Sweaty Betty Blonde - Boulder Beer / Wilderness Pub

LarryV

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an opaque lemon yellow with a 1/4 inch creamy head that fades quickly. Smell is citrusy and spicy. Taste is banana - cloves as one would expect from this style. Hints of pepper as well. Carbonation is slightly stinging, but not inappropriate. Mouthfeel is light and creamy, quite refreshing on a hot day after working your butt off outside.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2006 19:27:14 | More by LarryV

nlmartin

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer was purchased at Piazza Diseppoli for $7.99 a six pack. The beer was poured into a pub glass.

Appearance: The beer pours a hazy lemon yellow in the glass. The head was thick and fluffy. The head retention was ok. Rings of lacing remain on the glass.

Smell: The beer has a good lemon pepper and cloves combo. The beer has a sweet wheat smell.

Taste: The beer has a sweet wheat breadyness. This is accompanied by a combo of lemon and cloves. The beer could use a bit more hops to better balance it.

Mouthfeel/ Drinkability: The beer has a light body. The beer has a stinging carbonation. The beer is an ok beer drink; however, for the money it is easy to get a better wheat beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2006 01:23:16 | More by nlmartin

ElGordo

Oregon

3.53/5  rDev +2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy light golden color with a wispy white head that disappears after about a minute. Nice, crisp aroma of light wheat, citrus, banana, and weizen yeast. Palate is fairly standard for a wheat beer - light wheat and citrus flavors, with banana and bubble gum esters present in the background. Body is a bit thin and not particularly well-carbonated. Not bad, but I'm glad I only bought one bottle of this.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2006 07:02:28 | More by ElGordo

Gusler

Arizona

3.43/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours forth from the 12-ounce brown bottle sets in the glass a slightly chill hazed straw color, the head smallish and white, the texture semi-creamy, as it erodes faster than the speed of light, the left over lace a thin sheet that conceals the glass. Nose has a fair wheat aroma, fresh and crisp, also a bit of malt sweetness, start is lightly sweet, grain profile adequate; the top feels light to the palate. Finish is spiny in its acidity, the hops light but present, quite dry aftertaste, not a bad beer, hits the spot on this hot Arizona day.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2006 20:44:00 | More by Gusler

sinstaineddemon

Connecticut

3.1/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - a lemony yellow, hazy and cloudy, without mucha of a head, light but visible carbonation

S - a lemony wheaty aroma, with a spicy background like ginger or cloves, the lemon resemblance will become a trend here

T - again, it has a lemony-wheaty taste, with a sour zing in the middle, wihch fades leaving a corn flake aftertaste

M - kinda fizzy, but easy down, a nice wheat ale

D - moderate, a little to lemony-sour for me, but a quality brew

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2006 04:04:50 | More by sinstaineddemon

Franchise

Oregon

3.75/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a lemon orange with a cloudy body that leaves a thick white head. The aroma is wheat, lemon, pepper, orange zest very nice and complex. The taste starts malty wheat, with a candied fruit body, that is slighty carbonated and slighty thin. The beer finishes light with gentle bubble and a spicy sweetness on your tongue.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2006 15:56:18 | More by Franchise

Dubbercody

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle

A—Strong bright yellow and mid-range cloudy, Average white head that quickly dissipates into top lace.

S—strongly citrus, grassy.

T—touch of lemon, stronger taste of wheat, soft grass taste at end of swallow.

M—light and refreshing, effervescent and bubbly. Wheat adds a nice character to the tongue without overpowering mouth.

D—very easy to drink beer. Excellent warmer weather beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2006 16:05:42 | More by Dubbercody

UnionMade

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Grabbed a sixer of this, Boulder recently entered the state. I was looking for something easy going, and it was a toss up between this and Boulder's Hazed and Infused. I haven't had this yet, so what the hey. Sweaty Betty sounds a little naughty. Why's she so sweaty, may I ask?

