Purple Haze - Abita Brewing Co.

Huffs

New York

2.91/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

Poured into a Sam Adams glass, developed a light head, which had little retention or lacing. Appearance was cloudy with an amber / honey color. Aroma was strong of berry, and not much else. Taste was light and also of berry, not much else. Maouthfeel was light and watery with a light, sweet aftertaste, also with pronounced berry flavor.

Serving type: can

05-05-2013 01:17:54 | More by Huffs

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz can poured into a pint glass.

A: Hazy with a pinkish hue. Persistent creamy, pillowy white head. Thin rings of lacing cling to the glass.

S: Strong aroma of fresh crushed raspberries. Big bready, wheaty pull too. Slight clean, floral hop scent.

T: As in the nose, raspberries lead off with a fresh and juicy taste. Lots of bready wheat supports. Light tartness. Slight floral hop bitterness. Very clean. Fruit subsides as wheat takes the finish.

M: Light in body. Creamy and mouth filling, if not a bit foamy. Moderate scrubbing carbonation.

O: Simplistic, but pleasing. A fresh fruit taste and contrasting tartness save it from being just another nondescript fruity wheat ale.

Serving type: can

05-02-2013 02:26:41 | More by ryan1788a5

Murrhey

Montana

3.61/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz can into a pint glass in high elevation Libby, Mont. Reviewed live.

A- Two-finger white head with long retention and sticky lacing. Hazy reddish-orange color, medium clarity.

S- Raspberries and golden malts. Fragrant berries. Just very appealing and fresh.

T- Raspberries again, spicy malts and some hop character. Least impressive part so far.

M- Biting carbonation, syrupy and sugary. I wonder if it's the puree I'm feeling.

O- Better than its rating led me to believe. Exceeded expectations. I enjoyed this beer quite a bit.

Serving type: can

02-04-2013 02:47:55 | More by Murrhey

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to woodychandler for this beer. Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has an amberish color wiith a 1/2 inch head. Smell is sour, berries. Taste is tart, lots of berries, a bit of grains and malts. Feels light in the mouth and overall is an easy drinking and enjoyable beer.

Serving type: can

05-30-2012 18:43:40 | More by tone77

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I CAN't believe that I am only the second person to review this from a CAN! Memorial Day 2012 rolls on!

The head was still a pinkish-white, but retention was much lower in this case. Color was a deeper reddish-amber, but not as hazy as from a bottle. Nose was still filled with raspberry, but not as cloying as from a bottle. Mouthfeel was about the same - slightly on the thin side. The taste was not as prevalent as from a bottle, more muted. Finish also lacked some of the oomph that the bottle imparted. Bottom line: if somewhere that both are available, go for bottle or draft, but if hiking, camping, going to the beach, reach for the CANned version. That, or if they begin putting fresh puree in CANs, then it will render the point moot.

Serving type: can

05-28-2012 19:19:56 | More by woodychandler

u2carew

Massachusetts

3.03/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz can
A) Pours with a two finger head. Settles to a thin lacing on top and at the edge of the glass. Fairly clear body, bronze in color.
S) Hints of raspberry. Subtle grain.
T) Sweetened raspberries. Hints of honey. Grainy in the finish.
M) Light body. Mellow carbonation. Dry finish.
O) A decent summertime brew. The raspberry flavor seems too artificial and sweetened. Regardless I'd drink another one.

Serving type: can

04-20-2012 01:32:46 | More by u2carew

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

2.6/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Had this one on tap for brunch at some big shopping complex outside Dade City, Florida. From notes.

A - Medium golden pour and bright. Mild carbonation. One finger soapy head. Slight lace with a film of retention.

S - Peach, sweet fruits. Very, very mild.

T - Apricots, gentle hop, berries, sweet grain, flavourful but nothing directly up my alley.

M - Mild but good carbonation. Light to medium body. Fruity and short finish.

