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Colt 45 Malt Liquor
Pabst Brewing Company


- From:
- Pabst Brewing Company
- Texas, United States
- Style:
- Malt Liquor
Ranked #43 - ABV:
- 5.61%
- Score:
- 55
Ranked #29,348 - Avg:
- 2.28 | pDev: 35.09%
- Reviews:
- 322
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jul 29, 2023
- Added:
- Aug 25, 2001
- Wants:
- 24
- Gots:
- 203
Introduced in 1963 by the Baltimore, Maryland-based National Brewing Company, Colt 45 was named in honor of running back Jerry Hill, who was #45 on the 1963 Baltimore Colts football team. Through high-profile partnerships with actor Billy Dee Williams and comedian Redd Foxx — who both appeared in radio, print, and TV advertisements – Colt 45 established itself as the premier malt liquor beverage by the early 1970s.
It was also during this time that the iconic slogan, “Works Every Time,” became synonymous with the brand. The Williams relationship lasted for nearly four decades, until he passed the torch to music mogul, Snoop Dogg in 2010.
With Snoop at the helm, we’ve entered an exciting new Colt 45 era.
It was also during this time that the iconic slogan, “Works Every Time,” became synonymous with the brand. The Williams relationship lasted for nearly four decades, until he passed the torch to music mogul, Snoop Dogg in 2010.
With Snoop at the helm, we’ve entered an exciting new Colt 45 era.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by LagerMan_US from Maine
2.62/5 rDev +14.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
2.62/5 rDev +14.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
Ended up in my beer cart by accident. Expected the worst, but was actually a wee . . bit surprised. Essentially a tacky, cheap, slightly malty adjunct lager.. OK, nothing special - a Pabst+.
May 27, 2023Reviewed by morsa_95 from California
3.56/5 rDev +56.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
3.56/5 rDev +56.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Very refreshing malt liquor. Smooth, malty, bready, nice gold color, and cheap. Not the best of the malt liquor family, but definitely a drink i would recommend for my fellow malt liquor beginners.
Mar 21, 2023Reviewed by Metalfingers
1.15/5 rDev -49.6%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.25
1.15/5 rDev -49.6%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.25
This is the most disgusting skunky garbage I have ever consumed. I thought Olde English was bad but this is somehow even worse and I went in with low expectations. It tastes like someone drank too much beer and pissed into a can. The only thing it has going for it is the abv.
Grab a 6 pack of Carling Ice before you reach for Colt.
Nov 25, 2022Grab a 6 pack of Carling Ice before you reach for Colt.
Reviewed by datstankadank from New Jersey
3.26/5 rDev +43%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.26/5 rDev +43%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
pours a fine looking beer. actually raiting this based off the 40 oz i opened a few weeks back, poured one pint of and twisted the cap back on. worth nothing its glass 40 oz. honestly i went to pour it out, and heard a nice big hiss, saw the beer do some fuckin' science in the glass, so i poured the thing in my glass. turned out to be a good move, its a solid unpretentious american hellesbock. head stayed on like a miller beer would. tastes like a pabst extra. rated to style.
Sep 10, 2022Reviewed by DrOfGolf from Delaware
3.3/5 rDev +44.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
3.3/5 rDev +44.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
This was a beer reminding me of my high school days and nights of drinking beers when we could get them. Nice to see that it is still around.
Poured a golden color with a fairly thick white head and very bubbly. The smell was malt, corn, bread and hops. The taste was malt, bread, and hops.
Aug 23, 2022Poured a golden color with a fairly thick white head and very bubbly. The smell was malt, corn, bread and hops. The taste was malt, bread, and hops.
Reviewed by gatornation from Arizona
3.59/5 rDev +57.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.59/5 rDev +57.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours a crystal clear golden yellow color with a bite head. Smell is corn ,malt wheat and hay. Taste follows nose some citrus hops ,cracker meal malt grassy herbal note . Mouth feel is not boozy has a sweetness to it, could drink another for sure.
Aug 14, 2022Reviewed by Mdog from Minnesota
3.17/5 rDev +39%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25
3.17/5 rDev +39%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25
From a 24oz can:
Appearance: Clear yellow-gold, huge head.
Smell: Sweet corn, some stale hay.
Taste: Sweet, slight corn, sweet fruitiness-slight pear note. Medium to light body, sweetness lingers somewhat in the finish.
Overall: What better than some malt liquor over the 4th of July weekend? Finally trying the legendary Colt 45 as one of the local stores had it in 24oz cans. Not too bad, as with most in the style you want to drink it cold. No major flaws, a solid malt liquor that's up there with OE800 and Mickey's as good ones in the style.
Jul 03, 2022Appearance: Clear yellow-gold, huge head.
Smell: Sweet corn, some stale hay.
