

Michelob Light - Anheuser-Busch

Michelob LightMichelob Light

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592 Ratings

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Ratings: 592
Reviews: 187
rAvg: 2.18
pDev: 33.94%

Brewed by:
Anheuser-Busch visit their website
Missouri, United States

Style | ABV
Light Lager |  4.30% ABV

Availability: Year-round

Notes/Commercial Description:

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Ratings: 592 | Reviews: 187 | Show All Ratings:
Photo of BuckeyeNation


1.35/5  rDev -38.1%

This review is the second half of Macro Smackdown V, the other half being Miller High Life Light. The Miller product comes in the standard aluminum can and this beer comes in the new canottle/bottcan. It's an interesting look that seems a little girlie to me. I'd be embarrassed to be seen holding one (yeah, like that'll ever happen outside the confines of this purely scientific exercise). On to the show...

Light yellow-amber. Although not quite light enough to be called straw, noticeably lighter than the High Life. The head is also simple white with no drabness or off-colors. The substance of the foam is better here, in that it looks smooth and fluffy. However, it falls more quickly and doesn't leave any lace.

This nose is less sweet than its competitor and is more musky/spicy. I have a hard time believing that I'm actually smelling hops, but... could be... could be. As far as which one is preferable, I'd have to go with the High Life Light. The fruitiness gives it a leg up. Although I generally like musky/spicy, the Michelob Light nose doesn't quite do it for me.

Nasty. There's no other way to adequately describe the flavor. Michelob Light is one of the worst tasting beers of any style that has ever crossed my palate. It has that adjuncty, grainy flavor that all macro lagers possess, but it suffers in comparison to the other Big Three light lagers that I've sampled (nothing like being inferior to inferior beer). There's an off-putting sourness that makes it even harder to get down, as opposed to a sweetness that tends to make this sort of beer more drinkable; at least to me.

There's no difference between the mouthfeels, at least none that I could pick up on a final sip or two. I'm not about to drink any more of either one of these in order to discern some small difference in mouthfeel. I think I've been more than selfless in bringing you, the discriminating beer consumer, this comparative information and I'm simply unwilling to pour more of this stuff over my pleading taste buds and down my throat.

Michelob Light is the clear loser of Macro Smackdown V. That's not to say that Miller High Life Light is any great shakes, but this beer just rolled over and quit (flavor-wise). A more pathetic showing I have rarely seen. The new canottle/bottcan didn't do squat. Gosh, and I really expected it to. Stay away from Mich Light. Stay very... very... far away.

Serving type: can

06-14-2005 12:17:47 | More by BuckeyeNation
Photo of mikesgroove

South Carolina

2.05/5  rDev -6%

What can I really say about this, looks bad, smells like air and tastes like flavored water. At a concert it is all you can get, so its what you are left with. Pale yellow carbonated water that has to be drank freezing or it is completly untolerable, please look somewhere else.

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2007 03:14:51 | More by mikesgroove
Photo of Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

1.55/5  rDev -28.9%

Bottle: Poured a golden color lager with a fizzy pure white head with minimal retention and no lacing. Aroma of sweet malt with light corn notes is bland and not that enjoyable. Taste is also a bland mix between some sweet malt with light adjunct notes (I know the label states all-malt lager but I have a hard time believing this). Body is light with good carbonation. Bland lager and not something that need to be revisited.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2010 02:49:32 | More by Phyl21ca
Photo of Thorpe429


1.02/5  rDev -53.2%

Reviewed from notes. Nothing like a "100" list to urge on old review entry.

Pours with about a quarter of the color density of straw with the thinest of thin white heads. Nose brings forth light grain and cardboard. Taste brings the same. Almost so light it's hard to find even those flavors. Feel is way overly carbonated and drinks poorly. Light, cardboard-soaked seltzer water.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2010 01:01:34 | More by Thorpe429
Photo of BEERchitect


1.85/5  rDev -15.1%

Lackluster and tasteless. Looks light yellow and brightly clear. Overly carbonated and lacks head retention or lacing. Tastes low malty or sweet. Grainy and cornlike. Slightly metalic and astringent. Tastes similar to smell. Hard on the toung and palate because of the carbonation. Thin and scrubbed to the palate. No malt or hop flavor or balance to mention. Light and powdery finish with a grainy, metalic aftertaste. Aside from all of its poor qualities, it's not offensive; but neither is water. All of it's beer-like qualities disolve as soon as it hits the palate.

Serving type: on-tap

07-24-2005 19:29:49 | More by BEERchitect
Photo of ChainGangGuy


3.2/5  rDev +46.8%

12 ounce bottle - $1.19 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours out a crystal clear, yellow body with a large, frothy, white head. Well, at least it looks pleasant. Perhaps this is a sign of great things to come!

