Tell us why you hate AAL beers

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by JackHorzempa, Feb 17, 2024.

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  1. oneeye

    oneeye Maven (1,398) Feb 17, 2007 Pennsylvania
    Society

    From what I understand, corn syrup on its own has an unpleasant taste probably from the use of corn. If you buy corn syrup from a supermarket to bake or cook with vanilla or caramel are additions to give the syrup a more palatable taste.

    I have never tasted corn in Coke as in corn chips but the main sweetness you do taste is from the corn syrup. Have you ever had a Coke with Kane sugar or barbecue sauce made with molasses? You can definitely taste the difference.
     
    #181 oneeye, Feb 20, 2024
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  2. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    #182 JackHorzempa, Feb 20, 2024
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  3. oneeye

    oneeye Maven (1,398) Feb 17, 2007 Pennsylvania
    Society

    Interesting article, I did a quick search of reviews from some of the top reviewers or I guess they are called pooh bahs now on this site. Corn is mentioned as a descriptor in a lot of reviews. It’s hard to wrap my head around so many people being wrong that have so much experience in reviewing beer here on BeerAdvocate.

    Cheers!
     
    #183 oneeye, Feb 20, 2024
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  4. moodenba

    moodenba Pooh-Bah (2,502) Feb 2, 2015 New York
    Society Pooh-Bah

    You can definitely do a taste test of corn sugar (dextrose) vs. cane or beet sugar (sucrose). (An old "French Chef" show aired the incorrect opinion that cane sugar flavor was better than beet sugar. So myths are widespread and hard to counter.) Buy some dry corn sugar from a homebrew supply: https://www.northernbrewer.com/products/priming-sugar. No unpleasant flavor. Use it up in your morning coffee.
    Many soda pops now contain (HFS) high fructose syrup, so not strictly comparable to corn sugar. The various sugars result in only slight variations in taste on most palates. Differences are likely in the amount of sugar used, formulation or amount of flavor concentrate, or degree of carbonation. If you want flavor differences, look at brown sugar and molasses in the US.
    The "ShutupaboutBarclayPerkins" blog provides historic British beer recipes that contain a mind boggling range of sugars.
     
    #184 moodenba, Feb 20, 2024
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  5. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Could be those beers being reviewed aren't (or weren't) using corn *syrup.*
     
    #185 steveh, Feb 20, 2024
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  6. moodenba

    moodenba Pooh-Bah (2,502) Feb 2, 2015 New York
    Society Pooh-Bah

    There is a lot of good (and some bad) information on Beer Advocate. But, in contrast to some other parts of the web, the bad information here won't cause serious harm. Prolific posting and reviewing is not a guarantee of accuracy (unfortunately, myself sometimes included).
     
    #186 moodenba, Feb 20, 2024
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  7. Domingo

    Domingo Grand Pooh-Bah (4,252) Apr 23, 2005 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah

    Personally, I like normal "premium" AAL's but strongly dislike their light brethren. I find them to be particularly carbonated in an artificial/excessive way. For all the talk about being "light" and "less filling," I feel like a balloon after drinking one. That's all while the beer itself tastes almost like the beer equivalent of a LaCroix. Normal Bud, MGD, Banquet, etc. aren't exactly strong tasting or heavy on the calories to begin with. Do I really need something that tones their flavor down by 40%, makes me feel bloated, and still puts me at the same risk of a DUI?
     
    #187 Domingo, Feb 20, 2024
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  8. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    When it comes to BAs reviewing AAL beers I am personally not too surprised; they are biased to think certain ways.

    Cheers!

    P.S. And given that perceptible levels of DMS can provide a corn-like flavor (tastes like creamed corn for my palate) that is a consideration as well.
     
    #188 JackHorzempa, Feb 20, 2024
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  9. lackenhauser

    lackenhauser Pooh-Bah (2,721) Dec 10, 2002 Maryland
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Nothing beats a Bud
     
    #189 lackenhauser, Feb 21, 2024
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  10. moodenba

    moodenba Pooh-Bah (2,502) Feb 2, 2015 New York
    Society Pooh-Bah

    ?
     
    #190 moodenba, Feb 21, 2024
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  11. gatornation

    gatornation Grand High Pooh-Bah (10,388) Apr 18, 2007 Arizona
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    #191 gatornation, Feb 21, 2024
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  12. donspublic

    donspublic Grand Pooh-Bah (3,552) Aug 4, 2014 Texas
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Not per say a fan, drink probably less than a 12 pack a year of them. Went to the local ice house the other day and they had a few craft options, but they also had the banquet chubby and I find it hard to pass up on those when I see them, so it ended up being a coors banquet night. And I will admit when getting sushi I do appreciate a cleaner beer that doesn't get in the way of things, thus I usually go Asahi when it is available. So maybe that 12 pack is now 1 1/2 cases.
     
    #192 donspublic, Feb 21, 2024
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  13. dcotom

    dcotom Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,637) Aug 4, 2014 Iowa
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I'd give you my man card, but I already had to turn it in that time I had a Cosmo at Applebee's.
     
    #193 dcotom, Feb 21, 2024
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2024
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  14. 2TRNTUP

    2TRNTUP Initiate (62) Dec 22, 2022 Pennsylvania

    I’m a novice on this site, but consumed a daily minimum of a 6-pk. of “whatever was available” for 40+ years. Now, I drink only non-alc near beers.

