Is The Budweiser Black Crown Any Good?

Budweiser may be the king of beers, but if you ask staffers at The Daily Meal (or, likely, anyone who has taste buds), that title comes more from its price and convenience than from its flavor. But with the launch of its newest brew, Black Crown, and the accompanying promotional hashtag #tasteis, it looks like the brand is trying to break that image.

So what makes Black Crown different? Apparently, "passion," "romance," and a "great show," according to the media kit our office received. (And considering that a "great show" according to Bud is a vial of glitter, we hope they're not serious. But hey, we like glitter.)

If you don't remember, Black Crown is the result of the Project 12 challenge to 12 Budweiser brewmasters to update Budweiser. The final beer (hand-picked by the people — more than 25,000 at bars and festivals across the nation) is one brewed with toasted caramel malt and beechwood-finished. (Just so you know, beechwood finishing is actually a standard part of the Budweiser brewing process — so that's nothing really new.) Still, at 6 percent ABV, the golden amber lager promises its Bud-loving crowd more body, color, and hop character than ever before — which is especially important for the hipster millennials that Anheuser-Busch is hoping to lure away from the craft beer world. Well, good thing we're an office (mostly) full of (mostly) hipster millenials. 

Of course, after pours for everyone, the general consensus at the office: it still tastes like Budweiser. Though technically a higher ABV-brew, it still tastes like a light beer. While the craft beer lovers in the office snubbed the taste, the Bud drinkers in the office said that if it was at the bar, they'd probably drink it. (The most vocal Bud drinker in the office made sure to tell me, though, that she would drink anything.)  So is it the worst-tasting beer you'll ever have? We wouldn't go that far — but as one #tasteis hashtag user put it, taste is still pretty important to a beer drinker. In market research, one Anheuser-Busch exec reported that 84 percent of people who tried Black Crown said they'd try it again. We report that 84 percent of people must have been interested in finding a new easy-drinking, light beer that finishes with a slightly-strong version of that classic, Bud taste. Because if that's your aim, Black Crown delivers. But, if you're actually hoping to really learn what #TasteIs, keep looking.