Samuel Adams Whitewater IPA - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

MadScientist

New York

3.83/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: A somewhat cloudy golden beer with a persistent, rocky, white head.

S: One of the hoppier smelling beer I've had from S.A. and very good smelling IPA in general. A moderately-strong citrus hops aroma with a fair amount of pineapple notes. There is a moderately-light wheat aroma and light fruity ester.

T: A strong citrus hops flavor with moderate hops bitterness dominate the flavor. Not far behind is some of the orange peel flavor and bitterness with a light bit of malt and wheat sweetness. The balance is moderately bitter with a fairly dry finish. The aftertaste is of a lingering hops and citrus peel bitterness.

M: A fluffy beer with a medium body and moderately-strong carbonation.

O: The mouthfeel and citrus peel let you know that despite the strong hop flavor lets you know this is not an IPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 00:25:37 | More by MadScientist

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

2.79/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

Poured from a bottle into a tumbler pint, the beer is unfiltered to the point of opacity. A bright, hazy, orange-yellow coloring with a thin, filmy, bright white surface coating. This almost looks like Orangina. Slow, steady flow of carbonation bubbling throughout. Aromas of basil and pepper spicing on a green and dry hops character and a heavy hand of citrus zest and sweetness. Interesting nose. Flavors are a bit more citrusy. Okay, a lot more citrusy. Very tart lemon character with a hint of sweet orange; this blend barrels over any of the hops and malt that may have been present. Some searching through the palate and you can pick up hints of oregano spice and a touch of a bready backbone, but barely. The tart flavors build as you drink, so it makes it difficult to further explore flavor profiles. The aftertaste is the bitter and tart citrus character once again, almost with an acidic edge. Quick, dry finish with a linger to the citrus. This one gets tough to drink towards the end.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 20:59:15 | More by GarthDanielson

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

3.31/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3

A-cloudy gold with a nice foamy white head

S-smells like sweet herbs such as mint leaves and even some vanilla. Just a slight hint of citrusy hops. Definitely some lemon in there.

T-comes in with an odd flavor of cooked vegetables and an odd sweetness plus some classic Sam Adams hops. The ending has a bit of bitter cereal to it. Odd beer.

M-medium creamy carbonation with a watery finish

O-this isn't a good beer. I was excited when I saw this was a white IPA. The style intrigues me, but this doesn't taste all how I think one should taste, or how any beer should taste for that matter.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 03:50:24 | More by AdamBear

johnnybgoode

Pennsylvania

3.26/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

A Wheat IPA flavored with Apricots and Spices. Yuck - My expectations were that this would be a cloying mess. Actually it has a nice hoppy aroma when opened, and luckily the hops outshine everything else - the apricots are well in the background where they should be - actually, they should not be anywhere in sight, but experimentation is good, right? Just like cloves in cigarettes, I guess. The apricots and spices are unnecessary, but not overpowering, so I will reluctantly tolerate their presence. A "nice to try once" beer - maybe I can pawn the rest off on my unsuspecting friends when they come to visit. The trouble is, the hopheads will object to the apricots and spices, and the folks that like all of those fruity beers will object to the hops. Truly a beer no one will want to be friends with.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 19:15:00 | More by johnnybgoode

ButterflyBethie

Missouri

3.35/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

This is the oddest IPA I have tasted. Samuel Adams was on sale at the store so I bought the hop sampler pack which includes this one. It is a very cloudy amber color and smells strongly of apricots. But when it is sipped strong spices come out in the taste. The smell gives the impression the flavor will be sweet like an apricot but the spicy taste feels more like a beer you eat. It leaves behind a very bitter after taste. I think something sweet would contrast nicely with this beer. I plan to try an orange with it next time.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 01:30:01 | More by ButterflyBethie

Sludgeman

District of Columbia

3.86/5  rDev +9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

On tap at the Atlanta Airport at the Samuel Adams Bar. Poured into a pint glass.

A - Cloudy straw yellow. 1/2 finger head quickly dissipates to a thin layer that remains throughout the glass. Good lacing.

A - A floral, fruity bouquet.

T - Grapefruit, bitter in the finish.

MF- Sharp, dry, refreshing.

