cents for a six-pack or $1 for a case. Though there isn’t a radical difference in taste between the two, Michelob is definitely maltier than Budweiser is.
Just as Anheuser Busch named Budweiser after a town in Bohemia, so they did with Michelob too. The beer was first introduced in 1896 and today boasts the use of 100% imported hops (though they don’t use too many of them). Rice is used as an adjunct.
Michelob pours to a light yellow color with a fizzy, short-lived head and a
light malt nose. There’s a slight malt sweetness discernible, especially as
the beer warms. A subtle hint of adjuncts is present in the palate too but
the beer does not have the lightness that is imparted to Budweiser through
the more generous use of rice as a brewing ingredient. The finish is
balanced to slightly sweet with no noticeable hops. Smooth and drinkable,
Michelob is a decent beer that pairs well with most foods. It’s not my beer
of choice, but if you’re choosing among megabrews, this one may be your best
option.
Arriving there, you proceed inside and scan the titles in search of a good novel. But there’s a problem. The only books offered for sale here are Harlequin Romance Novels. No Dickens, Tolstoy, or Hemingway. No Clancy, Asimov, or Clarke. Once again, your choices are limited to the bare bones minimum. Frustrated, you storm out of the shop and decide that you’ll just rent a movie at the local video store.
Hopeful of finding a good flick or two to settle in with, you head to the new release section, but there’s nothing there. The only videos available are Teen schlock movies, and “Legally Blonde” just isn’t your thing. The store has nothing by Spielberg, Coppola, or Lucas. There’s no Capra, DeMille, or Kubrick either. At your wit’s end, you figure you’ll just have a beer or two and call it a night.
Stopping by the local liquor store, you head for the beer aisles and look for a hearty pale ale. Sadly, all you see are rows and rows of Budweiser, Miller, Coors, and Michelob. No Anchor, Sierra Nevada, or Sam Adams. No Geary’s, Rogue, or Goose Island. Fed up, you go home and go to bed.
Three of these scenarios may seem a bit far-fetched. The last, unfortunately, was all too real in many parts of America as recently as 20 years ago, and in some areas is actually still the case. Choices may be few and far between, and the best you can hope for might well be a beer like Michelob.
Anheuser Busch’s Michelob is considered a Super Premium beer and is a step up from Budweiser. Personally, it surprises me how many people drink Budweiser when Michelob is available for only a bit more, usually about 20 cents for a six-pack or $1 for a case. Though there isn’t a radical difference in taste between the two, Michelob is definitely maltier than Budweiser is.
Just as Anheuser Busch named Budweiser after a town in Bohemia, so they did with Michelob too. The beer was first introduced in 1896 and today boasts the use of 100% imported hops (though they don’t use too many of them). Rice is used as an adjunct.
Michelob pours to a light yellow color with a fizzy, short-lived head and a
light malt nose. There’s a slight malt sweetness discernible, especially as
the beer warms. A subtle hint of adjuncts is present in the palate too but
the beer does not have the lightness that is imparted to Budweiser through
the more generous use of rice as a brewing ingredient. The finish is
balanced to slightly sweet with no noticeable hops. Smooth and drinkable,
Michelob is a decent beer that pairs well with most foods. It’s not my beer
of choice, but if you’re choosing among megabrews, this one may be your best
option.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
