Shock Top Honeycrisp Apple Wheat - Anheuser-Busch

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.01/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

LOOK: Brown bottle, cap removed.

SMELL: Apple cider. Green apples. The aroma is very sweet, a bit tart and artificial.

TASTE: Tart apples, with a sour apple candy taste. There are pronounced wheat ale flavors with notes of citrus. This brew is super tangy, with a hit of breadiness on the tongue that gives it an apple pie flavor. Does kind of taste like an apple crisp.

FEEL: Medium bodied. Sticky, sweet, sour and artificial notes hold on to the taste buds.

OVERALL: Average beer, a lot like commercial sours brewed in Belgium. Not intentional here, but I'll take what I can get.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 12:49:06 | More by Stinkypuss

TTAmod

Michigan

3.29/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.25

12 oz. bottle brewed on April 2nd, 2013 poured into pint glass.

A: Very pale yellow color. It's obviously an unfiltered beer, as there it's pretty cloudy. Head is thick, white, with okay retention.

S: Smells like a hard cider. Strong, strong apple is present and not much else. Good for a cider, but there's no real beer smell present.

T: Starts off like a cider, too. Slightly sour apple taste going on, but there's also a really hearty, fleshy apple taste, too. Surprisingly, this aspect is better than most other ciders because it tastes like I'm biting into a real apple. However, near the end, the apple goes away and is replaced by a slightly wheaty, biscuity beer taste like a regular witbier.

Not as sweet as I expected.

M: Body is pretty weak, here. Light and quite a bit of carbonation.

O: Not too bad at all. The apple taste is spot on, but the witbier portion is pretty average. I bought it on sale. I'd buy it again for the price or take some at a party or something. And....for those of you bashing the beer for being an InBev product....you drink Goose Island, right?

Note that I'm a pretty big cider fan. If you're not, your experience may be different.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 04:22:43 | More by TTAmod

Mervin

Minnesota

3.03/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

served from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Pours a slightly cloudy golden tan. Bright floral and apple scents, smells very refreshing. Tastes crisp and apple tart, with a slightly lingering malty finish. Feels fairly carbonated and fresh in the mouth, a slight oily feel afterwards that isn't entirely welcome. Overall this is a really nice refreshing beer, well balanced with the apple and the malt tastes. Normally not a fan of fruit beers or Shock Tops, but I thoughly enjoyed this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 01:14:19 | More by Mervin

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3.84/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

The clouded golden hue with rocky white textured head makes this beer then comes a rush of Honey Crisp Apples at the grocer in town they cost 3.69 a lb what a deal that the sixer is only 8 bucks or so. A beautiful mix of apple cider and chalky white Belgian style yeast, I think I'm in love. It's that good smells of fresh apple skins with the charming characters that we all want in a beer which I found would be refreshment. Flavor comes correct with apple skins and a fresh juicy honeycrisp note...slight hints of cinnamon laying flat with brown sugared apples this beer tastes great. Not many Shock Tops make me turn my head this is one with a drying apple cider effect that I have been enjoying since I found it's magic.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 07:24:40 | More by WVbeergeek

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.84/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Thanks to the canquest creator woodychandler for tis beer. Poured from a 12 oz. bottle. Yes, that's correct, bottle. Even Woody gets a surplus of those sometimes. Has a cloudy golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is strong of apple cider. Taste has plenty of apples, slightly tart, not much else but tasty and very drinkable. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall I did enjoy this beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 11:58:44 | More by tone77

letsdrink

Ohio

2.99/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 2.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Picked up a 6 pack at the supermarket because why not. Reviewing it for the same reason.

A - Pours to orangish, see through color. Surprising head, but dissipates quickly with little lacing.

S - I actually enjoy the smell, a little overpowering and not much else than Granny Smith apples which was pretty much expected.

T - Sour at first, predominantly apple flavors, almost like a beer mixed with a cider, which seems to be the taste they are going for judging by the label. However, the flavor quickly vanishes as the finish comes. Almost nothing at the end. The start isn't bad, but the finish left me quite dissatisfied.

