No love for American Adjunct Lagers?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by JackHorzempa, Jul 13, 2015.

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  1. JackHorzempa

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

    The ongoing thread about appreciation of Kolsch beer got me thinking – what do you all think of American Adjunct Lager beers? If you have preferred AAL beers, why?

    To provide some framework for this discussion, let’s discuss what constitutes an American Adjunct Lager:

    Geography

    The AAL style is stereotypically associated with America because of its history but there is really no reason to restrict our discussion to beers solely made in the US. For example, Corona is made in Mexico and it is an adjunct lager. The number 1 selling beer in the UK is Carling Lager; to the best of my knowledge this is an adjunct lager.

    Adjunct Lager

    Needless to say but an adjunct lager needs to be brewed using adjuncts and fermented using lager yeast (with the associated lagering process). The types of adjuncts most often discussed are corn and rice. In addition to those grains sometimes ‘sugars’ are used instead like for example corn syrup.

    Color

    The stereotypical color of an AAL is a light straw color like you see with Bud/Bud Light. An AAL can also be brewed with ingredients that provide a darker color (e.g., amber); an example would be using some crystal/caramel malt as part of the grain bill. Some examples of darker colored AALs are Yuengling Lager, Shiner Bock, and Genny Bock.



    I will start the discussion by reviewing one of my referred AAL beers which is Lord Chesterfield Ale (and yes it is an AAL despite the word “Ale” in the brand name).

    Served in my 17 ounce Pilsner glass:

    Appearance:

    Gold color with fluffy white head. This beer has very good head retention and forms a Belgian Lace as the beer is consumed.

    Aroma:

    The most notable aspect on the nose is a subtle but noticeable hop aroma. This beer is dry hopped using Cascade hops. There is not much malt/grain aroma on the nose.

    Taste:

    The flavor is not quite as notable as the aroma. There is some aspect of malt/grain there and the hop flavor is more muted than the hop aroma.

    Mouthfeel:

    Low-medium body with a medium-dry finish.

    Overall:

    Within the context of an AAL beer this beer is a joy to drink. The highlights are the hop aroma and nice head retention. If you are looking for a nice thirst quenching beer (like I was yesterday after an 8 mile hike) this beer certainly does the ‘trick’.

    Below is a picture of the Lord Chesterfield Ale that I drank yesterday. I took the photograph with my hop plant in the background to provide some good karma.

    Cheers!

    [​IMG]
     
    #1 JackHorzempa, Jul 13, 2015
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  2. ShanePB

    ShanePB Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2010 Pennsylvania

    I actually enjoy Narragansett Lager quite a bit. The $5 price tag for 6x 16 ounce cans does not hurt either. :wink:
     
    #2 ShanePB, Jul 13, 2015
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  3. JackHorzempa

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

    Shane brings up a good point. One of the 'benefits' of AAL beer is their economical price compared to craft/import beers. This can sometimes bring up the 'bang for the buck' aspect.

    I paid $6.99 for my 6-pack of Lord Chesterfield Ale (12 ounce bottle).

    Cheers!
     
    #3 JackHorzempa, Jul 13, 2015
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  4. bubseymour

    bubseymour Grand Pooh-Bah (4,800) Oct 30, 2010 Maryland
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Have you ever done some side by side sampling with the other Yuengling lagers? Would be curious to see the differences.

    As far as AAL's, I like the price and some are not off putting but thirst quenching and good with food. That's about where it ends with me.
     
