Two Bad Budweisers with NotMike & Dan

Sometimes, when two good things get together, they make one really good thing.

This is not that. In any way.

At street level, these meh beers aged in meh bourbon barrels made an actively bad beverage, and on the meta-level, this review-that’s-two-reviews is likewise going to be a horrendous disappointment. I’m mashing them together because I can’t bring myself to devote two weeks to this garbage.

Okay okay, what are they? They are two Limited Edition (thank god) beers brewed by Budweiser and aged in Jim Beam barrels. A regular Bud on a hot day, standing around a barbeque, not the worst thing in the world. Jim Beam Devil’s Cut made for a pretty good bourbon cream. But those are going to betbe last nice things we say about them here.

Copper Lager was the first release, and according to Bud’s website they use barley but don’t specify age it “over Jim Beam staves”. Likely a set up similar to an Innis & Gunn “innovation” which is just a frame of a busted up whisky barrel you dip in beer. Understandable from a production stand point and the chemistry works out but from a… I dunno, from a “paying a premium for a pretense” perspective, sucks a big ol bag.

There’s not too much else on this beer online, so here’s what Mike & I thought:

smell
Mike – caramel, vaguely malty
Simon – apple juice

taste
Mike – immediately sharp, pennies, a loaf of bread that’s gone off, like homebrew, not a compliment
Simon – malty, no bourbon, copper

finish
Mike – fuzzes
Simon – odd bitter

overall
Mike – 5/10
Simon – 5/10

Budweiser Reserve Copper Lager – 6.2% 6x473ml – $16.95 – USA

Try it? No. Buy it? Do not.

Black Lager is the second in this Limited Edition (praise jesus) Budwesier Reserve series. Where the Copper Lager was aged on staves that had aged 4y bourbon, the Black Lager (‘s marketing copy) raises that figure to 6y. Which, sure, maybe. Another number that went up for some reason was the ABV: the Copper is, as you can see immediately above, 6.2% while the Black Lager clocks in at 7.1%, again, for no good reason. This beer is a mess and putting more booze in it isn’t going to fix it. Also, it is very dark for a Budweiser. There’s absolutely no way this colour is possible naturally (syrup? coloring?)

If you haven’t figured out what we though of this one, here’s Dan’s & my notes

nose
Dan – is my nose not working? i smell nothing
Simon – toasted oat? cola

taste
Dan – budweiser with half club soda half cola
Simon – bad beer & burnt coffee

finish
Dan – higher alcohol delivery system
Simon – cloying, worse than regular bud

overall
Dan – 1/10
Simon – 1/10

Budweiser Reserve Black Lager – 7.1% 4x473ml – $11.95 – USA

Try it? No. Buy it? NO.