Beer Review: Sergeants American Ale

Courtesy of BeerAdvocate

3am and I'm tasting beer. Of course it may have something to do with my broken A/C and it being 90 degrees outside. But none the less, I promised more reviews, and I intend to deliver. I admit I'm a tad weary of this beer. The name is more than a tad similar to Old Sergeant brand liquor, which for anyone who has tasted, I wouldn't recommend in any setting. But the beer is from the Michigan Brewers Guild, and the cap isn't a twist off, so let's dive in.

Poured into a 12oz pint glass.

Appearance: Yellowish in color, between golden and straw. No head to speak of, and no lacing. Seems well carbonated but it doesn't last long enough to form a head. Slightly translucent. Looks like I can see yeast particles floating around, so that's a plus in my book.

Nose: Malty background, with possibly some adjunct. Hops is present but not notable, so it's just their for balance. No alcohol in the nose. Sweetness more applicable word I can think of.

Taste: Eh, not bad on the taste. Malt and hops balance out nicely and leave a good wet finish with just a HINT of sweetness on the front of the tongue. Alcohol not noticeable here. I'm searching for more words to describe it, but honestly it tastes like beer. Good beer, but still beer.

Mouth Feel: Light in body and very smooth finish, the carbonation lingers on the tongue though, long after the sip/gulp is finished. Gotta say it's quenching to the palate though. And like the last two categories, alcohol isn't noticeable here either.

Ddrinkability: High. As high as any American lager. I know they claim it as an ale, but it isn't. It's a pale lager. A good one, but not a great one. I can't complain though, it goes down good and I could see drinking a case over the weekend, if I were so inclined.

Overall a good beer. It's not special in any way. It's better than the Bud, Miller, Coors standard fare, but not on the level of....say Bells Oberon. Of course it's not as expensive as Oberon either, so what could one realistically expect? If you have the chance to pick up a six pack, do so. It's good to get away from the standard mediocrity of adjunct beers once in a while. I'll probably pick this up again, especially for the upcoming fireworks season.