Shiner Bock Beer

by Kate McKeon
(Beer Delegate, TX, USA)

Shiner Bock Beer: headache in a bottle? Your comments, please!

Shiner Bock Beer
Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner, TX, USA
Visit our Texas beer guide

Shh, I have a secret to tell... are you ready? Close the door. You can't tell anyone. I really, really, really dislike Shiner beer.

Gasp! Yes, I know, it is hard to accept, but quite frankly it is a headache in a bottle. I drink a good many beers without trouble the next day, but Shiner ALWAYS sets off a chain reaction of allergies and a massive headache.

Mind you, I can polish off a BOTTLE of Champagne by myself without fear for the next day, but one bottle of Shiner Bock makes me cry like a baby.

A fellow compatriot said this about Shiner: "Shiner is nothing marvelous in my book. It always tastes a bit muddy to me, like it has too many ingredients or something."

Yes, exactly. Shiner tries too hard to be the uber-Amber but falls far short. That said, it is extraordinarily popular. Continues below

It is considered an IMPORT anywhere other than Shiner, TX and the immediate area, so way up here in Dallas we pay fancy bottle prices for a beer I could get for $45/KEG in college 1996-1998 prices.

Shiner Bock Beer is not named after a drunk-punch fight, remarkably enough. But it will make you feel like you've been in one.

Kate has ruffled plenty of feathers with this review in particular. If YOU have a comment to make about Shiner Bock, then please speak up! Ed.

Comments for
Shiner Bock Beer

Average Rating

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Oct 16, 2011
Rating

Headache in a Bottle
by: Anonymous

My beer of choice is usually Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Sam Adams, or a nice dark beer, but being from Texas, I often find that my only choices are the usual Coors, Bud, a Mexican beer and Shiner. Every single time I choose Shiner, I end up with a terrible headache before finishing the beer.

I have never experienced this kind of reaction with any other beers. I would love to know what it is, but the ingredients are unknown.

Sep 19, 2011
Rating

me too.
by: Anonymous

i enjoy beer. i enjoy many, many types. i do not, however, enjoy shiner bock. immediate headache. super nauseous and awful intestinal aftermath the next day (because you wanted to know). i thought maybe it was an allergy but i don't have any sort of food allergies. it doesn't matter if i've had it from a bottle or if it's draft, it makes me super sick. which sucks because it's moderate in price and tastes ok. i've had it several times and after a final ruined evening recently due to feeling terrible from a few shiner bocks, i'm done with it.

May 09, 2011
Rating

Not bock/good beer
by: Timm

I have tried to get a headache or hangover from Shiner, didn't happen. Not a true bock, but it's a good beer and the smoothness is unmatched. That being said it is rather a weak beer in taste and alc. % by vol. for a bock and appears not have aged long as for the lack of malty-ness. I'll have a Shiner before I get a Ziegenbock! However, my first choice would be Saint Arnolds' Spring Bock....tasty

Dec 21, 2010
Rating

Shiner bock rocks
by: Arkansas native

I don't know what kind of beer you normally drink but i'm guessing it is coors light if you get a headache from SHINER BOCK. If you will try drinking a real beer and not some watered down version you will discover there are also many other good beers in the world. I have never never ever gotten a headache from three beers. And having spent four years in germany drinking beer that was room temperature i believe it would have happened to me then. Hope this helps you in you quest for the perfect beer.

Dec 18, 2010
Rating

Shiner Bock Headache
by: Dan

Shiner is a good beer! Kroger has good fried chicken! I had 3 bottles of Shiner Bock last night and 3 pieces of Kroger chicken. After eating and drinking I had a headache into the night and it is lingering this morning. Generally, I do not get headaches from Shiner or the chicken. Maybe it is because I mixed the two?

Dec 16, 2010
Rating

Allergies?
by: Anonymous

Awfully silly to rate a beer low because you're allergic to it! Shiner Bock is one of the beers I pick up when I have a lot of people over. It's a safe beer with broad appeal. It won't knock your socks off, but it's got a nice, non-bitter flavor with a bit of sweetness.

Dec 04, 2010
Rating

Love Shiner!
by: Sarah

I've never had a headache from Shiner, but there are certain beers that do set me off, so I can see why you wouldn't drink it-It must be an allergy to one of the grains. I don't think that makes it a crappy beer for anyone without that food allergy though. I love Shiner: Bock, Blonde, Heffeweizen...and most of all Cheer. Their Holiday Cheer is by far the best Christmas beer I've ever had. You can't beat a beer that has a subtle flavor of Texas pecans and peaches without tasting sweet. I'm disappointed every time I order a Christmas beer and it's not a Shiner. Also I've been to the brewery-Bock is not colored artificially.

