Budweiser Crown Amber Lager

Budweiser Crown Amber Lager 6.0%

Full gold in a glass with a big and somewhat resilient head of off-white foam. The aroma was Budweiser-like (barely malty and lightly hopped, sometimes a tiny bit skunky) but with more malt and a touch of the promised caramel malt. Generally a distinctly lager-like aroma.

Malty and with more tastes of caramelization than a typical international lager though a bit skunky still. A bitter touch and just a hint of the slightly higher alcohol. Budweiser Crown has a sweet, nearly sugary, finish that is roasty with hints of caramel. A nicer mouthfeel than the typical Budweiser product.

Overall this is a decent effort by AB-InBev. It is quite a bit better than Budweiser and, although it certainly isn't the tastiest amber lager I have had, it is quite acceptable.

Shock Top (USA - Missouri - St. Louis)

Shock Top Belgian White (USA - Missouri - St. Louis) 5.2%

A nice orange apricot colour in a glass, slightly cloudy. This beer has a pleasant wheat and peach aroma. the taste is more floral and citrus (orange) than spicy but you can definitely taste the added coriander. Made by Anheuser-Busch/In-Bev this is actually (in my opinion) a nice beer. Pleasant fruit tones to go with the wheat flavour and a very slight kick of spice. I'd still prefer it with a little more coriander flavour and I have the sneaking suspicion that they may have used adjuncts like rice or corn in the brewing process but that could just be my natural suspicion of mega-breweries.

Shock Top Raspberry Wheat (Saint Louis, Missouri) 5.2%

Smells strongly of raspberries but doesn't taste all that much like them. Spicy and sweet, fruity and malty; a little bitter. Because it is not drowned in raspberry flavour it is distinctly a wheat beer and a cloudy gold colour in a glass.

Schooner -Oland (Canada)

Schooner - Oland (Canada) 5.0%


A little maltier than most lagers, but really similar to the rest. It has a fuller flavour but is still pretty ordinary but it is a good enough beer, fine for those that just want a lager but still want some depth of flavour. In Schooner's case the depth comes in its maltier body.