Hazed flaxen gold, topped with a thick puff of white head. Decent head retention, keeping a thin collar. No lacing. Big, wheaty aroma. Lots of clove, with a bit of banana and lemony citrus. Prominent powdery, wheaty sourness, kinda sweaty smelling. Ha. The flavor is sweetish to start, pale wheat malt hints towards creamed corn, banana and brown pear fruitiness, powerful clove phenols dominating the finish, along with wheat tartness. Maintains a mellow sweetness, some brown sugar notes, with earthy, doughy yeast working with the clove and wheat sourness to create an almost sweaty flavor. Just a bit spicy. Not unenjoyable, actually quite quenching while enjoying some mid-spring sun and planting hot peppers. Medium body, no doubt assisted by the generous yeast pour, with mellow carbonation. A rich mouthfeel, full on the tongue.

Sweaty Betty, you go down easy! For all of that, I wish you gave better head. You're leaving the bottom of my glass bald. I don't mind bald, but not on my beer. Feels substantial enough to be satisfying, but not so flavorful that you'd wince at every sip while tipping back at a BBQ. Good, especially for the style. One of the more complex american wheats I've had. The wheat sourness and vague spiciness leans towards a witbier, some aspects are more bavarian hefeweiss, and others are american wheat. A nice little hybrid you are, Betty.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2006 02:03:33 | More by UnionMade

hanco005

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Intrigued by the name so I had to try it. 12 oz bottle into a pint glass

A—straw yellow and cloudy, ½ white foamy head that quickly disappears, the moderate lacing also disappears quickly as I drink this pint

S—strong wheat and citrus aroma, a little floral as well

T—very strong wheat and a little lemon flavor, not tasting too much else, finishes dry and crisp

M—very crisp and clean, carbonation is very present…wonder why it is not in the appearance (I am pretty sure my glass is clean)

D—a very good wheat beer. Goes down smooth and more would be welcomed. I think this would be a good summer beer for by the pool, but as I review this on 1/29in MN and look outside, there is a thick layer of ice on my pool. I can dream though, can’t I?

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2006 02:11:29 | More by hanco005

Wasatch

Utah

3.88/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy yellow color, some carbonation, small head, some lacing. Scents of citrus, and wheat. Nice taste for a wheat ale, dry, but kinda flat. Light body. Very drinkable for sure, not too sure about the ABV, nice taste. Would recommend, but will probably not buy again.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2005 00:50:36 | More by Wasatch

hero27

Iowa

3.58/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Sweet name...and a 5.9% pale wheat ale? Niiice.

Very pale yellow color with a head that doesn't stick around too long. Smell is subtle ginger, coriander, cloves, and mild citrus.
Coriander (when overdone, I can't stand) is present in this beer, but it's fairly modest and doesn't distract too much from the wheat & citrus taste. Taste is light and refreshing. Slides down the hatch effortlessly.
You could drink cases of this stuff in the summer..and get pretty damn drunk doing so. A summer offering that's worth a try if you find it.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2005 00:30:58 | More by hero27

riversider76

New York

3.43/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy straw color. Head disapears quickly, to a nice lace. This beer is a lighter version of Flying Dog's In Heat Wheat. I like the Flying Dog a bit better,but this is not bad at all. In fact on a hot day I may go for this because it is lighter.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2005 02:29:40 | More by riversider76

kmpitz2

Tennessee

3.18/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

From notes. Poured a hazy straw color wit ha small head that fell to nothing at all over the brew. The nose was orangey nd lemony with light wheaty notes. I found the flavor to be rather bland. Just nota lot going on in that one at all. The feel was light moderate with a moderate carbonation. Overall impressions were nothing of note. A fairly average brew. Pedestrian.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2005 01:27:13 | More by kmpitz2

clvand0

Kentucky

3.65/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This one pours a hazy yellow color with a small head that falls fast and doesn't leave any lacing on the glass. The aroma reminds me a lot of an American Wheat - some US hops and a backing of wheat and graininess. The flavor is just as expected - reminds me of an American wheat - just like the aroma. Not my favorite style, but the flavor on this one is better than most. More smooth than expected. The body is light and the drinkability is good.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2005 12:28:14 | More by clvand0

karst

Missouri

3.4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours pale lightly hazed lemon, with a head that goes from 1 finger to zero in under 30 seconds.
Aromas of spice (coriander & ginger) citrus and grassy hallertaus.
Initial flavor of spices and citrus give way to rough grain. As it breaths lemon and orange emerge as the citrus. Spices well behaved as the understated hops dry the finish - leaving no bitterness. Light body and thin mouthfeel.
An unusual wheat beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2005 19:14:47 | More by karst

