Did somebody let
the cat out of the bag too soon? They might have. Here it is, September
29th, and I'm sipping a glass of Bud Light Golden Wheat I bought a
few days ago at a local liquor store, which shall go nameless to protect the
innocent. If that puzzles you, it's because I'm also reading a press release
from Anheuser-Busch dated September 10th stating that this particular brew
is only available for tasting in the Company's four brewery hospitality
centers, and won't be released to the public until October 5th.
But here I am drinking the stuff. And, interestingly enough, this is
something I sure didn't see coming from Anheuser-Busch: a light beer loosely
based on a Belgian styled Witbier? Extra points, of course, if you
remembered that Anheuser-Busch was recently conquered by the Belgian brewing
Empire, Interbrew.
But so it is. Bud Light Golden Wheat is described on the label as "Light
beer brewed with coriander and citrus peels". The beer has 4.1% alcohol by
volume and each bottle has 118 calories and 8.3 grams of carbs. But how does
it taste?
Bud Light Golden Wheat pours to a cloudy orange color with a light,
short-lived head formation and a slightly citric nose. As I empty the bottle
into my curved Bavarian weizen beer glass, I notice a big splotch of yeast
at the bottom. Don't be afraid of that yeast, amigos, there's nothing wrong
with your beer. In fact, the yeast is good for you, so to rouse it, I leave
a little beer in the bottle and swirl it about until I've dissolved the
yeast. Then I pour it into my glass.
With the name Bud Light on the bottle I wasn't expecting a lot in the flavor
department, but surprise surprise, Bud Light Golden Wheat is a much better
beer than I thought it would be. It's also a big step up from boring, watery
American macrobrewery light beer.
Bud Light Golden Wheat has a moderate but respectable body with a touch of
malt and a crisp, biscuity wheat character. The beer is tart and refreshing,
and it's laced with a hint of citrusy orange that adds some extra zing. The
coriander is almost so subtle as to not be apparent, but if you try (and you
allow your beer to warm a little), you'll taste it. The finish is tart and
very refreshing, with maybe a faint hint of herbal, grassy hops.
Not a bad beer, not a great beer, but I think a solid one and I'll give it
three and a half stars. If you normally drink light beers, then you might
want to try Bud Light Golden Wheat, if only for the fact that it's lower in
calories than your average brew (by maybe, 20% or so) yet still has a lot
more flavor than most light beers.
But beer geeks looking for genuine Belgian-styled wit might just be
disappointed. Well, better just to move along to a real one, I say to them.
Budweiser Golden Wheat wasn't meant for them anyway. For its intended
market, it's a refreshing product and a step in the right direction. Kudos
to Anheuser-Busch for offering a light beer that actually has flavor to it,
and might just introduce a broader crowd to the wider world of craft beer.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For
reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.