Sweaty Betty Blonde - Boulder Beer / Wilderness Pub

scruffwhor

Illinois

2.7/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance- Very pale banana skin hue with crappy bubbling and terrible head retention.

Smell- Pretty lager like for a wheat ale. Makes me think of adjuncts mixed with wheat. Hints of bananas and some bubble gum. But very fleeting.

Taste- Starts with really clear malts with a wheat chaser. Finish a refreshing yet sub par blonde ale flavor.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2006 01:33:47 | More by scruffwhor

Tone

Missouri

3.93/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy, yellow color. 5/4 inch head of a white color. Great retention and good lacing. Smells of earthy malt, biscuit, lemon, and some tart malt. Fits the style of an American Pale Wheat Ale. Mouth feel is smooth and slightly thick with a average carbonation level. Tastes of sweet malt, slight lemon, yeast cleanliness, some biscuit mustiness, and slight hop in the background. Overall, a good bodied beer with a slightly off aroma, but still worthy of a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2009 03:09:08 | More by Tone

beertunes

Washington

2.03/5  rDev -41.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

When I first tried this beer a couple years ago (before I started reviewing) I remember thinking, "Damn, whatever Betty's got in her diet, makes her sweat nasty". So, when it showed up again at a local I gave her a clean slate and a fresh chance.

Served in a straight pint glass. poured a cloudy, pale, yellow with an inch of fluffy white head that had medium retention and low lacing.

The aroma was semi-bitter and had a low wheat presence. It didn't have a malt or hop presence either. The flavors were very similar, a little bitter, not much charater otherwise.

The body was thin and dull. Drinkability is on the level of sour water, you drink a lot of it, but why? Overall, this is a fairly unpleasant beer. Not really mean or terrible, just not welcoming or enjoyable.

Betty hasn't improved her diet, her sweat is still funky, and not in the good way.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2010 08:59:13 | More by beertunes

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.65/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle with a bottle stamp of NOV2509. Pours a very light yellow with a light and airy white foam. Retention is ok and it leaves a little bit of lace.

Nose is kind of a cross between a wit and a hefe...bananas, some cloves, lemony wheat and some sort of a coriander-like aroma. I am digging on the smell of this beer. Very nice.

Very light-bodied refresher that has quite a bit of flavor. The aroma of the beer says hefe more than the taste. There is a touch of cloviness, but the crisp wheat is the main flavor. The light mouthfeel of the beer even allows some mild hop notes through. A pretty good beer that I would drink some more of, I like the name and the label as well.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2010 01:36:04 | More by twiggamortis420

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle poured into a Weiss glass. Jun1509. A month late. What's the worst that could happen?

A - Hazy yellow straw/gold with a white, long-lasting foamy head. Great retention but very little lacing left on the glass.

S - Rich aroma of lemon, banana, and earthy clay. Wheats and clove in the background, and thankfully, no salty sweat. Pretty true to style.

T - Wheat heavy with a lemon zest that washed away quickly with light clove, super-light banana, and a funky sourness to the finish, that, with a name like Sweaty Betty, really scared me.

M - Smooth but crisp and light. That weird thing at the end is really killing it right now. The sweaty in the name sure-as-hell isn't helping me.

D - I think I may actually pour it out in favor of something without a really funky/gross finish. I can't imagine that one month late would really create something like this in the beer. I've had older beer (4 years too old) and it was still good.

[Note: I actually put half of it in the glass back in the fridge and came back to it an hour later. It's still really gross on the finish.]

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2009 02:17:30 | More by BeerFMAndy

tpd975

Florida

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had this one on draft as part of a summer tour of beers at my local Old Chicago bar.

A: Cloudy milky yellow in color. Some fizz, but nothing too special here.

S: Citrus with a splash of vanilla and honey.

T: This is a very wheaty beer. There is some honey sweetness and a nice hint of orange. There is some clove spiciness in the background as well. Pretty nice.

M: Very light beer that goes down easy.

D; Goes down very smooth. Not a bad summer beer. Would drink again if offered.

Overall: I could see this one being enjoyed by the masses. It is a very easy drinking beer that tastes pretty good though it’s not groundbreaking. It's very mild and goes down nicely.

Ah the beauty of summer and all the good beers that comes with it.

Serving type: on-tap

07-05-2007 20:04:43 | More by tpd975

FosterJM

California

3.35/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

832nd Review on BA
Bottle to Weizen
12 oz

Enjoy By 10/20/11

Thanks to @beertographer(via twitter)

App- A dark cloudy yellow and fades a few colors down to a watery lemonade color. A two finger fast receding heat with a good amount of sticky cling.

Smell- A mix of small light Wit notes. A bit coriander and spice with some pale malts and a tad bitter hopping. A little bit of lemon as well.

Taste- I'm really torn here, its not that far above being average to warrant a 3.5 but not don’t want to say its average but Ill say it was very crisp a bit lagerish in taste at points but not so much as to call it bad. A bit more of the wheat comes out in the taste and has a touch more lemon vs the spice of the wit I smelled.