M - Quite carbonated, reasonably thick and both sweet and sour.

O - Overall I think the concept is a good idea, but the execution isn't quite there. This isn't a terrible beer by any means, but it is a seasonal specialty at best. With that said, I'd drink another one if it was around. With so many great beers so choose from, I don't see myself buying another sixer.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 01:11:44 | More by letsdrink

UCLABrewN84

California

3.33/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Bottled 3/13/13.

Pours a murky light orange with a foamy bone colored head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small streaks and dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is mainly of apple cider and green apples with maybe a hint of grains. Taste is much the same with more of the grain and some spice flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is an above average "beer" that is much more like a cider or an alcopop than beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 06:06:09 | More by UCLABrewN84

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

2.56/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12 oz bottle says 5.2%. Poured into a Samuel Smith pint glass.

A: Pours a hazy golden color. The head is a quick-fading two finger white shade. Not the most aesthetically pleasing brew.

S: Is this beer, or is it cider? There are strong apple tones throughout, along with a bit of tartness and some diacetyl. Jolly Ranchers come instantly to mind here. The minor beer qualities here aren't too hot.

T: This may well be cider, with its big sweetness and apple flavors, but there's also some finishing diacetyl that I could do without. The malty finish tries to balance some of the cider sweetness...only it turns it into beery sweetness that's a bit more unpleasant. None of the advertised spices come through well.

M: Thick and sweet, as expected. Lots of carbonation, too. The problem here is that it's so damn sweet that it kills drinkability - and it can't get away with it the way a pure commercial cider like Angry Orchard can.

O: I totally get this point of this product, combining a sweet apple cider with a generic witbier - the problem is it tries to be everything to everyone, and as a result, doesn't do either the cider or the beer aspect well enough to appeal to discerning craft beer/cider drinkers (plus the whole "it's made by AB-InBev" thing). Not bad for a malternative, though.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 17:51:50 | More by ThisWangsChung

Pegasus

Texas

3.24/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Appearance: Rather hazy yellow-brown, as befits an unfiltered wheat beer, with a fairly robust, coarse white head, which retains fairly well. The lacing is fairly thick, scattered, and patchy.

Aroma: Prominent apple note, somewhat artificial, alas. The aroma is strongly reminiscent of the Jolly Rancher apple candy of my youth. I am not able to detect any wheat in the aroma.

Taste: Opens with a sharp, crisp flavor of apples, fortunately lacking the artificial quality of the aroma. As the taste progresses, there are understated flavors of baked bread, and a hint of earthiness, in keeping with the wheat base of this beer. That being said, the apple flavor dominates the taste from start to finish. Late in the taste, there is a distinct flavor of apple rind, and a faint hop presence.

Mouth feel: Smooth, soft, and decently full, with mild carbonation.

Drinkability/notes: Better than I expected it to be, among the better Shock Top offerings. This is presented as a spring seasonal, in my opinion, it would be better suited to autumn. I did swirl the last half-inch of the beer in the bottle before pouring it into my glass. Shock Top Honeycrisp Apple Wheat might present slightly differently if this were not done. This beer might serve as an entree to craft beer for those who are accustomed to "malternatives" and other such sweetened alcoholic beverages.

Presentation: Packaged in a custom twelve-ounce brown glass long-neck bottle with a twist-off crown, served in a New Belgium Brewing chalice.

Source: Purchased at Wal-Mart in Texas as a selection of a Brewmaster's Choice build-your-own six-pack for $8.99.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 13:44:21 | More by Pegasus

matjack85

Illinois

3.06/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 1.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

Another Shock Top variation. $7.49 a 6 pack at the Pik 'n Go liquor store in Bloomingdale, IL. 12oz brown bottles with no freshness date. I thought all AB products had a born on date, but couldn't find one on these bottles.

The appearance is disappointing. The color is right - a cloudy apple cider gold, but the white head dissipates before you can even put the bottle down and there is no lacing whatsoever.

Huge tart baking apple smell.

