Trust me, I like a well doneWest Coast API, acraft beer, abarrel-aged black beer, the onefruity sour beeras much as the next snoot of beer. But sometimes, maybe when it's really hot or I'm just looking for something to squeeze out, I love to open aclassic light beer. You know what I mean: the kind available in every supermarket, grocery store, and bodega from Temecula to Tampa Bay.
These light lagers, from major American macrobreweries, are known for their low alcohol content ("sessionability",in the jargon of beer nerds); crisp, light flavor; and a refreshingly simple taste. These are beers to be crushed, not to be savored, but even knowing that, there is a flavor profile there, even in the cheapest beers. And that's why I'm here today, to find out which has the best overall taste via the classic blind test.
today's lineup:
- outbreak of light
- color light
- Michelob Ultra
- light quest
- amstel light
- Miller Lite
- Natural light
- luz trapezoidal
the classification
8) Keystone Light - Flavor 2
ABV:4,1%
Average price: $11 for a pack of fifteen
The beer:
You may have heard the news months ago about Keystone's disappearance. Fortunately, the brand only released the Keystone Ice and a few other smaller versions. Keystone Light, with its nostalgic flavor reminiscent of college party drinkers in every sip, is alive and well. Available since 1989, this crunchy, crunchy 4.1% ABV beer is still in your neighborhood grocery store.
original notes:
Fermented, grainy, metallic, skunk and sour. The nose of this beer really didn't leave me wanting a sip. But I dove in anyway and found a light, crisp, very watery beer with mild corn flavors, bread malts, and maybe a little rice sweetness, but honestly not much else. Overall, this is a pretty terrible beer.
In short:
Honestly, I wasn't surprised to see Keystone Light land last in this ranking. Even when I was in college I remember thinking this was a horrible beer that I did my best to stay away from.
7) Michelob Ultra - Gusto 7
ABV:4,2%
Average price: $7.50 for a six-pack
The beer:
Launched in 2002, this beer was created for athletes and healthy drinkers who want a low-carb, low-alcohol, low-calorie beer. Sometimes even marketed as a sports drink, this 4.2% beer has just 95 calories per 12-ounce can or bottle. It is known for its light and drinkable taste, but I don't suggest you drink one before you go for a run.
original notes:
The nose is all sweet grains, corn and a light hint of citrus. But all scents are quite mild and hard to find. Drinking it revealed more sweet corn and malt sweetness and maybe a little lemon zest, but mostly it tasted like soda water. If someone replaced that with lemon soda water, I probably wouldn't even notice.
In short:
I never understood the appeal of the Michelob Ultra, so it doesn't surprise me at all that it tastes as bad as I imagined. I'll never know why drinkers don't buy something with a little more calories, a lower price, and a lot more flavor.
6) Bud Light - Sabor 4
ABV:4,2%
Average price: $7 for a six pack
The beer:
There is no better known light beer than Bud Light. You can't watch a televised sporting event without seeing at least five Bud Light commercials. Budweiser's 4.2% lighter version is often the cheapest beer at the bar, and for good reason.
original notes:
This beer doesn't smell like beer should. It's sugary candy on the nose with a ton of rice and sweet corn and nothing else. The flavor is more of the same with some sweet cheese, rice and bread flavors with some caramelized malt and a slightly skunky artificial flavor. This is not good beer.
In short:
I've had my fair share of Bud Lights over the years. It's always cheap and available everywhere. But it is yellow water, very fizzy, very sugary and should be avoided if possible.
5) Amstel Light — Flavor 5
ABV:3,5%
Average price: $9 for a six pack
The beer:
Amstel Light is a mystery to me. I've never bought a six-pack or ordered it at a bar, but it sounds like the only beer you might find on a golf course. Amstel and specifically Amstel Light have made a name for themselves in the world of light beer.
original notes:
This beer has a surprisingly sweet smell. There are notes of bread yeast, honey, a light skunk aroma and maybe a little hops. The flavor is as sweet as the nose with more honey, caramel malts, sweet corn and more that old school skunk flavor. There is a slight hop presence, but not too much. It's not a great beer, but it's not terrible either.
In short:
I really didn't have any expectations with Amstel Light as I couldn't remember the last time I tried it. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't good either, if that makes any sense.
4) Miller Lite — Sabor 1
ABV:4,2%
Average price: $7 for a six pack
The beer:
Miller Lite's entire existence (at least in terms of commercials) has been about convincing drinkers that it's "less satiating and tastes great" and a better choice than other light beers.
original notes:
This beer smells like the type of beer you'll squash without actually tasting it. There's corn, some bread-like malts, maybe some honey, and not much else. The flavor is slightly cheesy, has some sweet grains and a sugary, syrup-like sweetness. Even with that said, it is what it is. It's a refreshing, crushable, sweet beer that does its job.
In short:
Miller Lite is always one of the top-rated light beers out there, so I wasn't surprised to see it land in the bottom half of the list. It wasn't exciting at all, but it served its purpose.
3) Busch Light - Flavor 8
ABV:4,3%
Average price: $6 for a six-pack of 16-ounce cans
The beer:
You don't have to "go to the mountains" to enjoy a Busch or Busch Light, but it would probably be a good idea to be very thirsty when drinking one. It's 4.1% ABV, only 95 calories, and claims to taste like the original Busch. Although we also can't be sure the beer has as much flavor.
original notes:
The nose is old hay, sweet corn, bread malts, grains and that's it. But that's to be expected in a light beer. The palate followed suit with more bread malts, a yeasty, almost skunk/funky flavor as well as corn sweetness. It had a good malt presence, but overall, it's rather lacking in the flavor department. However, it was very crispy, refreshing and very easy.
In short:
I didn't have high hopes for the Busch Light and it really surprised me. Not for the aroma or flavor per se, but for the fact that it's easier than some of the other beers on this list.
2) Natural light — Flavor 6
ABV:4,2%
Average price: $5.50 for a six-pack of 16-ounce cans
The beer:
If it exists, Natural Light is the light beer for young drinkers. At least that's how it's marketed. The brand promotes the beer as a well-balanced "American style" light lager for college students. Brewed since 1977, it's a crushable 4.2% ABV and just 95 calories.
original notes:
The nose was surprisingly citrusy, with some grapefruit, dried hay, grains and the expected sweet corn syrup aroma. The flavor was slightly skunky with sweet corn, rice, breaded malt and a bit of yeast. Like all light beers, the taste is not overpowering. But it is easy to drink and quite balanced.
In short:
I've had Natural Light before, but I didn't remember the taste. So I had no expectations for this beer. I definitely didn't envision him so high on this list. It's more complex than some of the other beers (at least a little bit), so here we are.
1) Coors Light - Sabor 3
ABV:4,2%
Average price: $7 for a six pack
The beer:
Coors Light is advertised as "cool as the Rocky Mountains". This 4.2 percent ABV light beer gets its flavor from being sub-zero cold lager. This is designed to give the beer a crisp, crunchy, easy-drinking taste. It is also cold filtered. Everything is cold with this beer. Definitely do not drink at room temperature.
original notes:
On the nose I found sweet corn, grains, breaded malt, damp hay and maybe a little honey. While the palate would expect a light beer with a more bound corn flavor, as well as grains and a light mineral flavor, this beer is balanced with lightly floral hops and a nice malt backbone.
In short:
In a world of flavorless light beers, Coors Light stands out from the rest, if only just. It's fresh, thirst-quenching, and a little more balanced and complex than the other light, watery beers on this list. And that's enough to beat all the competition in this blind tasting.