

Big Flats 1901 - World Brews

Big Flats 1901Big Flats 1901

Displayed for educational use only; do not reuse.

220 Ratings
no score

(send 'em beer!)
Ratings: 220
Reviews: 124
rAvg: 2.55
pDev: 25.49%

Brewed by:
World Brews visit their website
California, United States

Style | ABV
American Adjunct Lager |  4.50% ABV

Availability: Year-round

Notes/Commercial Description:
Brewed for Walgreens Drug Stores

(Beer added by: alcstradamus on 12-11-2010)
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Ratings: 220 | Reviews: 124 | Show All Ratings:
Photo of ElGordo


2.17/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours about as close to clear as beer gets, just a faint straw color with fizzy white head and some lively, fizzy carbonation. Aroma of adjunct malt, with some oddly fruity sweet notes. Palate is light, which is merciful, since the main flavors are off adjunct malt and puzzling fruity notes. Body is light and fizzy, which is at least refreshing. Pretty terrible, but it goes down fairly easy, if that's what you're looking for.

Serving type: can

01-21-2011 07:40:17 | More by ElGordo
Photo of ZenAgnostic


2.17/5  rDev -14.9%

Paper thin head. Clear golden body. Almost no smell, sort of like a Miller High Life sniffed from a distance. No bitterness, no real flavor, but you might detect the slightest hint of orange. Lightly carbonated with a fizzy mouthfeel. Goes down extremely easily. I could drink this all night, but would pass it up given almost any AAL alternative.

Serving type: can

02-11-2011 01:20:19 | More by ZenAgnostic
Photo of suspect

New York

2.17/5  rDev -14.9%

A: Pale yellow, very little head with no lacing.

S: Corn, weak, typical smell of standard BMC beers.

T: Eh, honestly, it wasn't terrible for a beer of this nature. But then again, I can't say I could discern it from others.

M: Watery, overly carbonated.

D: I would if I had to.

A six pack at $3 is not the worst money ever spent...

Serving type: can

02-21-2011 04:51:06 | More by suspect
Photo of beerwolf77


2.17/5  rDev -14.9%

Can courtesy of BeerFMAndy. This is how he repays me for sharing sours all the time? Thanks friend. Poured into a tulip.

A: Crystal clear pale yellow. Three fingers of white head fill the top half of my glass then fade away rather quick. Just a tiny smattering a soapy lace remains.

S: Sweet grains, grassy, sour malt. Smells like a weak malt liquor.

T: The flavors are fairly mild but nowhere near good. Faint hops, mildly tart malt, grass clippings, cooked vegetables. Pretty standard for the style.

M: Light body with biting carbonation.

O: It's an AAL. Just as shitty as the rest of em.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2011 01:21:24 | More by beerwolf77
Photo of elgiacomo


2.23/5  rDev -12.5%

12oz canned Nov 9, 2010.

Pours clear pale yellow with hints of neon green with a one finger white head that quickly fades to a wispy cap.

Aroma is full of that typical adjunct lager corn deliciousness with an added touch of sulfur. Weak to moderate strength...a good thing in this case.

Flavor is sweet corn, grains, sugar, sweetness, graininess, sweet, grainy and sweet.

Mouthfeel is light bodied, prickly carbonation.

Not HORRIBLE for the style and price point (I'd take this over Beast Ice), but I'd still rather pony up the extra pocket change for some PBR if I ever needed to drink on the cheap. The beer was gifted to me so I'm reviewing for shits 'n' giggles (read: tick) and will use it to wash down some greasy Long John Silvers...

