Is Bud Light Or Coors Light The Better Beer? (Ultimate Test)

Both Bud Light and Coors Light are extremely popular all-American light lagers. Today, even with hundreds of other beers to choose from, Bud Light and Coors Light dominate the beer industry. Let’s look at what Bud Light and Coors Light have in common and what sets them apart from each other.

Bud Light and Coors Light are both American light lagers. They are both low in alcohol content and IBU. While both beers are virtually see-through with hints of yellow color, Coors Light goes above and beyond to ensure their overall appearance is second to none. Both Bud Light and Coors Light are very easily drinkable.

We will take a deep dive into what characteristics Bud Light and Coors Light have in common and what sets them apart. Please continue reading to learn more about their flavor, mouthfeel, smell, and appearance. We’ll also look at their history and any unique qualities they may have.

History

Bud Light was created in 1982 when Budweiser wanted to produce the lowest-calorie beer on the market. Bud Light was a success, and in 2008 Bud Light at both the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup won gold medals for its high-quality taste.

Coors Light was created in 1978 to compete with other light beers on the market. Thanks to its unique design, in the 1980s, college students began asking for “The Silver Bullet” in bars, and so Coors Light’s nickname was created.

Brewing & Classification Process

Next, let’s talk about the brewing and classification process of both Bud Light and Coors Light. Both beers are fermented in colder temperatures (35˚–50˚F). The yeast is not seen during the fermentation process, and it’s so-called bottom-fermenting yeast. Both beers have a low IBU (International Bitterness Units). Bud Light at 6 and Coors Light 10-12.

Both Bud Light and Coors Light have an SRM (Standard Reference Method) of 2-3. This scale represents the intensity of color for beer. Bud Light has an ABV (alcohol by volume) of 4.2%. Coors Light has an ABV of between 4.2% (in the United States) and 4.5% (in Australia and other countries). The bottom-fermenting yeast, low IBU, low SRM, and ABV all determine the classification of both Bud Light and Coors Light as American Light Lagers.

Flavor

Next, let’s discuss flavor. Bud Light and Coors Light provide drinkers with a crisp, light, and refreshing flavor. Bud Light and Coors Light are specifically designed to be served ice cold. Coors Light takes this recommendation a bit further with their marketing brand. We will discuss this in more detail later on.

Mouthfeel

Next, let’s discuss Bud Light and Coors Light’s mouthfeel. At their core, Bud Light and Coors Light are very similar. Both beers are incredibly easy to drink, going down smoothly with no harsh or robust texture. Bud Light and Coors Light are beer choices for anyone looking to drink for an extended amount of time without being intoxicated or hungover. Examples of this would be parties, BBQs, and concerts. Both beers are also the perfect choice for new or light beer drinkers.

Coor Light does provide a more enjoyable mouthfeel as compared to Bud Light. Coors Light boasts the reputation of not being as dry compared to other light beers. Drinkers can feel bubbles on their tongues from the carbonation present in the Coors Light brewing process. This is a distinguishing feature of Coors Light.

Smell

Next, let’s move on to smell. Bud Light and Coors Light are eerily similar as it relates to this category.

As you would imagine with any light beer, Both Bud Light and Coors Light have a very faint smell. Apart from a hint of grass or watered-down barley, very minimal odor can be detected.

If you were to place Bud Light, Coors Light, and Michelob Light on a table for a blind smell test, none of the beers would be easily recognizable. Bud Light and Coors Light are almost indistinguishable from each other.

Appearance

Finally, let’s look at Bud Light and Coors Light’s appearances. The intensity of the color is based on a beer’s SRM. The SRM scale ranges from 2-80 and is measured by passing a beam of light through .39 (1cm) of beer and measuring the attenuation of the light. Both Bud Light and Coors Light come in at 2-3 on the SRM scale. This explains their similar transparent yellow color.

As mentioned earlier, while both Bud Light and Coors Light are similar in color hue, Coors Light goes the extra mile to make the appearance of its beer one of its best features.

Coors Light temperature is precisely monitored throughout its brewing and packaging process (where appropriate) to keep the beer very cold. This helps develop the light, crisp taste that Coors Light is known for. Keeping the beverage cold throughout the entire brewing process also gives a long-lasting bright, and clear color. Once Coors Light is poured, a white foamy head quickly appears and disappears. Bubbles can be seen rising in a Coor Light beverage due to the high levels of carbonation,

Coors Light should always be kept and enjoyed at the ideal temperature between 40-44°F. Coors Light’s now-famous color-changing mountains were created to help drinkers keep their beers at the right temperature. When the mountains turn blue on Coors Light bottles and cans, the consumer knows it’s the perfect time to drink.

What Do Other People Think About Both Beers?

Another thing we definitely can’t forget about is to properly take into account the opinion of the general public when it comes to both beers. For this, we gathered data from several beer websites that allow people to review beers. The scores of each beer and each website are shown below (on a scale of 0 – 10).

Platform	Bud Light	Coors Light
Beeradvocate	4.7	5.1
Ratebeer	2.5	2.8
Untappd	4.3	4.8
Influenster	8.4	9.2
Average Score	5.0	5.5

What we see here is that, surprisingly, there’s one clear winner. In this case, Coors Light is enjoyed more by all kinds of different people. For example, Beeradvocate, Ratebeer and Untappd typically attract experienced beer drinkers and we can clearly see that Coors Light receives higher scores overall on all three platforms. Still, they’re not great, but at least better than Bud Light. One review on Beeradvocate describes the taste of Coors Ligh very well:

It’s not a classy, sophisticated, craft beer. I know it. The color doesn’t give you warm fuzzies about it having taste. It smells like any macro in its class, nothing special.

All that being said, I enjoy an ice-cold Coor’s Light. It’s light on the palate, refreshing, and not overbearing. You don’t drink it to impress or prove your knowledge of beer. You drink it because you’re a beer guy

On the other hand, even on a platform like Influenster (which typically attracts inexperienced beer drinkers or ‘the masses’), we see that Coors Light is loved more than Bud Light.

Bud Light Like No Other

Unlike most other Light beers, Bud Light offers its drinkers a wide range of varieties to choose from. Bud Light offers seltzers, peels, Bud Light Platinum, Bud Light Lime, and Bud Light Chelada. A brief description of each is listed below:

Bud Light Seltzer: A unique blend of Seltzer (carbonated water, alcohol, and fruit) and the original Bud Light quality. Comes in flavors such as grapefruit, cranberry, pineapple, and strawberry.

Bud Light Peels: Includes the original Bud Light flavor but is made with actual citrus peels. Comes in lime, lemonade, orange, and grapefruit.

Bud Light Platinum: A cross between Bud Light Beer and Bud Light Seltzer. This drink boosts ingredients such as wild berry, citrus, blood orange, and real agave.

Bud Light Lime: Gives drinkers the same bud light taste with a punch of lime. No artificial preservatives or sweeteners are added.

Bud Light Chelada: A perfect combination of a tomato cocktail and the crisp flavor of Bud Light Beer.

Bud Light VS Coors Light

Bud Light and Coors Light could be considered two of the most popular light beers globally. They are both easy to drink with a clean and refreshing taste. Personally, I believe Coors Light pushes just ahead of Bud Light. Its unique mouthfeel and stellar appearance make Coors Light my favorite light beer.