Is Michelob Ultra Or Miller 64 The Better Beer? (Ultimate Test)

Michelob Ultra and Miller 64 are equally impressive beers loved by millions of people across the world. But which is the people’s choice? Which is the better of the two? The paragraph below gives a short answer to that:

Although Michelob Ultra and Miller 64 are both light lagers, Miller 64 is far lighter. Michelob Ultra has a large amount of carbonation, while Miller 64 has light carbonation. Also, Michelob Ultra has a 4.2% ABV volume, whereas Miller 64 has a 2.8% ABV volume.

In this article, we’ll explain what these terms and figures mean. We’ll also highlight several factors that can help you differentiate these beers, such as mouthfeel, taste, alcohol content, and subjective opinions.

Flavor

Flavor is the most important thing about any beer, and determining it can help you understand which beer is quality and which is not. Michelob Ultra and Miller 64 are both Light Lagers, which is why they possess similar mouthfeels and tastes.

Understandably, it can be pretty hard trying to classify beers. Fantastic organizations such as the Beer Judge Certification Program have successfully performed this classification. According to these organizations, Light Lagers often have almost neutral tastes that allow you to quickly down multiple cans.

That said, it’s essential to consume beers like Michelob Ultra and Miller 64 cold. Drinking them at room temperature or hot may prove to be an unpleasant experience. Ingredients are a massive determinant of a beer’s flavor.

Michelob Ultra’s ingredients include rice, water, barley malt, hops, yeast, and barley and its products. Barley is used generously while making this beer, which is why it has a corn-like flavor. This corn-like taste has become a renowned flavor and is loved by millions of people.

On the other hand, Miller 64’s ingredients consist of water, barley malt, corn syrup, and hop and hop extracts. All these ingredients combine to give it a light sweet, and dry taste.

Bitterness is another factor that heavily influences the flavor of the beer. Bitterness levels, measured in IBU(International Bitterness Units), measure how bitter a particular beer is.

Michelob Ultra has a bitterness level of 10.2. Most beers have IBU levels that range from 5.0 to 10.0. When you look at other commercial beers, you’d realize that this IBU level is average.

On the flip side, Miller 64 has an IBU level of 3, which is considered extremely low compared to other beers. Interestingly, its low bitterness is a huge reason it’s considered highly light in flavor. And as you may expect, Miller 64 is a popular choice among lightweights and beginners who want to taste sweetness while drinking beer.

Mouthfeel

Although they’re both Light Lagers, these beers don’t have similar mouthfeels. Michelob Ultra has a decent amount of carbonation which leaves a light fizz on your tongue every time you take a sip. This carbonation, coupled with its moderate level of bitterness, gives Michelob Ultra a good amount of character.

On the other hand, Miller 64 has a low IBU level, and a low amount of carbonation. Consequently, this means that the Miller 64 has a low character level.

So, if you want an alcoholic beverage with some character, go for the Michelob Ultra. On the other hand, if you want to down multiple cans of beer without feeling any ounce of bitterness, your best option is the Miller 64.

Smell

Smell is not the first thing to consider while considering which is better. However, it’s still pretty significant. Lots of commercials have smells that are unpleasant to many people. Luckily, these beers don’t conform to this standard.

Michelob Ultra has a faint and sweet grainy smell. Additionally, some people have said that Michelob Ultra has a faint hint of sulfur. The combination of its taste and smell has made the Anheuser-owned drink one of the most sought-after alcoholic beverages in America right now.

On the other hand, Miller 64 has a pleasant smell that makes it easy to understand why it’s so popular among lightweights and beginner drinkers.

Brewing Process & Ingredients

Due to the fact that these beers are both light lagers, they undergo similar brewing processes. Light lagers, like many other types of lagers, undergo bottom-yeast fermentation. The brewing process is relatively easy, which is why there are so many lager beer products on the market right now.

The lager’s brewing process involves using bottom-fermenting yeast and is done at higher temperatures. Comparatively, ales are brewed at lower temperatures.

