Saint Arnold Weedwacker - Saint Arnold Brewing Company

oline73

Maryland

3.25/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a sam adams perfect pint.

Appearance: Pours a clear light golden color with a finger of fluffy white head. There is a decent amount of retention and quite a few bubbles.

Smell: Crisp and slightly sweet. Malt with mild hints of banana and some herbs.

Taste: Very light and crisp. This one has a flavor in it that reminds me a little bit of an adjunct lager mixed with a pilsner. There is also some mild fruit and a bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a large amount of tingly carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: This is a nice summer beer, but I don't know that I would have guessed that it was a hefe.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 20:43:27 | More by oline73

stercomm

Ohio

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

This brew was $2 a pint as I think they were trying to finish it off as we are now deep into the fall.

A - A bright yellow, like watered down orange juice, slight haze, hardly any head or lacing by the time the beer reached us.

S - Classic hefe, lemons, bananas and cloves, not over bearing.

T - We had just finished a 45 mile bike ride and this was very refreshing, was worried given the price that the keg might be stale but the beer was fresh and also very refreshing. Again, lemons, more subdued bananas and cloves, nice dry finish.

M - light bodied, medium carbonation.

O - Really liked it, nicely balanced left a crisp taste in the mouth.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2011 00:32:48 | More by stercomm

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I think that optimator13 sent this to me at one point, but if not, thank you to whomever it may have been. Cheers!

This started out rather strangely as it initially poured clearly until a wad of yeast let go and turned everything cloudy. I had a finger of bone-white head with only limited retention. Color was a cloudy lemon-yellow. Nose had a lemon zesty citrusiness to it which was somewhat unexpected. Mouthfeel was somewhat thin and the taste was an odd banana-lemon melange. Finish was semi-dry and somewhat refreshing, but I felt underwhelmed. I will not be going back to this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2011 01:31:24 | More by woodychandler

BigBarley

Texas

4.49/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a standard drinking glass, but poured the Hefe way!

A - Bright, cloudy yellow with about a half finger head that is nonexistent by the time you get to the end. Minimal lacing, but very very active yeast.

S - Instant banana-clove attack! Smells yummy, with that ridiculous undertone that all Saint Arnold beers seem to have. Whatever makes it happen, Saint Arnolds makes some good smelling brew.

T - Heavy wheat up front that vanishes almost instantly to be replaced by mild sweetness with a delicious fruit undertone. Tastes like it smells, but with a shifting touch that dances between the clove taste and the sweetness, with a faint bitterness on the palate at the end. Very good stuff.

M - Not thick enough to chew, but thicker than any old lager. Active carbonation, goes down smooth and leaves your mouth craving more. Easy session beer, on the mouth and the stomach.

O - Definitely one of my favorite beers of all time. A wonderful example of how Texas does a hefe

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 19:57:27 | More by BigBarley

TheAlamoWrocker

Texas

3.3/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 1.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Reviewed November 4th, 2011. 12 oz bottle, bottled July 27 2011, poured into a Tulip (forgive me I'm still in college and funds are an issue at times).

A: The head was extremely thin and then it vanished within seconds. This poured a cloudy yellow almost with a shade of lime. It's different, but with its quickly vanished head it simply does seem inviting.

S: Slight hops with a strange citrus hitting the noise. A slight banana is present which reminds me of a Victory Golden Monkey. I don't always pick up this smell in beers, but damn when I do it's inviting.

T: The banana taste is the first thing I taste and damn it's nice, but this drink changes on me. The second portion of this drink taste like a tart ...pear. Maybe this is what clove is supposed to taste like, but I personally do not know. It's not a bad taste just different for me.

M: Medium body with medium carbonation. With it's missing head I feel like this drink really lost out on offering me something more.

O: Maybe it's the improper glass that alters the taste of this drink for me. The head did not stay and there was also no lacing. I guess the glassware can truly make a difference when making a drink. Hopefully I will have time in the future to review this drink again with the proper glassware.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 01:17:39 | More by TheAlamoWrocker

chocosushi

Oklahoma

3.9/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

4oz->Leinie Flight Glass
A ~ The color of white grape juice with a touch of haze with a bit of spit bubble head. No lace.

S ~ Fresh cut grains, German Hops, & toast with a whiff of Phenols.

T ~ Cheerios on the forefront with quite a bit of European hops backing it up. Overtones of lightly toasted Wheat bread & pear. The faintest hint of lemon zest & dried banana.

