The Taste of Platinum

The bright, blue bottle is eye-catching. The name is intriguing. Introduced a week before the Super Bowl by Anheuser-Bush, Bud Light Platinum is hardly light. It has the smooth texture of Bud Light, but has the alcohol content of something much stronger. Bud Light Platinum is 6% alcohol by volume, as opposed to regular Bud Light, which is 4.2%. This is a very rich alcohol content for a “light” beer, considering usually dark beers only range in the 6% area. Anheuser-Busch’s very own Budweiser just has 5%.

If your beer of choice is Bud Light, when you take your first sip of Bud Light Platinum you’ll notice its flavor is pretty similar to Bud Light. But it’s just not the same. If Bud Light isn’t your favorite beverage, then hopefully you can appreciate when I say Bud Light Platinum is like a light beer on steroids. Heavy steroids.

In my opinion, it makes Bud Light taste watered down in comparison. When compared to the tastes of Bud Light and Budweiser, I’d have to place it in the middle. It is very smooth like Bud Light, strong like Budweiser, but doesn’t have that rough aftertaste of Budweiser, either. It does have a bit of an aftertaste, but that’s mostly due to the high alcohol content.

Just like its taste, Bud Light Platinum’s calorie content (137 per 12oz bottle) is somewhere in the middle when compared to Bud Light and Budweiser. Bud Light has 110 calories per 12oz bottle and Budweiser has 145.

The word Platinum suggests a prestige product, and so does its price. On average, Bud Light Platinum costs about a dollar more than other Anheuser-Busch beers when purchased in a six-pack. Is it worth the extra money? I think on special occasions it is. After I had 3 beers of Bud Light Platinum I felt like I usually did after 4 and a half Bud Lights. Therefore, the higher alcohol content will ensure you get your money’s worth.