Mouth- A light bodied beer with a high carbonation level. A crisp lemon and wheat residual flavor.

Drink- This was pretty tasty for an extra. I’m not normally the biggest blonde fan so I was skeptical at first but after seeing the reviews and bottle closely. Its more pale wheat above all else. Good beer for a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 17:57:26 | More by FosterJM

hopdog

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle acquired in trade with robertsreality (thanks!).

Poured a medium and cloudy golden color with a very small sized white head. Aromas of bananas, cloves, grain and light citrus. When first poured I got a strong wet hay aromas that quickly went away. Tastes of bananas, wheat and light cloves. Starts of lightly honey sweet and ends in a light tart finish.

Notes from 12/27/05

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2008 16:50:48 | More by hopdog

Brent

Kentucky

4.2/5  rDev +21%
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

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Clear yellow in color with an inch and a half of foamy head. Carbonation looks good.

S - Smells of light grain, sweet malts, banana, clove... wtf? Is this a hefeweisen? Even the yeast smell is there

T - Not bad for a pale wheat. Expected just hops with slight heavy grain or wheat but got some sweet overripe banana and a bit of spicy yeast. Surprised the hell out of me (How did they do it without the hazy color?)

M - Pretty much the best part really light to medium which is pretty nice for the ABV

Overall wow to surprised those expecting to review to style? Fail for the brewery. But for a guy expecting the typical blonde. It drank rather well. Kudos guys this is a nice brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 04:57:19 | More by DrDemento456

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a cloudy golden color with a small head. Smell is of citrus and spices. Taste like it smells, spices and citrus, quite delicious. Feels full bodied in the mouth and is very drinkable. Overall this is a high quality brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2010 14:07:14 | More by tone77

KarlHungus

Minnesota

3.18/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

This beer pours a semi-cloudy pale orange color. The head is half an inch in height, and recedes quickly for a wheat beer into a thin cap of lacing. The aroma is of of orange peel, lemon zest, and tangy wheat. The aroma is tangy, with only hints of the lemon and orange peel from the aroma. The mouthfeel is thin and water; not what I would expect from even an American wheat beer. Overall, this is a decent beer that I could drink again.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2008 01:41:39 | More by KarlHungus

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

4.53/5  rDev +30.5%
look: 2 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Appearance - straw, hazy pour, little to no head formation.

Aroma - heavy on the yeast. Doughy, banana, as authentic it can be.

Taste - lots of yeast, same as the aroma. Some light sweet/sour lemon flavor, diluted and distant. The banana and yeast dominate, this reminds me of the better German wheats I've tried, very well done.

Mouthfeel - smooth, muted carbonation, on target.

Drinkability - a hidden gem, this one. For an American wheat, it can compete with some of the best German hefes out there.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2007 20:42:52 | More by brewdlyhooked13

superspak

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle into weizen glass, best before 1/25/2013. Pours very hazy golden amber color with a nice 1-2 finger dense white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty foamy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big lemon, banana, clove, wheat, pear, pepper, light bubblegum, earth, grass, floral, and yeast spiciness. Very nice aromas with good complexity and balance. Taste of lemon, wheat, banana, clove, floral, grass, orange zest, earth, coriander, light bubblegum, and yeast spiciness. Lingering notes of lemon, banana, wheat clove, light pepper, earth, grass, floral, light bubblegum, and coriander. Nice balance and complexity of flavors; a bit more watered down than I expected; with zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a lightly creamy and slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with nearly zero warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a nice wheat ale. Nice amount of hefeweizen flavor complexity and balance; and extremely smooth to drink. Definitely an enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 04:02:35 | More by superspak

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.6/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter.

3.5 A: Hazed golden yellow color. Two fingers of frothy white head. Retention is average and a good sized ring of lacing is left.

4.0 S: Yeast has things going well in the nose. Banana, clove, light bubblegum. Strong neutral wheat. Associated yeastiness.

3.5 T: Pretty much follows the nose, though a bit more subdued. Tasty.

3.5 M: Medium body. Good active carbonation. Light creaminess and crisp.

3.5 D: Decent beer. I like me a good APWA from time to time.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 20:19:18 | More by DavoleBomb

kmpitz2

Tennessee

3.18/5  rDev -8.4%
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

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

3.4/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Boulder- Sweaty Betty

Purchased at Joe Canals- Lawrenceville, NJ $1.29 for a 12oz bottle.

A- Bright cloudy fizzy yellow with a huge billowing white head.
S- Strong sweet hay and straw. Slight lemon zest.
T- Strong sweet lemony wheat with a touch of funky barn straw.
M- Sweet and light. Lemony in the end.

Overall- A thirst quencher. This can replace gatorade. Not bad.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2007 00:32:21 | More by NJpadreFan

ArrogantB

Colorado

4/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First off, I’m not sure sweaty should ever be used to describe something you are planning to consume. That being said, it does make for a rhyming name. This beer poured a bright, hazy yellow. The head is white and sparse. The smell is wheaty, the taste follows suit: wheaty, and banana-like. Very refreshing and reminds me of a hefeweizen. What is the difference a wheat and a hefeweizen anyway?

