Shiner Light Review

Brewery: Spoetzl Brewery | Beer: Shiner Light
Style: Light Lager | ABV: 4.0% | IBUs: 13
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into Pilsener glass

Let's be frank, light beer sucks. But there are those out there that for whatever reason prefer or insist upon it and I'm eager to chase down a good one (or, at least, the best one). There's not much out there in the way of craft lights, but the local mass-market craft brewers at Spoetzl brew a popular one called Shiner Light. Perhaps this is what I've been looking for.

The brewery doesn't give away much in the way of ingredients or process, but does mention the backbone is built from Munich malts and that "select" hops are employed. Whew—here I was fearing there were random hops in the bottle!

Here's how they pitch the finished product:

Shiner Light sacrifices none of the taste or satisfaction while reducing calories and carbs. Light just doesn't quite capture the complex character of this handcrafted Shiner beer.

Let's dive in and see if that's all just marketing or if the beer really does rise above the typical light beer.

Appearance: A crystal-clear, golden-amber body with a finger of white head that fizzes out quickly and leaves no lacing. Much darker than the typical American light beer.

Aroma: A thin, grainy malt body with not much in the way of hops. Pretty bland.

Taste: Much the same as the aroma. A thin and watery malt body that's frankly boring as hell. A little more lively than most light beers, but no revelation. The aftertaste is grainy and short lived.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light bodied with good carbonation. Dries a bit in the finish.

Drinkability: All that's holding you back is the general blandness of it all.

Verdict: This is a step, albeit not a massive one, up from Bud/Miller/Coors Light. Despite being pretty bland and boring, I still think this beer still serves it's purpose. Texans used to the normal light beers aren't going to be scared off by this, and hopefully they'll start exploring the rest of the Shiner line and beyond.

Grade: C-

Shiner Bohemian Black Lager Review

Brewery: Spoetzl Brewery | Beer: Shiner Bohemian Black Lager
Style: Schwarzbier | ABV: 4.9% | IBUs: 18
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into Pilsener glass

Back when I was just starting to explore the world of beer, Shiner was my go-to brand when I wasn't in the mood for Guinness. Local, cheap, and available everywhere with a relatively wide portfolio of un-challenging beers, it was the perfect gateway brand.

After sampling the whole lineup, a strange new Shiner brew showed up on the shelves one day: Shiner 97. I picked it up at first sight, excited as all hell to try a new Shiner, and fell in love at first sip. Compared to what I had been drinking, the brew was full of depth and character. It was a Schwarzbier, also known as Black Lager, and the second beer in a series of five yearly beers counting down to Shiner's 100th anniversary.

I bought a hell of a lot of Shiner 97 when it was out, and mourned deeply when it disappeared from the shelves. I eagerly picked up every single Shiner anniversary brew after 97, but none of them really lived up to the first. Though it's not a style to meant to be aged, I still have a small stash of 97, and every now and then I chill a bottle down. I have to say, it's holding up remarkably well, and really takes me back to those few months when Shiner 97 was my constant companion.

To my great surprise and excitement, Shiner "re-released" Shiner 97 as Shiner Black Lager a while back. It's available year-round and sports a significant marketing presence all around Houston. I guess I wasn't the only one who fell in love with the first incarnation.

Shiner claim it's the same beer as before, and I might be crazy (or just in possession of a more experienced palate), but it just doesn't seem the same to me.

Appearance: A murky, dark brown body capped by a thin, tan head that burns out quickly and leaves no lacing.

Aroma: Roasty and bitter malt with mild chocolate and coffee notes.

Taste: Much the same in the flavor profile. Roasted malt with chocolate, coffee, and nut-like character makes up the bulk of it with not much in the way of hops. The aftertaste is roasty and nutty.

Mouthfeel: A thinnish body with sharp carbonation; rather unsatisfying.

Drinkability: Drinkable enough, but you'll get bored before you get full.

Verdict: I remember Shiner 97 when it was fresh having quite a bit more character and depth than this, but that might be because my palate wasn't quite as advanced as it is now. As it stands, Bohemian Black Lager is an inoffensive, but generally unexciting brew.