O- Thought it was a wheat when it arrived in front me at the bar. Like maybe the bartender poured from the wrong tap. , Quaffable. Nice IPA for an airport.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2013 21:12:44 | More by Sludgeman

pweis909

Wisconsin

2.58/5  rDev -27.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

This beer was in the hop collection 6 pack, or something like that, a variety pack that also included Noble Pils and Latitude 48, two favorites of mine. So, this was a way to try something new while simultaneously picking up two beers that I like. Cool. Good thing, too, because I don't like Whitewater IPA, a wit/IPA hybrid, all that much.

Why not? It looks great! Slightly hazy like a wit, but a deeper gold color, with good foam.
Some hops to the smell, some citrus, a little soap? Nothing really intense.
Taste like orange peel. Like the pith of orange peel. Unpleasant aftertaste.
The beer really coats the mouth with an oil slick. Must be the proteins from the wheat. Maybe some dextrins from caramalts, too? Really doesn't go with IPA IMO.

Sorry Jim K., this one is not working for me.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 23:17:05 | More by pweis909

andrewjraab

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A. Pours a tawny peach with a bright white pillow of head.

S. citrus and pine, orange peel.

T. Citrus hop flavor, orange peel, turns sweet for a millisecond before a bitter finish.

O The fusion of Belgium wheat and American IPA creates a unique brew that is worth a try, but overall it's average at best.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 03:01:10 | More by andrewjraab

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

1.9/5  rDev -46.3%
look: 1.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.75

A: poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass, a really odd pink color with a short white head that dissipates immediately leaving no lacing, very cloudy with coagulated chunks floating around

S: apricots and peaches up front with banana and clove esters, not much hops, interesting as a fruit beer but not as an IPA

T: this is an unpleasant combination of standard but weak wheat beer flavors, some fruit that based on the label I'm lead to believe is apricot, and Boston Lager flavored hops, why the hell does anyone think these flavors pair well with one another

M: sex in a canoe, chunks of crap in my mouth, on a more positive note the carbonation is lively and refreshing, aftertaste returns to being muddled disgusting mess

O: I get what BBC is doing; IPAs are popular so capitalize on the market while trying to differentiate your product. They should however be ashamed for releasing a beer that looks like a 15 year old kid tried to make homebrew in his closet, tastes like a fruit bran muffin train wreck, and is labeled as an IPA just because some idiot decided to throw in a few extra hops. I'm putting the patriot on restriction for a few days for making a beer that is too bitter for the BMC crowd, and too revolting for the craft crowd. In trying to capitalize on a market trend, a beer for no market has been born. The ass end of this one gets to feed my septic system.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 03:38:54 | More by M_C_Hampton

FlatRabbitRed

Arizona

2.84/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer is like the White Ale turned into an IPA, and it is cloudy - not a bad thing! Some reviews said it was not even an IPA, that's not true at all. There is a lot of hop character going on, maybe the person doing the review got an older bottle (loss of hop flavors and aromas) or they were expecting an extreme IPA west coast style; Ruination, Torpedo, Yellow Snow, Hoptimum, Hop Slam, Pliny, ect.

A very different IPA, in fact this beer goes to show that any extra hopped beer is in fact an IPA.
It was an odd beer for me very light in color, very citrusy, somewhat floral and spicy to the point where it dominated the strong hop flavors. These beers are not enjoyable for me because there is too much going on.

Spiced citrus floral IPA

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 20:29:53 | More by FlatRabbitRed

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

With a delightful blend of "jamminess" and bitterness, for me this beer is a very pleasant surprise. Pours a hazy orange-yellow, appropriately enough I would almost have called it apricot-coloured. Hop-forward aroma of citrus and stone fruits, with the apricot listed on the label the most prevalent. Flavours are also fruit/hop forward with a near-puckering bitterness that rounds out the finish, nicely balancing any sweetness to the marmalade / jam in the body. Definitely enough going to be interesting and would recommend this fresh bottle to any APA fan.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 23:49:26 | More by hopsolutely

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.11/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

So this is a wheat ale? With hops? A Belgian IPA? Is that what the goal was here?

Clear hop spices going on with a salty bitterness. Must say that the nose on this one, at first, was just divine. Seems a silly word to use, but hey, with all these reviews, I need to mix it up and all. I kind of like this one, now that it's warmed up. Pretty good showing.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 05:11:10 | More by RblWthACoz

at7000

Florida

3.18/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Not as horrid as I thought it would be. I guess that is not saying much. Nice bitter finish. Now I will go on a mini rant- What is up with Sam Adams and all the fruit and spice and junk they add to beer? This beer has in it-
Special Ingredients: Orange peel, coriander, and apricots.

