Ultra........ What?
Written: Nov 04 '02 (Updated Dec 14 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Lightness makes it easy to drink
Cons: Low on flavor
The Bottom Line: Michelob Ultra is a thin, watery brew devoid of much flavor
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| Bryan_Carey's Full Review: Michelob Ultra Tap |
I first heard about this new product, Michelob Ultra, a few weeks ago while watching a sporting event on television. "A new product from Anheauser- Busch...I wonder if it will be worthwhile", I thought to myself as I waited for the football game to resume. My expectations for anything produced from a maco- brewery are usually low. But this one did have the Michelob name on the label, and it was called "Ultra", giving it some added appeal. Have the folks at A-B have come up with a winner this time? Have they succeeded at producing a product that I wouldn't be ashamed to say that I enjoy? Let's find out:
Basic Characteristics of This Beer
I made it a point to grab a six pack of this new beer during my next stop at the grocery store. I knew, from the television ads, that this beer is low in carbohydrates, but I didn't know much else. I opened up a bottle to sample, and poured it into a tall glass.
Right away, I could tell by the aroma that this was a typical Anheauser- Busch product. Typical in the sense that the nose was snappy, indicative of rice and other adjuncts. A-B adds rice to all of its popular products, so this didn't surprise me, but it was a disappointment. I keep hoping that, one day, the brewers at A-B will ditch the rice in favor of all- malt brew. No such luck this time.
The color of this beer was a very light shade of yellow; so light, in fact, that it took on a clear appearance as the level of beer dropped in my glass. The foam was lively at first, but fell completely flat in less than one minute after pouring, leaving a fizzy, headless glass of yellow liquid behind.
Now, for the tasting. I noticed that the body was light, with the taste of light malt, rice, cereal grains, and yeast standing out as the dominant flavors. There was very little hop taste. It was less bitter than regular Michelob or Michelob Light, but the finish was thin and a little watery. It was like a glass of Miller Lite with added rice. Michelob uses quality ingredients in this product, like 2- row pale malt and Munich 6- row barley malt. But these ingredients are used so sparingly that they do not impart much character at all to the beer.
Low carbohydrates are one of the selling points of this product, if not the main selling point. There are 2.9 grams of carbohydrates per bottle, and only 95 calories. The alcohol level is 4.1 percent.
Food Compatibility:
I don't think of food at all when I drink a beer like this, with the exception of light, salty snacks. I think it would match up nicely with potato chips, corn chips, fries, and assorted other light fare. But it wouldn't do justice to any type of hearty food, like steak or stew.
Final Thoughts:
Michelob Ultra is a so- so beer with a misleading name. With a title like "Ultra", a beer lover expects to find something that's out of this world- the "ultimate" in drinking quality. We don't want a beer that's ultra- low in calories and carbs, because it almost always means ultra low in taste as well.
This product contains many of the qualities that I don't like, in Anheauser- Busch products. It's too fizzy and has almost no head retention. And it has that nasty smell of rice that many A-B products have, although, I will admit, it is not quite as offensive in aroma as some of the other members of the A-B family, probably because of its lightness level.
Compared to other light beer, Michelob Ultra is very close in calories and just a tad lower in total carbohydrates. Compared to, say, Miller Lite, Michelob Ultra has the same number of calories, and .6 fewer grams of carbohydrates. The difference is not that significant, and I don't think many Miller Lite drinkers (or other light - beer lowers) are going to be switching brands.
Overall, this beer is a disappointment. I was hoping for something better tasting, but realistically speaking, I didn't really expect much. I already knew that the carbs were lower than average, and that almost guaranteed that the calories and flavor were going to be below average, which they were.
Michelob Ultra isn't the worst light beer I have tasted, but it's also not a beer that I will be purchasing again. When they say "Ultra", they are referring to more than just carbohydrates. Most everything in this beer, from appearance, to aroma, to body, to the finish, is below average.
In the "Ultra" sense of the word, I'm not impressed!
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 Amber Bock
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
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