M ~ Toasty & hearty while maintaining lightness in body. Hops provide a grassy feel.

D ~ Great beer, I wish I had gotten to Enjoy it during the Summer. Good session. The thing that bugged me was its listing as "Hefeweizen" on BA, when it clearly is not! I am not rating to style, because this is very far from a hefe & I believe is merely categorized incorrectly.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 19:09:03 | More by chocosushi

donteatpoop

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pour was a nice hazy pale golden color with a thick white foam that retains well throughout.

The smell is a light lemony citrus, clove, and bready.

Taste is a good example of the style, very yeast heavy and thicker in the mouth than I would have expected though.

All in all, good beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 03:15:14 | More by donteatpoop

tempest

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Split a six-pack with a friend. I was expecting more of an American wheat based on Arnold's description, but instead found a pleasant and drinkable German-style wheat. The flavor is heavy on clove and lemon with a crisp, lightly bready finish. There's a juicy element mixed in with a touch of banana. All in all, this is a damn tasty hefe that can stand up to the German classics.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 01:52:36 | More by tempest

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

3.98/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I got this beer from whoneeds8. Thanks Maston!

12oz bottle served in a weizen glass.

L - hazed yellow color with a white head that thinned to a light ring in a matter of minutes.

S - earthy wheat, banana and some bubblegum.

T - good hearty wheat beer spiced taste with a citrus bitterness on the sides of my tongue.

F - light/medium bodied with mild carbonation, goes down very easy.

O - a nice little hefeweizen.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 01:15:21 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.25/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to DaveHack for this one.

A: Pours a cloudy straw with a ton of pure white head. The top foam fades quickly, leaving only a tiny rim on the beer.

S: Smells sweet of clove and banana. There is some nice citric acidity in the nose too. I'm picking up notes of lemon peel and candy cigarettes.

T: Starts off sweet with the clove and banana. That sweetness mixes well with the carbonation. The tastes stay true to the finish where there is a nice citrus bitter. But the bitterness is very subtle. It's very pleasant.

M: Light bodied. This is a smooth drinker that leaves the palate a bit dry, but yearning for more.

O: I'm really digging this beer. I usually don't like wheat beers but this could rival Dancing Man Wheat (my all time favorite) as the top contender. This is a seriously good drinker.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2011 01:02:24 | More by trxxpaxxs

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance. Pours a hazy yellow with half a finger of foamy white head that leaves some nice lacing behind.

Smell. Belgian yeast with some cloves and a little bananna.

Taste. Nice crisp heffe taste. Belgian yeast, light colves and a little bannana.

Mouthfeel. Light body with a little stronger than medium carbonation.

Overall. Like I said, a nice crisp Heffe. A little on the light side making it a great drinker.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 01:13:30 | More by Rutager

UCLABrewN84

California

3.7/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Exiled for sending me this one!

Pours a murky light yellow with a 1 inch fizzy off-white head that fades to nothing. Small dots of lace quickly drip back down into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of wheat and spices with some citrus aromas as well. Taste is of wheat biscuits, spices, citrus fruits, and yeast. The aftertaste is very grain-like and I am getting some slight banana flavors too. This beer is highly carbonated with a very crisp mouthfeel. A bit too carbonated in my opinion. Overall, this is a pretty good hefeweizen and my first beer from Saint Arnold. I think I would enjoy this one more if the carbonation was a little less.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 21:53:19 | More by UCLABrewN84

eclipse54

Idaho

3.63/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A 12 ounce bottle received from turfy as part of his "A Taste of Texas" LIF; thank you! Poured into a Deschutes pint glass...

The body is a strange yellow color with a vibrant green tinge; it is mostly opaque from the haze, but the green luster is throwing me off a bit. About a half inch of foamy white head developed, but it didn't hang around long. It smells of citrus, wheat, a bit of banana, some clove, and faint hops. The taste is predominantly of wheat and clove, with some orange, lemon, banana, and grass in the rear to round it out. The mouth is crisp, clean, and refreshing, and the brew finishes smoothly. Overall, a decent hef, but quite a bit more citrusy than I had expected.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2011 03:02:37 | More by eclipse54

OverToad

Texas

5/5  rDev +33%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

First of all this has the coolest looking beer label ever.

