Watermelon Ale - The Phoenix Ale Brewery

arizcards

Arizona

3.45/5  rDev +3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a free bottle at the brewery in mid-March.

Beer poured a cloudy golden orange with little to no head.

Nose has slight hint of sweetness.

Taste is pale wheat ale with a watermelon Jolly Rancher.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and refreshing.

Overall not a bad brew, good to have while working in the yard. Reminds me of the old raspberry wheat ales i had 20 years ago - fun memories of getting into craft beer!

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 23:24:29 | More by arizcards

mactrail

California

3.51/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A hazy warm amber color in the Duvel tulip. Handsome fine-grained foam with nice lacing. Funny smell. Overripe fruit, but I wouldn't say it smells like melon. Pleasant sudsiness with a substantial mouthfeel.

This tastes more like a Hefeweizen than an American Wheat. Quite rich and fruity, with flavors that remind me more of blackberries. Rather tart. Some dark flavors of earthy hops. Brewer says hops are Nuggets and rated 20 IBU. Slight bitter aftertaste. From the 12 oz bottle bought at AJ's Fine Foods in Chandler. Some sediment in the bottom.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 05:56:37 | More by mactrail

kp29

Arizona

3.8/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours a hazy and clearly unfiltered copper gold. Foam rises up quickly but quickly dissipates leaving hardly any head at all.

Smell is interesting in that I don't pick up as much watermelon as I anticipated (although it is still there). Seems a little muddled though and I pick up some other scent I can't quite pin point.

Taste is very mild, light, and clean. Pick up hints of watermelon, some sweetness, a little wheat.

Very drinkable brew here not too sweet, I actually wish it had a little bit more watermelon flavor. A little watery but just makes it easy to knock back a few of these on a hot summer day...or really any day here in Arizona.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 05:59:22 | More by kp29

topfloor

Arizona

4.43/5  rDev +32.2%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I have the priveledge of working 2 blocks from the brewery. They have a bar inside. You are literally sitting in the middle of a warehouse at the bartop amid the fermenters and plumbing. A unique experience. i have tried this brew on tap and from bottles.

There is something unique and highly attractive about this ale. Perhaps it's unique flavor and drinkability. Something about it brings me back to it over and over.

The appearance is similar to a lager with a bit of copper and pours with plenty of carbonation releasing up the glass but the head is eggshell white and lingers in waning patches on the surface.

The smell is unique. It is a transportation to new realms especially with eyes closed. I get notes of snow peas and blueberry with a slight clove note. The mind searches for the watermelon note but is not noticable. The nose is a touch sweeter on-tap with maybe a trace of watermelon.

Upon first sip you will notice that there is indeed a hint of watermelon but not the candy flavor rendition of it (I have my suspicions that the watermelon seeds are also used). The true slightly earthy and floral taste is backnoted with berries. The taste is light like that of a light beer with a touch of the yeast coming through. This is both in the bottled and tap variety. Trace malts and hops come through.

Carbonation is medium and the feel is light like a lager atthough it could be enjoyed at room temperature or ice cold.

My suggestion is to try it if you ever have the chance. It's not an infused beer and reveals it's complexity to those wanting to try an artist's rendition of new-age brewing.

Serving type: on-tap

01-01-2013 06:22:54 | More by topfloor

RuckusDu

Colorado

2.93/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thin white head on a cloudy orange body. Foam falls quick and leaves no lacing. I get more of a strawberry on the aroma. Some wheaty malts and cherries. Flavor has a little lager in it. There are notes of bread and maybe just a hint of watermelon. The mouth is pretty good. Nice carbonation and decent body.

Overall it is an easy drinking beer, but not a lot of watermelon. I like it but really nothing stands out to put it above everything else.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 23:38:28 | More by RuckusDu

barczar

Kentucky

3.1/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a hazy dark golden color with minimal white head that almost completely disappears.

Citrus, wheat, and watermelon comprise the aroma, coupled with a sweetness, the combination of which is initially reminiscent of jolly ranchers.