Tastes like spiced apple cider with some alcohol added. Tart apples, cinnamon, and some wheat malt, and that's about it.

Light bodied with medium carbonation.

Very refreshing, but not very beer-like.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 04:19:40 | More by matjack85

tdm168

North Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

A - very bright, cloudy yellow with a short-lived, fizzy, white head

S - like a sour apple jolly rancher

T - sour apple up front followed by over-ripe red apple and apple skin

M - light to medium bodied, crisp, over carbonated

Well, this is definitely an apple ale. There's no doubt about it. Unfortunately, I'm not getting any of the spices mentioned on the label. This definitely isn't for me, but it does achieve what it sets out to do. This is a light, refreshing offering that will satisfy your typical fruit-beer drinker or cider drinker.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 01:08:11 | More by tdm168

Johnnyramirez

California

3.46/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Surprisingly not bad. The smell stood out to me and was fantastic. I'm a huge fan of Martinelli's sparkling apple cider and this reminded me of that. The flavor was nice. Apple forward. Ends dry. For some odd reason I kept getting whiskey notes and some heat as I swallowed. For 5.2% I shouldn't notice any heat at all. But I got some. Slightly heavy for me, I like really light wheat beers and this was too heavy for my liking. However, it wasnt an offensive mess like the raspberry wheat and it's not something I'd turn down. Especially in the summer. I wouldn't rush to buy a 6 pack of it, but if there's nothing at the bar or at a BBQ, why not?

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 04:49:08 | More by Johnnyramirez

boilermakerbrew

Indiana

4.06/5  rDev +24.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A- Pours a light orange to yellow color with a ton of haze like a traditional wheat beer. Small to medium sized head that is mainly light and fizzy. Head goes down to a thin film on top fairly quickly with just a little bit of lacing. Body's color is very light on the edges when held to the light.

S- Huge, juicy apple scents right up front. The level of juiciness in this is surprising for a liquid. Apple is pretty much the only flavor in the scent, but man is it juicy and delicious smelling.

T- This just plain tastes like a hard cider up front. Starts with that same juicy apple flavor from the scent, then moves right into the wheat flavors. Wheat and grain turn into a fairly dry flavor profile towards the end. Ends with the grain and little to no hop bite.

M- Very, very carbonated, almost feels like a champagne. Decent body weight from the wheat, but doesn't sit too heavy. These could go down smooth for a while, but would probably fill you up after a bit.

Overall, this is a simple fruit beer, but pretty good. The wheat flavors brings it back into the beer realm from the juicy apples flavors that had me thinking it was basically a hard cider.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 00:31:16 | More by boilermakerbrew

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Shock Top Honeycrisp Apple Wheat

I walked into my local beer distributor the other day and smelled apples. Lo and behold, there on tap was Shock Top Honeycrisp Apple Wheat. I poured myself a glass and had a look. It looked like fresh cider. Not much head. And it smelled like apples, even more so than fresh cider. It was sweet and it tasted like apples, albeit fake apples. I didn't find much wheat, and I didn't find much spice (some light cinnamon, and maybe some vanilla). In fact, I didn't find it much like beer at all. Still it was interesting and I knew my wife would like it. And since I was headed to an outdoor party I considered it quite seriously. In the end I passed it by, but I will consider it in the future. I could see it as an interesting beer to have on-hand at Thanksgiving.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 22:31:39 | More by NeroFiddled

Diane_Brew

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +23.6%
look: 1 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.25

A review by the sister of DIaNE bREW...
Appearance - You can't see through it. It looks dirty. A bit muddy.
Smell- Honey crisp apples and sex.
Taste- Like fresh apple cider. delicious! Very filling
Mouth feel- It coats every taste bud
Overall- Shockingly amazing. Shockingly delicious with apple flavour

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 21:34:55 | More by Diane_Brew

zeff80

Missouri

3.1/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Poured out a clear, golden color with a small, fizzy white head of foam. It left little to no lacing on the glass.

S - It smelled cider-like. Apples, just apples.