Opening up Mom's Spice Rack and throwing in spices and fruits, is cheating. Any decent BrewMaster should get those flavors via the correct selection of hop varieties and yeast strains. I think I know what is up with this- It is a marketing tactic. Middle and Upper-Class, Americans, who can afford premium products, like "flavored crap." I buy freshly harvested Olive Oil in a boutique "Olive Oil shop." 90% of the oils are flavored, and apparently I am one of the few who by the traditional stuff. Same in Teavana, every time I go in there, they push 20 flavored teas, before a tell them to go shove it, and I buy plain green tea. There are also flavored coffees and the like. People who are true connoisseurs and experts, don't fall for such cheap, useless gimmicks. Real Brewmasters have been creating flavors out of beer, which resemble pine, particular spices, citrus and citrus peel, bananas, tropical fruits, for centuries, without dumping these actual substances into the brew. Sam Adams gets no respect from me, for using such sleazy sales methods and marketing gimmicks.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 00:07:56 | More by at7000

mfnmbvp

Illinois

2.9/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle, part of the mixed 6 pack deal. No bottled on date, poured to a Boulevard tulip.

A - Cloudy, murky orange color. Big two finger head that sits on top like foam.

S - Skunky hop smell is really the only scent this one brings to the table. Little bit of lemon. Smells pretty similar to the Samuel Adams Noble Pils which I just consumed a while ago.

T - Boring, bland taste. Light on the hops. It almost seems like they just amped up the Samuel Adams Noble Pils with a little more lemon / hop bite, and a little more alcohol and came up with this one. Not terribly impressed.

M - Mouthfeel is still slightly resinous, with the taste of hops lingering for a while. Very dry finish. Not too sure how I feel about this.

Overall, I would have it again, but only when it's around for the taking, and there isn't any other more intense IPA's to be had.

Samuel Adams Whitewater IPA ---3/5

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 23:38:01 | More by mfnmbvp

Hoptometrist

Oregon

3.25/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served from the bottle into a nonic glass

A- Poured a fairly hazy orange color with big fluffy white head with big bubbles that left dense chunky lace

S- Big artificial peach aroma. Very sweet, bready, and citrus notes

T- Big artificial sweet peach, wheat, and some light citrus. Very little hop character and bitterness. A little bit of strange saltiness on the finish.

M- Lighter bodied, slightly watery, low carbonation

O- Kind of misses the mark as an IPA and a witbier, more like a peach wheat beer. Still an easy to drink beer though.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 05:13:57 | More by Hoptometrist

danreitz

2.45/5  rDev -30.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a mason jar. Hazy gold with a bubbly, two-finger head. Thick and dry in the mouth and bitter on the tongue, with a surprise grapefruit flavor that is neither subtle nor completely welcome. Bitter aftertaste that grips a little too hard but is relatively quick to dissipate. I want to like this beer, but it seems like it hasn't figured itself out. C

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 05:52:19 | More by danreitz

mechamifune

North Carolina

3/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours close to the usual golden ipa color, but a little cloudier and with a bit of a white hue to it. Fluffy white head, strong looking carbonation. Nice looking.

Smell is pretty muted. A little bit of spicyness and earthy hops I suppose. Doesn't overtly smell like a traditional american ipa or whitbeer.

Taste is just....muddled. Bitter upfront followed by some spicyness and no real definable malt presence to speak of.

Mouthfeel is a little overcarbonated and some real harshness to the finish. Not easy to drink.

Overall this one went wrong. I've had three "white ipas" in the past and have come away feeling relatively indifferent every time. With this one, it just felt wrong as far as feeling like a cohesive, and I have no desire to drink it again. It just felt like a homebrew that went wrong, and didn't accentuate the more positive notes of a ipa or a witbeer (two styles I very much enjoy).

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 02:41:48 | More by mechamifune

Damian

Massachusetts

4.63/5  rDev +30.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Drank from a 12 fl. oz. bottle
Best before month notched: FEB 13
Served in a pint glass
Thanks to my friend James for saving this bottle for me.