Serving type: can

03-24-2011 00:50:15 | More by elgiacomo
Photo of JISurfer

South Carolina

2.25/5  rDev -11.8%

Saw a massive 8ftL x 8ftW x 5ftH display of this at Walgreens in Goose Creek, SC. I first thought it was soda or canned water, because of the name, then I saw it was actually a beer. I then noticed the $3 price tag for a 6er of it, so I just had to try it. Am I sorry that I did? Not at all. Will I buy it again? Possibly, for a fishing trip or for beer moochers that come over. This is easily the palest straw color I've seen on a beer, almost like water. Smell was skunky, alcoholy, and corn chips. Taste was more corn chippy and had a very faint taste of hops. In all actuality though, the taste faded away so fast, you couldn't really dwell and think about it. Overall, not a beer to go out of your way to get, but it might be good to pawn off on others.

Serving type: can

12-21-2010 22:49:24 | More by JISurfer
Photo of Slangevar

2.3/5  rDev -9.8%

The Big Flats Experience: The story begins with utter astonishment at the price for a 6-pack seen at a Walgreens display- $2.99!! Never in my beer buying history of 36 years have I seen as low of a price! (back in 1976 I recall paying around $3.25 for Piels ,Schmidts, Iron City, Kochs and Genesee and even the generic Beer in the yellow cans )
I bought it just to see how it would rank in my tasting history and it was an inexpensive experiment. It was contract brewed in Rochester NY at Brewmasters Choice. The cans graphic design is a rather historic primitive design nicely rendered using some of the cans reflective surface to show gold highlights. The Label features the words "Premium Beer" (I thought the word premium usually connotes the idea of more expensive and better than most) I had to find out.
I chilled it to 38f and served it up in a chilled pilsner glass on a hot July night (86f).

Aroma: Lightly malty like the smell of an NA beer (and slightly reminiscent of the smell of a boat that has had it's generous share of party weekends) It was not enticing.

Appearance: A nice clear average golden color, it poured with an inch and a half of fine head, with settled out in 2 minutes.

Taste: The first taste was true to the nose, Very lightly malty, a note of sweetness and bitterness,the 2nd taste got swished around a bit to see if anything else special would be sensed, but ho hum. the 3rd taste was a chug- it felt good at the back of my throat with it's moderate carbonation.

Mouthfeel: Light, low viscosity, medium bubbles.

Overall: I was pleased to find that the least expensive beer available to me, was not the least tasty- there are many other similiar styled beers out there that taste worse and cost more!
Sometimes much more. This is a great beer to sponsor a blind taste testing with some of your cheaper buddies to see if they are merely brain washed by over-exposure to mass marketing, as well to have on hand when they show up for the game empty handed and want to drink yours.

Serving type: can

07-07-2012 17:05:28 | More by Slangevar
Photo of DagenhamDavis

New York

2.3/5  rDev -9.8%

Wanted the can for my collection, so here goes:

One cannot expect much from a $3 Sixer, but I'm going to rate this in comparison with other American Adjuncts. Clearly this will not stand up with quality microbrews and the like.

A- Very pale and transparent yellow color. Seems to be quite a bit of carbonation. 2 finger head, doesn't pop as much as some and seems to be sticking around for the time being.

S- Kind of metallic on the nose. Smells kind of like an ice beer.

T- Kind of sour and metallic. Has little depth, but the primary flavor is kind of like a mix of non sweet apple juice and prune juice. Reminds me of a Miller lite.

M-Thin and bubbly.

O- This might taste better after a few, but that's more or less the best I can say for it. It's not the most offensive thing I've tasted, but I wouldn't opt for this unless I was very hard up.

Serving type: can

07-31-2013 22:52:53 | More by DagenhamDavis
Photo of DannyDan


2.33/5  rDev -8.6%

Pours into a pee colored light yellow with a 1" head that has no retention or lacing. It has very high carbonation. it hardly has any smell at all, maybe a little bit of an yeast and corn smell. The taste is very watery with rotting corn, and other vegetables. The taste makes me feel sick drinking it. it also tastes like some musty mildew or some old hay was in the brew when it was being made. The mouthfeel is very watery with a little bit of chalkiness, and because it is light bodied and watered down like most beers of this popular American style makes it very drinkable. It is the ideal beer for someone who is low on money and wants something cheap to get drunk off of and at $2.99 a 6/pack at Walgreen's you can't beat a deal like that.

