Strawberry Harvest Lager - Abita Brewing Co.

Jadjunk

Georgia

3.44/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

"Abita Strawberry Harvest is a lager brewed with pilsner and wheat malts and Vanguard hops. Real Louisiana strawberry juice is added after filtration resulting in a crisp lager with a sweet strawberry flavor, aroma and haze." Purchased a marked down six pack in late fall of this seasonal, although it is also available in the Party Pack when in season. Best by date is 10/30/12. Brewed in the style of a pale wheat lager with fruit added.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to my Abita pint glass. Served upwards of 45º Fahrenheit.

(Apperarance) Pours a fizzy, crisp and loud head of a cream white tone that recedes at an above average rate. Body color is a slightly pale yellow with an intense amount of visible carbonation. Surprisingly little "strawberry-esque" color tones of purple, red or pink hues are notable in the color. A mild haze gives a notch of depth. Really crisp head initially but it settles to a much more pleasing soapy foam surface cover instead of fading away. Lacing is spotty but certainly substantial. Not bad. 3.75

(Smell) Interesting strawberry presence, certainly juice-like but very sweet. It reminds me of a cross between trix cereal and a kid's minute maid strawberry juice cocktail. The overall consensus is that it is very sweet and the strawberry sweetness dominates the nose. Wheat certainly would be a complimentary grain but I don't gather much from pilsner malts nor do I smell a hop presence here either. Could have done better with a lesser strawberry presence or added at a different time. It's pleasing to the nose like candy or fruit roll-ups would be and based off the aroma alone, it smells as if a kid could even enjoy the aroma of this, but it's not likely to be a favorite of those who enjoy a balance in their beer. 3

(Taste) Much better flavor than the taste. A definite wheat profile is evident, with a crackery crispness of pilsner malts, and the strawberry character, while still dominant, is at least closer to being in balance, and provides a lesser distracting strawberry cream tone which pairs surprisingly well with the malt bill. Strawberry tartness is also evident in this stage, balancing out the sweetness somewhat. Hops, while still tough to find, do present a touch of welcome bitterness on the finish and round out the sweetness a notch. Balance is still distinctly sweet, but not nearly as intense as I had predicted. One thing I could have preferred was a slight increase in the wheat body, which would have thickened the flavor a touch, balanced the strawberry even more and better complimented the texture too. 3.5

(Mouthfeel) Surprisingly mild carbonation presence with a touch of creamy texture. Body is light/medium for wheat lagers and light overall. Alcohol presence is very low to none, almost completely washed by the strawberries. Pleasing creamy texture works much better than I would have expected it to for the beer but the body has so much more potential to improve. Beneath the strawberry flavor, it just feels too shallow in places and couldn't carry itself on malt and hops alone. 3.75

(Overall) Despite frightening first impressions of the intense strawberry flavor, this beer toned down and provided a little more strawberry diversity, like a mild tartness that better balanced out the tastes. My biggest bummer is the general light malt bill, which is noticeable even under the strawberries and cream taste and texture, and if increased a couple of spaces, would improve this beer's flavor and depth even more. Still, a surprisingly drinkable and enjoyable strawberry wheat lager. 3.5

Abita Brewing Company's
Strawberry Harvest Lager
3.44/5.00

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 17:47:13 | More by Jadjunk

Andreias21

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +21.4%

05-22-2013 20:20:15 | More by Andreias21

jl28r1

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -7.1%

05-21-2013 20:25:11 | More by jl28r1

rgl284747

Mississippi

4.35/5  rDev +24.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

This beer is great for the summer. Very good aroma with a strawbery after taste that is very pleasant. I would recommend this beer to anyone who likes beer but wants something with a little different taste.

They are also located close to home so that's nice as well.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 21:15:18 | More by rgl284747

SpAiReArGsEonNE

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev 0%

05-20-2013 02:27:37 | More by SpAiReArGsEonNE

BeerDreadz

Louisiana

4.5/5  rDev +28.6%

05-19-2013 22:33:55 | More by BeerDreadz

anticipation23

Wisconsin

3/5  rDev -14.3%

05-19-2013 01:27:21 | More by anticipation23

AMCPhD

Florida

3.25/5  rDev -7.1%

05-17-2013 02:49:32 | More by AMCPhD

PeterOrlando92

Wisconsin

3.25/5  rDev -7.1%

05-16-2013 03:08:01 | More by PeterOrlando92

hkyplyr73

New York

4.5/5  rDev +28.6%

05-15-2013 15:37:05 | More by hkyplyr73

JAHMUR

Connecticut

2.25/5  rDev -35.7%

05-15-2013 00:32:56 | More by JAHMUR

aLenwell

Florida

3.5/5  rDev 0%

05-13-2013 23:18:39 | More by aLenwell

jkball01

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev 0%

05-13-2013 15:50:33 | More by jkball01

NickCurley

Tennessee

4.25/5  rDev +21.4%

05-13-2013 02:15:34 | More by NickCurley

cw13

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +7.1%

05-11-2013 16:30:23 | More by cw13

rph97

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -7.1%

05-10-2013 20:17:53 | More by rph97

JamesStreet

Louisiana

3.75/5  rDev +7.1%

05-10-2013 18:54:16 | More by JamesStreet

ajtorres311

Florida

4/5  rDev +14.3%

05-10-2013 16:43:04 | More by ajtorres311

kynap55

Michigan

4/5  rDev +14.3%

05-09-2013 22:30:52 | More by kynap55

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.48/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a thin head on a clear, hazy golden colored body.
The aroma is all strawberry jam. The real stuff without the extra sugar.
The taste is a strawberry jam with a bit of lager thrown in. Fairly mild flavor, which in this case is good.
The texture is crisp with moderate carbonation.
It is what it is... a strawberry beer. And at that it does a good job.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 05:41:05 | More by Fatehunter

pcsnyder

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev 0%

05-07-2013 17:56:48 | More by pcsnyder

tommyguz

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -28.6%

05-07-2013 13:23:54 | More by tommyguz

pottergator

New York

3.75/5  rDev +7.1%

05-04-2013 14:48:24 | More by pottergator

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

I know when I think New Orleans, strawberries strike my brain first in association... Anyway, this stuff pours a mostly clear sunrise brass topped by a finger of lightly off-white foam. The nose is an adept recreation in liquid of a strawberry-flavored Pop-Tart, crust and all. The taste generally brings more of the same, though there's more of that crust flavor and a touch of berry tartness near the finish, which, oddly enough, seems out of place, given the pervasive feeling of sweetness throughout. It also kinda stabs out, an unnatural lightning. The body is a light medium, with a moderate carbonation and a fluid feel. Overall, an okay beer at best, but one that just doesn't quite sit all that well with me. Thankfully, the strawberry flavor isn't truly an artificial one, but it's not altogether pleasant, either.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 20:02:44 | More by TMoney2591

awisecrackin

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev 0%

05-03-2013 01:58:37 | More by awisecrackin