Grain Belt Blu
August Schell Brewing Company

Grain Belt BluGrain Belt Blu
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From:
August Schell Brewing Company
 
Minnesota, United States
Style:
Fruit and Field Beer
Ranked #65
ABV:
4.6%
Score:
87
Ranked #17,556
Avg:
3.85 | pDev: 14.81%
Reviews:
18
Ratings:
55
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 23, 2023
Added:
Aug 27, 2014
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  6
Grain Belt Blu, a summery spin on the iconic “Friendly Beer,” combines Grain Belt Premium with a generous load of real blueberries. It would be a mistake, however, to associate the beer with a sweet, syrupy blueberry pie dessert. On the contrary, Grain Belt Blu is light, balanced, and refreshing—a delightfully subtle twist on the classic American lager.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by teamwiggum:
Photo of teamwiggum
Rated by teamwiggum from Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Aug 14, 2016
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.96 by NodakEric from Minnesota

Jan 23, 2023
 
Rated: 4.05 by adosen01 from Minnesota

Aug 19, 2022
Photo of HughJazz
Reviewed by HughJazz from Wisconsin

5/5  rDev +29.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
I think its hard for people outside the great state of Minnesota to really understand this beer. Grain Belt's cultural capital in the region is really second to none, and the only thing I could really compare it to is how the residents of Green Bay shovel Lambeau Field before Packers games.

I'm usually not one for fruit beers, so I'll start my review by saying that. However, this one blew me away. I've heard through the grapevine that this beer may be discontinued in the near future, and I beg them to reconsider. I think its brilliant for Grain Belt to both capitalize on a) the current obsession with fruit beers and also b) pay homage to that slight fruity finish that GB is so well known for. And, to do that the right way. Where so many macrobrewed fruit beers have gaudy and gauche cans with similar synthetic flavors, Grain Belt BLU ropes their classic aesthetic into the velvety blue can that you see here with a sweet and smooth blueberry taste that doesn't venture into Jolly Rancher territory.

Where other fruit beers would overwhelm you with rancid sweetness, Grain Belt BLU's aromas of dry grain & cereal perfectly complement the feeling of pureed fresh blueberries that can't help but remind you summer days long gone. There's really not much more I can say about this beer, other than that I would be devastated if it were to be discontinued.

- Hugh Jazz
Nov 23, 2020
 
Rated: 2.58 by RandyHocken from Iowa

Oct 03, 2020
Photo of amshand
Reviewed by amshand from Minnesota

4.21/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25
I don’t expect people outside of Minnesota to really understand this beer. For years the ‘sota ppl have been drinking Grain Belt Premium, enjoying its light and crisp feel and, slightly sweet and almost inexplicably faintly fruity finish. Everyone talked about it reminding them of blueberries. If that was on accident or purposeful, who knows. I like this beer. It’s refreshing, sweet, but still very drinkable and somewhat of a novelty. If you like a dryer finish, or gravitate towards sours, you’ll be good for one, but this will never be session-able for you. If you could eat blueberry syrup on your pancakes every Sunday, you’re likely going to wish they made this year round. Cheers!
Jul 17, 2020
 
Rated: 2.75 by XmnwildX12 from Minnesota

May 15, 2020
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Reviewed by vette2006c5r from Minnesota

3.96/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Blue pours a purplish/reddish color, with a long lasting, large lacing head. Very sweet sugary aroma, lots of blueberry. Flavor has a big blueberry juice flavor, sweet, but not too sweet. Good body and feel. Overall, very surprising. Flavors are natural, but mix in well enough with the lager to balance out the sweetness. Good fruit beer.
Jan 28, 2020
Photo of hardy008
Reviewed by hardy008 from Minnesota

4.21/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours dark purple with a 2 finger light purple head. Smells and tastes like puréed fresh blueberries. Sweet with a little tartness. There is a little bit of the base Grain Belt beer which comes through, but for the most part the base beer is overpowered by the blueberries. Medium bodied with moderate carbonation, and both a sweet and tart blueberry aftertaste. Glad I bought the 12 pack.
Oct 25, 2019
Photo of hoptheology
Reviewed by hoptheology from California

4.08/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
12 oz can
White Elm Willi Beacher Glass

I'm astonished. I thought this was going to pour straw gold and instead it looks like a kettle sour. Deep purple with some beet red blush, a tall pink creamy head of 3 fingers receding to 1 and leaving gloppy lace all the way down.