Serving type: can

12-17-2010 05:38:10 | More by DannyDan
Photo of GregBlatz


2.33/5  rDev -8.6%

$3.99 at Walgreen's. Never heard of it before.

A - Very light straw color. Very clear and has a full thick head that looks like it is lacing as it falls.

S - Light grain sweetness. Smells very clean.

T - Cloying sweetness up front. But that fades. Somewhat of a sour or stale like flavor. After that it finishes rather clean.

M - Some creaminess. Strong carbonation. Typical american lager thinness.

Overall - Well, it is like a typical mega brew, but it does have a bit more character. Not sure if I like the character or not, but worth a shot if you are looking to pound some American macro brews.

Serving type: can

04-21-2011 23:54:38 | More by GregBlatz
Photo of mdunman


2.38/5  rDev -6.7%

A: Clear gold pours a thick white head and has a bit of linger.

S: Musky maltiness dominates any other notes

T: Old malt with a muskiness that finishes slightly bitter.

M: Light body with a surprisingly good amount of carbonation.

This beer is a shot in the dark. I can't say that I enjoy this beer, but I do like the concept. No advertising, $2.99 for a 6 pack of cans. It doesn't make it taste any better, but it does offer something that tastes exactly the same as bud heavy for 1/2 the price. It'll be nice on a hot summer day here in Houston.

Serving type: can

03-02-2011 03:46:04 | More by mdunman


2.38/5  rDev -6.7%

12oz can into pint pint glass

A: Lots of carbonation bubbles sticking to the glass and good levels of carbonation. Body has a very clear yellow character. White head sinks very quickly.

S: The aroma has a very high level of rice and other adjuncts. No real hop or malty tone. Light aroma for style.

T/M: The first sip shows a grassy, corn element. The low level of hop character is not balanced with the other low level of other tastes. Mouthfeel is standard and crisp for the style.

O: This a bit of a lack luster brew, to the style it does not set a very good example.

Serving type: can

07-21-2011 02:02:36 | More by GDBEERMAN
Photo of RoamingGnome


2.4/5  rDev -5.9%

Never heard of this brew. My old man had an Oktoberfest tasting with his siblings and a six pack of this appeared. There was duct tape on each can, and it was clearly labeled Oktoberfest. I thought that was pretty funny. Anyways....

Poured out of a 12 oz can into mug.

A) Yellow and bubbly. A good inch and a half of foamy white head. The head was gone quickly. There was no lacing.

S) Grain, pretty corny, kind of artificial and slightly metallic.

T) I guess it's not terrible. It reminds me of the many times I unleashed the beast in college.

M) Thin and highly carbonated.

O) I have come to learn this beer is exclusive to Walgreens. I guess it comes in handy for those looking for something to chase down their Vicodin. Seriously though, this is pretty bad.

Serving type: can

09-12-2011 00:47:32 | More by RoamingGnome
Photo of thagr81us

South Carolina

2.4/5  rDev -5.9%

Bought a six-pack of these at Walgreens so I could send a CAN to WoodyChandler for his CANquest. I CAN dig it! Saw the other 5 CANs lying around my parent’s house and promptly through one in the freezer so I could tear into it as soon as possible. The CAN tells me, “It’s the water that makes it.” We shall see about that… Served from CAN into a RJ Rockers shaker. Poured pale straw yellow with a half finger pure white fizzy sounding head that subsided to nothing fairly quickly. There was no lacing evident throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, grain, corn, wheat, and broken dreams. The flavor was of sweet malt, fruit, corn, wheat, and water. It had a light feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was not a very good brew. The aroma on this one was pretty sharp, but not in a good way. I smelled it upon cracking open the CAN and knew what I was getting myself into, but continued anyways. I should have listened to my nose. Imagine if you were to drink a Bud/Miller Lite (yeah, they don’t know how to brew good beer nor spell correctly) only it has more of a corn presence than the others. The flavor is a little bit better than the aroma, but I wouldn’t make this a go-to in a pinch brew. While this was retardedly cheap, I would rather get a job so I can at least afford some malt liquor if I were to get this desperate for a drink. Save your money on this one, all $3 of it for the 6-pack. Your palate will thank me…

Serving type: can

02-05-2012 17:08:33 | More by thagr81us
Photo of Swim424


2.4/5  rDev -5.9%

The walgreens beer.

