Michelob (Original Lager)
Anheuser-Busch

lyonsd from Georgia

4.85/5  rDev +79.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I first began drinking Michelob in high school. It was usually Busch and Budweiser, but we got Michelob for special occasions, such a dates. I like IPAs, Scotch Ales, Doppelbocks, and Belgian ales. But I have no problem drinking pale lagers. And as far as American pale lagers go, this is just great. I'm amused at the low scores and critical reviews saying there's no flavor, or it's like drinking water. These reviews are just beer snobs and their bias against "big beer", especially Anheuser-Busch. I did a blind tasted test involving Michelob, Hofbrau, and some others pale lagers. Michelob was not more watery than any of the others. And I could barely tell the difference between Michelob and the Munich helles lagers I tried.

Apr 13, 2021

ArthurFrayn from Kentucky

4.71/5  rDev +74.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

This might be the best american lager i've tried. A truly hidden gem. Just the right amount of maltyness and hop balance. One of the cleanest tasting beers i've had period. This is pretty much my go-to everyday beer now. You owe it to yourself to seek this out and try it at least once.

Jan 02, 2021

datstankadank from New Jersey

2.81/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Still readily available in my area. 12 oz bottle, aggressive pour leaves 4 finger head. Not much lacing, but some. Smells a bit sour, maybe the yeast is imparting that. It is what it is. Best compliment i would give it is that its clean. Thats about it.

Nov 23, 2020

Beer_Right_Back from Arizona

2/5  rDev -25.9%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Neutered of most taste, Michelob is essentially like drinking water from your tap in a large metro area. Slightly acidic, and boring. There are better macro American Lagers for sure.

Aug 25, 2020

JohnT_1980 from Michigan

4.96/5  rDev +83.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Remember my dad’s fridge being stocked with michelob teardrop bottles in the mid 80’s . Stands toe to toe with any of the German lagers out there. AB needs to market this and bring back those shorty teardrop bottles with the gold top. If you enjoy a craft lager look no further. Great maltiness with grassy hop note on the finish . Pleasant lingering taste keeps you coming back for more . AB’s hidden gem .

Aug 24, 2020

Rockflite from Florida

4.76/5  rDev +76.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

Since Michelob Lager may not be around much longer, (May already be discontinued) does anyone have a recommendation that tastes similar to the great beer? This has been my beer since 1979. I drink other beers with meals or at gatherings. My beer for the taste and aroma alone has been Michelob Lager. Nothing tastes better and goes down smoother with just the right lingering after taste. I’m gonna miss this beer and Budweiser is not even close.

Aug 22, 2020

Brook82 from Ohio

3.78/5  rDev +40%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Yellow colored, with hint of gold hue. Aroma was, pleasant, bit of bread/malt mix. Taste was better than I remembered from 20 years ago. Just a slight metalic aftertaste. Pleasantly enjoyable. Not wide!y available but found a 12 pk bottles for $14.99 + tax.

Jun 11, 2020

jkblr from Indiana

3.62/5  rDev +34.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle coded 20069 (3/9/20) poured into a pilsner glass at fridge temp 4.8% ABV per label. The beer pours bright golden straw yellow with nearly white head. The head recedes to a thin ring. Minimal lacing. The aroma is faint with with vague grain, dusty dried grass and a hint of floral hops. The taste is yeasty with pale malt and moderate bitterness throughout. Mild dusty, dry, earthy hop flavors. The mouthfeel is thin to medium bodied with just above average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Fairly clean lagering. Overall, ok. Frankly, there is not a lot of flavor here, good or bad. Nice bitterness and it drinks clean.

May 09, 2020

Richicago

4.49/5  rDev +66.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a healthy head that dissipates slowly. Nice smell of light maltiness. Nice crisp, smooth taste.

As far as macros go, this is tied with Amberbock in my opinion and would be tied with Busch Copper Lager if they still made it. A lot fewer compromises in this beer than in it's lesser tier siblings Budweiser or especially Busch.

Quite hard to find in 2020, but when you know a place that still has it and has it on sale, you jump on that deal. Long live Michelob Lager.

Apr 25, 2020

Grillinchillinanspillin

4.7/5  rDev +74.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Of all the brands I tasted, Michelob Original Lager stands head and shoulders above the rest. I was offered one at a cook out 20 years ago and it's been a favorite since. Something about the taste blends perfectly with grilled beef. I haven't found a beer yet that even equals it. I wish I could say the same for Ultra. I bought it once by accident and gave 11 bottles to a friend.