T - Tasted like apple cider. I didn't get any wheat. If I didn't see myself pour it, I would've thought it was a Woodchuck. It didn't taste bad, though.

M - Crisp, sharp and smooth. Bud knows how to do that. Light bodied.

O - It's a fine cider but not at all a witbier. Maybe a fruit beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 01:44:17 | More by zeff80

TempeBeerMan

Arizona

3.4/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Poured from a bottle into a nonic pint.

A - Pours a hazy yellow/gold with a one-finger foamy white head. Zero lacing.

S - Smells EXACTLY like a a sour apple Jolly Rancher. Doesnt really smell like a beer, but the odor is plesant enough.

T - Taste matches the smell exactly. Candied sour green apple. No hint of beer flavors such as malt or hops, much closer to a cider. Zero complexity, just lots of tart apple. Finishes clean and crisp.

M - Medium bodied. Prickly carbonation. A little sticky.

O - Umm...I'm not even sure how I feel about this. Is it bad? No, not exactly. As a beer...it makes a pretty decent cider. But since I wanted a beer, I'd have to say it fails. Seems like an AB attempt to "trick" people into drinking cider??

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 03:48:05 | More by TempeBeerMan

McFlyBrewCrew

California

4.36/5  rDev +33.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

could not be happier with a random loose beer I got to try the other day. The Honeycrisp Apple Wheat for shock top smells perfect and tastes even better. I could not have had a better first taste of a beer in my entire life. The apple is a slight hint but a nice fresh aftertaste. highly recommended and a must try!

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 22:09:59 | More by McFlyBrewCrew

BEERMILER12

Maine

2.96/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.5

A: Pours a cloudy straw yellow color with a fingers worth of head

S: Sweet green apple stands out the most, almost like a green jolly rancher. Get some light wheat and cidery notes, but the apple sweetness stands out the most

T: Follows the nose. Candy-like apple sweetness with a hint of dry cider, spices, and wheat to attempt any sort of balance. Finishes lightly dry

M: Medium bodied with moderate-high carbonation

O: I feel like this COULD be an interesting beer if the jolly rancher sweetness wasn't present throughout the nose and taste. It overpowers anything else the beer is trying to do, and gets cloying after a couple. The cider has a nice influence, but again, it's just overpowered by the sweetness. Aside from being brewed with wheat, there really aren't much wheat characteristics either... Leave this one for the faux crowd

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 21:24:00 | More by BEERMILER12

Hunter

Arizona

2.83/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: cloudy dark yellow in color, foamy white head that dissipates quickly and leaves no tracing.

Smell: Like a green apple Jolly Rancher. There's a bit of wheat/grain in there, but it's minimal.

Taste: Tastes like it smells. Green Apple/sweet candy dominates in the front, middle, and back of the mouthful. Very little else to go by.

Mouthfeel: It's light and clean, no real aftertaste to speak of.

Overall: It's not bad. I would have appreciated something more than a dominating apple flavor. I realize it's mixed with cider, but if the cider's going to utterly dominate the ale I'd just as soon drink cider. I'm a fan of fruit beers but I don't see the point of this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 00:26:07 | More by Hunter

teromous

Virginia

3.15/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A: Hazy pale golden body, with a very persistent fluffy white head. Some lacing stays behind, but not a whole lot.

S: It smells like I just bit into an apple, but has a Jolly Rancher quality to it as well. Almost like more apple than an apple. Nothing else comes through, but it does smell very appley.

T: It tastes like apple soda, and doesn't have much beer quality to it. I mean when I drink this with my eyes closed I can't tell that it's a beer. In that respect I am disappointed, but they are all over the apple flavor in this one. I mean if you want something to make candy with, you could reduce this and wrap it in plastic.

M: The mouthfeel is smooth, but it's hard to drink with a sharp apple flavor.

O: Flavor-wise, this beer is nothing like a wit. I would recommend it to people who like very strong fruity sodas, like Fanta, fruit flavored Jones Soda, or fans of Jolly Ranchers. I like fruit beers, but this one is way over the top.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 20:46:28 | More by teromous

jjamadorphd

Florida

4.36/5  rDev +33.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5

Another Shock Top that didn't disappoint.

