The other day I was trying out a new pub (which I will talk about another day) and stumbled across something called Shock Top. The bartender said it was a Belgian Witbier, but didn’t know who made it. I was a bit nervous about that, having been burned before (here, for example). However I steeled myself and asked for a sample.
As it works out, the beer is a new import from ABInbev (Labatt’s). They released this beer last year in the States and clearly want to move into Canada. Leave aside, for the moment, that they already have two Witbier (sort of) in Hoegaarden and Alexander Keith’s White. Clearly they think there is more room for a fruity wheat beer.
Seems more to me like an example of setting yourself up for cannibalization, where your own product steals market share from your other product. Hoegaarden is the segment leader. But what do I know? I am not a marketing official for the world’s largest beer corporation, am I?
At any rate, we have another so-called Belgian White in town. So I took my sample and gave it a go.
It presents appropriately as a thickly hazy pale orange. The head was minimal, but I attribute that to the small taster glass. The aroma has a big, sweet orange citrus with a bit of generic earthiness and a smidgen of coriander (but I had to work to find it). And then some more orange to back that up.
The flavour presents, well, orange. Kind of a sweet, Orange Crush kind of fruitiness with some fresh spicing as a backup singer. There is a touch of earthiness, but overall the body and presentation are rather flat and uninspiring. The overall balance is sweet and citrusy. Orange-like citrus returns at the end of the taste. The linger reminds me of orange. Did I remember to mention the orange?
Frankly even Jack Layton would say this beer has too much orange going on. What is it with the big boys and their need to turn a subtle, refreshing, multi-layered style into a Broadway musical all about fruit? And why orange? Rickard’s White has the same issue – all orange all the time. There are a number of other citrus flavours that can work quite well in a Witbier. I really don’t get it.
However, I am glad for two things. First that they didn’t serve it with a wedge of orange (but only because is was taster size), which might have sent me into an orange-induced coma. Second, that is was a taster size portion. Not sure what I would have done with a whole pint.
Sadly, I notice there are four other versions of Shock Top available in the U.S. – from raspberry to pumpkin to a Wheat IPA(??). All we can hope for (and maybe start a petition) is that they decide to NOT bring those versions to Canada.
August 15, 2012 at 12:07 PM
Shock Top has been around in the US for a while, at least 5 years, and to borrow from your theme, its “Shockingly Popular” amongst the non-educated crowd, because it is marketed as faux-craft beer there.
Shock Top was created to be a direct competitor to Coors’ Blue Moon (another “Belgian White”). If you get a bottle of Shock Top or Pale Moon in the US, neither of the labels mentions that they were brewed by the aforementioned macros, just that they were brewed in Golden, Colorado or St. Louis. Missouri (or whichever regional location brewed it).
Shock Top has had to keep up to the Joneses, so to speak, as blue Moon has released a dizzying array of flavor varieties (Pumpkin, Belgian Pale, Summer Honey, Valencia Amber, Raspberry Cream, Spring Blonde etc, etc.)
August 15, 2012 at 2:00 PM
You don’t want to know ho mny calls we’ve been getting about it. It’ll be here before you know it.
August 15, 2012 at 2:00 PM
how many. damn new fingers.
August 16, 2012 at 1:50 PM
I don’t get what it is about the pseudo-craft products that catches people’s attention. My wife and I visited the local pub earlier this summer, and being a witbier fan (Hoegaarden is by far her favourite), she noticed the new Shock Top tap and wanted to try it. I quietly told her, “it’s a Budweiser product, stick with your Hoegaarden.” She was disappointed and felt deceived at the same time.
We were at yet another pub this summer and experienced an even more extreme “ORANGE” situation. We order pints of a very nice witbier, and the server says, “I suggest getting your pint topped up with a little orange juice, it tastes WAY BETTER this way.” It took all my strength to remain composed, politely decline this suggestion, and also request that they do not put any orange slices on the rim of our pints. They still showed up with the orange slices. Can’t win em all I guess.