O/D - Definitely not a standout. Very much a gateway into craft stuff with the obvious fruit addition. Decent, but I probably wouldn't try it again.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2013 00:45:19 | More by tbeckett

plaid75

New York

3.48/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a hazy light orange hue with a two fi ger foamy white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The sell featured champagne like ethers and a dry raspberry.

The taste was likewise estery with an astringent raspberry flavor and a background of soft doughy malt.

The mouthfeel was light, with a dry finish.

Overall a decent fruit beer. Pretty easy to drink as well.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 02:40:17 | More by plaid75

GossageBrewery

Missouri

3.14/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Poured this Fruit beer from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Poured a golden purple hazy color, produced a creamy white head, decent retention and it left an average amount of lacing on the glass. The aroma consisted of raspberries and malted grain. Light to medium bodied, a foundation of malted grain, tart raspberry, and some earthy hop bitterness. Overall, decent fruit beer, the main plus for me with this one is that there is not a sticky artificial fruit flavor that many fruit beers have. Nice session beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 20:44:48 | More by GossageBrewery

Omnium

Pennsylvania

2.51/5  rDev -22%
look: 3 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5

Bottle > Pint Glass
A - Pours a murky golden orange very thin minimal head.
S - Raspberries, wheat, orange, lavender, some spices. Smells like a raspberry air freshener, awful.
T - Raspberry water with some wheat, fortunately you dont get that lavender in the taste, bland and unmemorable.
M - Thin, watery, nothing hangs on to your palate except a light raspberry finish.
O - I cant stand fruit beers in general, this is no exception, I like about everything else Abita does, but this smells terrible, and is just generic.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 22:48:18 | More by Omnium

madkap69

3.64/5  rDev +13%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.5

This is one of my Mardi Gras favorites! I HATE sweet beers and had a bias against this one before ever tasting it. Turns out, it's not sweet...more aromatic and finish for the raspberry flavor. Abita has some great tastes, and this is one that should stand for a long time. Git U Sum, Son!

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 19:48:49 | More by madkap69

MattyG85

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev +23.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Sam Adams "Perfect Pint" glass. Bottle best by date of 04/13/2013.

Appearance: Pours a very hazy copper golden orange with a lot of rising bubbles. Huge five finger off white head with decent retention. Leaves a lot of creamy lacing around the glass.

Smell: A fairly big fruity aroma with some wheat grains. Big hints of raspberry up front along with some wheat grains and pale malts. Hints of cracker, biscuit, and a little hay. Some sweet sugar. Subtle hints of grassy hops towards the finish. The raspberries stand out the most. Fairly sweet and tart aroma. Pretty nice for a lighter beer.

Taste: Like the aroma hints, a fruit forward and wheat driven taste that is fairly sweet and tart. Big taste of raspberry fruit up front with wheat and soft pale malts. Notes of grains. cracker, biscuit, hay, and yeast. A little bit of candy like sugar sweetness. A little bit of earthy grassy hops linger towards the finish. The taste is fairly light overall but the fruit tastes pretty lively and fresh. A pretty decent taste for the style.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied with a medium to high level of carbonation. Crisp, creamy, and very smooth. Sweet but not overly syrupy.

Overall: Solid for a lighter fruit wheat beer. The raspberry taste is pretty good and avoids becoming too sweet or tart.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 06:53:35 | More by MattyG85

TrappistJohnMD

Mississippi

3.73/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Served late one night at some hole in a wall in New Orleans. Served in a dirty chilled pint glass.

Not many expectations for this beer, especially since it is so popular with the BMC crowd. I was pleasantly suprized by it. It is very refreshing and drinkable. Lots of raspberry flavor. I have had the strawberry many time before and always enjoyed it. This is very similar. Minimal bitterness.

Overall this is nice. Simple and unpretentious.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 22:29:35 | More by TrappistJohnMD

teromous

Virginia

3.58/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is a light shade of orange, and very hazy. When pouring the beer, I noticed it had a slightly pink appearance to it. It looked similar to the color of a light rosé wine. The head is mostly white, with a tint of pink to it. It's very thin, leaving a small ring around the glass. Although it has very little head and not much lacing, it still looks interesting. Minor lacing is comprised of very fine bubbles.

