I wasn’t planning on posting a review for this beer since I had disturbingly mixed feelings about it, but then I saw that the guys at SevenPack Beer Blog were brave enough to post their own take on the brew — so here we are. For once, I actually knew going into this one that it was an Anheuser-Busch product, labeled as their first foray into “extreme” beers.
Before I get into the dirty details, I’ve got to admit that some part of me — somewhere in the deepest, darkest pit of my gastrointestinal system — I sort of liked this beer. But, only a little bit. It has a weird appeal that’s not unlike drinking grape (or blueberry) soda. This thing is unlike beer in every facet of the definition, except that it has alcohol, and a decent amount at that. Through drinking this one I came to a simple conclusion. Wild Blue Lager is just an alcohol infused, blueberry soda through and through.
So, since it’s not beer, I can like it, right?
Right?
Appearance
This thing pours a deep, ruby read with a purple edge to the glass. The head was large and light purplish in color. Thankfully, it faded quickly since it was sort of freakin’ me out.
Aroma
All I got from the aroma of this one is blueberries and sweetness. There’s a slight hint of the alcohol there, but it’s simply overwhelmed by the blueberries.
Taste
This is where my dilemma begins. This thing tastes nothing like beer, so I hated it. Like, ready to pour it down the drain hated it. But then I thought a moment, sat back and purged all thoughts of what a normal beer (fruit beer, lambic, or otherwise) should taste like. The next few sips I tried to remember not to think of this as a beer. Instead, I pictured myself drinking a nice cold bottle of soda that just happened to have alcohol in it. And to my amazement, it actually tasted better — not good, mind you, just better. As for the particulars of the taste it really does taste like a blueberry soda, complete with the fruit flavor (an extract probably) as well as massive sweetness.
Overall
Not much else to say about this one. It’s marketed correctly by A-B. It really is an extreme take on beer in every sense of the word.
Rating: 2/5
June 4th, 2008
Andy said:
Just poured my first Wild Blue down the drain, and I’m left begging to differ with even the mild accolades you give this “beer.” What a horrible experience.
The thing that bugs me most is that I feel like I’ve been had. I saw Wild Blue and actually thought it was a Flying Dog take on the blueberry beer. The label art is Flying Dog-esque, and there’s no question for me that Wild Blue channels Steadman’s distinctive splatter with their blotty typeface. I guess I’ll give it to them — Wild Blue looks like a good beer, but to say the least its still working on its backswing.