Brent

Kentucky

4.2/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This is a beer that isn't afraid to have some fun. Gotta' love the name, and the label design and blurb are amusing. Poured a hazy golden yellow with a hefe head. Mild banana aroma, that was equally evident in the flavor. Some tangy citric qualities lend a more American spin to this wheat. Very refreshing - a bit lighter-weight than a German hefe, and meant to be so. Few hefes are good session beers, but this is one where one is not enough.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2005 03:52:11 | More by Brent

warriorsoul

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a very pale yellow w/ a half finger of bright white head...disappears quite rapidly w/ a thin layer remaining.
Lacing is very thin, but has a bit of hold to the side of the shaker glass.
Aroma is a hint of spiced hops and sweet malt...decent.
Not a huge fan of wheat beers, but the flavor is enjoyable and has a decent dose of hops. Not as spiced as the nose was portraying, but enough to give this one a slight edge.
Mouthfeel and carbonation average for the style.
I could enjoy a few of these on a hot day such as this...another fine offering from Boulder...a nice addition to the lineup.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2005 23:01:24 | More by warriorsoul

tavernjef

Minnesota

3.55/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pale smeared light lemony yellow color with some clearish edges. Finger high cap of firm creamy white foam that keeps. Lace breaks up quickly to reveal a glazing and some left over specks.

Aroma is lightly lemony and grassy with a fair exposing of wheaty tang, hints a bit of candied sugar sweetness underneath.

Flavors are quick and mild. Airy wheat tenderness and tang thats non-lasting. Bits of lemon are barely squeezed in along with a bit of grassyness. Has a small dryness in the finish from some kind of tiny hopping action along with touches of plain hard water and stale marshmellows.

Which brings us to the body of the beer; a light and mild tone with a light watery body with enough carbonation to break the surface of complete boredom but not to keep it above average. Where's the wheat texture?

An OK to seldomly enjoyable beer. Not much to it. Just not cutting it for me as any kind of wheat beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2005 02:08:24 | More by tavernjef

andjusticeforale

Connecticut

3.1/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

This beer poured to a very pretty gold color form a twelve oz. bottle.

There was a strong smell of wheat and corn, yes corn. I let it warm and the smell of corny type wheat got stronger. There is a twang, and I finally figured out what this smells like. A corn dog from a county fair.

The taste was quite the same as the smell. Wheet with a twang, very little complexity. There was a smoky wheat aftertaste that was somewhat cloying.

One real positive note was the excellent mouthfeel on this beer. It was very very good. Much better than the actiual taste of the beer.

This brew would probably go great with gourmet pizza or at a barbeque, I wanted to like this beer on its own, but I really didn't. I wish they spent more time thinking about what they were brewing, instead of coming up with fancy names and labels.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2005 13:16:27 | More by andjusticeforale

Bighuge

Minnesota

3.73/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Cloudy sun yellow. Thin white head leaves a good amount of lace. This one's good on the nostrils. Lemon, citron, tangy wheat, hay... Very pleasant. Not as much to talk about on the buds though. Still decent enough, but the lively tones on the nose don't translate to the palate. Dulled wheat tones and a little lemongrass. Just a little spritz of hops that give the beer a slightly dry finish. Mouthfeel is not quite as active as I'd like in a Wheat brew, but not a lot else to complain about. Body is a little better than medium. This one's not too bad. I'd hit it up again.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2005 04:59:08 | More by Bighuge

whartontallboy

New York

3.1/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours out a cloudly golden yellow with barely any white head. Not looking so great in this department.

