Bud Select 55
February 5, 2010
This week, AB rolled out nationwide its newest beer Bud Select 55. The number “55” on the label symbolizing the number of calories in the beer. I perused my local beverage outlet trying to find this beer and I was lucky (?) enough to actually find it. Funny thing is when I went to pay for the beer; the lady checking me out didn’t even know what it was. I found that quite amusing.
Anyway, back to the beer at hand. AB Bud Select 55 comes in a clear bottle with a gray label. AB is advertising this as a ‘premium’ light beer that has only 55 calories, and the alcohol content on the beer according the label is “no more than 3.2%,” pretty light if you ask me!
On to the beer review! As I pour Bud Select 55 into my glass it creates very little foam and it pours out a pale yellowish color, it almost looks like apple juice. It creates a very light head of foam. I allow the beer to sit for about a minute to see if the lacing sticks around for a while and it doesn’t. The foam disappears rather quickly.
The smell of Bud Select 55 is quite unique; it doesn’t have a distinguishing aroma – slight skunkiness if I had to describe a smell.
On to the taste – let’s just say I didn’t like it, and that’s being generous. When I tried it, the beer seemed to be very carbonated and left dryness in my mouth. It didn’t really taste like beer at all; if I had to compare it to something I’d say seltzer water. (no offense to seltzer water)
I know I might get some heat for the following comment, but I like bud light. If you’re watching your carbs and you like beer, light beers is the way to go. So when AB put out Bud Select 55 in response to MGD’s 64, I thought it might have a chance. It didn’t! I was hardly able to finish the one beer – and I like beer!
Still, I think I can understand the concept of this beer. It’s for people who really don’t drink beer or are trying to watch their weight and want a slight beer taste. That said, if you’re a regular beer drinker, skip it cause it doesn’t taste like beer at all but rather seltzer water.
I give it ½ a star. Rating: 
What about you? Will you dare try Bud Select 55?
Posted in 0 Star Reviews, American Beers, Guest Reviews, Lager
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February 5th, 2010 at 11:25 am
I consider this a sacrifice to the beer drinking community. I also tried the Bud Select 55 and it really does taste like beer tainted seltzer water. It is the only beer in memory that I could not finish. This was sinkable. The only reason to drink this is if you are super calorie conscious, but I would suggest just cutting beer out of your life if this is what you need for a beer fix. Awful stuff.
Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Franziskaner Weissbeer
February 5th, 2010 at 11:36 am
I haven’t tried it but man…If it doesn’t taste like beer, and one is trying to watch their weight but still need booze (and I use the term need, because if one drinks something they don’t like they don’t want it, they just need an alcohol fix) I think the proper avenue is something like bacardi and diet.
I’ve recently started exercising. As I’ve gotten older my extremely aggressive metabolism has slowed down. I’d rather sweat away on my exercise bike in order to drink something besides bud 55.
nate´s last blog ..Healthy Beer, Sad Heart
February 5th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
You’re a bigger man then me, Scott, for trying this. Kudos to you for confirming what the rest of us assumed and were afraid to try!
Simply Beer´s last blog ..KleinBrouwerij De Glazen Toren – Saison Speciaal Eindejaar
February 6th, 2010 at 4:04 am
I have not had this beer yet, and to be honest the only reason why I will try it is because I feel I need to because I have a beer review website.
I just don’t understand the reasoning on if you want to lose weight and be healthy drink a beer with low low calories, I mean if you are that concerned then don’t drink at all.
Thank you for the review,maybe I will find someone this weekend at the Super Bowl party that would like to donate one for research for my site, I just don’t want to spend money on it.
Go Saints!
February 6th, 2010 at 4:44 am
Amusingly, over here in the UK there’s not much interest in ‘diet beers’ or even ‘lite beers’ – they tried a few times but they haven’t really been popular. But recently when the Brewdog Brewery had all the complaints about their super strong ‘Tokyo Extra Stout’ at 18%, they countered by releasing ‘Nanny State’ an IPA brewed to 1.1%. I haven’t tried it, not even for The Brewclub, life’s too short.
Bob the Brit´s last blog ..Burns Night
February 6th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
@Nate, I agree completely. I think there are some folks who are more into the calorie thing (obviously) than the beer. Perhaps its a social thing where people feel they need to be standing around with a beer at a party or whatever. I’m with you, I would just work harder to burn it off or not drink beer.
@SimplyBeer – Liz was bold enough to buy it, try it and review it, so the least I could do was drink what I could of the bottle I got! Like I said, it’s The Brew Club’s sacrifice for the rest of you!
@Robert – Good luck with your review! Let us know if it tastes like beer flavored seltzer water or not!
@Bob the Brit – 1.1%??? I hope the attention to the brewery that beer created was worth it for them! I think even this Bud Select 55 was 3%. How many calories did Nanny State have? (or energy units or whatever you Brits call them
)
Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Beer Review – Veltins Pilsner
February 6th, 2010 at 4:03 pm
Travesty of a beer.
Michael Reinhardt´s last blog ..Driving along in my Automobile, my Baby…
February 7th, 2010 at 1:42 pm
Almost every beer I’ve had from a clear or green bottle has a skunked aroma or flavor to it, yet producers continue to put beer out in those colored bottles. Bud 55 has enough going against it, why compound the problem with a clear bottle so it’ll get skunked?
Brian Cendrowski´s last blog ..all-grain brew day video
February 7th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
@Brian, you make a good point. I think that there might be several reasons why its in clear bottles.
1) I think its probably cheaper.
2)Skunkiness is probably a desirable quality in a beer like this. If not for some skunkinesss, there would be hardly any flavor!
3) I bet that this stuff flies off the shelf so fast that it doesn’t have time to skunkify
4) the amount of hops in the beer is likely so small that there is only so much skunking that can really happen.
FYI, here’s Bobs great post on the science of Skunked Beer if you’re interested…
http://thebrewclub.com/2009/12/15/skunked-beer/
Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Women, Beer and Football
February 22nd, 2010 at 6:02 pm
I was at the Shoprite Liquor Store in Columbia Park, North Bergen yesterday, looking for a 6 pack for some awesome Olympic hockey. First of all, they have perhaps the worst selection I’ve ever seen. Secondly, as I’m walking in, a guy was walking out with a 6er of Michelob Ultra in one hand and a 6er of this crap in the other. I was going to say something, but was at a loss for words…
February 23rd, 2010 at 12:31 am
@Matt – Thanks for stopping in. I think there are a lot of people who are just on auto-pilot when it comes to beer and don’t even think of anything else. We just have to keep trying to get the word out!
What did you end up leaving with? Sounds like some slim pickins there!
Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..George Washington – Beer Lover