Original
Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

OriginalOriginal
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From:
Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company
 
Wisconsin, United States
Style:
American Adjunct Lager
Ranked #103
ABV:
4.7%
Score:
69
Ranked #28,072
Avg:
2.97 | pDev: 19.53%
Reviews:
205
Ratings:
663
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jul 24, 2023
Added:
May 11, 2002
Wants:
  32
Gots:
  115
We’ve been perfecting our craft since 1867 when Jacob Leinenkugel founded the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company. Over 150 years, we’re still proudly brewing our award-winning Leinenkugel’s Original, a classic American Pilsner, just as we did in 1867.

17 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by garymuchow:
Photo of garymuchow
Reviewed by garymuchow from Minnesota

3.51/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A favorite of mine in college. At $5.00/case with returns a more enjoyable beer than many other affordable Wisconsin brews.
Picked up this can for $.35. Good looking can too.
Aroma is grainy and sweet with a slight hoppy spice. Light and a bit sour.
Brilliantly clear of gold yellow. Lots of rising bubbles. One inch fizzy head that recedes rather slowly for style. Some resemblance of head stays throughout the drink.
Flavor is much like aroma especially with the grainy and sweet aspects (especially initially). Bitterness kicks in midway and stays through a shorter finish that also is somewhat dry. Dryness is paired with a fairly strong sourness.
Quite filling from a fairly heavy carbonation that is both biting and soft. Carbonation lends a heaviness to the drink, otherwise thin. Goes down quite easily and has strong thirst quenching powers.
As I reflect, this is a version of style that has some flavor and some complexity. I'd guess that's why I preferred this one long ago (any maybe why others often didn't - image and low flavor were preferred I suppose). It does have a heavier sourness than many, and I would think that would be a turn off, but I don't mind it and I could easily find a place for this drink in the right environment.
Dec 09, 2006
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 2.91 by bschmidt_37 from Illinois

Mar 26, 2023
Photo of Papercut4
Reviewed by Papercut4 from Wisconsin

2.65/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Pours out of the can a crystal clear orange gold. About a finger of head with minimal lacing. Smells floral and slightly spicy. Tastes follows the nose with a bit of earthiness. A good beer for what it is.
Jan 15, 2023
Photo of Hatchel
Rated by Hatchel from Minnesota

3.46/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Good overall beer for just chillin on the front steps. Take it any day over Bud or Miller mass-produced beer flavored water.
Nov 05, 2022
 
Rated: 3.88 by Luscious_Malfoy from Illinois

Mar 06, 2022
 
Rated: 3.18 by jrflynniv

Feb 12, 2022
Photo of TwilightBeerCareer
Reviewed by TwilightBeerCareer from Illinois

3.28/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
After revisiting Original, I bumped it up a tad on my AAL board. Ice cold, straight out of the bottle, it's a tasty enough beer that satisfies you on a hot summer day.
Dec 31, 2021
 
Rated: 2.59 by Mulechops from Kentucky

Dec 22, 2021
Photo of LesDewitt4beer
Reviewed by LesDewitt4beer from Minnesota

3.29/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12 oz cans, bottles, taps for many years. Various glasses/cups.
L: Pours Light gold with light carbo, a thin eggshell white head that goes to a fluffy skin, light lacing.
S: Sweet caramel malts, a hint of grains, distant honey.
T: Lightly sweet malts, a touch of honey, cereal grains, distant corn, not much after taste.
F: Very soft light bodied feel with a smooth center and a quick slip off to a lightly dry finish.
O: This American beer is good in its style because it's been the same beer for many many years. Extremely easy drinking and crushable. Light and tasty with hints of sweetness & bitterness.
Nov 22, 2021
 
Rated: 3.28 by Danzifer from Ohio

Oct 09, 2021
Photo of Caldwan123
Reviewed by Caldwan123 from Iowa

3.56/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Look all around has a good classic beer bottle look. Coloring is as expected. Smells of skunkiness similar to a Heineken. Taste is the same extremely close to aforementioned Heineken with a little less of a weed taste. Feels smooth.
Oct 01, 2021
Photo of Singlefinpin
Reviewed by Singlefinpin from North Carolina

3.33/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
I have drank this beer from restaurant taps all over The USA and there was a time when this was one of the better beers to be had on tap, how far we've come, thank goodness!
Looks golden yellow with a nice white foamy head that dropped quickly to a thin ring.
Smells, lightly bready, malty, floral, and spicy.
Taste follows the nose nicely, with just the slightest hint of corn.
Mouth feel is medium light for the style with a high effervescent feel.
Overall, still one of the better AALs out there, due to less corn.
Cheers!
Sep 27, 2021
Photo of vette2006c5r
Reviewed by vette2006c5r from Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev +26.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Original pours a clean yellowish color, with quickly dissipating head. Aroma is malty, grainy. Flavor is the same, malty and grainy, but pleasant, and nicely put together. Good body and feel. Overall, its a nice easy beer, simple and not bad.
Sep 23, 2021
Photo of cyclonece09
Reviewed by cyclonece09 from Wisconsin

3.29/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Pours straw yellow with a small white head. Smells of cereal grain, sweet but not overly so. Tastes of plain cereal grain, but a little more flavor than your normal adjunct. Beer is light bodied and easy drinking, heavily carbonated. Overall, a slightly above average beer.
Sep 11, 2021
 
Rated: 2.58 by 12ozfan from Illinois

Aug 14, 2021
 
Rated: 3.58 by Chilmer from Iowa

Jul 17, 2021
Photo of daliandragon
Reviewed by daliandragon from Maryland

3.19/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
I picked up a twelve pack in its home state while camping and hitting some national parks on vacation. Definitely a camping or lawn mower beer and on that score it is pretty effective. A bit of corn in the flavor but this is drinkable and goes down very easy. I was surprised at how clear headed I was the day after my camping. Would definitely drink this if it was available in my area.
Jun 24, 2021
Photo of Augiedogie23
Rated by Augiedogie23 from Iowa

4.55/5  rDev +53.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25
Drinkable with a sweet finish. From the northwoods; a great adjunct beer!
Jun 05, 2021
 
Rated: 2.81 by miwestcoaster from Michigan

Feb 08, 2021
Original from Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company
Beer rating: 69 out of 100 with 663 ratings