Grade: C+

Shiner Smokehaus Review

Brewery: Spoetzl Brewery | Beer: Shiner Smokehaus
Style: Rauchbier | ABV: 4.9% | IBUs: 16
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into Pilsener glass

A couple of months ago, while searching for a Rauchbier (smoked beers especially popular around Bamberg, Germany) to review here on PintLog, I learned how absolutely impossible it is to find smoked beer here in Texas. Eventually, on a trip to the Southern Star brewery, brewmaster Dave Fougeron tapped a keg of his renowned Rauchbier and I got my first sip of the style. My wife and I were totally blown away with how delicious it was. While Dave jokingly described the beer as "ham in a glass," this was an amazingly well crafted and tasty beer. Unfortunately, that one brilliant pint at the brewery was still my only encounter with smoked beers. Until now.

I was incredibly excited when I heard that the brewers behind the Shiner line of beers announced that they would be producing a smoked Lager for the Summer. Named Smokehaus, the beer is essentially a Helles-style Lager built with malt smoked with local mesquite at the brewery in Shiner. The beer has finally started to show up on shelves here in Houston, just in time for the oppressive Texas heatwave, and I can't wait to give it a try.

Appearance: A crystal-clear golden-amber body with a generous bubbly white head that burns out rather quickly leaving only the barest patches of lacing.

Aroma: A rather typical pale malt Lager body with some definite notes of mesquite smoke. No hops to speak of. I was really hoping for more smoke here...

Taste: The familiar taste of a light Shiner Lager accented with a splash of tasty smokiness in the finish. Unfortunately, the smoke flavor is not very intense and comes off as a bit of an afterthought after the first couple of sips. The aftertaste is composed of a quick flash of smoke and grain that fades quickly.

Mouthfeel: A slightly lighter than medium body with good carbonation.

Drinkability: Built as a very drinkable and refreshing beer, with the smoke flavor light enough to not slow it down whatsoever. A great beer for grilling in the Texas heat.

Verdict: Lots of credit to Shiner for trying something new here, I just wish they had been a bit more bold with the smoke intensity. If you've never tried a smoked beer, this is a nice gentle introduction. I hope this helps pave the way to a new crop of Rauchbiers on the market here in Texas.

Grade: B

Shiner 100 Commemorator Review

Brewery: Spoetzl Brewery | Beer: Shiner 100 Commemorator
Style: Doppelbock | ABV: 6.8%
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into pint glass

As of this year, the Spoetzl Brewery (producer of Shiner beers), has been in business for 100 years. Since 2005, they have brewed a special anniversary beer each year as part of a countdown to the century mark. I don't know if it was planned or not, but each beer so far has been a member of the Lager family.

The first in the series was Shiner 96, a Märzen (or Oktoberfest) style beer, that I regret dearly that I missed my chance to try. Shiner 97, a Schwarzbier (and my favorite so far), was popular enough to earn a spot in the regular Shiner line-up as Bohemian Black Lager. 2007 saw the release of Shiner 98, a Vienna Lager and the most successful of the collection yet. Last year we got Shiner 99, a bright Munich Helles Lager. I still have a few bottles of 97, 98, & 99 in my collection. I might review these later as cellared versions, I know that the 97 is holding up well.

This year, for their centennial, they've brewed up a Doppelbock named Commemorator. Makes sense when their flagship beer is Shiner Bock. Shiner say that Commemorator is "brewed in the robust classic German 'stark' style and it embodies the Old World heritage and tradition Shiner had proudly stood for since 1909." There's been quite a build up to this, let's hope it can live up.

Appearance: Reddish brown crystal clear body. Bubbly off-white finger high head that disappears quickly, leaving hardly any lace. Looks very much like the flagship, Shiner Bock.

Aroma: Not particularly intense. There's some sweet malt, with weird metallic tones.

Taste: Sweet, slightly caramelized malt is the bulk of the flavor profile. I'm still getting some of that weird metallic taste, but that's almost expected in a darker Shiner beer at this point. There's really nothing from the hops to speak of. Everything is just a little on the thin side, but it's not a major concern. The aftertaste is of rich malt and notes of booze.

Mouthfeel: Medium-body with lots of carbonation. Boozy in the finish, but not dry.

