Yes, Water is Natural
Written: Aug 23 '02 (Updated Jan 09 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: It doesn't cost much
Cons: The water from a drinking fountain is free, so why bother with this?
The Bottom Line: Weak, thin body, bitter taste, and lack of character all add up to a beer you should avoid.
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| Bryan_Carey's Full Review: Natural Light |
Hello, fellow Epinionators! This is my fourth entry in a six- part series, titled “For the Love of Bad Brew”. I have selected six horrible malt beverages for the purpose of this solo write- off, which I will present, one miserable brew at a time, over the next several days. Cheers!
Anheuser- Busch is the world's largest brewer, producing many rice- diluted brands of beer that are known the world over. One product that has seen its popularity take a dip over the years is Natural Light, a watered- down concoction that has the distinction of being the first light beer offered by this industry giant. Natural Light made its debut in 1977, several years before the introduction of Bud Light, making it one of the original light beers.
Basic Characteristics of This Beer:
Similar to other beer in its class, Natural Light pours to a light golden color, with almost no foam at all, even though the carbonation is active and lively. The aroma is grainy, sweet, and a little bit pungent, although not quite as repulsive as many other A-B products.
Drinking Natural Light yields a few sensations. The beer is grainy, with very little malt or hop pronoucements, and it has a weak, watery body. There is some bitterness in the finish, but the flavor emphasizes the cereal grain taste. It tastes like dried corn meal with a tad of spice.
The flavor of this beer does become more pronounced as it warms up, but in this instance, that's not a positive attribute. It starts to taste more bitter and harsh as it warms, which is indicative of a cheaply made beer product.
If you're worried about your waistline, you will find that Natural Light contains about the same calories and alcohol as Bud Light, which is less than the average brew. There are 110 calories in a 12 oz. serving and the alcohol level by volume is 4.2 percent.
Food Compatibility:
Food? With Natural Light? The only thing I would eat with this beer is light snacks like potato chips, pretzels, corn chips, and tortilla chips. I can't imagine drinking this with a gourmet meal. It just doesn't have enough quality ingredients and it doesn't have the taste that would match up well with many types of food, especially sweet food. You could make yourself quite ill if you attempted to down a few bottles of Natural Light with, say, a piece of pie or cake.
Final Thoughts:
Natural Light is a bland product, a glass of colored water with a bitter finish. When this product came out, it was touted as an "all natural" product. This was pretty meaningless, really, but it helped to push the sales volume forward. It also didn't hurt that this product had the marketing force of one of the largest advertisers in the nation, Anheuser- Busch, to help ensure its exposure.
Natural Light is bad primarily because it is so devoid of any character and so watery. It also goes a little overboard on the carbonation. There isn't much foam, but the bubbles are active and they can easily lead to an unpleasant or embarassing gas experience, if you know what I mean.
You don't hear much advertising nowadays for Natural Light. It is considered a mature product, forced to hold its own in terms of sales. It achieves a relatively safe, stable level of sales primarily because of the low price. I can find a six pack in my area for $2.99 or a 12 pack for just $5.49. Natural Light was designed to appeal to the budget conscious consumer who wants to drink beer, but has limited funds. In that respect, it serves its market well.
Natural Light likes to take pride in itself because of the lack of any artificial ingredients. Yes, there really isn't anything artificial in this beer. There's also nothing artificial in a glassful of raw sewage, but I wouldn't drink it. The use of the word "natural" in the name was intended as a marketing gimmick, more than anything else.
Overall, Natural Light is another beer to avoid. It might be cheap, but I can think of other beverages that are even less expensive that at least have a marginal amount of flavor. Ok, they my not actually be beer, but is Natural Light even worthy of being called beer? I think not!
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 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 Ice
Anheuser World Select
Recommended:
No
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