Budweiser

Name: Budweiser
Style: American Adjunct Lager
Owner: AB-InBev
Slogan: "King of Beers."

BeerAdvocate Rating: 56 (Awful)
RateBeer Rating: 0, 3
ABV: 5%

First produced in 1876 by Adolphus Busch after a hard night in a Clydesdale pasture, Budweiser is the quintessential American beer.  No self-respecting redneck would be seen without one in his hand while at the lake.

According to the official story, at the time most Americans preferred robust, dark beers and ales.  Adolphus went on a whirlwind tour of Bohemia searching for something new to introduce to the American market.  I suspect that during his trip, he tasted a Pilsner Urquell one night and said "I want to make something exactly unlike this."  He came back to The States and began his campaign to dumb down the American palate and make us the laugingstock of the world.

The can proclaims:

"Brewed by our original all-natural process using the Choicest Hops, Rice and Best Barley Malt." 

 and:

 "This is the famous Budweiser Beer.  We know of no brand produced by any other brewer which costs so much to brew and age.  Our exclusive Beechwood Aging produces a taste, a smoothness and a drinkability your will find in no other beer at any price."

Evidently they're not looking very hard, or they're outright lying.  After InBev took over Budweiser, they were able to save 55 million bucks per year by using broken rice and cheap hops instead of the Hallertau they were using.  Well "using" would be a little bit of a stretch because it's more of a process of just waving them over the top of the mash tun.  This doesn't seem to have affected sales much, as Bud is still one of the most popular malted barley beverages in the U.S.  What does that say about us?

According to most sources, it is a 70% malt, 30% rice formula.

Serving:
Aggressively poured from a 25oz can into a Wine Enthusiast Steady-Temp Double Wall Beer Glass. The glass bit its lip and whimpered.

Appearance:
Pours a clear, yellow urine color with a small head that dissipates instantaneously.  It leaves no lacing after it evaporates to a thin ring around the edge.

Smell:
Smells like... America.  Wet cardboard and wood.  An undertone of soured malt and fusel alcohol.  No discernible hop presence.  None.

Taste:
Pretty much the same as the smell.  The pale malt is sweet on the palate, with little hop presence to offset the sweetness.  There are no off-flavors, but nothing to excite your tastebuds either.  I think that's the best thing I can say about it; "Nothing is off."

Mouthfeel:
Light on the tongue with heavy carbonation.  Almost "crunchy," like Perrier.

Overall:
While I wouldn't serve this to my guests unless they specifically requested it, I wouldn't call it offensive.  It's too sweet for my tastes and lacks any semblance of flavor or nuance.  They say that hops are used in its production, but I'm calling bullshit on this one.  Budweiser is to beer as McDonald's is to hamburgers.

I think if you're having a party with friends that you don't care whether or not they want to return, then serve this.  No person that really likes beer will choose this, but hey... at least everyone will be able to choke it down and they can't say anything, because in America "Budweiser is beer."