    #4 bubseymour, Jul 13, 2015
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  5. ShanePB

    ShanePB Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2010 Pennsylvania

    It is true. I get on a 'kick' sometimes where I'd prefer to spend less $ and have something refreshing, enjoyable (to me), and not really have to think about it. These moods seem to be more frequent in the summer months. :slight_smile:
     
    #5 ShanePB, Jul 13, 2015
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  6. utopiajane

    utopiajane Grand Pooh-Bah (3,982) Jun 11, 2013 New York
    Pooh-Bah

    @JackHorzempa Jack, if your classic american pilsner is any indication of the possibilities for the catch all term the "american adjunct lager" ( I mean if some of those beers can be called pilsners then the pils should be included in the aal category) then I am hopeful that brewers consider these styles. These styles are as trendy fresh as is the IPA. The american adjunct lager can be both light or dark. The kentucky common is darker I think. Not bock strength and can be coarser or not as smooth as let's say the helles because of carbonation. They favor a lighter grain.
     
    #6 utopiajane, Jul 13, 2015
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  7. JDW4195

    JDW4195 Initiate (0) Sep 24, 2014 Florida

    I'm an advocate (no pun intended) for Coors Banquet...great "bang for your buck" aspect on two levels...it tastes better than a lot of gas station beers, and the alcohol content is higher than a lot of them too.
     
    #7 JDW4195, Jul 13, 2015
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  8. Yargamo

    Yargamo Initiate (0) Jun 9, 2015 New York

    My answer is always the same. Sink them in an ice chest and I'll be content for about an hour of drinking. Old Style, Bud, PBR are fine. I'll never pay for them unless situation is dire.

    I have bigger gripes in the world than adjunct lagers. Put someone in front of me taking a selfie and one drinking a Bud, I'd definitely shoot the selfie one
     
    #8 Yargamo, Jul 13, 2015
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  9. Yargamo

    Yargamo Initiate (0) Jun 9, 2015 New York

    Yuengling does not do better AALs than BMC. Bud crushes Yuengling regular for certain
     
    #9 Yargamo, Jul 13, 2015
  10. JackHorzempa

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

    “Have you ever done some side by side sampling with the other Yuengling lagers?”

    FWIW, I did conduct a side-by-side tasting of Straub 1872 Lager vs. Yuengling Traditional Lager and posted it here: http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/straub-1872-lager.144714/#post-2063796

    I don’t know how ‘fair’ the above comparison was since I think that the particular bottles of Yuengling Traditional Lager in that tasting may have been ‘off’ (maybe a bit skunked due to those stupid green bottles?)? A few months after that tasting event I bought a single can of Yuengling Traditional Lager for ‘test purposes’ and that was a much more pleasant drinking experience.

    I have never specifically conducted a side-by-side tasting of Lord Chesterfield Ale with Yuengling Traditional Lager (or any other Yuengling brand for that matter).

    Cheers!
     
    #10 JackHorzempa, Jul 13, 2015
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  11. JDW4195

    JDW4195 Initiate (0) Sep 24, 2014 Florida

    Whoa....you sir, need to settle down
     
    #11 JDW4195, Jul 13, 2015
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  12. pat61

    pat61 Initiate (0) Dec 29, 2010 Minnesota

    I use AALs for cooking rather than drinking and they are also good when you want to infuse different flavors into a beer to see what they taste and smell like. A French press coffee maker works pretty well as an infuser.
     
    #12 pat61, Jul 13, 2015
  13. JackHorzempa

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

    Maria,

    Based upon the framework I constructed in the original post I would state that a Classic American Pilsner (CAP) is indeed an AAL. A CAP is brewed using an adjunct (typically about 20% of the grain bill historically) and brewed using lager yeast. it also has that "American" word as part of the style name.

    What makes a CAP different from contemporary AAL beers is:
    • Less adjunct was used in brewing a CAP; the malt backbone is more noticeable
    • CAPs used a lot more hops in all three phases: bittering, flavor and aroma

    The only commercially packaged CAP that I have ever had is Straub 1872 which is discussed in the above link.

    Cheers!

