UFO Raspberry Hefeweizen - Harpoon Brewery

Doomcifer

Rhode Island

1.2/5  rDev -66.6%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

My girlfriend LOVES this beer. So, I tried it.

Pours a light straw color with a light, bud-like head that rapidly comes and goes. Huge carbonation. Big fat bubbles. Smells like...raspberries. That's about it, maybe a hint of wheat but not much to notice. Taste is, again, of raspberries and not much else except for a funky skunky taste in the finish. It's like drinking raspberry seltzer water/beer. Very watery and very carbonated. I couldn't finish this beer, not even close. I had to hand it off to my girlfriend who gladly accepted. I'll pass. This is one beer that is safe in the fridge from me stealing from her.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2006 22:09:56 | More by Doomcifer

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

1.63/5  rDev -54.6%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a bright amber color with a pink hue, with a thin white head that fades quickly and leaves very little lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is sweet & even a little creamy with raspberry, lemon, some wheat and a faint bit of hops.

T: The taste is fruity & tart with a heavy flavor of raspberry. There’s some wheat flavor, but not as much as their regular UFO (which I like much better). The malt character is thin and there isn’t much hops at all. The after-taste is sweet.

M: Crisp but not very smooth, light-to-medium body, medium-to-high carbonation, dry and slightly sticky finish.

D: Nowhere near as tasty as the original UFO, didn’t go down very easily for me, not very filling, everything I’ve had from Harpoon so far has been at least decent and some have been very good, however I did not like this beer at all.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2007 05:18:23 | More by TheManiacalOne

LilBeerDoctor

New York

1.83/5  rDev -49%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Reviewed on 7/20/08. Bottle. Pours a light pink/red, cloudy, with a white head. Aroma of cranberry and raspberry juice. Flavor of tart raspberry, juice, barely any wheat. This tastes like juice. If you want some fruit juice, this is a good choice. If you want some beer, not so much. None of the hefe notes penetrate the sugary fruit juice of this beer. Yuck.
4/3/3/2/6 (1.8/5)

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2008 20:15:33 | More by LilBeerDoctor

Kudashov

Massachusetts

1.88/5  rDev -47.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Bottle 12 oz in a pint glass ...

This beer is as bad as Rex Grossman ....Which this gentleman , Grossman cost me some cash . Poured a pinkish / light red color ..The smell was fruit ( raspberry / strawberry ) nice head . Smell of Life Savers & Crystal Light . Taste was bland , boring and blah . It was better than the UFO - rubbish - . but that is not saying much . The taste is too watery for me . More like a wine cooler than a beer to me . I tried to like this , had 3 of them then wrote my notes . Gave the rest to the lads to enjoy . They still like drinking the Coors Light / Bud light swill ..Thans to Rex I did not need that $125.00 you eejit . ...Hold on to the ball ..

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2007 15:14:12 | More by Kudashov

msolar

Massachusetts

1.98/5  rDev -44.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

I had this on tap at the brewery. It was tough to finish two ounces, it's overwhelmingly sweet and tastes like a wine cooler more than a beer. The majority of our group wasn't impressed with this beer. I certainly won't buy it and would suggest numerous other 'fruit' beers ahead of this one.

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2008 01:49:42 | More by msolar

BBM

New York

2.03/5  rDev -43.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

My friend recently went to Harpoon Brewery and came back with this. It pours a, um, clear amber color with a pinkish hue? A bit disorienting. I know it's raspberry flavored, I just didn't expect a raspberry color to go along with it. There's a white fizzy head on top. Aroma is a bit underwhelming, walking the line between fruity/wheaty and just plain sour.

The taste is way too sour and fizzy for my liking. I don't mind a fruit beer every once and a while, but the raspberry syrup is too much to overcome. There is a slight wheat or bread flavor, but again, it's soured by the soda-like syrup and carbonation. Mouthfeel is way too thin for a hefe. I'll be honest, I had a hard time finishing this beer. I wouldn't even recommend it to fruit beer fans. Go with Sam Adams' Cherry Wheat if you must.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2007 01:22:40 | More by BBM

Naes

New York

2.1/5  rDev -41.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

This beer pours out hazy strawberry blond colored with a small white head.
The aroma is candy sweet with raspberries. It reminds me of a jolly rancher.
The flavor has traces of a regular heffeweizen, but the artificial raspberry jolly rancher flavor remains dominant.
Mouthfeel is a bit sugary and over carbonated.
Overall, this fails due to the flavor seeming artificial.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2006 01:04:29 | More by Naes

nrbw23

Ohio

2.13/5  rDev -40.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

A- Pours a somewhat hazy pinkish color. An off white head that leaves some spotty lacing.

S- Smells really sweet, berries and some yeast.

T- Well, one word for this raspberries. Very sweet also.

M- Very light

D- Once again the fruit beers are not for me. Glad I got to try it but I'll pass on this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2008 20:52:01 | More by nrbw23

BeerNinja007

New Hampshire

2.13/5  rDev -40.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.5

Got this as part of the UFO Explorer sampler 12-pack, on sale for $10.99 at the Lebanon Co-op grocery. Best By 09/15/10 106. Poured cold into a chilled pint glass.

A: Hazy bronze brew shows pinkish highlights and generates a fizzy 1" pink head that settles quickly to a thin stable layer of foam. Generates only a modest bit of lace that slowly rolls down the glass.

S: I smelled raspberry flavoring immediately after cracking the cap. From the glass it is more of the same, fairly strong and sweet, overpowering anything else.

T: More raspberry, same as the smell. Again, not much else. Is this a beer or is it a wine cooler???

M/D: Thin and fizzy, too much carbonation and too little body. Fairly easy to drink. Nothing particularly offensive except for the overpowering raspberry and lack of anything else. In a blind tasting I'd definitely peg this as a wine cooler.

Meh. Avoid.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2010 22:39:59 | More by BeerNinja007

jneiswender

Massachusetts

2.25/5  rDev -37.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1.5

Poured out of a 12oz brown bottle into a small pint glass.

A--Egg shell head and a clear cherry brown body.

S--Strong raspberry smell. Not fake raspberry smell. Faint malt and hop scent on the back end. A bit yeasty too.

T--Light raspberry flavor despite the strong smell. You can actually taste some nice cereal malt. The flavor near the end is a bit off. A bit tannin. Yeasty as it warms up.

D--Light to medium body.

D--Not really feeling their wheat beers. Way too tannic tasting. I believe there are other versions out there of fruit wheat beers that are better. This one would be nice if it just didn't have that awkward tannic bite at the end. Annoying rather than quenching because of it.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2008 17:44:51 | More by jneiswender

Duhast500

Massachusetts

2.3/5  rDev -35.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Poured from the tap into a pint glass.

The color was a cloudy pink with a foamy white head.

The smell was sweet with a very deep raspberry flavor.

The taste was strong with full raspberry flavor that did get to be a bit much at times.

I would have to be truthful and say that I did not find this first experince with Raspberry UFO as being a posistive one. I think the main reason that I may have been turned off was the aftertaste and this beer being in the wrong glass. I think a tulip glass may have improved the experience so a second review will be in order.

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2009 16:45:42 | More by Duhast500

far333

Connecticut

2.4/5  rDev -33.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Hazy orange color with a small head that fizzes away quickly.

Low smell of talc and raspberry, a bit of yeasty schmootz.

Watered down, sodaesque flavor of sweet fruit, a bit tart, could be raspberry, could easily be strawberry. Slightly powdery, reminiscent of baby aspirin. I think they forgot to add the wheat.

Watery mouthfeel upfront, finishes dry.

This is just not a fruit beer, nor a hefe weizen, nor tasty. It's like fruit juice, a sweet drink for non beer drinkers who find themselves in a beer bar.

I will never drink one of these again.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2007 02:59:34 | More by far333

haningj2

South Carolina

2.42/5  rDev -32.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

As many others have stated, the first thing one will notice when drinking is the instant aroma. Personally, I felt the aroma was nice but not what I wanted in a beer. For me, it was a bad sign of what was to come in drinking it. Pours very nicely and has a wonderful orange to pinkish color. Easily drinkable but the Hefeweizen style and Raspberry flavor for this particular beer doesn't mix well. Would recommend drinking something else although try it at least once for its interesting taste.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2008 15:12:07 | More by haningj2

njmoons

New Jersey

2.42/5  rDev -32.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Not worth breaking down into a detailed review.

First no hefeweizen to speak of. Any german hefeweizen flavor was lost in a thin body and rasberry juice (tasted more like juice than fruit).

Rasberry was overpowering and sacarine.

I drank it, but it was an effort. Skip this one.

Serving type: on-tap

07-10-2011 16:45:28 | More by njmoons

DrJay

Massachusetts

2.48/5  rDev -30.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Quite hazy, pink grapefruit colour with next to no cap. Fruity aroma, raspberry, slight banana. You can pick up a hint of wheat if you really try, but it could just be an illusion. The flavour was heavy with raspberry, but the mineral character and coarse carbonation made it taste processed and artificial. Light bodied, high carbonation, a bit dry. I really like raspberries so I hoped this beer would impress me, but it just didn't work for me at all.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2010 23:17:54 | More by DrJay

sliverX

New York

2.55/5  rDev -29%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

poored a strange hefe like opaque but with a very reddish tint, little head that hung around the edge for some lacing
smelled off raspberry and something off smelling
tasted the same as it smelled but with almost a champagne like bubbly-ness to it.
felt kind of a thicker version of one of those flavored bottled waters though.
Don't think I'll look to buy this one again

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2008 02:12:24 | More by sliverX

mikereaser

Pennsylvania

2.55/5  rDev -29%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A - pours a cloudy rust orange with very little foam

S - I didn't much or an aroma from this one at all, hints of raspberries or some fruit

T - a little bit of a raspberry flavor, a bit of wheat, but the taste seems too chemical to me.

M/D - nice carbonation & a bit of zip to it, but the taste seems too artificial to me

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2009 18:23:35 | More by mikereaser

Bamabrew22

Alabama

2.58/5  rDev -28.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Poured a bubbly golden with an off-white, frothy head. Looks pretty good in the glass. Smell was of tart fruit, raspberry, as advertised, with a soft clove-like aroma. Taste was really dry and acidic for me, due to the raspberries, no less. Just a subtle hint of the crisp wheat malt, but the tartness really overpowered it. Mouthfeel was light and quickly dissipated across the palate. Fairly easy to drink, if you can get past the tartness. Not a bad beer, just not one of my faves.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2007 19:19:26 | More by Bamabrew22

generallee

New York

2.6/5  rDev -27.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

It pours a cool cloudy peach color with a big foamy white head that makes sweet lace patterns on my hefeweizen glass. Perfume like raspberry hits the nose as the bottle is opened. The flavor and body were very light and thin. The flavor has some tart raspberry with hints of lemon and melon. The palate is to light and thin with some light fizzy carbonation. The finish is abrupt and leaves me wanting something more. Overall it has a good taste but lacks depth and body.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2008 22:44:14 | More by generallee

GratefulBeerGuy

New Hampshire

2.73/5  rDev -24%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

AP: A hazy, Pale golden with light red hues. Super active head and overall very bubbly, like champagne style! The head disappeared within minutes.

Nose: wheaty, light raspberry, yeasty and sweet malt.

Taste & feel: A very thin, pale wheat malt, lively and crisp flavor with a mellow raspberry kick. Thin, but refreshing and clean feeling.

DA: This is a nice very-hot day style beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2006 05:55:27 | More by GratefulBeerGuy

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

2.73/5  rDev -24%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours and smells like it should be very flavorful, but the taste was like weak raspberry flavored soda water. I do not usually like these flavored wheats, but I gave it a shot considering it was new to the area and I enjoy most of what Harpoon brews. Unfortantly, I could not even finish it. Maybe just not my style.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2007 23:38:29 | More by OWSLEY069

dmamiano

West Virginia

2.73/5  rDev -24%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Although this one is touted as unfiltered, is poured a crystal clear, golden color with a very noticeable, pinkish "hue".
The nose is dominated by the essence of rasberrys, almost coolade like .
Taste is pretty much the same, berry flavor really stands out in this beer. the malt and hops cant cut through the fruitiness to even call it a beer.
Not good to me, but the lady likes it.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2008 21:07:59 | More by dmamiano

mtstatebeer

West Virginia

2.73/5  rDev -24%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle. Pours a orangeish-red color with a minuscule white head (with a red tint). Initial smell is raspberry (naturally), with a bit of hops. Kind of smells like cherry 7-up. Flavor is tart and finishes bitter. Very thin feel, watery, and a bit over-carbonated. Not bad overall, just a bit too tart and fruity.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2008 23:34:40 | More by mtstatebeer

JayNH

New Hampshire

2.73/5  rDev -24%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A - Pours a hazy pink with a decent foamy head.

S- Some faint rasberries with a dry wheat.

T- Starts a pleasant rasberry and finishes a dry funky wheat that tastes like a dirty sock.

M- Light bodied and well carbonated.

D- I'm having trouble finishing this one....

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2009 23:02:56 | More by JayNH

DrinkingDrake

Massachusetts

2.73/5  rDev -24%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Very similar to the white. A hazy golden yellow with a ruby hue. Slightly bubbly head that dissipates quickly. Aroma is a sour raspberry smell with a backing of heffe yeast. The flavor is a ton of wheat upfront with the yeasty raspberry coming through. A medicinal raspberry flavor over a tangy wheat body. Could barely get through a bottle of this with the raspberry assaulting my taste buds.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 20:18:49 | More by DrinkingDrake