Citrus flavors of lemon and orange carry throughout the flavor profile, with a wheat backbone and bready malt accenting the slightly sweet watermelon notes. There's a bit of a dry finish.

Body is a touch watery, with spritzy carbonation.

Watermelon is definitely a star in this brew, but not overpowering. The citrus notes balance well, preventing it from becoming cloying. Nothing exceptional, but it would be refreshing on a hot day!

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 02:51:48 | More by barczar

yemenmocha

Arizona

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

Pours pale golden, very slight haze, thin white head. Nose was obviously watermelon, but a very artificial watermelon sort of aroma. Soft (from the wheat perhaps), easy drinking beer with modest amount of fruit. Nowhere near a Belgian lambic sort of fruity. Watermelon is more artificial than natural on the palate too. Candied quality with that fruityness carries into the finish. Very easy drinking, but also not very exciting. Great beer for youthful folks just getting into beer perhaps.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 01:37:08 | More by yemenmocha

buffettfan

Arizona

2.65/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

I have never had a Watermelon beer before, so I was excited to try this one.

Poured from the bottle, into a wine glass.

Appearance, average, golden, clear. Not a lot of head, but what little was there, hung on and clung to the edge of the glass for a while.

Smell kind of like watermelon jolly rancher, mixed with what can only be discribed as either old watermelon, or watermelon rine. Somewhat sweet, and a tad sour....

Taste, about like the smell, and thats about all. Not a lot of "beer" flavor. Tasted more like a light lager, with Jolly Rancher flavor.

Not a bad beer, but I was left a little disappointed, and underwhelmed.

This would probably be a fun beer to have at a BBQ to pass around, let people try and comment on, start some conversations, but I won't be ordering this one while I am out anytime soon.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 19:41:19 | More by buffettfan

DonDirkA

Arizona

3.83/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Not my usual style. Fruit and wheat. However, it was 99 cents at work and its from AZ so I had to give it a try. Seems like a good mid-afternoon brew for the hot 105 degree day. Nose is bready, yeasty and slightly sweet. Theres a fruity scent but I can't really identify it as watermelon. It is very effervescent, which helps the refreshing flavor. It tastes bready, very much like any other wheat ale. The fruit flavor is much more mellow than I expected, its just a very slight sweetness. Again I have trouble placing the flavor as watermelon. Its good if you're into wheat ales, I mean I have had much worse. It just isn't my style. Kinda the opposite actually. For example when I bought this I also bought a Firestone Walker Wookie Jack unfiltered black rye IPA. This was just for the experience. It is a good refresher though.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 18:42:01 | More by DonDirkA

ronniebruner

Arizona

3.8/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is the first ever watermelon ale I have tried. It has a wonderful aroma obviously of watermelon with a bit of watermelon rind in the taste. This beer is unique, and it pours a shiny yellowish color with a decent amount of lace and head. The taste is a little underwhelming compared to the smell and is slightly bitter with a sharp aftertaste. Not too bad, it's more of a novelty, but not bad at all.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2012 06:16:49 | More by ronniebruner

Rampage1

Arizona

4.03/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: This fruit wheat beer has a nice hazy, straw yellow color. When poured it has a nice white head.

Smell: This has a nice, light watermelon smell. I could pick up on the fruity watermelon smell right away but not over powering by any stretch of the imagination. Has a slight tart smell to it as well. Great smelling, light beer.

Taste: Has a great watermelon flavor with a little wheat like taste in the back ground. Goes down way to easy. On a hot summer day in phoenix these will really be hitting the spot. Taste slightly like a watermelon jolly rancher but way lighter in the sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Nice amount of carbonation. Had the perfect amount of carbonation to deliver that nice watermelon flavor and stay light on the palate.

Overall: I have to say this a is winner. We need more sessionable beers like this in az. I am a sucker for fruit beers but also am somewhat picky. I don't want something very sweet but something that delivers great fruit flavor without being overpowered which is what this beer comes threw in spades on. Will be drinking this summer 2012 in AZ.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 01:00:31 | More by Rampage1