Sep 12, 2010
Rating

it is only coloring
by: Arthur

Shiner Bock is not really a bock. It gets its color from a coloring agent, not from it's ingredients. It no longer tastes good and also gives me a headache. I like many beers. I do not like Shiner beers.

I will say that around 1987 or so Shiner Bock was different. No head aches and pretty good flavor. It is not the same anymore.

Jul 31, 2010
Rating

i LOVE Shiner Blonde
by: Busy B

Shiner Blonde is the best beer on Earth! There's nothing Finer - than a can of ice cold Shiner....especially while floating down the Frio River in Concan, Texas. Yes!!!! Shiner Blonde is now available in cans :)

Jul 15, 2010
Rating

Shiner Bock is a great beer
by: Lucky

I've consumed thousands of pints of Shiner Bock and never suffered a headache. It has a warm flavor but is still light enough to be refreshing. Definitely my first choice for readily available brew in Texas. Too bad it isn't available in Canada

May 16, 2010
Rating

great beer
by: Anonymous

It has a good color and its a great beer.
WE went though 30 kegs at an art @ wine festival in May. Bought my first keg and everyone loves the beer.

May 16, 2010
Rating

great beer
by: Anonymous

has a nice color and body a smooth beer

Apr 23, 2010
Rating

The bock
by: Ed

I love the shiner bock. Today I bought my first keg for my home kegerator!! Anyone know what the proper psi setting is? I am guessing 10 to 12.

Apr 23, 2010
Rating

The bock
by: Ed

I love the shiner bock. Today I bought my first keg for my home kegerator!! Anyone know what the proper psi setting is? I am guessing 10 to 12.

Mar 27, 2010
Rating

Headache beer...can they advertize that?!
by: Blinger

Give me a break, folks! Shiner Bock is made with malted barley, corn, roasted malt, hops and yeast.... visit the brewery...which is free and (I think) informative! Most of their other beers do not have any corn, by the way, and no "chemicals" are added. As I recall, it is owned by a family in San Antonio, and not a 'foreign company' or another major brewer. Wish they would let you sample everything but they limit it to a few small glasses. Very clean facility and kid friendly. Great bar bq is 30 mins away in Lockhart.

Mar 08, 2010
Rating

Great Beer
by: Greg Irwin

Hello,I live in Grandville MI. I think this is one of the best tasting beers i have ever had.If i get down to Texas im gona stop at Shiner and have a couple.

Feb 14, 2010
Rating

Shiner also gives me a headache
by: Anonymous

I drink two or three beers on a daily basis. My preference is Saint Arnolds, Canadian beer, and German Beer. I bought a 12 pack of Shiner Boch and will be throwing it away due to the immediate headache half way through one beer. Folks, many American beers do not disclose ingredients, and I suspect this beer includes ingredients in addition to water, malted barley, yeast, and hops. I do not recommend this beer.

Feb 08, 2010
Rating

dope
by: Anonymous

your headache is from dehydration and not Shiner bock.personally I love the stuff , On draught and in a frozen glass its simple unbeatable

Jan 28, 2010
Rating

Interesting
by: Anonymous

My brow raised when I saw the headache comment. The last time I had a Shiner via draft it gave me a headache the next day. Happened again two weeks later. I figured it was a bad keg or something, but it forever changed my view of the Shiner Bock. Looks like I'm not the only one! But that was years ago. I've moved on to more enlightening beers like the Real Ales and Saint Arnolds. Shiner has recently put out a sampler pack that's not too bad, especially the Kosmos! Can't find it by itself though! Another smirk to Shiner? Sold out to a foreign company and word has it it doesn't use sugar, but High Fructose corn syrup. Yuck.

Oct 01, 2009
Rating

Just a good Texas beer
by: Anonymous

This review gives me a headache but that does not make my comment a review.

Shiner Bock is a good solid bock beer that is very popular because it tastes good. It is not a heavily hopped beer. Shiner is a light amber with a very mild taste but it is not watery like a Bud, Coors etc. If you like that type of "beer" then you may get a headache from Shiner. But then, maybe you just don't like beer?

Aug 11, 2009
Rating

Is this a review?
by: Snuff

Is this really a review? Seriously? It gives her a headache the next day so she doesn't like it. That's fine and dandy, but she says nothing of the beer itself. How's it taste? She relates to someone else's review for that, but doesn't give a reference to it. Epic Fail for a beer review in my opinion and a slap in the face to Shiner.

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