Smell: Lightly grainy, sweetish pale malts with some gentle floral hop notes.

Taste: Light, delicate pale maltiness with a light cereal sweetness and faint hint of crisp grains. Mild floral hop character with a low amount of bitterness, but sufficient enough to balance. Semi-dry, clean, lightly effervescent finish.

Mouthfeel: Light-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: Satisfactory! Michelob Light is an acceptable light lager that isn't entirely devoid of flavor or woefully watery.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2009 01:51:27 | More by ChainGangGuy
Photo of NeroFiddled


3.1/5  rDev +42.2%

As far as light beers go, Anheuser-Busch's Michelob Light is one of the finest, retaining some of its maltiness, and somehow keeping a head where most others fail miserably.

It pours a crystal-clear straw-gold body that displays hundreds of tiny bubbles rising quickly towards the surface. There they join their place in queue beneath the short half-finger head of creamy bright-white. Lacing is left to just some tiny spots here and there, but at least that's something.

The nose is clean and pleasant with a light touch of malty sweetness. Of course, no hops are to be found.

The flavor reveals that maltiness is a much fuller light, and it's surprisingly grainy and lightly sweet. There's some mild hop bitterness to balance it as well; and even some floral and spicy hop flavor in the background.

It's light-bodied and effervescent, as expected (and, actually, pretty much required of the style), but there is a touch of dextrinous malt there as well - meaning it's not completely watery and insipid unlike some others.

Anheuser-Busch is known the world over for their commitment to quality and it shows. In addition to Bud Light (the best selling light beer on earth), Michelob Light proves that they really know how to make a light beer work.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2006 23:22:39 | More by NeroFiddled
Photo of TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

1.76/5  rDev -19.3%

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.


S: The aroma contains adjuncts, light caramelized malts, and a very faint touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out bready from a thin malt character and adjuncts. Then some light malt sweetness comes in. The hops presence is extremely mild. There doesn’t seem to me much balance only because there isn’t much in the beer to balance out. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: A little crisp and not very smooth, light body, medium-to-high carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Not flavorful at all, goes down easily and not too filling since there isn’t much to the beer, very mild kick, not the best representation of style, even for a light beer this one isn’t very good.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2013 01:44:15 | More by TheManiacalOne
Photo of WesWes

New York

3.15/5  rDev +44.5%

The beer pours a very pale yellow color with a frothy white head that fades to lacing. The aroma is decent. It boasts of mostly pale malts and lager yeast, but is also fresh smelling. The taste is decent also. It is watery and weak with a slight malt flavor. It refreshes on the way down and finishes clean. It has a slight bitter skunkiness, but it is very small. The mouthfeel is good. This is a low bodied beer with good carbonation. This beer drinks well despite all of it's limitations. This is the light macro beer for me. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2004 22:33:21 | More by WesWes
Photo of zeff80


2.08/5  rDev -4.6%

A - I had this a wedding last weekend. It was poured into a tall pilsner glass. It was a straw yellow and highly carbonated. There was a descent sized head that lasted for quite awhile.

S - There isn't much of a smell, except for that alcohol/beer/skunk that comes from most beers like this.

T - The taste wasn't bad. There was a mix of malt and grains (corn & rice?). No hops but that is expected.

M - It was pretty crisp and light-bodied.

D - I wouldn't regularly pick this up, but when it is free and it is the only beer option it will do the job.

Serving type: on-tap

08-23-2006 23:15:14 | More by zeff80
Photo of WVbeergeek


2.35/5  rDev +7.8%

Appears a pale fizzy yellow lager with decent scattered thin lacing lining the glass. Aroma has semi sweet pale malts with some actual herbal hop notes going on. It's a light American lager brewed by the big boys but it's not horrible. Again decent hop action going on because you can actually detect some hops even if it's a subdued version of what I've come to know as a hop profile. Easy going more flavorful than the average BMC, nice golf outing brew for a hot summer day. Mouthfeel is light with carbonation that tickles the back of the throat a bit much, fizzy yellow lager has it's place. Not something I'll be buying but it's a welcome leftover in my fridge after a get together the other night, again better than the average AB brews that most people drink like kool-aid.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2010 07:10:45 | More by WVbeergeek
Photo of Halcyondays


3.03/5  rDev +39%

12 oz. single, bought for $1.19,

A: Pours a pale yellow, with a long-lasting soapy white head with solid retention, leaves a lot of lacing at first, but I think that was more due to my pour than anything else.

S: Very husky grain smell, astringent, light grass.