Apr 03, 2020

MildlyDrunk from Minnesota

4.42/5  rDev +63.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

This beer basically amounts to the cleanest macro adjunct (vienna/munich) style lager that could be brewed. Heavy barley backbone. Despite the maltiness, the 'noble european' hops are able to cut through the two row barley just enough to give it the perfect bitterness you want in a lager. Incredible that AB is capable of such great beers yet neglect them at the same time. Sadly an endangered brew. Get it while you can. My fav AAL, only schmaltz comes close to this

Mar 30, 2020

crazyspicychef from Pennsylvania

4.37/5  rDev +61.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

The best Macro out there.
Period.
It is what is is.
Incredibly smooth all malt Macro. Costs more than the cheap [email protected]!#, so no one buys it. I dare any microbrewery to brew a cleaner lager.
It is a shame it is slowly vanishing.

Dec 27, 2019

Bouleboubier from New Jersey

3.59/5  rDev +33%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

(12 oz bottle, 19227; purchased cold single... poured into Stella Artois glass)

L: brilliantly-clear, gold liquid; inch-high foam rapidly collapsing upon pour, soon enough just a thin collar; no lace

S: phenolic, cidery spice; light-golden roll crust, bready pale malt; subtle bubblegum note at the back... intensity mild-moderate; smells a bit like malt liquor or maibock-light

T: rich yet restrained malt base; soft, dry cidery accent up front, curious doughy/nutty yeast bite riding out the finish... dry, lightly roasty-toasty bready aftertaste; delicate peppery, herbal hop bitterness lingering

F: cut, quick flow, with a tiny carbonic sizzle and subtle smooth (alcohol?) drag in the finish... has a brief presence of body; polished, clean residuals; subtle warmth... a little to cut and clean?

O: anticipated a little more out of this?... pleasant, refined lager; mellow toasty overtones its dominant character... wouldn't refuse one, but would only buy again if pickins were slim (1563)

Oct 10, 2019

JayleenJay from Florida

4.3/5  rDev +59.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This poor rate for this beer is pretty unfair. Michelob Lager is even better than it's Michelob Ultra or Light. I dare you say it's better than the average beer like Bud, Coors and Corona.
It's really hard to find. At least in Florida and Indiana. In New Jersey is easier. I wish I could find them in Walmart, really.
Really good beer.

Aug 14, 2019

hottenot from North Carolina

3/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I remember when.
In High school I had a friend
Whose father was a fan of Michelob Lager
Better know as just Michelob back then
We'd steal a couple and sneak off to drink them
Out in the woods we would build a fire
And bliss out on how much better Michelob was than Budweiser

I miss that friend and the fire in the woods
But having just bought a 12 pack of the Lager
Some things never change
It's still the best Macro you can get
Malty and if there are any "adjuncts" in it I can't tell
Very much like a real German Lager too

Aug 03, 2019

gvickery from Texas

4.36/5  rDev +61.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

The poor rating of this product shows the dysfunctional bias against lagers on this format. Pours a medium gold with a large yellowish head. Smell is bready, slight sulfur, and a little grass. Taste is semisweet with a mostly dry finish. The hops give it a cleansing balance that makes this one of the best mass produced lagers in America if not the best. This is so much better than their Ultra, as much flavor in one bottle as Ultra has in a six pack. I wish it wasn’t so hard to find. If you see it on your next beer run give it a shot, I picked up a six pack for $7.49. Well worth it.

Jul 12, 2019

cowtownhorn from Texas

4/5  rDev +48.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Without a doubt the best american macrobrew. It does what it states on the bottle-copying a german/munich helles.
The issue with michelob becomes freshness. NO ONE is buying this beer. And that's truly a tragic shame, as AB is actually trying to copy a munich helles here and is doing a damn fine job in doing it.
It's likely you won't be able to find this beer at all (if you can't already) in the near future, and that's a shame.
It's really solid and I just got back from Munich.

Jun 13, 2019

Buckeye55 from North Carolina

3.18/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

It's cool on BA to bash AB products, some well deserved some not. This is a case where it is not. This is a clean crisp tasting good bodied beer that I used to drink the hell out of. I don't really know why I stopped drinking it. Get's a rating of a bit above average.

Apr 14, 2019

Jugs_McGhee from Louisiana

3.49/5  rDev +29.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

BOTTLE brief impression: ($12.99 a 12 pack).

Has a nice caramel/Vienna malt like bend to it that gives it much more body than its macrobrew competitors and a good bit more flavour too. Hints of toasted malt.

Clean drinking with ideal attenuation for the target style. Ester-free yeast profile.

I could use more grassiness from the Hallertau hops, but overall I find it surprisingly well balanced with uncommon depth of flavour for a macrobrew lager.