Secondly this is not a Hefeweizen and Saint Arnold will tell you that, so that needs to be taken down as just that. It gives this beer an unfair comparison vs a true hef. This beer is hybrid type beer.

The beer has awesome color with a nice head. Had both on-tap and bottled and on-tap is just fantastic. Banana upfront with a clean crisp finish. This is my year-round go to beer for sure.

Awesome job Saint Arnold on this brew.

Serving type: on-tap

09-11-2011 02:57:27 | More by OverToad

Vengeance526

Louisiana

4/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly hazy light golden color with a small white head that quickly fades to a light ring and leaves just a little lacing.

Smells of wheat, banana and lemon upfront.

Tastes of banana and spice upfront with lighter notes of wheat and lemon in the middle and into the finish.

Light to medium body with medium carbonation. Very refreshing, a perfect option for a nice hot day.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 02:32:18 | More by Vengeance526

Retail1LO

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. I'm coming to the conclusion that no matter how many of these I try, I just do not dig heffeweizens, saisons, or anything else that has a prominent Belgian yeast or Belgian yest -like profile. I just do not care for the way it dominates the flavor and scent of every beer in which it is employed. I purposely drink new beers without even reading what KIND of beer it is, so I don't form a bias before even drinking it. But it only every tapes a sip or a smell to know what I'm dealing with, and it's always the same. That being said... This poured with virtually no head. It's a very light color. Almost pilsner-esque. The nose is citrusy, with some apples about. Taste isn't TOO bad. Very light and effervescent, with the ever present Belgian yeast playing a prominent role, as usual. Overall, this isn't my bag, but, I could put a couple down if it's all that was offered. I'm sure fans of this style will favor this beer more.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2011 03:07:39 | More by Retail1LO

allengarvin

Texas

3.83/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a straight pint, this is a limpid-yellow beer with a light but tall, frothy head, which fades quickly. Nose is on-style, with medicinal cloves and bubblegum fruitiness--phenols are a little more prominent. The flavor is, oddly, the opposite. I get a lot of banana fruitiness up front but not much clove. Nice acidity gives a citric tinge to the plentiful wheat flavor. Hops are appropriately low, only there to balance the sweetness. Mouthfeel is weak. This could really use more carbonation--a common fault that may have something to do with the strength of the bottle.

Not too bad of a beer. Certainly better than their standard wheat.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 19:47:52 | More by allengarvin

seeswo

Ohio

3.03/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into my Lost Abbey stem.

Pours an orangey pale yellow with a light white head. Very light wheat in the nose with big clove. A bit of a harsh wheat, like rye without the rye flavor, with a touch of sweetness, lemon and cloves. A bit grainy and a bit peppery. Surprisingly sweet just hanging on the tongue with overly strong carbonation. I would call this the definition of a mediocre beer. It all is fine, but not great.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 04:32:38 | More by seeswo

merc7186

New York

3.08/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I had this beer poured from a 12oz bottle into a chilled pint glass.

The beer pours decently with a nice hazy straw color with an okay white head but very little lacing on the glass. The beer smells decently with good notes of orange, lemon, and mild corriander but not overly powerful or strong. The taste is okay with mild favors of citrus (ornage and lemon) and mild spices but very mildly. The mouthfeel is decent with a bitter aftertaste and okay carbonation. Overall, an average hefewizen, nothing spectacular that I cant get from a local brewer.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 19:07:13 | More by merc7186

AustinBeerLvr

Texas

4.2/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a 12 ounce glass into a pint glass.

The first time I tried this beer was on a recent beach trip down to Port Aransas. It was on sale at their local IGA, so I figured I would give it a shot.

I am usually one of those beer lovers that is a stickler for style. If you have the word "hefeweizen" on a bottle, it better be an unfiltered beer with at least 50% of the malt bill consisting of wheat. In this case, although BeerAdvocate calls this a hefeweizen, Saint Arnold is forthcoming with the fact it is not.

As for the beer itself, this is simply an awesome warm weather beer. It has several elements of a good hefeweizen due the yeast, including a delightful blend of banana, lemon, and clove, but at the same time is very different. This beer almost seems to blend all the best worlds of a great summertime brew---As I stated above, you get several flavors of a hefe but you also get some slight orange and coriander flavors reminiscent of a good Belgian Wit, with the finish resembling the nice tingling, slight refreshing bite of a Kolsch. Only a hint of wheat malt is detectable (or maybe it's the ester flavors from the hefe yeast that makes me think I am tasting wheat along with other flavors that go along with a good hefeweizen).

The only problem with this review is that whoever classified this a hefe on BA needs to change it! If you try this beer and try to compare it to your favorite German Hefe, you will indeed be disappointed, but again, it's not a hefe! Rather, it's just a damn good beer that is a sheer pleasure to drink on a warm Texas day.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 07:48:28 | More by AustinBeerLvr

BeardedRiker

Texas

4/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This the last beer in my fridge! :( So, it's hot, hot, hot in Texas so what's better than drinking a lighter and refreshing beer, a hefeweizen, from a Texas brewery.

Weedwacker looks like pineapple juice. It's a murky yellow that forms a white and frothy, thick, and white head. Not much retention or lacing. Looks interesting.

The strongest smells are lemon and straw. Very yeasty and a bit peppery. Smells yummy.

I really like the flavors here. It's not too yeasty, not too citrusy, not too sweet. All of the flavors balance well. Everything in your usual hefeweizen is in this. Banana and clove show up along with some pepperiness. Hefeweizens aren't one of my favorite styles but this one impresses me. I think it's because it's not as sweet as many other hefeweizens. In the finish it has a strong cracker flavor.

This is medium-bodied but on the thinner side. It's pretty creamy but the medium-high carbonation adds some bite to it that keeps things refreshing. Very drinkable. Perfect for a hot summer day in Texas.

Fours all the way!

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2011 02:38:30 | More by BeardedRiker

ballmouse

New York

3.05/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This is hardly a traditional hefeweizen; if I recall correctly, this is a kolsch with a hefeweizen yeast. It definitely has the crisp, light kolsch mouthfeel and taste, but with a slight hefeweizen taste as well.

The appearance looks to be a high carbonated golden/lemon-colored lager.

The smell has a lemon-flavor and slight hefeweizen smell to it. But there's also an odd funk I can't explain.

The taste is like a club soda with a splash of lemons and banana. It's not going to hit you over the head, but it's quite nice during this heatwave where you want something refreshing that isn't going to coat your tongue with sugar.

The mouthfeel is crisp and light. It feels a bit like a sparkling wine.

Overall, not a bad beer, but I feel I'd only order it for as a summer refreshment. It doesn't have enough flavor when I actually want to drink a beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 02:39:51 | More by ballmouse

depechemode1983

Texas

3.28/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Color is cloudy dark yellow. Pretty decent head on this one. Its thick, rocky, and has excellent retention. No lacing but no worries.

S - Some light orange peel up front with some undertones or coriander and clove. Through the middle you get plenty of wheat and other grains with and underlying spiciness.

T - A little light on flavor here. Seems a bit watered down. There's a touch or grains with some lemon and again a clove spiciness.

M - Good mouth feel. Well carbonated, smooth, and flows nicely.

O - Pretty decent beer from Saint Arnold. One of the better ones Ive had. I like this one better than Fancy Lawnmower. I could see myself purchasing this again.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 02:09:19 | More by depechemode1983

Treebs

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Received as an extra in a trade, thanks Brad! 12 oz. bottle poured into a Hefe glass.

A: Pours a cloudy dark straw with a half finger white head that quickly recedes in a nice film ring.

S: I pick up some light yeast, a little sweet fruit. Slight spice but the nose isn't over powering and is a slight let down.

T: Again with a light fruity yeast just like the nose and again it sort of lacks in real power and pop. There is a slight sweet bubblegum and clove spice at the backend.

M: Medium bodied with a nice grained mouthfeel. Very refreshing and there are some lingering yeasty notes on the palate.

O: This was a decent Hefe, but definitely not my favorite for the style. The flavor and nose profiles really lacked in this guy.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2011 01:29:22 | More by Treebs

Fenris244

Texas

4.22/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

im really excited that this brew got pushed up to year round status, poured into my duvel tulip

pale yellow, a little hazy, towering 3 finger head off of an aggressive pour, little retention though.

Bits of lemon and orange, some wheat and some sweetness

Its like a hefeweizen but lemony, its really cool, the bits of orange are still there and a little spiciness, the flavors come in pretty softly and everything blends really well

very light and crisp, super srefreshing, excellent for the texas summer

Overall, fantastically refreshing summertime brew

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2011 00:00:54 | More by Fenris244