August 16, 2012 at 3:38 PM
Well as I am sure you are aware, technically Hoegaarden is also a “Budweiser” product now. The market penetration of AB-InBev products like Hoegaarden, Leffe, and Stella Artois in this country in the past few years is astounding to me.
Hoegaarden’s story is an interesting one, as InBev pressured the founder, Pierre Celis, into a takeover after lending him money after a fire. The story is that the version of Hoegaarden that we get now was changed about that time to suit the mass market better.
However, Pierre Celis set up shop in Texas, and until recently you could still get his original recipe Hoegaarden in the US, branded as “Celis White”. Sadly, the license holder, Michigan Brewing Company Co, recently closed up shop. It is a little bit different that Hoegaarden.
I’m sorry to hear about your “over-orgaening” experience…just so odd.
August 16, 2012 at 11:43 PM
Yes, am aware of the Hoegaarden ownership by ABInbev, but good to mention it as well. To me there is a difference between an established brand being bought and left relatively unchanged, vs a big company creating pretend craft beer.
August 18, 2012 at 1:04 PM
On a “friend’s” (his membership in that category now tenuous at best) suggestion I recently tried a glass. Also was hesitant not knowing who made it, but gave it a go and was very disappointed. My description: Dish water with some orange juice in it.
To learn later it was faux-craft is just insult to injury. Stay away! A compromised Celis remains a better choice.
August 18, 2012 at 3:12 PM
I tried a sample and I was told it was made by Labatt (at least they knew where it was from). I drank it and declined a full size pint. I told the bartender it was gross, and he said,”ya its not that good, is it? If you want a good wit try Blanche de Chambly.”
The most astonishing thing about this is that it was in a mainstream pub where the big boys had consumed the tap line up and that a bartender there actually had a palate.
August 22, 2012 at 12:21 PM
A bad beer is a bad beer no matter who makes it (macro or micro) and this one is definitely not to my taste. As for those of you who are so offended by big breweries sneaking a beer into the market, get over it. No one is directly stealing money from the micros with their pseudo-craft marketing or forcing you to drink the stuff. If this is such an issue for some then I assume those people are craft soda drinkers as well considering how much more sinister the stuff a company like CocaCola gets up to than AbInbev or SabMillerCoors.
In the end it is up to the Micros to make beers that speak for themselves and if those beers don’t appeal to the ‘non-educated’ crowd that’s too bad. Fact is that some people are happy with simple, generic, and consistent.
August 22, 2012 at 12:25 PM
PS, If you need a Celis fix buy some Blanche de Chambly as the origins of Unibroue supposedly stem from a business deal in which Celis provided the recipe to start them off. Orange juice optional.
February 13, 2013 at 6:19 AM
When I first read about lambics with citrus rind and coriander I imagined a beer with a strong citrus note. At the time beer like that was not imported to my town so I tried to make it. I ordered some lambic yeast and tried a recipe with raspberries. It was over powered by the earthy flavor the OP mentioned with a tiny bit of coriander and raspberry flavor. Not so good but better than the German cru I just spent way to much on to throw down the drain. I have tried most of the beers all of you are fawning over and this one just tastes better in my opinion I must not have that left palette you are talking about. Also please don’t object to have more choice of beers in Canada, I have been trying for a couple of year to get a beer here for a Multicultural event with no luck so keep that opinion to your self, please.
February 13, 2013 at 9:14 AM
Chris,
I must admit to being rather confused by your comment. First, you talk about lambic (and kudos to you for trying to make lambic at home) on a page reviewing a witbier from ABInbev. Lambic and witbier are very far apart in their flavour profile. So, I am unsure of the relevance here.
Second, you claim that I am arguing against a bigger range of beer. This is either a deliberate misinterpretation or you have not read very much of what I write. I always call for more beer selection – but I want that beer selection to be quailty, well-made beer. I get frustrated at the corporate brewers because they throw their marketing heft behind mediocre (or worse) beer.