With a careful pour, the beer was a hazy yellow ochre. Some large particles gathered in the bottom of the glass. I later swirled the remaining yeast in the bottle and poured this as well. The resulting liquid was substantially more cloudy and the body was re-capped by an amazingly tight, billowing, two-finger crop of fluffy foam. Outstanding retention. Multiple rings of tight, beaded lacing coated the entire glass.

The nose was amazingly fragrant. Fresh, pureed apricot notes jumped out of the glass. Sweet and vibrant. Lots of coriander and clove. Strong notes of orange peel. Slightly wheaty and tart. There were absolutely no IPA-like characteristics, but with so many other great things going on, I did not miss the hops.

The flavor profile was fantastic as well. Super smooth, easy drinking and refreshing. Again, notes of fresh apricot dominated. Perhaps some peach as well. Fruity and rather sweet on the front end. Wheaty and tart in center. Good dose of clove and orange peel. Touch of lemon. The beer turned much more IPA-like on the back end. There was a mix of fruity, citrusy hops and some earthy, bittering hops. Strong orange and grapefruit peel notes. Nice overall balance. I really liked how the beer transitioned from start to finish.

The mouthfeel was creamy, smooth and pillowy soft. Supple and frothy on the palate. The liquid contained a very fine, above average amount of carbonation.

Samuel Adams Whitewater IPA really surprised me. Apparently a hybrid of three beer styles (an IPA, an American wheat ale and a fruit beer), it had a remarkably interesting and enjoyable flavor profile. Try this with an open mind (do not think of it as a typical IPA) and I bet you will really enjoy it too.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 07:03:29 | More by Damian

UCLABrewN84

California

3.43/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Best before 2/2013.

Pours a murky honey orange with a foamy orange-white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Small particles of sediment are seen suspended in the beer after the pour. Smell is of malt, citrus zest, herbal hops, yeast, and a slight nail polish remover aroma. Taste is much the same with a slight fruitiness on the finish. There is a medium hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and a somewhat medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but the nail polish remover scent gives this beer a slightly harsh aroma.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 05:20:09 | More by UCLABrewN84

Gatch

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Hazy, golden-yellow with a big, frothy, white head.

S: Citrus notes with hints of pine and some malt. Very enjoyable nose.

T: I was pleasantly surprised by the first sip. Big rush of fresh, citrusy, woody hops balanced by a good dose of malt in the finish.

M: The hops are fresh and full of flavor. Oils and resin tend to become cloying after a while. Very dry and bitter.

O: I thought this beer was pretty stellar. SA may not have the best beer in the world but because of their size, I feel they received some unwarranted hatred from BA's. It's like their scores start at a "4" instead of a "5." Recommended!

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2012 00:25:12 | More by Gatch

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Swiped this bottle from my brother. Shh! don't tell! Anyway, this stuff pours a cloudy golden straw topped by a bit over a finger of white foam. The nose comprises orange rind, light coriander, light cracked wheat, a twinge of leek, and a bit of pine sap. The taste brings in more of the same, minus the leek and plus a bit of cardamom and black pepper (pinch of each). The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, a nice Belgian-inspired IPA, one that doesn't overdo it in either direction (always gratifying to see some balance).

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 00:10:13 | More by TMoney2591

nUgZ

North Carolina

3.58/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle poured into a Nonic.

A: Pours a hazy peach color with a 1 finger head and nice lacing.

S: The smell is pretty interesting. Citrus hops and peach aromas along with some pine and wheat.

T: Much like the smell I'm getting citrus hops and peach flavors along with some biscuity malts. Good flavors, but they kind of get lost and jumbled together. Nothing really stands out like it should.

M: Medium bodied with good carbonation.

O: This is an interesting offering from Samuel Adams. It's easy to drink and pretty tasty, but doesn't wow me like some IPA's do these days. I'll be glad to drink one when available, but it's not one I'll be seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 01:03:15 | More by nUgZ

SometimesIfart

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours golden-orange with a very thin white head. Leaves good lacing.

S - Citrus, medium pine, medium grapefruit.

T - Strong pine, slight citrus, sweet caramel, medium grapefruit. Very nice flavor.

M - Medium bodied with medium carbonation.

O - Overall this was a very solid IPA that I would definitely have again.

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2012 21:22:13 | More by SometimesIfart

zac16125

South Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a hefeweizen glass
Best before: April 2013

A: Pours a golden yellow with 2.5 fingers width of sea foam white colored head. Leaves tons of layered lacing all the way down the glass.

S: Big dank resinous hops. