CHICAGO — It's sold for $2.99 a six-pack.
Its BeerAdvocate score is just 63 out of 100, or "poor."
But numbers don't tell the whole story of Big Flats 1901, the beer brewed and sold by Walgreen's.
At least according to these hilariously earnest reviews on the Internet:
"It was very tasty, a beer fit for a king," one BeerAdvocate user, 2befree, writes.
"This is an every day beer, and although I can afford any beer I want, I choose this one," a very particular drinker named Cactus_Ron says.
"THIS IS QUITE POSSIBLY THE BEST BEER EVER CONCEIVED BY THE BREAST OF MAN," another reviewer, agarand, adds. (That one may not be so earnest).
A stack of Big Flats in a Walgreens store. [Facebook.]
And Big Flats, brewed exclusively for Walgreen's, is apparently on to something. Its online score beats better-known brands including Bud Light and Miller Lite, as well as ultra-cheap competitors such as Beer 30 Light.
Walgreen's began selling Big Flats in early 2011. Brewed in upstate New York, the beer's name "pays homage to the flat boats that traveled the area's rivers delivering goods to early settlers," according to its website. Each can has 148 calories and 4.5 percent alcohol by volume.
"Just as the water played a vital role in the settlers’ quality of life, the pristine water used in the brewing of Big Flats 1901 Premium Lager is vital to the crisp, fresh taste of this traditional American brew," the website reads.
But not everyone's buying it.
"It's cheap, and that's the best I can say about it," one reviewer said.
"I would not even use this for drinking games" another, Bachledk, writes.
"Disgusting!!! Vile!!! This is without a doubt the WORST beer I have ever tried!!!" another reviewer, Solid_Lifters, offers.
But like most things, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. Another reviewer, The-Adjunct-Hippie, offers a nuanced approach:
"I get a bunch of pale malts, a snap of grassy hop, and then a bit of a skunky estery quality, finally fading out to almost nothing on a bread note," the reviewer writes. "If I had to closely compare it's probably about like a funky cross between Labatt Blue and Miller High Life."
That score? 3.41 out of 5. Check out all the reviews or head to a Walgreen's store to decide if Big Flats is fit for your 2016 celebration. Or don't.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