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2007 22:34:58 | More by ArrogantB

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.38/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly hazy golden straw color with a tiny white head quickly fades to a ring on the top. Smells of banana clove, spicy wheat, and a hint of phenolic. Taste is sweet upfront followed by a clove and banana assault with a hint of lemon in there. A spicy tartness rounds us off with maybe a hint of metallic. Is this a pale wheat? Hefeweisen? Lines are very blurry. Medium body, tart and syrupy mouthfeel, medium level of carbonation. Not my favorite beer by any stretch. Its light and easy to drink, might be good on a hot summer day, but its kind of bland with nothing really exciting happening.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2010 23:44:25 | More by johnnnniee

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Cloudy yellow body with some yeasties floating around. About a finger of white head that leaves some lacing.

Smells like lemon zest and wheat.

Taste follows nose. Not very complex, mostly lemon with wheat, a little bit of spiciness mixed in. A good refreshing beer, but nothing outstanding. Medium mouthfeel, lots of carbonation.

I'm a sucker for wheat beers as far as drinkability goes. I could down tons of these.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2008 00:57:05 | More by Hojaminbag

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.45/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured on-tap at La Festa Brick and Brew in Dover, NH. The beer was poured in a pint glass, and it settles into a pale, unfiltered look, with a musty yellow coloring and lots of carbonation. There is a thin, quarter-inch small-bubbled head. The nose is citrusy, with lemon zest and butter characteristics. The beer's flavors are light and crisp, with a slight toasting and underlying citrus sweetness. The aftertaste is minimal, but with a zesty and tangy fruit sweetness. The finish is a little sweet and syrupy. Good light brew for a hot day, but not anything extraordinary in terms of substance.

Serving type: on-tap

09-02-2011 03:20:47 | More by GarthDanielson

dsa7783

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz single bottle just recently purchased from Buy Rite on Oak Tree in South Plainfield...
Great seasonal release from Boulder...
An aggressive pour yielded a hazy, cloudy, straw-colored, golden hue with a minimal head that left a copious amount of lacing around the head of the serving glass...
Citrus-aroma was very noticeable, along with a heavy fruit-factor bursting through...
Taste was laden with wheat, citrus, fresh florals, ripe pears, apples, bananas, oranges, cloves, and coriander...
Creamy, thick mouthfeel made this one a pleasure to drink... Excellent level of drinkability to match... went down easily with no alcohol detectable and no cloying factors...
Good stuff and a great summer beer...
Recommended...

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2008 19:40:09 | More by dsa7783

ADR

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another "Looking Glass" series beer, now it comes in six packs. Moslty clear greenish gold color with a very white head that reduces to a collar pretty quickly. Lace is minimal at best. Aroma of dusty hay with some cotton candy sweetness. Solid mouthfeel with minimal carbonation -- which helps the estery qualities shine, candy "circus peanut" impressions. Distinct vanilla tone seems to dominate mid mouth, like Cream of Wheat with sugar and bananas on top. Sucrose finish, not a lot of complexities and without a lot of citrus notes to cut in. There's little doubt in my mind that this is an American Wheat with a hefty dose of that grain tossed in.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2005 00:31:11 | More by ADR

msubulldog25

Oregon

3.83/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured this "blonde wheat" from a 12 oz. bottle to a 1/2 pint glass. Bottle on "cooler clearance" at Concordia Ale House - $2.00. Tried this beer at OBF 2006.

A: Light, clear golden with lots of effervescent bubbles and a pillowy 1 finger head.
S: Banana & clove esters and some malty sweetness. Strong wheat smell with an herbal or slightly peppery spiciness.
T: Big wheat flavor, malty and pleasantly sweet up front. Taste develops to a spicy and slightly dry gentle bitterness.
M: Crisp, clean mouthfeel. Medium body.
D: Terrific, refreshing summer beer. Good flavor - would drink this again...not a big fan of the name of the beer, however...

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2006 00:03:47 | More by msubulldog25

Mitchster

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out to a very clear and sparkling pale yellow, forming a modest white head with poor retention and minimal lacing. Since this is supposed to be a bavarian-style Hefe, I added the firmly deposited yeast into the brew. Carbonation is moderate. The aroma is quite nice...cracked wheat, cloves, green bananas, and a clean ferment. Hopped with Hallertau. 5.9% ABV, BTW. Mouthfeel is crisp and light, zingy and brisk with a light body. The taste is as expected...cloves, green bananas, cracked wheat, pale malts, mild bitterness and a pleasant acidity. Aftertaste of green bananas. Little to no hop flavor is discernable, and the majority of the flavor is all in the yeast. A little bit of yeasty burnt rubber is in there, similar to Bell's Wheat series yeasties.

This is definitely a hefe-weizen so I wonder why they call it a blonde...probably just to have something go with the name "Sweaty Betty". At any rate, it seems to have confused quite a few reviewers on this site. Quite enjoyable. I will have to check out 6-pack prices, because if it's cheaper, it may replace Summit as my summer hefe-weizen. Tasty.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2007 01:05:52 | More by Mitchster