T: Real barley malt is evident, with a dry cereal grain taste. Hop character is light, with distinctly grassy bitterness. Like the smell, the flavour has some astringency to it, more evident as it warms. A little more malt character would be advised. Not bad at all to be honest, no adjunct or off-flavours.

M: Thin, very light, crisp, mild carbonation, what you'd expect in a light lager.

D: Definitely one of the better versions of this style that I've come across, much better than AB's other lights that I have had - Bud Light and Michelob Ultra. Soft and easy to drink, if it was a couple dollars cheaper, I'd be inclined to buy a sixer of it. To the craft beer drinker, you really don't get much, but it would be easy to drink a sixer over the course of a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2008 02:22:38 | More by Halcyondays
Photo of tempest


2.2/5  rDev +0.9%

It's not offensive, that is unless you find the lack of flavor to be offensive to the name of beer. There's a low pale malt flavor masked by a slight sweetness and dusty-grain like flavor. The aroma hints of sour grains and the drinkability isnt bad if you're thirtsy. Really though, there isn't much reason to try this.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2007 03:12:06 | More by tempest
Photo of Rifugium


1.1/5  rDev -49.5%

First had: ?

Probably the best light / T&A TV-ad beer I've had. Again: that ain't saying much. But if I was at a grungy dive with a choice of Bud, Miller, Coors, and Michelob Light, I'd...uh, kill myself.

Pours between a pale straw color and water, with much carbonation and a small white head that disappears quickly. Stale hops and skunk on the nose. Not much in the flavor department other than what was received in the nose. Light, thin, and watery. Goes down easy. To be avoided.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2011 23:47:49 | More by Rifugium
Photo of jdhilt

New Hampshire

1.33/5  rDev -39%

Pours a five-finger white head that quickly fades to a ring leaving no lace. Crystal clear pale amber color. Very light carbonation and light bodied. Grassy nose. Flavor is sweet grass, clean finish. Very one dimensional, who drinks this stuff? $1.75 for a 12oz bottle from Barb's Beer Emporium Concord, NH.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2008 23:04:33 | More by jdhilt
Photo of Jason


2.4/5  rDev +10.1%






Serving type: bottle

09-02-2001 22:39:45 | More by Jason
Photo of Wasatch


2.03/5  rDev -6.9%

Pours a hazy yellow color, some carbonation, nice little one-finger white head, with some minimal sticky lacing left behind. The nose is kinda malty, with some funkyness. The taste is slightly sweet, malty. Light Body. Not Drinkable, this one is just like the rest of the macros out there, not worth of buying again.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2011 22:32:28 | More by Wasatch
Photo of Zorro


3.4/5  rDev +56%

This beer certainly looks the part of a beer. Clear yellow colored beer that doesn't look like a light beer with a tall white head with a medium level of lasting power.

The smell is sweet and quite herbal in scent. There is an honest and far better than expected level of Nobel hop aroma in this. Malt doesn't really feature in the smell.

The taste begins fairly sweet and malty with a decent crisp finish. Hop scent doesn't really transfer to the taste here. A little sweet and a little spritz for a beer but this honestly doesn't taste like a light beer. A bit of grain flavor is present but mostly the is a lager that is a little on the sweet side.

Mouthfeel is good and very good for a light beer. This doesn't give the impression of a over boosted with maltodextrin beer.

For a AB product this isn't bad and for an AB light beer this is outstanding when compared to the rest of the pack. This isn't going to make me swear off Pilsner but if I had to drink a light beer this is easily the best of the bunch except for maybe Sam Adams light.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2007 05:15:13 | More by Zorro
Photo of woodychandler


3.7/5  rDev +69.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

I will openly cop to having once been a big consumer of Michelob. My uncle always had it in the fridge when he would come east every summer and I simply followed his lead until Rolling Rock really took off while I was in Cali with the navy. I wonder what its Light iteration may be like, but thanks to Tone77 and The CANQuest (TM), I am about to find out! CAN I get some love?

From the CAN: "All-Malt Light Lager" - really?!? That was one of the pluses of original Mich - NO adjuncts. Good. Also, "AmeriCAN-style light lager brewed with a blend of Hallertau, Strissel Spalt and other hop varieties." Zounds!