Drinkability: Solid enough with a mild profile and the near seven percent alcohol hidden well.

Verdict: I have to say I'm a little disappointed with this as the big finale. While Commemorator is a good beer, it's not really anything special compared to the rest of the anniversary collection. Perhaps my expectations were a little high, but we have been building up to this beer for five years now. Shiner 97 is still, by leaps and bounds, my favorite of the Shiner anniversary brews. Here's hoping for 101!

Grade: B-

Shiner Holiday Cheer Review

Brewery: Spoetzl Brewery | Beer: Shiner Holiday Cheer
Style: Dunkelweizen | ABV: 5.4%
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into Weizen glass

Shiner have been very busy lately, releasing a slew of new brews over the past twelve months. Their latest is a new Winter seasonal, Shiner Holiday Cheer. The beer is a Dunkelweizen, with peach and roasted pecans added for a holiday touch. Maybe my family was different, but I don't really remember many peaches around the house during Christmas. Peaches aside, Dunkelweizens are essentially a darker, more malty version of the German wheat beer, Hefeweizen.

It looks like this is the replacement for Shiner Dunkelweizen as Shiner's winter seasonal. I certainly can't imagine the brewery brewing two different Dunkelweizens for Winter, and I haven't seen the old one this season, so this appears to be the case. I was a big fan of the original Shiner Dunkelweizen, so I have high hopes for this beer.

Appearance: Deep mahogany with a stunning amber highlights and a creamy, craggy head that leaves wonderful lacing. This is a very pretty beer.

Aroma: Sweet peach, like that of peach yogurt, masks just about all other aromas. There's some beer down there if you keep sniffing, but you have to pull a lot of peach aside.

Taste: Luckily, this isn't the sugary peach yogurt beer that the aroma warned of. Instead, you find a complex, if a little thin, malty body with decent bitterness in the finish. I'm not sure if it's roasted pecan I'm getting necessarily, but the beer does has a pleasing nuttiness. Peach is certainly here, and in full force, but it compliments the beer instead of smothering it. I would never have thought of a peach infused Dunkelweizen (at least while sober), but it works. While it may taste a little thin in the mouth, the aftertaste is quite nutty and hangs with you for a while.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a slick, oily feel that coats your mouth. A bit fizzier than I prefer, but it doesn't spoil the beer.

Drinkability: Provided you don't hate peaches, this is an easy beer to drink. It goes down smooth and tastes pretty damn good.

Verdict: Between this and Shiner Dunkelweizen, it's no contest: Holiday Cheer just doesn't measure up. But that's not a fair way to rate the beer. Viewed objectively, this is a nice middle-of-the-road Dunkelweizen with an interesting splash of Peach. It fits well into Shiner's portfolio of beers stuck in a bizarre purgatory between macro and micro. I'm still not sure what peach has to do with Christmas, but I'm willing to look past that here.

Grade: B-

Shiner Hefeweizen Review

Brewery: Spoetzl Brewery | Beer: Shiner Hefeweizen
Style: Hefeweizen | ABV: 5.6%
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into pint glass

The first thing I ever noticed about this beer, back when I was first starting to appreciate great beer, was the bizarre graphic of two men sharing the same head (or is it just one man?). Turn the graphic one way and its a wistful chap reminiscent of Phil Collins in a dirty suit after being dumped. Turn it the other way and he’s happy, but looks much less like Phil Collins. The sad chap is pouring a bottle of beer upwards to the happy one. I guess that’s why he’s sad; not because he was dumped but because gravity stopped working right and stole his beer.

I absolutely loved it, I had to have this beer! True, buying a beer based sheerly on it’s labeling is not a smart move; I’ve learned that the hard way. Luckily for me (and Shiner) this time I was not disappointed, I’ve been a big fan ever since. A few years back, Shiner changed the label design to a different interpretation of the one-headed-men concept, this time more stippled with the happy guy wearing a polo shirt.

While visiting my local supermarket a couple weeks back, I noticed a new Shiner design. Once I reached the six-pack my heart sunk as I realized that it was Hefeweizen and the weird little graphic was gone for good. The new design is very bold and colorful and really fits the flavor profile of the beer. But all of this is about a label, who cares, the important stuff is inside.