Taste: Sweet, slight corn, sweet fruitiness-slight pear note. Medium to light body, sweetness lingers somewhat in the finish.
Overall: What better than some malt liquor over the 4th of July weekend? Finally trying the legendary Colt 45 as one of the local stores had it in 24oz cans. Not too bad, as with most in the style you want to drink it cold. No major flaws, a solid malt liquor that's up there with OE800 and Mickey's as good ones in the style.
Reviewed by JZH1000 from Colorado
3.26/5 rDev +43%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25
3.26/5 rDev +43%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25
Got a 24oz can best by August 1st poured into my warsteiner pils glass just for fun.
On the pour a 1ish finger head forms then becomes fizzy amd recedes to a ring around the glass amd light covering. Crystal clear generic lager color, a light straw gold, with lively carbonation. Looks like a decent cheap beer. And it almost wants to lace
The nose is surprisingly decent especially for the style. Some slight green apple off notes right up front, but not too far behind is an actual bready malt aroma that is present, possibly even some cheap but detectable hops on the nose. There is a bit of oxidized notes but this is way better than Olde English 800 for sure. As it warms the green apple flavor grows and becomes almost unpleasant but it's really just a cheap lager note that I get a lot in AAL beers a lot more than I'm getting in this one.
Flavor follows the aroma bringing a bit of corniness along with the malts. The hops largely disappear leaving only a hint of bitterness right up front that mingles with a bit of the green apple, then gives way to a largely pleasant and almost soft bready and corny malt/grain flavor. Coming in with low expectations I was very pleasantly surprised.
Feel is at first sip a bit watery with a quick finish and a big hit of carbonation bite, but as you drink more it hits the stomach quite heavily making this quite filling, which is a bit of a curve ball after everything else about this beer made me forget that technically this is a malt liquor. No complaints really however as this is the only spot that has even been close to reminding me what kind of beer I'm drinking.
Overall I've had beers that where a whole lot worse than this. Obviously I've had better but this is almost a decent American style lager. And at only 5.6% it's really not all that big a beer by today's standards. The only thing really making this a malt liquor is that it's been around since the only choices were bud miller and coors and it's a bit stronger than those BMC beers. Taste is actually surprisingly high quality for what it is.
Jul 03, 2022On the pour a 1ish finger head forms then becomes fizzy amd recedes to a ring around the glass amd light covering. Crystal clear generic lager color, a light straw gold, with lively carbonation. Looks like a decent cheap beer. And it almost wants to lace
The nose is surprisingly decent especially for the style. Some slight green apple off notes right up front, but not too far behind is an actual bready malt aroma that is present, possibly even some cheap but detectable hops on the nose. There is a bit of oxidized notes but this is way better than Olde English 800 for sure. As it warms the green apple flavor grows and becomes almost unpleasant but it's really just a cheap lager note that I get a lot in AAL beers a lot more than I'm getting in this one.
Flavor follows the aroma bringing a bit of corniness along with the malts. The hops largely disappear leaving only a hint of bitterness right up front that mingles with a bit of the green apple, then gives way to a largely pleasant and almost soft bready and corny malt/grain flavor. Coming in with low expectations I was very pleasantly surprised.
Feel is at first sip a bit watery with a quick finish and a big hit of carbonation bite, but as you drink more it hits the stomach quite heavily making this quite filling, which is a bit of a curve ball after everything else about this beer made me forget that technically this is a malt liquor. No complaints really however as this is the only spot that has even been close to reminding me what kind of beer I'm drinking.
Overall I've had beers that where a whole lot worse than this. Obviously I've had better but this is almost a decent American style lager. And at only 5.6% it's really not all that big a beer by today's standards. The only thing really making this a malt liquor is that it's been around since the only choices were bud miller and coors and it's a bit stronger than those BMC beers. Taste is actually surprisingly high quality for what it is.
Reviewed by tekstr1der from New Hampshire
2/5 rDev -12.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
2/5 rDev -12.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Use only in extreme emergencies if you are a poor high school kid. Almost enough nostalgia to make me want to revisit in the current age and see what it's all about. The keyword being almost haha. Who knows?
Feb 17, 2022Reviewed by chum_husk from Minnesota
2.39/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
2.39/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
24oz can
Poured this out bc I'm a maniac big lenny style, and it's beautiful, big lenny style. Smells like corn, hops, and rot. Taste is heavy on that spoiled "garbage juice" flavor that I guess some people are keen on... Terrible, even for the style, but it gets ya drunk
Feb 01, 2022Poured this out bc I'm a maniac big lenny style, and it's beautiful, big lenny style. Smells like corn, hops, and rot. Taste is heavy on that spoiled "garbage juice" flavor that I guess some people are keen on... Terrible, even for the style, but it gets ya drunk
Colt 45 Malt Liquor from Pabst Brewing Company
Beer rating:
55 out of
100 with
995 ratings
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