Smell is pleasant, a lot of clove and lemony scents, and a tiny hop bit that comes through. Smell could be a little heftier, though.

Flavor is somewhat watery with lemony citrus, light clove, some banana, and a little hoppiness. Basically, it tastes just like it smells: someone bland with little bits of certain flavors watered down. Thin, fizzy carbonation.

Overall: I love a lot of beers in this style, but this one just doesn't have enough flavor to hold up to the better examples. Pleasant enough to drink, but there are much better choices.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2005 22:22:26 | More by whartontallboy

palliko

California

3.83/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance is a cloudy yellow with a quarter inch of foam and no lacing. Aroma has spicy hops, barley but not much malt. Initial taste is of banana esters, citrus, grain and some pretty interesting hops. Body is medium and finish is dry. Not a great ale, more of a wheat beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2005 14:30:07 | More by palliko

UncleFlip

Alabama

4.45/5  rDev +28.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Betty hit my glass a nice golden yellow, and just a bit hazy. Her smell was all about clove and banana.

She tastes very much like she smells- clove hits hard, and banana creeps in. There's a sweet maltiness underneath the whole way.

In my mouth, she feels fizzy and a bit thin, yet very smooth.

Nice and drinkable, I wouldn't mind another run-in with Betty.

Be well
-UF

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2005 01:49:10 | More by UncleFlip

frazbri

Ohio

3.18/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Sweaty Betty from Boulder Beer poured a slightly hazy yellow topped by a disappointing short white head. The nose delivers good fruity smells. Banana and cloves are evident, but subdued. The flavor is sweet and a little fruity. Citrus and banana flavors emmerged, but were again subdued. Body was medium - light, and carbonation was moderate.

This was mild, easy drinking, and not too exciting. It was a decent lawnmower beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2005 00:40:08 | More by frazbri

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.68/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bright lemony amber with sun-faded yellow accents. Betty needs some help with her head. The cap is simple white and is exceptionally soft. The end result is a weak structure, a rapid descent and not a bit of lace. A second pour fails to stir things up and I'm left with a decent looking beer that has been effectively decapitated.

The nose is a good one since it has more power and personality than most pale wheats. The one and only way that beer of this style can stand out is to use a generous hop load, and it smells as if Boulder has done just that. The hops are spicy more than anything else; a bright, fruity spiciness that is enjoyable. I would have picked something other than Hallertau, but that's just me.

Do my taste buds deceive me or does Sweaty Betty taste just a little hefe weizen-like? The spiciness is clovey and the fruitiness tastes like a cross between banana and lemon. The similarities are subtle, but real. It doesn't taste all that wheaty, thanks to the fruity hoppiness, but then who the hell wants wheat to be the strongest flavor in their beer?

Betty is more tangy (moderately) than sweet (mildly) than bitter (not at all). I'm not imagining it, there are definite banana burps. The flavors coalesce quite nicely during the long finish. This is one of those beers that actually tastes better once it has left the mouth. The mouthfeel seemed light and overly carbonated initially. With repose... it hasn't changed a whole lot. It's hard to fault a summer quaffer for those qualities though.

APWA is a difficult style for me to love because wheat is such an uninteresting grain to build a beer around. The best ones that I've had (Three Floyds Gumballhead and Southern Tier Hop Sun) have one very important thing in common. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? The answer is, of course, hops. Boulder has attempted to follow the hoppy pale wheat ale blueprint, but has chosen the wrong hop.

I'm a huge fan of the Looking Glass series of beers. Sweaty Betty is the first one that hasn't bowled me over, but that doesn't mean that I haven't had a good time with it. It's flavorful and oh so drinkable, as evidenced by the fact that the bomber is empty and the glass is rapidly heading in that direction. Sweaty might be pushing it, but then Mildy Moist Betty doesn't have much shelf appeal.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2005 23:48:04 | More by BuckeyeNation