I approached reviewing Pabst Blue Ribbon with a bit of trepidation; after all, I’ve said more than once that it’s my favorite macrobrew and the best of them out there. I tend to drink it when we’re at my parents’ place, as well.

So how would the beer fare in an actual, objective tasting and review? Would I need to eat my words?

Ah, I needn’t have worried; it’s still good. Reviewed from the 24-ounce can, it’s 4.74% alcohol by volume.

Appearance: Pale yellow, less gold and more "straw." Clear, moderately bubbly with a nice big white head.

Smell: Clean and grainy—malt and rice with a touch of lactic sourness. Very faint whiff of hops.

Taste: Crisp, clean, smooth… the grain note here is (again) rice, which is interesting since it’s the first of these that has that characteristic (as opposed to corn, for instance). Cereal. Kind of a mild "wet grass" hop thing going on.

Mouthfeel: Light, smooth, and thin… a kind of mineral character in the residue/aftertaste.

The verdict: Still my general favorite… doesn’t have the "iconic" beer thing going on like the Coors Original, but for what it is, this is among the best. It’s clean, refreshing, crisp, and quenching with no off-flavors or funkiness. An American classic.

On BeerAdvocate, it scores a grade of C (the Bros. award it B-). On RateBeer, it scores 1.75 out of 5 and is in their 4th percentile.