Great color out of the bottle, small head but with good lacing. The smell just blew me away, it was pure honey and apples, so much so you might think you we're drinking one of those hard ciders but with better taste. I like the carbonation on this one and was glad to find there was little aftertaste. The beer is deceptive, be careful or you'll end up guzzling it thinking it were apple juice. Overall, I scored it a bit low since this is a beer rating site and it ended up being more of a hard cider like I mention above rather than a fruit flavored beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 01:44:46 | More by jjamadorphd

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Once more, my neighbors had an oddball sixer on the shelf and I decided to split it between my uncle and a colleague. I will try anything once.

From the bottle: "Belgian-style wheat ale brewed with cider and spices with natural Honeycrisp apple flavor and other natural flavor."; "To serve, pour down the side of the glass until 1/2 inch is left in the bottle. Swirl the remaining brew and pour to produce a rich, thick collar of foam. Enjoy!"

As a previous reviewer noted, despite heavy agitation and an aggro pour, I still only developed a pinky finger of eggshell-white head. Color was a cloudy orangish-yellow. Nose smelled of apple cider, so points for truth in advertising. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full and it had a very apple cider flavor in the mouth. The spices lent it an apple pie quality, and it was actually pretty good. Finish was semi-sweet with the spices keeping it from being an outright sugar bomb. This one and the other of my share will be just about the right amount for this hophead. It was a novelty and I do not regret my purchase, but two is enough.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 00:02:25 | More by woodychandler

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.08/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 2 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Pours a hazed gold/bronze with a pinky of beige head. No head retention or lacing

S: Jolly rancer apple scents & a touch of capri sun

T: Sweet crisp apples, a touch wheat maltyness lurks in the background up front. Jolly rancher candy notes as this warms. Finishes swwet & crisp

MF: Light bodied, crisp, a bit sticky

Drinks fairly easy, but a bit too sweet/fake for my liking. This would do me fine in the summer in a pinch. but only for one or 2 at the most. Certainly not a wit

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 03:48:07 | More by russpowell

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.06/5  rDev +24.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 oz twist-off bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada imperial pint
5.2% ABV, numbers on neck label.

A - Cloudy and warm-hued golden straw yellow, this beer pours with a moderately lasting tight white head that modestly disappears leaving little lace behind.

S - Shock Top Honeycrisp Apple Wheat has an intoxicating, explosive aroma of honey crisp apples, my favorite variety. It's initially strong and cider-like with no real sense of being artificial, but as the head dissipates, more beer comes through, dulling the big apple nose down considerably while adding a dry, husky straw and wet wheat nose. I don't mind it being more "beer" like (after all, this is a beer, not cider) it's just lacking in quality. Notes of cinnamon and nutmeg spice emerge as well, but it had become much less captivating. In the end, it's quite impressive, the way this beer captures the juicy apple nose.

T - The first gulp is quite impressive, really delivering a lot of honey crisp apple flavor directly to the dome but, with each passing sip some sweetness sets in, subtly suggesting a layer of artificial additives before the apple is matched in potency by the beer itself. Husky pale malt and wet wheat rise up for a flavor that's almost a direct reflection of the aroma.

M - Strong carbonation produces near instant belches as the light, bubbly beer quickly disappears from the glass. Crisp, this cider-like beer balances some sweetness with a dry finish that begs for another sip, or gulp, almost instantly.

O - I might be alone on this one, but I really dig this Shock Top. It's got a ton of real honey crisp apple flavor (once again, my favorite variety of apple by far) with nice little spice notes and a crisp, clean finish. It's almost cider-like but has enough malt and wheat character to keep it grounded as a beer, though not a witbier. It's probably the fastest I've finished my review bottle and I'm (surprisingly) sad I don't have any more. If this is around in the summer time, it would just kill it.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 00:57:30 | More by BeerFMAndy