S: I smell raspberries. It's very faint, but it smells a lot like raspberry sorbet. There's also a slightly "sickly" smell to it. It sounds more terrible than it really is. It's kind-of a souring smell, but it doesn't really smell bad.

T: The flavor of this beer is very light and subdued. At first I get a leafy flavor, followed by a biscuit flavor, and then the raspberry pops in every now and then. It's not strong raspberry flavor like a wine cooler or anything. It tastes more mellow like how juiced fruit mixed with water tastes (ever have fresh squeezed orange juice or lemon-aid?).

M: The mouthfeel is very light, and wet. It is a refreshing beverage.

O: Overall I thought the beer works really well as a refreshment or something to to drink with a very light dessert or light meal. It would make a good lawnmower beer. This is very reminiscent of Abita's Strawberry Harvest Lager, so if you enjoy that beer I believe you will enjoy this one. I enjoyed drinking it.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 15:51:43 | More by teromous

Jacurdy60

Alabama

3.36/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I'm usually not one to enjoy raspberry, fruity beers. However, this one had a very subtle fruit taste that was very dry. Had a nice, off-white head and was very refreshing. The only thing I did not like about this was the dryness. I enjoyed about 2 of them and, by the 3rd one I was growing tired of the dry mouthfeel. But, overall, the fruity aroma, refreshing taste, and inviting appearance was pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 19:50:55 | More by Jacurdy60

outdoor7or24

Georgia

2.9/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle poured into sniffer glass.
A: pours a cloudy golden straw haze, almost one finger light golden head, a little lacing
S: tart raspberries, sour wheat, bread, grass
M: light and smooth
T: light tart raspberries, wheat, biscuit, some hop, sweetness and tingly from carbonation
O: easy drinking brew, light on flavor, would buy again for warm drinking days

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 02:14:36 | More by outdoor7or24

Living816

2.88/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Loved the color. I've never seen a beer quite like this. Lovely amber, purple, golden. Like a sunset. Yeah, that sounds kind of douchey. Who cares. It really does.

Smells like fruit. Cheap fruit. Boones farm fruity. Subtle, sweet. No hops, no malt. Just fruit.

Tastes like fruit. Cheap fruit. Boones farm fruity. Not quite as sweet as it smells. Totally absent of any malt or hop character. Just flaccid, weak, and uninspiring.

Overall a decent pounder beer that would seem to be targeted squarely at drinkers transitioning from Bud Light or Miller Chill. I didn't find it to be very enjoyable, even though I'm not a huge hop head. Just absent in nearly all flavor.

One and done for me.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2012 04:17:14 | More by Living816

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.48/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

as the fruity beers go, i like this one because it doesnt taste artificial or overly sweet. the pour is a tad unnatural, with an odd purple hue to an already cloudy brew. there is about an inch of slowly dissipating white head. the nose is like muddled raspberries, fresh and tart, with the sweetness only coming in the taste. there is a light wheat malt to this as well as some american pale malt, which give it more body than a lot of beers in this style have. the taste shows some hopping toward the finish, which tames what would otherwise be a punishingly sweet conclusion. i like the freshness of the raspberries though, they taste just picked to me, and it makes an excellent summer drink. i see this as an early tee time brew, low alcohol, juicy, and sessionable despite the sugary vibe. great carbonation gives a light and bright mouthfeel, down easy. not my thing in the winter time, but ask me again on a hot golf course around 10:30am sometime this summer and i will have an entirely different opinion. one of the more palatable abita brews ive come across.

