Budweiser's American Ale

American beer has a somewhat undeserved reputation.

Sure, there's the homogenized, branded crap like Budweiser, Coors, Miller and Schlitz.

But there are also some fantastic beers - Samuel Adams Boston Lager, Brooklyn Lager, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale or Blue Point from Long Island.

In fact, American brewing has had a resurgence in recent years as consumers demanded a more sophisticated beverage - leading the pale-and-fizzy crowd to start branching out.

American Ale is Budweiser's response to popularity of artisan brewing. A dark, amber lager with an all-American label, it retails for about the same price as a six-pack of Sam Adams.

But is it any good?

The answer is a resounding NO.

Pop open a bottle of American Ale and pour it into a glass: You'll see the foamy head evaporate in seconds. Artisan ales keep that head for several minutes, if not longer.

While the color is a delicious amber, matching that of Boston Lager, the beer itself is rather tasteless, aggressively fizzy and has the sensation of being watered down. The only upshot is a very sharp malty bite after each mouthful - but that only lasts a second.

America Ale tastes like brown Budweiser lager, if we're being honest. If you like your beer fizzy and easy to drink, you'll be satisfied with this. If you're looking for something slightly more sophisticated, like Sam Adams, you'll be sorely disappointed. Even more so when you see that the price of American Ale is pretty much the same as a six-pack of Sam.

Budweiser American Ale is typical of the big-brand breweries. They'd rather spend marketing money peddling the same old crap than invest the time and effort into producing something special.

Budweiser American Ale? Avoid.