I respect that you enjoy Shock Top. I will never judge someone for their personal preferences. I am glad you like the beer. I, however, believe there are many better witbiers out there, including Blanche de Chambly, Hoegaarden (also an AB-Inbev product) and others. And it is my job to say so.
Thanks for commenting and I hope you come back and read more of what I have to say.
February 19, 2013 at 11:27 AM
I was referring to this quote:
“Sadly, I notice there are four other versions of Shock Top available in the U.S. – from raspberry to pumpkin to a Wheat IPA(??). All we can hope for (and maybe start a petition) is that they decide to NOT bring those versions to Canada.”
Starting a petition to not bring in new beers because they don’t fit your idea of a “quality” beer. You seem to infer that big companies can’t make good beer. It reminds me of a waiter I had in Berlin. I ordered a green apple beer, it was a hot day on the patio. He firsts says that is a fruit beer. I go yes I know. He then goes it is a ladies or kids beer. I don’t really care I am sure of my masculinity. It turned out refreshingly better than I expected. I am worried SGLA reads your blog and decides beerguy says this is no good so we should not bother to bring in.
I had a couple pints of the Shock Top on two separate occasions and it was not shocking bad that title would have to go Alexander Keith’s White. The Hoegaarden and Blanche de Chambly are nice coriander but not so much orange, I will not spend the premium for them as they did not do it for me. The Hoegaarden Raspberry is also disappointing. I wager I would like the shock top raspberry better so why would you say no till you try it.
On a different stream do you know any good beer importers, I have been looking for a couple of years and it seems our government is still very socialist when it comes to alcohol imports.
February 19, 2013 at 12:02 PM
Chris,
A fair point. I was being facetious (about the petition) to make the rhetorical point that another sub-standard line-up of faux-premium beer (like Rickard’s, Keith’s, etc.) is not really what the Canadian beer market needs. We definitely need more diversity, but personally I want it to be something more substantive. I agree that you (and many, many other people) might like those other versions of Shock Top. Heck, I might even like it (who knows?). In a way, my point isn’t so much about the taste of the beer as the broader role it plays in the beer market.
I totally respect that the orange character of Shock Top which so turns me off is a positive for you. I have no intentions of saying you shouldn’t appreciate it. The odd thing about being a beer writer is that I put my personal opinion out there. I try my best to be respectful to differing viewpoints.
And by the way – there are a number of fruit beer I would be happy to drink (and be seen drinking). That is not my issue. Plus, I think you may over-estimate my influence on the SLGA, or anyone for that matter.
As for your importer question, if you asking for a way to order directly from someone, you are out of luck. Any alcohol that comes into Saskatchewan (or any other province, by the way) must go through the liquor board. If you are wondering about trying to encourage importers to make Saskatchewan a bigger priority, then the issue is good old fashioned capitalism, not the SLGA. The Saskatchewan market remains very small. My advice is to ask the SLGA to bring in the beer you want. Your best bet is to figure out who reps it elsewhere, contact them at the same time. It has worked for me a couple of times – pushing both the supplier and the retailer. Not sure what beer you are thinking of, so not sure which importers you woudl want to talk to – but that is some generic help. At least I hope it helps.
October 7, 2013 at 12:51 AM
Respectfully i have to disagree on saying shocktop is a bad beer
First of all i would like to mention i have tasted wheat beer in Germany, the Czech Republic and other places through Europe. in my opinion while the orange flavor is a little intense, i find this to be a refreshing summer drink. I find that a good number of wheat beers are very heavy, this is exactly the opposite and that is something i like with a meal or when sitting out in the lawn chairs. Is this an A+ quality beer, no i would give it more of a C+ or a B-.
October 7, 2013 at 3:04 PM
Thanks for your comment, Rick. I completely respect your opinion on that. If we all liked the same thing, the world would be very boring. The only thing I will point out is that Shock Top bills itself as a Wit, which generally are light and refreshing.