– a blueberry lager from Anheuser-Busch
published Jan 25 ’15
Packaging
The packaging is medium yellow with dark blue splattered around its edges. The design is artsy but fun — it reminds me of the aftermath of a paintball tournament. The brew mascot – a
big blue cartoon bulldog – is front and center on both the six pack and the bottles, and it’s even on the bottle cap. Their blue bulldog calling me to “Join the Pack” on Facebook is the
kind of beer experience I’m looking for — let’s share the enjoyment together on social media. That and a nice 8.0% ABV convinced me to give it a try.
From the Brewer
Wild Blue is a product of Blue Dawg Brewing which is a marketing group, not a brewery. The brew is actually produced by
mega-brewer Anheuser-Busch.
The Wild Blue website looks like it was designed in 2008 and seems like it has not been updated since. I was very disappointed that the Facebook page noted on their six-pack does not exist.
Wild Blue is the only beer mentioned on their webpage. With 8.0% ABV, Wild Blue is noted as a blueberry lager. Check it out at WildBlueLager.com
Color
There really are no beer-like qualities to the color of Wild Blue. It’s purple! As you’ll see in the video, Wild Blue is better compared to beets, red cabbage and Barney the dinosaur
than to any other types of beer.
So, enjoy it for its sweet fruitiness and try not to spill any on your shirt.
Taste
When you first open the bottle you are slammed by the aroma of blueberry juice. It smells good, but it’s potency is very surprising. And the aroma of
blueberry sweetness lingers. I’ve opened a bottle, set it on the desk here in my office, left the room and upon my return I’m again hit by the blueberryness.
And this is not a bad thing, it’s just not expected; especially when you are drinking a beer.
The taste is flat to start, but the fruity aroma helps give some flavor.
The middle is marked by effervescence — it is a bubbly brew. There are also hints of malt flavors. The malt is very subtle and it just barely says that this might be beer you are drinking. Until…
It ends. And it ends very fruity. Again, here at the end, you are really slammed by the fruity aroma and flavor. The taste is obviously and overwhelmingly blueberry but the fruitiness has hints of citrus as well. Eventually you are left with a too-sweet aftertaste that instead of beckoning for more makes you almost want to grab a glass of water to rinse down the sweet. You really need to be in the mood for some candy to drink Wild Blue. The flavor is good, but it is not beer.
And don’t get me wrong here. I bought Wild Blue looking forward to enjoying a blueberry flavored beer. I enjoy a sweet beer and beers with hints of fruit. But this is very different. Wild Blue tastes more like a strong blueberry juice to which someone added just a little beer. So, I’m very surprised that Anheuser-Busch continues to market this product as a lager. Wild Blue truly belongs on the wine-cooler shelf.
Final Facts
Name: Wild Blue
Packaging: Artsy and fun with a cartoon style
Type: Blueberry Lager
ABV: 8.0%
Color: Nothing to mention in degrees Lovibond because it is a purple brew.
Taste: Starts flat with a fruity aroma, middle is bubbly with subtle hints of malt, ends far too sweet.
Price: $7.46 six pack
12 oz bottle: $1.24
Final rating: 3 out of 5 Caps
Fun packaging but outdated website and despite a good flavor it’s far too sweet for beer.
Wild Blue tastes good, but it is not beer.