Completely unlike its watery thin brethren, this boasts real body and presence on the palate. Smooth, wet, and refreshing without compromising in terms of flavour.

No off-notes, adjunct, or booze is detectable.

Highly drinkable. A beer that compares favorably to Yuengling instead of slumming it trying to be marginally better than Budweiser, MGD, Keystone, Coors Banquet, et al. I don't know that I prefer this to Budweiser Freedom Reserve in terms of the best marketed-as-macro macrobrew lagers from Anheuser-Busch, but those with an open mind will find this pleasant and enjoyable. Slap a craft label on it and I bet most drinkers would rate it higher than its current average rating on this website. Let's give credit where it's due, lads...this is a damn solid all malt lager that few to no craft breweries could hope to brew on this scale consistently.

B- / WORTHY

***
01/24/21 this beer has gotten harder to find and I really only see it at Total Wine & More these days, and then only in 12 packs. Thoughts on a bottle therefrom below:

Honeyed caramel sweetness, rich two row barley, and aptly dialed in Noble hop flavour harmonize to form a balanced classic lager with no faults. Perfectly attenuated. Has a soft feel on the palate and is crisply carbonated.

Refreshing and drinkable...the kind of beer that would pair wonderfully with really any food on the planet.

For me, this is the benchmark for the all malt American Lager. Some craft brewers manage to pull off better expressions of the style (e.g. New Glarus), but why this beer isn't more celebrated is beyond me...maybe reviewers just want to shit on it because it happens to be brewed by a big beer conglomerate, but for my money - if we're being fair - this is probably the best widely distributed American lager out there.

B / GOOD

Mar 27, 2019

Tantonys from Maine

4/5  rDev +48.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

AB knows how to brew a good beer when they want to. Actually, Michelob was their first beer in 1896 and remains one of the best in their line today, if you can find it. They lost to Pabst Blue Ribbon at the 1898 World Fair. I consider Michelob much better than PBR. All malt, no adjuncts that I can detect. A very good American Lager.

Dec 27, 2018

gatornation from Minnesota

3.2/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Drinking alot of Macro's while on vacation in Fl this week. This is a premium macrro and pours a rich golden color. Malts and hops blend well together ,its highly carbonated and crisp. Hops are subtle as are the malts very refreshing.

Oct 31, 2018

Kubishark from Maryland

3.63/5  rDev +34.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

I had never tried this before because 1. I have only seen it maybe two or three times in stores around me, and 2. I figured it would be terrible like it's younger bro, Michelob Ultra. Well, someone gave me a bottle for free and to my surprise it's one of the better American macro lagers. It has a sweet malty flavor that reminds me of a vienna lager, and tastes like probably the "cleanest" AB beer I've ever had. If it's the same price as Yuengling or something, and if I can actually find it in a store, I might actually start buying this. Who knows, maybe Michelob will come roaring back in popularity the same way PBR and High Life did?

Aug 19, 2018

Bitterbill from Wyoming

2.77/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75

Bought at Liquor Shed. Part of a mixed 6pack.

Twist off cap, it pours a clear light gold, actually attractive, small but sustaining head of foam. Lacing is decent.

It has a fruity adjunct smell, sweet with a mild bitterness.

The taste is a mixture of malty sweetness, grain and very little bitterness. I remember it being much more malt forward in the past. Another recipe adjustment to simplify and grab drinkers of mass brewed beers? I reckon that it still has too much flavour to appease their palates.

The mouthfeel is spot on for beers of similar ilk.

The negatives outweigh the positives in this current rendition. Too bad.

Aug 14, 2018

rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.35/5  rDev +24.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Had a yellow color that is darker than your average lager, and that is likely because Michelob is all barley, no corn or other adjunct to save cost and make a lighter/weaker beer. Great clarity, solid 3/4" white head that doesn't have the best retention, but ultimately, it makes for a sexy professional made beer. The aroma is almost all barley with the slightest noble hop contribution.

The taste is a light bodied, highly carbonated, decently appropriate traditional noble hop thing. Its pretty much Budweiser, but without the corn and rice. Or I wish a bitchwould aging. Its a decent palate cleansing beer that is better than its rating here, but you know how ratings go, rare = elevated, macro = diminished standing.

If you know what you're looking for on a hot sticky day, you might grab one of these and be better for it.

Jun 27, 2018

odannyob from Colorado

2.96/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 3.25

Not sure if this the same recipe that was used in that tear-drop brown bottle with that gold paper that was wrapped around the cap that one needed to peel off with the lid to get to the juice. Don't taste like it is, when it was just good ol' plain 'ol Michelob, this one's not at all bad, though. Drinkable. Enjoyable.

Jun 26, 2018