But although they undergo similar brewing processes, the end-product is different due to the variance in ingredients. As mentioned earlier, Michelob Ultra uses rice, water, barley malt, corn syrup, hops, and barley derivatives.

Miller 64 uses water, barley malt, corn syrup, hops, and hop extracts. Rice is included in Michelob Ultra’s ingredients, but absent in Miller 4’s ingredients. The absence of this ingredient alone is responsible for the vast difference in their tastes.

No matter what beer it is, it’s always a good idea to include barley malt. Barley malt helps to give beers more distinctive tastes and reduces the overall amount of sugar and fat in each beer serving. For these reasons, both beers are popular among people who want to watch their weight and are mindful of their health.

Alcohol Volume

Alcohol Volume, abbreviated to ABV, is the amount of alcohol that can be found in a particular amount of beer. Beers are typically served in 12-ounce cans. In every 12-ounce beer, Michelob Ultra contains about 4.2% of alcohol.

ABV volumes could be as low as 3% or as high as 13%, depending on the beer’s manufacturer. Looking at the vast catalogue of beer products available, it’s easy to decipher that the average ABV volume of beers ranges from 3% to 5%.

On the other hand, Miller 64 has an ABV volume of 2.8%, which is considered to be way below the average for many beers. That said, you can get drunk on 7-10 cans of Michelob Ultra. If you want to get drunk on Miller 64, you will need to down more than 10 cans, making it a suitable choice for outdoor gatherings.

What Do Other People Think About Both Beers?

Michelob Ultra and Miller 64 are both fantastic beers in their own right. However, the decision between which is better is primarily down to subjective views. Thousands of reviews on these beers are available on multiple beer review sites.

However, many of these reviews can’t be trusted. Luckily, some beer review sites publish only the best beer reviews from the most experienced beer drinkers. Some of these sites include Beer Advocate, Ratebeer, and Drizly.

Here are the average scores for these beers on several credible beer review sites (scale 1-10):

Platform	Michelob Ultra	Miller 64
Beer Advocate	4.8	4.7
Ratebeer	5.0	2.9
Untappd	5.0	3.8
Drizly	8.0	9.4
Average score	5.7	5.2

After collating all the scores from these prestigious beer review sites, Michelob Ultra scored 5.7, while Miller 64 scored 5.2. From these scores, you can see that a lot more people prefer the Michelob Ultra. In addition to the fact that it’s common, it has a lot more character when compared to the Miller 64.

However, before you make an informed decision using these figures, it’s important to remember that these scores are subjective. Thus, it would be best for you to buy both beers and try them out for yourself before choosing which is better.

Brand Image

Michelob Ultra and Miller 64 have had impressive runs in the beer market, to say the least. Anheuser-Busch is responsible for producing Michelob Ultra, and they’ve been doing this since 2002.

Interestingly, the Anheuser-Busch company has been around since 1852 and has produced millions of barrels of beer since then. Ever since Michelob Ultra came out, it has been their flagship beer. Through the help of this beer, they now take about 45% of the alcohol market share, making them the largest beer company in the world.

Michelob Ultra has become so ubiquitous in the beer industry that it’s now popularly dubbed “the crown jewel of beer.” Kerry Walsh and Lance Armstrong are on the list of sportspeople endorsing this alcoholic beverage. It only contains about 85 calories in every 12 ounces of beer, making it a fantastic choice for athletes, sportspeople, and fitness enthusiasts.

Miller 64 was manufactured by the Miller Brewing Company in 2007, and it hit the ground running. Although it doesn’t have as much of a stronghold on the beer market as Michelob Ultra does, it’s a beer that tends to people that want to watch their weight. Miller 64 only contains about 64 calories in every 12 ounces.

In the end, the choice between which is better is subjective. Although most people would say that they prefer Michelob Ultra, Miller 64 is no slouch. Remember to buy these beers and try them out before making your decision on which is better.