Most Underrated Beer

I agree, I actually edited that as you quoted to eliminate the "Sometimes"... Was a typo, must have had something else on the mind when I wrote it... lol

 

Good looking out with Fullers. London Pride is an amazing beer, even at six months old, and I drink PU like water in the summer.

 

And those words are critical.

Maybe you have better luck in your area but finding fresh beers from Great Britain, Germany and the Czech Republic is an infrequent occurrence in my area.

Luckily Belgian Ales such as Abbey Ales and Trappist Ales hold up well (and arguably improve) with age so buying an 'old-er' Belgian Ale still results in drinking a tasty beer.

Cheers!

 

I think Anheuser-Busch "Budweiser" is highly underrated at just 2.36.

Firstly, judged as an American adjunct lager... who's better? Because 2.36 isn't even "average". I'd say Budweiser is one of the better AALs.

Then, if you don't want to do that, what about just putting it on a playing field with all of the other beers in the world... what's better Tecate? Corona? San Miguel? Tona Cervesa from Nicaragua? Believe me, world wide, Budweiser is well above average.

And that's a problem with how we rate beer here, but unfortunately that's how it goes.

 

Don De Dieu
Ithaca's Flower Power

 

How's that? That styles that are en vogue and beers that are rare and higher ABV tend to rate, and therefor taste, better?

 

I agree with your overall sentiment here, although don't think that you chose the best example to illustrate it with.

I had some Bud not too long ago, and would rate it at a C-, pretty much where the numbers put it. And that would be by taking style into account. There are some fine AALs out there (Naragansett, Upland Champagne Velvet...) but I wouldn't count Bud among them.

 

Anchor Steam Beer

 

I dig the sentiment (AALs are definitely underrated), but BUDWEISER?! It's actually inoffensive, but it's not exactly tasty to me. Gotta give it up for my boys PBR or High Life. A few others noted it earlier, too, but Miller Lite is also quite good insofar as light beers go.

Fight the good fight for your King of Beers though, of course!

In this vein, though it was covered by my first post here, Euro Lagers are pretty underrated. Stella is decent; Haacht Primus is decent; Carlsberg can be solid; Heineken is actually good in cans.

And to your "Mexican" lager point (I refuse to recognize it is a real style since they're either AALs or Viennas-inspired AALs), Victoria, Modelo, and Bohemia are the best. Pacifico is decent, too.

 

Michael, did you pick up technical brewing faults in that beer such that you would rate it C-? If so, do you find this consistently in Bud?

Cheers!

 

Below is the Brewers Association style guidelines definition for the American-Style Lager category with bold emphasis provided by me:

“American-Style Lager

Color: Straw to gold

Clarity: Chill haze should not be present

Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Malt sweetness is very low to low

Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Not perceived to very low

Perceived Bitterness: Not perceived to very low

Fermentation Characteristics: Light fruity-estery aroma and flavor is acceptable. Diacetyl should be absent.

Body: Low

Additional notes: Corn, rice, or other grain or sugar

adjuncts are often used. American Lagers are very

clean and crisp, and aggressively carbonated.

Original Gravity (°Plato) 1.040-1.048 (10-11.9

°Plato) • Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato)

1.006-1.014 (1.5-3.6 °Plato) • Alcohol by Weight

(Volume) 3.2%-4.0% (4.1%-5.1%) • Hop Bitterness

(IBU) 5-15 • Color SRM (EBC) 2-6 (4-12 EBC)

30”

It seems to me that your comment of “inoffensive” is consistent to the above.

Cheers!

 

I was mostly being hyperbolic, hence the caps. Bud's a good example of the style, just not my personal favorite. I'd probably rate it a 4.5 if I was doing pure style, but with personal preference involved it's closer to a 3.75 for me.

 

211 Steel Reserve. I’ve had some worst HG Malt Liquors out there and Flavorewise (for me) Steel isn’t a terrible HG Malt Liquor...

(insert Craft Brewed HG Malt Liquor argument here).

 

I've had some fun times that started with that beer. True story.

 

As a matter of judging philosophy I believe that we're not simply assessing the technical merits, but also the flair with which they're pulled off; the essential character of the beer.

This is a tricky style not only because of how exacting is to brew, but there's a tightrope walk with respect to the flavor and aroma as well; it's all about delicacy and drinkability. Fall to one side and it's insipid; fall to the other and you're overdoing it.

With the Bud, a C- is slightly below average, and that's because I found it bland to the point where I didn't want another. My higher rated ones naturally walk that tightrope more successfully.

 

LOL.. Just proves how much the geeks don't know.

 

Orval, Duvel, Abt 12

 

Michael, it has been a looooong time since I drank a Bud but I agree 100% with you that this beer is bland. Having stated that I would use this aspect to state that Budweiser is an appropriate representation of an American-style Lager.

I am in agreement with @THANAT0PSIS of: "I'd probably rate it a 4.5 if I was doing pure style..."

Cheers!

 

Founders is not underrated, but their PC Pils is.

 

Budweiser. Phenomenal beer for what it is.