    Jack
     
    #13 JackHorzempa, Jul 13, 2015
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  14. SCW

    SCW Initiate (0) Jul 25, 2004 New York

    Jack - this is my gusto. Cheers

    [​IMG]
     
    #14 SCW, Jul 13, 2015
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  15. HopsDubosc

    HopsDubosc Pundit (803) Apr 24, 2015 Vermont

    I love AALs. Part of it is nostalgia... they're what I started with back in the 90s. Part of it is that an ice cold AAL just goes down so easy. And there's no pretentiousness...

    "The mark of a the man of the world is absence of pretension." - Ralph Waldo Emerson.

    ...Anyhoo - gimme a six pack of PBR, Lone Star (nothing snooty), or Carling Black Label on a hot summer day or as part of a $5 beer/shot special and I'm a happy camper.
     
    #15 HopsDubosc, Jul 13, 2015
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  16. JackHorzempa

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

    Shane,

    One of my preferred AAL beers was (is?) Schlitz 1960s Formula beer. I have not been able to purchase this beer for several years; it is no longer carried at my beer stores.

    Since you are an industry insider do you know what’s up here? Did Pabst decide to stop producing the Schlitz 1960’s Formula beer a couple of years ago?

    Cheers!

    Jack
     
    #16 JackHorzempa, Jul 13, 2015
  17. HopsDubosc

    HopsDubosc Pundit (803) Apr 24, 2015 Vermont

    Schlitz is on the menu at Pro Pig in Waterbury, VT.

    http://www.prohibitionpig.com/draft/

    I'm not sure if you can get it in the can.
     
    #17 HopsDubosc, Jul 13, 2015
  18. JackHorzempa

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

    Well, that is exactly what happened to me recently with my purchase of the Lord Chesterfield Ale. I thought to myself: that would be a tasty 'lawnmower' beer and so I bought it. If it was wintertime I would not have made that decision/choice.

    Cheers!
     
    #18 JackHorzempa, Jul 13, 2015
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  19. Smakawhat

    Smakawhat Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,191) Mar 18, 2008 Maryland
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    I think it just has more to do with the variety and plethora of other styles that have exploded over the many past beer evolving years.

    There's no question, and of course there is a period here that I think the vast majority of users on this site don't seem to be aware of, but... bare with me as I point out....

    all this other "stuff" really wasn't around or available...

    There was essentially a lot of the same similar "fizzy yellow beer" if I could borrow/steal a phrase and it kind of became a little boring and old hat.

    Now with all these other brews and how they have evolved, perhaps new styles/old styles being rediscovered AALs sort of get taken for granted and left in the dust.

    I kind of feel this way, but they also have their right time and place. Also I like the fact they usually are really good value as you mentioned.

    I discovered a 6 pack of Hamm's which has turned out to be one of my personal favorites at a store in Delaware, sitting in the back of this warehouse for what... peanuts... I mean it was I swear $2.99 or something RIDICULOUS cheap cost (never mind there is no sales tax in DE for alcohol to boot).

    Being a big beer fan I felt, oh come on I have to try this.. so I ponied up and took it home.

    Tried it the next day with a proper review and found I really enjoyed it. I sort of forgot about it for many months, they sat in the back of my fridge for a LONG time... One hot day working outside on the house.... just dying of thirst. I had my usual plethora of new brews, some high alcohol booming stouts, big hopped ones, there she was in the back of my fridge... I thought boy this has been in here a long time, this might even be 9 months old.. cracked it open and it was just the perfect thing. Heck put the grill on and it was even better, no thinking brainless beer is sometimes just what you need ya know?

    I don't feel this way about every AAL out there, my tried and true one for the longest was Labatt Blue growing up (don't get me started on it's better up there debate), went back to trying it now and I just get nothing out of it anymore.

    They all have their right time and place and everyone is different in how they feel about them.
     
    #19 Smakawhat, Jul 13, 2015
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  20. Smakawhat

    Smakawhat Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,191) Mar 18, 2008 Maryland
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    This is that Gusto formula right? I remember really liking it also.
     
    #20 Smakawhat, Jul 13, 2015
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