Pours a clear yellow like most beers of the style. Has a bit more color than many of its like. Decent soda like white fizzy head that falls fast. Smells like cereal, corn, and rice. Has a slight sweetness to the nose. Tastes like it smells. Very bland corn, cereal, and rice, with a sweetness to it. Very thin body.

This is much better than any bud light or miller light, and is half the price. One of my cheap choices. Comparable to budweiser or Pabst but nothing special. Best part of this beer is the price.

Serving type: can

03-14-2012 04:59:13 | More by Swim424
Photo of HalfFull


2.4/5  rDev -5.9%

12 oz. can stolen from a friend's fridge. Think he said he got it at Walgreen's but then I didn't think any Walgreen's in San Diego sold beer. Perhaps the times they are a changin'. Poured into a piint glass alongside a partially finished reference PBR glass. Big Flats pours a bit deeper, say a deep straw in color. A thin cap flitters away rather swiftly.

Aroma is full and a bit sweet with nondescript grainy sweet notes and lacking much of a yeast or hop profile. Offers a touch of citrus on the flavor which is otherwise a bit rough around the edges like the aroma. Tough of spice/citrus again though the utter lack of carbonation is not helping here.

Body leaves a bit to be desired as well, again largely due to the lack of carbonation. Interestingly this beer does in a way resemble Simpler Times from Trader Joe's and both find thier source in LaCrosse, WI. The Simpler Times(Lager) has a bit more finesse and carbonation however. In the end a bit rough.

Serving type: can

12-09-2013 00:36:18 | More by HalfFull
Photo of puboflyons

New Hampshire

2.48/5  rDev -2.7%

From the 355 ml. can no. 3140-10:48. Sampled on January 1, 2011. The pour is pale yellow with a ton of fizzy white head that eventually settles in. Aromas of grain and adjuncts. Thin body. The taste is also on the grainy side. As drinkable as any cheap macro. This is brewed under contract for Walgreens stores and these cans are all over the place for $2.99/six wherever a Walgreens can be found.

Serving type: can

01-01-2011 20:34:17 | More by puboflyons
Photo of theboozecruise


2.48/5  rDev -2.7%

Picked up at a Walgreens for $3/6-pack. Worthy a try? Probably not but whatever. I poured from the can into a pint glass, it's a clear pale yellow but with a pretty big head. It receded quickly with not much lacing.

The aroma is weak, grassy and not much to it. Nothing terrible, just nothing.

The taste is pretty weak as well but surprisingly refreshing.

Honestly I think it's better than the BMC guys. Will have to try side by side at some point.

Serving type: can

01-16-2012 01:07:57 | More by theboozecruise
Photo of alcstradamus


2.5/5  rDev -2%

Pours a crstal clear lighter-than-straw yellow with 3 fingers of foamy head and no lacing. Barely any color at all.

The aroma is corn heavy with a pleasant earthy tone and hints of citrus. Clove, pineapple, and watermelon rind deep in the background. Not a bad aroma for the style, actually.

The flavor is incredibly musty. This one was served at higher than cellar temp so I think some cold might have masked the mustiness a bit. But I want to taste the beer, so I chose to serve it this way. After a few sips, the watermelon notes begin to peek out ever so slightly, as well as some banana peel. Then, after a few more sips, it begins to just taste like water. Typical flavor profile of the style.

The body is light, perhaps medium for the style. Carbonation is a tad stinging.

Overall this beer is exactly what you would expect for the price. Not much. But screw it, its Walgreens beer so kick back your feet, pound a sixer, and enjoy a taste of corporate America.

