Louisiana Beer Reviews: Pabst Blue Ribbon (2024 "City Brewing" Edition)

I actually checked out a book that's full of first-hand accounts about our guys experience in Korea during the war and one of our guys actually remembered his mother sending him a couple of cans of this while he was over there on the line

20 years ago there was a bar near Dodger Stadium called the dugout. They had PBR on tap for $1.50

Great review as always Jay! Picked up a 24 oz earlier this morning; didn't look at the date but it was a pleasant lager drinking experience. What would you suggest as far as American Lagers in comparison to a Euro Lager like Heineken?

I remember My Dad giving me some Pabst Blue Ribbon when I was 15 years old. My Grandfather owned a Liquor Distribution Company in Galesburg Illinois and they only Sold One Beer, Pabst Blue Ribbon. When I was 16 I discovered Guinness Extra Stout and India Pale Ales, but I Digress. I started Home Brewing the day I turned 21 years old in Atlanta GA. When I was 23 my Dad brought me a 6-Pack of Jacobs Best. So anyway the Main thing that I want to point out is that here in North Carolina the Pabst Blue Ribbon Has Been Tasting Better Lately, like Someone Remembered the Recipe from 40 Years Ago and I Can Taste The Difference!!! I just Wish I could get Some Jacobs Best in this Area. Also my Dad told me that Budweiser Is The Devil!!! R.I.P. Dad. Hahahahahahaha 😂!!!

Hi Jay, are you finding beer prices are meaningfully elevated vs where they were last year out your way ? At least in Michigan it seems they've risen quite a bit. Eg. Last year I bought 30Hamms @ $14.99, now @ $17.99. High Life 30s' were $16.99 vs $19.99, currently. But, these prices are still far superior to what we have to pay in Canada. !

Its a good beer I strarted drinking in the 90s but i notice the tast deference

Drinking a 16 oz can as we speak...it seems lighter, cleaner and a bit more "round" compared to the MolsonCoors brewed stuff...like they ironed out some of the rough edges that gave PBR a bit of character...that may be a good thing or a bad thing to some people...it lacks that "house" miller flavor....

Just found the Latrobe bottles here at my food lion here in Virginia and bought a 12 pack. To me, it tastes cleaner with a little hop finish. I think it's tasting much better now cause prior to this, at least in my area. Pabst was like a beer where you didn't know what you were getting.. meaning it might be OK one time and another time it could end up tasting pretty foul.

6 bottles here are 6.99 usually the pint can version is about the same at the convenience outlet. Not bad price but expensive in comparison to the 30 pack cans option which is always available

It’s my all time favourite beer now 😂 cheers Ron

Need a duo with Dave 🤘

Just read that for the 180th anniversary of this fine brew, Pabst created "180 packs" Not sure about the pricing but that's a lot of great beer!!

10.99 12 pk cans here at my local grocery store

I just purchased a 30 pack for $22. I don't see an issue

Good price man.. it’s $2.30 /tall boy in Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦

I can get pbr for 12.59 a 12 here in Washington state. Decent deal

I used to hate this beer Ron now I love it here in Canada it made from sloth Canada same company who makes sleeman and and old miwakiee cheers buddy

Good one Jay!

PBR tastes different or like it once did. I was drinking a bottle of PBR and couldn't get over the taste of it. Sometimes you get fresh beer but it wasn't that, it seemed different. I looked at the label and voila, made in Latrobe Pa. The Rolling Rock Brewery I am thinking. Yuengling is the standard in Florida everywhere it's on tap. And I like Yuengling. We can't get it in Michigan or Wisconsin so finding out that PBR is made in PA. is pretty cool folks it tastes great and buy it often. 9 out of 10.

Ronald I tried the new Pabst in the bottle.Its a little diff but I still like a lot Maybe each brewery puts a little diff twist to the way they brew it

I've gotten to where I'll look at the best by date before I even buy a case of beer because I had a bad experience with an out-of-date case of Bud ice one time

Yea it looks and tastes different. Tastes lighter and looks lighter.

That's a lot for a 12 pack. I can still get a 12 pack of cans for 9.99. I do live like less than 5 miles from the Irwindale brewery though.

drinking one right now with latrobe / irwindale label. i think this is different than the pabst of previous times. it’s not as good to me. i can taste the “ city brewing “ in it. almost like shitty water or something. i hope this isn’t another old school brand that’s gonna go by the wayside bc of corporate america

Pretty crazy that all you could find was expired pbr. I sometimes see that with craft beers where I live or other beers that are slow sellers. But in my area, pabst is a fairly good selling beer and moves relatively quickly. Not as quickly as like bud light, millers lite, coors light etc. But no way would it sit on the shelf for over a year here.

I am more of a dark beer guy and an hour away from Milwaukee, but recently tried a PBR on Tap at Best Place on the History Tour (a guy bought the old Pabst HQ in Milwaukee to save/preserve it), was so surprised how good it was. The guide said the secret is be a beer snob,, check dates, use a glass, and they clean their lines about once a week. They had Schlitz on tap too, but I enjoyed the PBR so much I ordered a second, now I have to go back to try the Schlitz. Best part was $4 tap pints. Inspired me to buy a six pack of bottles, anyway to tell where brewed? My bottle code is OCT2124 25 , and then below that is C1020081307. The label says Milwaukee, WI, but didn't know if that was for nostalgia?