    What’s an AAL?
     
    #194 2TRNTUP, Feb 21, 2024
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  15. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,145) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    #195 jesskidden, Feb 21, 2024
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2024
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  16. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    American Adjunct Lager. Beers like Bud, Rainier, Hamm's, Miller, PBR, Coors, etc.
     
    #196 BBThunderbolt, Feb 21, 2024
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  17. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    You might not, but a significant portion of the beer consuming public apparently does.

    @JackHorzempa and I have gone back and forth on this topic and I'm pretty sure it's one we're never going to see eye to eye on. But my take is this...

    My impression is that most AAL consumers are pretty indiscriminate about the beer they consume. They just want a mildly flavored, alcohol delivery device that's somewhat thirst quenching when served cold. They also want it to be readily available; not something they have to go on a special hunt to find at the local beer shop. In that regard light and regular versions of AAL macros are equally efficacious. Maybe the light versions will have a bit less flavor than their non-light cousins, but as neither version has a whole lot of flavor to begin with, most consumers don't feel as if they're giving up much when they opt for a light AAL. On the other hand, there's the perception that there's something virtuous about drinking a light macro AAL. Many consumers feel that because the light versions have so fewer calories than the macro heavy versions, they can consume away with impunity. So the feeling is that the slight reduction in the amount of flavor one finds in a light version of a macro AAL is more than offset by the benefits one derives (less calories, the ability to drink a lot more of them at a sitting, etc.).

    At least that's my take. :smirk: Jack???
     
    #197 John_M, Feb 21, 2024
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2024
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  18. Rktect1

    Rktect1 Aspirant (242) Dec 24, 2023 Illinois
    Trader

    So, because I am new to the Beer acronyms I had to look this up first. Based on the brands of beer listed on this site that are AAL simply put, what is there to like about them? I mean, sure I have had to drink a few in my lifetime because I was invited over somewhere and that’s what was served. But, not since my Marine Corps days or college time have I bought this stuff. It all just tastes weak or watered down or mass produced or whatever but it does not taste “yummy” and yes that’s a technical term. So outside of you can get a shit ton of it cheap and at any 7/11, what is there to like?
     
    #198 Rktect1, Feb 21, 2024
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  19. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Did somebody ‘say’ my name!?! :fearful:

    I will address some of the comments stated but first:

    When it comes to the AAL beer style it seems that many (most?) BAs ready equate AAL with a BMC beer (i.e., Budweiser, Miller High Life, Coors Banquet) and even make the ‘leap’ to think of the light versions of those beers. There are other AAL beers out there besides the BMC beers and I listed two examples in the OP.

    Whew, with that out of the way:

    “My impression is that most AAL consumers are pretty indiscriminate about the beer they consume. They just want a mildly flavored, alcohol delivery device that's somewhat thirst quenching when served cold.”

    There is always a danger to universalize things, and I am not a prolific AAL drinker so…, but I would tend to agree with the above. One of the seemingly popular philosophies as regards drinking AAL beers: I just want a beer to enjoy and not have to think about.

    “They also want it to be readily available; not something they have to go on a special hunt to find at the local beer shop.”

    I am uncertain about the above but I suppose every area/region could differ here? When I go to my local supermarket there are plenty of AAL beers on the shelves but also non-AAL beers as well. I went grocery shopping a few days ago and while I did not have a ‘plan’ to buy beer I did decide to purchase a six-pack of Fat Heads Head Hunter IPA since it was fresh; when I see this beer fresh I buy it.

    “In that regard light and regular versions of AAL macros are equally efficacious.”

    This may be true for most consumers of this sorts of beers but it is not true for me. I personally choose to not purchase light versions of AAL beers (see more below).

    “Maybe the light versions will have a bit less flavor than their non-light cousins”

    For my personal palate there is no “maybe” here. Light versions of AAL beers are too non-flavorful for my palate.

    “but as neither version has a whole lot of flavor to begin with, most consumers don't feel as if they're giving up much when they opt for a light AAL.”

    To circle back to what I posted above in bold, there are non-BMC brands of AAL beers which do not taste like Budweiser/Miller High Life/Coors Banquet. There may be not much difference between a Coors Banquet and Coors Light but this is a subjective thing and I personally can’t specifically comment since I choose to not drink light versions of AAL beers.

    “On the other hand, there's the perception that there's something virtuous about drinking a light macro AAL. Many consumers feel that because the light versions have so fewer calories than the macro heavy versions, they can consume away with impunity. So the feeling is that the slight reduction in the amount of flavor one finds in a light version of a macro AAL is more than offset by the benefits one derives (less calories, the ability to drink a lot more of them at a sitting, etc.).”

    This sounds like a subjective/psychological thing to me and it is best I don’t specifically comment here.

    Cheers!
     
    #199 JackHorzempa, Feb 21, 2024
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  20. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I think AAL definition should probably include pale color, low hopping rate, as well as alcohol content (4%abv to 5.5?).[/QUOTE]

    I don't really have an opinion on this, but you'd probably need to bump up the abv a bit so we can include the bud light platinums of the world.
     
    #200 John_M, Feb 21, 2024
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