Is it Amber? Is it Bock? What is it?
Written: Jul 27 '00 (Updated Dec 14 '06)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Cheaper than Other Craft Beer
Cons: Rice
The Bottom Line: Michelob Amber Bock isn't an amber beer and it isn't a bock. It's a sub-par product with some good marketing.
|
|
|
| Bryan_Carey's Full Review: Michelob Amber Bock |
Dear Mr. August Busch:
We, the members of the beer drinking public are very thankful that your company decided to break with its tradition of brewing American- style lager by launching the Michelob Specialty Beer product line. However, we are quite disappointed that you had to lessen the quality of Michelob Amber Bock, a potentially good product, by the addition of rice. We realize that rice is the secret ingredient of your company's beer products, but we still wish that you would have left out the rice in this beer. It might not have been as weak and acceptable to the general public as your other beers, but it would have delighted the beer lovers of America who are anxious to drink a macro- brewed product that has full- bodied malt taste and distinguished character.
Michelob's Amber Bock is an unusual beer, to say the least. If you are a lover of fine beers, you know very well what a typical Amber beer and a typical bock beer taste like. This beer, although given the name "Amber Bock", is not really representative of either style. My assumption is that Anheuser- Busch chose this name because they figure that the average person doesn't know what amber style beer or bock beer really is anyway. Hence, the typical beer drinker will think it sounds fancy and will go ahead and make the purchase.
This beer has a weak, toasted malt aroma, and a copper color. There isn't much in the way of foaminess at all. When poured into a glass, it does produce a constant flow of bubbles, but there is little foam or lace and it looks like a glass of soda pop. The flavor is toasted and sweet, and there is a fairly good amount of hop character. But this toasted flavor is too weak, in my opinion, to be a good beer. It is an easy beer to drink, and it goes down with almost no harshness or aftertaste. If that was the goal of Anheauser- busch when they formulated this recipe, then I would say they succeeded.
The primary reason for this weaker- than- average flavor is the fact that Anheuser- Busch, once again, had to give in to its instincts by adding rice to this beer. Rice has no place in a bock beer, an amber beer, or most any other beer, for that matter. The remaining ingredients are high quality, for an A-B product. They include Willamette, Saaz, and Tettnanger hops, along with dark barley malt and lager yeast. Sounds like the makings of a great beer, doesn't it? But, alas, Anheuser- Busch decided to ruin any chance of this beer being very good by adding rice.
Because of its light body, Amber Bock can easily accompany most any food or occassion. But that doesn't really say much for the beer. The only reason it complements so many things is because it doesn't have much flavor. And, the colder you serve this beer (Anheuser- Busch is famous for recommending that its products be served ice- cold) the less the taste stands out, and the more easily it can be consumed with any food.
One thing to note about this beer is that it does taste much better when drawn straight from the keg. I have had a few glasses in taverns, and I must admit that it is superior to the bottled version, which is what I'm basing my rating on.
So we can thank, or blame, our friends at Anheuser- Busch for bringing us Michelob Amber Bock. If only they had left out the rice, we could have had a decent beer on our hands here. Old habits are hard to break, I guess. Instead, we are left with a beer called Amber Bock. It might have an amber color, but it's not a true bock beer and not worthy of its name.
Maybe next time, A-B will get one right.
Be sure to Click the Links Below to Read Reviews of Other Anheuser- Busch Products:
Budweiser:
Budweiser
Bud Light
Bud Ice
Bud Ice Light
Budweiser Select
Michelob Products:
Michelob
Michelob Light
Michelob Ultra
Michelob Black & Tan
Michelob Honey Lager
Michelob Marzen
Michelob Pale Ale
Michelob Pumpkin Spice
Other Anheuser- Busch Beers:
Winter’s Bourbon Cask Ale
Busch
Busch Light
Natural Light
Natural Ice
Anheuser World Select
Recommended:
No
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.