In KY, picked up a $25 30 case (with a $5 rebate) today. Nowhere on the can or case does it say the ABV nor where it is brewed. Just a P.O. Box for WI. In an AAL blind challenge I did years ago, PBR came in second to Hamm's (Coors Banquet third). Very similar, though I still feel there's something bitter on the finish that I'm not thrilled with (as you say, YMMV). So, still a Hamm's man for AAL, but I'll watch for City Brewing on PBR in the coming years.

Hi Jay, in the past, you've reviewed Old Style lager. Do you have access to that beer locally? If so, it would be great for a review since the change of brewer. Thanks again

Here in Bellingham Washington it's 10.99 a 6 pack

Sipping on a canned City Brewing edition of PBR. I think you’re right that City Brewing improved it. That said, I was never a fan of the original PBR to begin with. This City Brewing one is workin’ for me, though. I guess City Brewing can make a good beer if they choose to. Still, I like MGD more. But my admiration for City Brewing is rising. They’re the little brewery engine that could.

Good job! I love the hop bitterness in PBR. You can get Schlitz in Louisiana? I love Schlitz but can't get it in Alabama. I'd drive down there to score some LOL! What town?

Would Frank Booth Approve? lol

Is there a way to tell if the Pabst comes from City brewing? All the pabst around me currently has a "drink by" the end of May or late june.. and also hasnt been good of late. I looked on the bottom of a 30 pack and I wanted to say it stated Texas or something. I might be wrong and we are by Williamsburg Va.

Not a fan of Pabst but I'm highly impressed they're one of the few beer companies out there that don't advertise their products by jamming it down our throats in commercials. That's definitely a company I have respect for

PBR on draft is probably the most wonderful thing in the history of the world. They have PBR on draft at Twin Peaks less than a mile from from my house so I can walk right over there and drink it whenever I want 😁

nice review and great glass!!

Nice to see you still have the Schooner chalice! Our cats break my glassware lol the pesky tails

Im going to look for this new Pabst for sure. It has been one of my go-to's since 1974. Sad that its not brewed in my hometown anymore. And I can't find the new Schlitz anywhere up here so far!

Good evening Sir!! So, Pabst is a good every day beer. I don’t drink it as often as I should! Great review my friend!!

FYI...If you collect cans, Coors Banquet has a Legacy collection that just became available here in Southern New Mexico. Look for it in your area. I think the artwork is very good.

Jay … since there’s been some talk here about out of date beer on the shelves. On my GA - NC trip this past weekend I saw 4 packs of Veltins on shelf at TW Wilmington NC (new can design btw). Since hadn’t seen in year or 2 & you know my love of style .. was gonna buy. Checked date - a few months past best by so put back on shelf.

Thank you for having reviews of the City Brewing-Pabst products. It’s going to be good having beers like Stroh’s potentially made in Latrobe where Rolling Rock once was; Stroh’s was very popular in Western Pennsylvania even though it was originally a Detroit made product.

Ball caps and jerseys have up too.. box them save them! $

Ive tried the new and really like it . I buy the tall boy cans often. Been drinking it since the 80s always good. Great Review Thank You ! Im still looking for the tall boy Schlitz here in TN!

I will have to give the City brewed Pabst a try. I recently tried the City brewed Old Style. It was good but was a little different from the Miller brewed. I little thinner but was more hoppy than I remember. Cheers 🍻!

I was waiting to see if you noticed any difference in flavor but with a score of 94 that doesn't seem to be the case, thank God. PBR is my favorite non light beer, along with Miller High Life

I had a PBR on draft at Carolina Ale House (regional beer + sports bar chain) just few days ago while on a road trip. Not sure if old Miller produced or new City Brewing made product but tasted fine. I know the cans of Schlitz and National Bohemian produced by new supplier not as good as before. Pabst should have taken more assertive steps to ensure product quality & consistency when make this big change or kept/re-acquired one of their old breweries .. but probably not financially feasible for them. Lastly, did you know there used to be a Pabst plant in Newark, NJ ... was right along the Garden State Parkway, only separated from the major highway by a cemetery and would see it often in the back seat of mom/dad's car (closed mid 80's). Big blue building w/ PBR logo on square with white background up top.

Interested to try this, Jay. Thanks for the review. It's pretty common here in Virginia and generally don't have an issue with out of date Pabst (2023 expiration dates in May 2024 is ridiculous), though I always check. I'd be curious to see if they have the new stuff here. Usually about $11.49 or so a 12 pack (but cans, not bottles) here, so maybe more popular. I agree it had the winey taste back in the last 90s/early 2000s. I'm curious about this new version--sounds like it's pretty good and an improvement even.

PBR was my usual go-to beer until they started selling Hamm's tall boy 6 packs for $5.49 right next to it on the cold shelf.
I did the math and discovered that a 6-pack of pint cans would be an 8-pack of 12 oz cans, all for $5.49 - and in Seattle no less - woo hoo!

Best tasting PBR was always in glass 40s, could really appreciate the hops in those.