Better than most
Written: May 19 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Taste more like it's parent beer (Budweiser) than most N/A beers
Cons: Like most N/A beers, it tastes like beer flavored soda.
The Bottom Line: For those in a situation where N/A beer is required (you are going to drive somewhere, pregnant Moms, etc.), this would be a good choice for an N/A beer.
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| ejjiii's Full Review: Sharps Non-Alcoholic Beer |
To be honest, I need to put a disclaimer at the top of this review. I am not a fan of mass produced American beers. I tend to like either “hand-crafted” (i.e.: micro-brewed) lagers such as Gordon Biersch or Samuel Adams, or Irish draughts such as Guinness. But to be fair when review products, I need to compare apples to apples. So I was pleased that Anheuser-Busch’s O’Doul’s non-alcohol beer is not bad. Not bad at all.
I have a buddy who drinks nothing but Budweiser, and he has a keg in his garage at all times. So when I visit him, it’s Bud time! So I am well acquainted with America’s favorite brew. And the difference between O’Doul’s and Budweiser, in my estimation, is much closer than the difference between St. Pauli Girl and St. Pauli Girl N/A. I believe that the more complex beers do not translate well to N/A formulation, while the mass produced beers, which are crafted toward the lowest common denominator (offensive to the least amount of people), tend to taste better as N/A, though still not as good as it’s high-octane cousins. I think this comparison works well with Sharps v Miller, and Klausthauler (spelling probably incorrect!) v. European pilsners as well.
I tend to like O’Doul’s as a summer time thirst quencher if I know I need to go run errands later in the day. It tastes refreshing going down, and it is neither bitter nor heavy. On the negative side, I wish it had just a touch more carbonation. I also wish (for all N/A beers) that there were some artificial way to get the taste punch that you can only get with a real beer. There is certainly no mistaking O’Doul’s for a real beer.
While this is not a ringing endorsement, I do think that O’Doul’s is the lesser of several evils. Saying that this is my favorite non-alcohol beer is much like saying that a hamstring pull is my favorite softball injury. But until something better comes along, it will have to do.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
ejjiii
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Member: Edmund Johnson
Location: San Jose, California
Reviews written: 62
Trusted by: 27 members
About Me:
I still dream of playing the outfield in beautiful Fenway Park!
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