Aroma is of dry grain, Schell's lager yeast, slight metallic blueberry, some cereal.

Flavor is POW! blueberries all over the place. Tart and sweet, tannic, velvety. Some cereal, slight urine, and slight grain dust. Very sweet, very tasty.

Feel is creamy and acidic, medium bodied, moderate carbonation, zero warming alcohol, slight cling on the back end.

Overall, an incredible drinker. This is on par with some of the better fruit beers out there. Will be picking up a ton more of these. Incredibly easy drinking, and incredibly flavorful.
Oct 22, 2019
 
Rated: 3.87 by craigbelly from Iowa

Sep 18, 2019
Photo of BigGold
Reviewed by BigGold from Mississippi

3.66/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Had at Phillips Avenue Diner, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on draft into pint beer can glass.

It has been a long while since I had “the Friendly Beer,” a/k/a Grain Belt Premium Lager. Still, I was still pleasantly surprised at what a good base it made for this deftly-handled, nearly crisp but beautiful, definitely blueberry beer.
Aug 18, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by ian_graf from Minnesota

Jul 28, 2019
 
Rated: 4.16 by jera1350 from Minnesota

May 03, 2019
 
Rated: 3.85 by DownyIsHungry from Minnesota

Feb 22, 2019
Photo of Victory_Sabre1973
Reviewed by Victory_Sabre1973 from Minnesota

4.02/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pours a reddish/purple color. 1 finger purple head. The head retention is ok, and there's some lacing as the head dissipates.
The nose is, for a better word, blueberry. It is a sweet blueberry aroma, and it smells real, not artificial like a lot of beers like this are.
Taste - Again, blueberry, and a sweet blueberry. Not artificial tasting.
There's a nice carbonation feel, and the bubbles dance on my tongue for a long time. About the body I'd expect.
I've been wanting to try this for a while, and I'm glad I did. This would be such a crushable beer on a hot summer day.
Jan 11, 2019
Photo of snaotheus
Reviewed by snaotheus from Washington

3.42/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
2018-12-28
12oz can served in a tulip. 121418 is on the bottom of the can (very faintly in yellow), which hopefully is canned on date, not best by, but who knows.

Pours bluish purple with a small head. Smell is skunky lager with blueberry juice.

Taste is very sweet, blueberry juice. Masks almost all of the lager flavor. It's almost a wine cooler. I'm not sure how to feel about it.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and airy.

Overall...I can't give it a great score and I can't give it a terrible score. If you're looking for something sweet and alcoholic that doesn't taste like beer but has a beer name on it, it's exactly what you're looking for. If you're looking for a beer with fruit flavors that enhance and play off the beer flavors, this is exactly what you're not looking for.
Dec 29, 2018
Photo of John_M
Reviewed by John_M from Washington

3/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
For those who enjoy "this isn't your father's rootbeer," this should be right up your alley.

The beer pours a dark rose color with fairly decent head retention and lacing. On the nose I get a lot of Blueberry and vanilla, in what smells like will be a pretty sweet beverage. On the palate, this is essentially an alcoholic soda pop. If that's what you're in the mood for, that's fine I guess, but then why try to pass this off as a beer. Alcohol is pretty much undetectable, which I attribute to the level of sweetness in this beer.

Shrug. One of these is all I ever need to have.
Nov 19, 2018
Photo of CopperMtnPlowboy
Reviewed by CopperMtnPlowboy from Ohio

2.51/5  rDev -34.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
Pours with one finger head with staying power. Looks and smells more like a wine cooler. Very sweet with overwhelming blueberry taste (for a beer). Finished crisp, with a light aftertaste. Not what I was expecting at all - is this really a beer?
Oct 20, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by ColSanders123 from Georgia

Oct 11, 2018
Grain Belt Blu from August Schell Brewing Company
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 55 ratings