The Crack & Glug proceeded as usual, with a short moment of panic as the creamy, bone-white head began to approach the lip of the glass. Fortunately, I know what to do in such situations and backed off of my pour. Great head retention, BTW. Color was a light lemon-yellow with NE-quality clarity. Nose was light with a citrusy spiciness that was truly unexpected. It was like lemon zest with a mild biscuitiness. Mouthfeel was medium with a lemony taste on the tongue along with an attendant bite or snap. Dang, this is pretty good! Finish had more of a biscuit taste, but the lemon was still there. It reminded me of Archway Lemon Snap cookies. Completely unexpected! The only knock on this was its watery mouthfeel. I would bring this in the cooler for those who are into Light beers, but I am not a calorie counter, plus I am betting that this is sold at the "Premium" price range and I would not want a case at those prices.

Serving type: can

10-17-2010 17:20:04 | More by woodychandler
Photo of DoubleJ


2.45/5  rDev +12.4%

Got a bottle of this only because I heard the formula would be changed, and to my curiosity, will see whether how much of a difference they'll be between this and the future all-malt Mich Light. On to the beer:

At first, I might have mistaken this for a pale lager, as it pours a surprisingly good head into my recently bought Kronenbourg 1664 glass. Faint smells of adjuncts stop as I tilt the glass into my mouth, and taste Uncle Ben's rice, with a small trace of bitterness. A bit watery, but firm for a light beer. Not a harsh beer to drink, but nothing really happening either. I guess what I'm trying to say is it's not bad for a light beer. And that's with adjuncts!

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2007 04:47:32 | More by DoubleJ
Photo of johnmichaelsen


2.05/5  rDev -6%

As a lark, split a bottle with a couple of buddies the other night. Figured it would suck and mich lite didn't disappoint.

The beer pours an extremely light yellow color with minimal head retention and lacing. While the appearance does not have quite the swill factor of say a miller chill, needless to say this is not an impressive looking beer. On the nose this beer is just weird. There's a lot of sweet corn aroma, but it's intermixed with almost a glue or paste smell. Can't imagine what adjunct crap AB must have thrown in the hopper to make the beer smell quite this bad. Happily, the beer tastes better then it smells (not exactly a high bar now, is it), tasting pretty much of nothing. Really, it's nothing short of amazing that someone can make a beer like this. I initially got a bit of sweet corn on the palate, but after that the flavors were completely neutral. Nothing bad, nothing good. Nothing. The mouthfeel on this beer actually surprised me. It has a very soft, smooth mouthfeel, and was almost slick on the palate.

While this beer wasn't flat out poisonous, there was nothing enjoyable about drinking it either. It had minimal flavor, and I cannot imagine why I would ever want to drink a glass of this. I'll head for the sink if I need a glass of tap water to slack my thirst, and so have no need for Mich lite.

Another crappy beer from AB. Amazing. Who would have thunk it.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2008 17:30:35 | More by johnmichaelsen
Photo of Beerandraiderfan


1.58/5  rDev -27.5%




Serving type: bottle

10-12-2010 22:40:31 | More by Beerandraiderfan
Photo of Gusler


2/5  rDev -8.3%

Last sample 09/11/2000
The beer upon its exit from the 12-ounce brown bottle sets in the glass a limpid pale gold color with a modest semi-creamy bright white head and after its demise, the lace forms a velum like sheet on the glass. Nose is sweet malt, fresh and crisp, start sweet and light grain profile, top slender in its feel to the palate. Finish is benignly acidic, the hops sparing in their spiciness, quite dry aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2004 00:42:59 | More by Gusler
Photo of Slatetank


2.55/5  rDev +17%

a can poured chilled into a willybecker

A - a straw golden w/ slight chill haze and thick sudsy 1 inch cap which flattens to a ring

S - The smell of cooked veggies and a dms smell w/ a light sweet adjunct and mild floral yeast ester

M- A crisp thin and slick and almost soapy texture an somewhat high carbonation, but overall it lacks a real finish

T - A mild sweet flavor w/ light tangy corn taste w/ a palate coating and plastic/soapy flavor that is hard to get past

D - A pretty poor drinkability score -I gave it my honest review -it is basically tasteless, a waste of time -avoid

Serving type: can

09-20-2010 00:38:49 | More by Slatetank
Photo of Brad007


3.48/5  rDev +59.6%

Pours a light yellow color with a decent amount of foam. Very light malt aroma that's kind of yeast-y. The flavor is even kind of fruitish and light. A lot more flavor than a few other light lagers I've had. Bready and yeasty and even leaves a nice dryness on the tongue.

While you won't find utopia in a beer like this, you will find a better consistency than many other light lagers. This is pretty close to Sam Adams Light in my opinion as both are all-malt, have decent flavors and still considered to be "light" beers. I think again that A-B has made a good choice with the Michelob line (sans the "Ultra" stuff).

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2007 03:09:09 | More by Brad007
Michelob Light from Anheuser-Busch
54 out of 100 based on 592 ratings.