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Friends will be aghast when they read this headline, knowing how much of a beer snob I am. I’m a devotee of Belgian beers as wells as domestic strong ale styles (Barleywines, double bocks, etc.). Now that I’m in my thirties, I figure if I’m going to put some miles on my liver, it may as well be with the good stuff.

In San Diego, our main haunt for good beers is O’Brien’s Pub, just a few miles from us.

When I visit Pittsburgh, The Sharp Edge is a mandatory destination for Belgian and other good local brews, as is a little bottle shop a few miles from my folks house. At the bottle shop, I noticed some big bottles I hadn’t seen before, one by Budweiser and one by Michelob.

The Budweiser Brew Masters’ Private Reserve comes in a quart (32 ounce) bottle, while the Michelob comes in a 24 ounce bottle that resembles an artillery shell. The Budweiser clocks in at 8.5% ABV, while the Michelob hits double digits at 10% ABV; these are not your typical mass-market domestics. I think I paid about $13 for the big Bud and $11 for the Michelob.
So how do they taste? The Budweiser label did not lie; it is a smooth beer, and the higher alcohol content is not obvious. It’s probably been over 10 years since I’ve had a regular Budweiser, but the Private Reserve basically tasted like a stronger version (almost double the alcohol!) of the original. That’s not to say that it was bad, but I can’t say that there was much complexity to the taste either. In some ways, it reminded me of a smooth version of an American malt liquor. Again, not bad, but probably not something I’d buy again (unless it was the only interesting domestic offering at a bar).

The Michelob was another story. Though I like the taste of vanilla, I was concerned that they might overdo the flavor. Fortunately, the vanilla flavor was quite well-balanced; it was obviously there, but it wasn’t overpowering. I’d definitely buy this one again. I’ll have to keep an eye out for it when I return to San Diego.