Shiner Hefeweizen is brewed in the Bavarian wheat beer style that is Hefeweizen. The beer is unfiltered, unpasteurized and brewed with Texas clover honey, and both lemon and orange peels. This makes the beer very unique, especially when compared to the other offerings I can find at local gas stations. Hefeweizen has earned many awards, including a gold medal at the 2002 World Beer Cup for specialty honey lager or ale.

Appearance: Pleasantly cloudy straw to pale orange body with a decent off-white dimpled head that dissipates rather quickly leaving a decent amount of lacing (Note: The sunset light in the above picture makes the beer appear more yellow that it appears in normal light)

Aroma: Sour citrus dominates, with some faint sweetness on top of a subtlety hoppy and grainy body

Taste: Very crisp and tart with huge citrus notes (that linger well into the aftertaste) with slight hints of the added honey - the hops and wheat are very much in the background here

Mouthfeel: Fizzy and a bit thin, but that’s what you are looking for in a summer’s day thirst quencher like this

Drinkability: This a great beer for Texas summers: goes down easy, refreshes and has a moderate ABV so you can keep drinking all afternoon

Verdict: Sour citrus flavors absolutely dominate this beer, so if you aren’t a fan of those flavors you probably aren’t going to like Shiner Hefeweizen much. If you happen to like sour citrus flavors though, you’re going to find a great refreshing beer that is quite affordable (depending on where you live). I’ve always have a fondness for this beer, and although I will always miss the creepy guy(s) on the label, the beer still doesn’t disappoint me.

Grade: A

Shiner Bock Review

Brewery: Spoetzl Brewery | Beer: Shiner Bock
Style: Bock | ABV: 4.4%
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into pint glass

The Spoetzl brewery was founded in 1909 in the town of Shiner, Texas by German immigrants looking to recreate the beers they were used to at home. The brewery is named after the second brewmaster and long time owner Kosmos Spoetzl. Today, Shiner brews up a healthy portfolio (reviews of all Shiner beers to follow) with Shiner Bock as the flagship product. We learned about the Bock style a few posts back in the review of Saint Arnold Spring Bock. We also learned that there is some contention as to what classification this beer even belongs to. But while this may in reality be an American Dark Lager, for now we’ll go with the brewer and call it a Bock.

Full disclosure: I drink a lot of this beer. Living in the Houston area, Shiner Bock is my faithful stand-by. I don’t always have the luxury of buying my beer from a specialty shop, or even high-end grocer. In fact, I end up having to buy a lot of beer from *gasp* gas stations. This is where Shiner (people mostly refer to Shiner Bock as simply “Shiner”) comes in. In an endless sea of macro lights, Shiner is the only decent beer to be found in many grocery stores, gas stations and skeezy bars in the area. Funnily enough, at many restaurants in the area, it’s even featured on the “import” list. Oh, Texas.

Appearance: Clear medium brown body with white head that fizzes out quickly, leaving moderate lacing

Aroma: Medium roasted malt body with vague hints of hops in the background

Taste: Roasted malt and caramel notes with a little booze and that famous metallic curve-ball at the end - nice caramel aftertaste

Mouthfeel: Quite dry and clean with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: I can personally assure you, Shiner can be drunk in large quantities over the course of a night

Verdict: This is certainly not the greatest beer in the world, nor the greatest Bock. Hell, as we saw in that Saint Arnold Spring Bock review, it might not even be a Bock. But still, I have a very warm place in my heart for Shiner Bock. It rescues me time and time again out in here the outback of American beer culture.

Just last weekend, I was attending a wedding, dreading choosing between choosing either tea or Bud Light after Bud Light. Then, out of nowhere my spirits lift when I hear the golden words: “They have a keg of Shiner.” I’m proud to say at my upcoming wedding, we will be having a keg of Shiner, too. Though, to be fair I’ll also have a secret stash of some higher-end beers. I guess that’s about the most perfect metaphor for this beer I could have come up with.

Grade: B-

I’m sure you have your own regional beers, that while not exactly world-class, seem to keep ending up in your hand weekend after weekend. Leave a comment and let me know.