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Supertaster
Pomegranate Raspberry–Flavored BeerMichelob Ultra flavored beers, and new-old SchlitzWhat's new? What's great? What's weird? Our columnist samples offerings from supermarket aisles and fast-food menus. |
Michelob Ultra Lime Cactus and Pomegranate Raspberry
By: Anheuser-Busch
I Paid: $5.79 for six 12-ounce bottles (prices may vary by region)
The bottle claims it’s 4.2 percent ABV (alcohol by volume), and it looks for all the world like an American pilsner. But close your eyes, and what do you taste when the new Michelob Ultra Lime Cactus hits your palate? A generous interpretation would be lemon-lime sparkling water. Less generous: a light beer/7UP shandy (also called a Panaché). As for the cactus, goodness. It’s not the most vivid ingredient even in the real world, so if you’re able to detect it when you drink this macrobrewed stuff, mazel tov.
If the Lime Cactus flavor is a venial sin against the beer gods, then the Pomegranate Raspberry variety crosses the line into “mortal” territory. The stuff smells like raspberry Kool-Aid. No kidding! Sparkling Kool-Aid, perhaps, but it’s a dead ringer for that watery, slightly tangy, profoundly artificial taste of summers long gone.
There’s something to be said for a beer that’s heat friendly and good for chuggin’ after a couple of hours mowing the lawn. But, when your adult beverage is in danger of being beaten up by a plastic bottle of SunnyD, it’s time to reassess the way you’re drinking.
By: Pabst Brewing Company
I Paid: $5.49 for six 12-ounce bottles (prices may vary by region)
There have been desperate runs on the reintroduced 1960s-formula Schlitz beer in Milwaukee—but why? Is it pure nostalgia? Regional bad taste? Poor planning?
An aggressive marketing campaign arguing that beer, women, and cars were better in the old days—and that Schlitz, at least, is back in high form—has raised some eyebrows.
Schlitz was long advertised as “The Beer that Made Milwaukee Famous,” and it once commanded a leading share of the national market. A late-1960s “innovation” that allowed for faster fermentation has been identified by brewing experts as the beer’s “jump the shark” moment—tasters bemoaned a decline in flavor and a chemical aftertaste. By the end of the 1970s, the brand was moribund.
So what happens when a classic brand gets back to basics?
It turns out that the retro-formulated Schlitz lager is—drumroll here—not too bad. It’s got a mellow, moderate, caramel-kissed taste, which results in a fairly clean flavor. While it’s a bit watery, it doesn’t totally lack a spine. It wouldn’t taste out of place in a bowling alley, but you shouldn’t be embarrassed to serve it to company, either. Sampled side by side with the well-respected Capital Brewery Bavarian Lager, the Schlitz came off as a bit thinner (bad) but easier to suck down (good?)—a tour de force for a big brew squaring off against a craft-brewed cousin.
Note to Chow bosses: Please give Mr. Norton a large bonus for service above and beyond the call of duty.
Thank you.
He is a great writer. What an interesting column.
My wife said this Michelob tasted like shandy immediately. It was the lime cactus version. I have to say, it was ice cold and refreshing on a hot day. If that's what you're looking for the Lime was great. It's not a great beer, but it was fun.
This column perfectly embodies the "Tasting stuff first so you don't have to" tagline.
Bravo, Supertaster. This is another week where I'm really glad I'm not in your shoes.
Please, do not cave in, give me another video review. I wholeheartedly enjoy the video reviews, thank you for embracing new media. I think the problem people have is that you are not articulate enough during the video reviews, however there is still a candid charm to it that the naysayers are dismissing.
If you want a light-ish raspberry beer, Harpoon Raspberry UFO FTW. It has a lovely pale pink color, tart raspberries in the nose and on the palate, and goes with ANYTHING you put it with--mac and cheese, calamari, salads, shrimp and grits, barbeque, burgers. I liked it so much I bought a mixed case of Harpoon's summer brews and gave all of them except the Raspberry UFO to my dad.
Interesting reviews. Michelob Ultra barely tastes like beer to begin with...adding fruit puts them squarely in the realm of alco-pop. Thanks, but I'll have a plain seltzer.
With regard to the new old Schlitz, I would not put very much stock in Pbast's claims that they are using the original formula. They claim that for their version of Ballantine Ale, and it is pretty obvious to anyone who was a Ballantine drinker (it was, in its original form, a very distinctive and unusually boldly flavored beer for its time) that Pabst's version isn't even close. While the new old Schlitz is probably an improvement over what has been masquerading under the label in recent years, I would take their claim with a grain of salt. The product range that Pabst sells are all actually brewed under contract by MillerSAB...Pabst does not even own any breweries anymore. It's more about the marketing than the beer, methinks.
Thank you to Mr. Norton for sacrificing his liver to report on another A-B beverage.
Every time I visit the market I'm appalled that A-B beers are priced the same as some microbrews or better regional/imported brands. The A-B product line consisted of a) Budweiser and b) the identical flavor profile with More or Less alcohol. They must be truly desparate to try another 'pop' beer on us.
I like the lime cactus beer and I love my beer. I thought it was very light and refreshing compared to the dark beers I'm used to.
i like the lime cactus beer as well, i haven't had the pomegranite, but i did recently have a pomegranite wheat beer(can't remember who it was made by) that was really good!