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2012 21:49:35 | More by StonedTrippin

DavidST

Texas

3.13/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass, best before 12/28/12. This pours a slightly hazy light brown/golden color with a massive wheat beer sized head which has a long retention. The smells are similar to a pilsner, some grass hops, wheat and a hint of raspberries. The feel is medium to a little thinner. The taste is okay, more thin and light than I was expecting, you get some wheat, very faint hop bitterness (almost none) and a very light raspberry, far lighter than I was expecting.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 04:36:55 | More by DavidST

KYGunner

Kentucky

3.48/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I am impressed with the name as it could not describe the appearance any better. Hazy and yes, purple, this wheat beer is quite pretty. I smell berry on the nose but it does seem a bit manufactured. The taste is nice, raspberries and wheat, the raspberries seem to be more from a bottle and less real. I'd call this a "cheer beer" but I liked it enough that I drank two. It won't set the craft beer world on fire but it will sell a lot of bottles of beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 04:00:54 | More by KYGunner

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

2.8/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a slightly hazy golden straw color with a good sized whit head that slowly dissipates to a cap on top. Funny, but for a beer brewed with raspberries and called purple haze, I was definitely expecting more color. The nose holds a bit of tart raspberry along with a spicy wheat and bready malt aroma. The flavor is sweet with mild raspberry flavor that peeks in and out of a bready honey like spicy wheat malt base. Medium to light body with a moderate level of carbonation and a sweet watery and slick mouthfeel. This is just so blah. The berries feel weak and artificial and the underlying beer is uninspiring as well.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 23:36:32 | More by johnnnniee

Tantrum

3.58/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a sampler pack from the Abita Brewing Co and so far not displeased with any of their concoctions. This beer is pretty pale and cloudy, but it's got a nice head on it. The label suggests there may even be a few raspberry pulp bits hanging around, though I saw none in this glass.

The raspberries don't really come through in the aroma, but I've never really had a rasp-brew that has, so I'm not surprised. It doesn't really have a strong armoa. The cool part is that the berries come out and sucker punch you once you take a sip, and then it fades quickly, getting replaced by easily detectable wheat malts- yet the raspberries linger more than the malts in the overall aftertaste. It makes for an interesting experience and it's one I'd do again!

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 01:28:40 | More by Tantrum

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.43/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Into a pint glass. Has two fingers of purplish head. Dark, hazy straw colored body.
Smells exactly like raspberries, really nice.
Watery taste, hint of raspberry, low bitterness, short finish.
Soft and smooth body texture, low carbonation.
Pretty good for a fruit beer. Excellent smelling with average tastes.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 00:16:36 | More by Fatehunter

maki88

3.08/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

+

12oz bottle poured into a tumbler. Enjoyed at home.

A: Hazy orange-yellow with a lasting soapy-white head. Not much in the way of lace -- rather thin.

S: Raspberry and wheat/grain are the two overwhelming scents in this bouquet. The smell is somewhat sweet with a tangy edge.

T: Raspberry on impact, which lingers throughout the taste. Wheat comes in mid-taste, which serves to limit the sweetness while also preventing much in the way of an aftertaste. The flavor of the raspberry, as tempered by the grains, is more tangy than sweet.

M: Light. Good carbonation brings out the flavors of this brew.

O: A decent beer, but not much above average. Flavors were well-executed but lacked complexity. I was pleased that the blend of ingredients and flavors were such that the sweetness of the raspberry did not overpower the beer. This brew's reputation preceded it, but it didn't quite live up to expectations. If offered as a selection at a gathering, I'd keep looking.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 00:41:26 | More by maki88

mgironta

New Jersey

3.3/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The brew poured with a two finger white head with an orange, cloudy body. There was no visible carbonation due to the cloudiness. There was a lot of fruit, mostly raspberry, on the nose, which is to be expected. There is some lacing left on the glass. The first sip is a lot of raspberries, but a lot of carbonation. I’ve had this before, and this is not what it tastes like. Something is missing. It almost tastes like raspberry seltzer. There is definitely something wrong with this beer. It’s so watery and weak. This pint is definitely not reflective of the beer itself. Normally, the beer is a nice mouthful of raspberries with a hint of wheat mixed in. It goes down quick and it goes down easy. Not this one. I think perhaps I got a bad pint. Anyways, Abita Purple Haze is an easy session beer with some great flavor. Just don’t try it at Court Jester in Freehold.

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2012 23:13:28 | More by mgironta