Serving type: can

12-15-2010 02:22:52 | More by alcstradamus
Photo of THECPJ


2.5/5  rDev -2%

Reviewed from notes:

Appearance: pale yellow with 1 finger white head

smell: lager yeast, corn, rice, malt

taste: water, lager yeast, corn

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, thin body,

overall: Had to get when I found out it's a Walgreens brand beer. Plus it's 2.99 for a 6 pack : )


Serving type: can

07-13-2011 02:30:14 | More by THECPJ
Photo of jwc215


2.51/5  rDev -1.6%

Pours light straw yellow - clear - with a creamy white head that leaves some trailing lace.

The smell is not much - clean - maybe a hint of grain - inoffensive. Clean.

The taste is of some sweet grain, a hint of soap and a light touch of corn husk.

It is crisp and light.

Overall, It's not a "terrible" cheap beer. And, it is cheap. Didn't care much for the mild hint of soap. But, if you drink it very cold and fast, you might not catch that.

Serving type: can

12-11-2013 18:47:25 | More by jwc215
Photo of nniicckkww


2.53/5  rDev -0.8%

Drank from 12oz. can, so I have given an average 3.0 appearance rating.

Corny smell. Very fizzy and slightly metallic with a corn/grain aftertaste. Not much flavor other than the lingering metallic graininess. Tastes cheap, and it is.

I'd rather have a Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Serving type: can

01-04-2011 20:23:14 | More by nniicckkww
Photo of wescj


2.58/5  rDev +1.2%

12 oz can, poured into a snifter.

Have to admit, if you pour this one into a fancy glass it looks pretty enticing. The golden straw color matches well with the absolute brilliancy, and the head is pretty nice while it lasts.

The nose is almost nonexistent, save for a slight grainy wisp. And remember, this is sniffing from a snifter, so pretty dissapointing aroma overall.

Taste is ok, to be honest. Not as bad as some of the other macro adjunct lagers. It's one-dimentional, and mostly bubbles on your tounge. The best thing it has going for it is that it isn't an offensive taste. Bland, but not insipid. Crisp.

Mouthfeel: pretty clean.

Drinkability: may surpass even the mighty bud light in this catagory.

I wouldn't go out and buy this, but I have to admit, it's ok for 50 cents a can.

Serving type: can

02-16-2011 00:41:48 | More by wescj
Photo of huxcrunner

New York

2.6/5  rDev +2%

This beer is a very pale straw yellow color with about 2 fingers of white head that fades fast and little to no lacing in the glass

Smell is light can says brewed with choicest hops but the aromas would say otherwise, has an aroma most similar to a natty light or keystone light

Taste is sweet and light no real big flavors very watery for claiming to be a full body beer and not a "light" beer

Mouthfeel is light and clean not myuch substance to this

Overall this beer is very cheap so I didn't expect much this is a beer that you can drink a lot of on a tight budget and can give you a break from the eveyday major commercial cheap light beer and is neat to say that you had a beer called big flats. So if your looking to drink cheap this could be a good choice otherwise this should be avoided

Serving type: can

04-26-2011 22:37:41 | More by huxcrunner
Photo of mooseisloose


2.6/5  rDev +2%

Wow $10.99 a case, I can't pass this up and can feed this brew to unsuspecting macro drinkers. But I must try one, so let's give it a whirl. Popping the can and pouring into a pint this brew has the classic adjunct macro smell all the way, like a saki bomb. Pours to a light bright yellow with a big foamy head that holds up well. Good start. On the taste this brew has a classic semi sweet malt and flatly bitter taste throughout with the same but quickly fading aftertaste. Carbonation is lower than expected but overall the mouthfeel is ok and the brew is not offensive and palatable. For $0.45 a serving, one cannot berate this brew in all catagories.

Serving type: can

05-07-2011 18:03:35 | More by mooseisloose
Big Flats 1901 from World Brews
62 out of 100 based on 220 ratings.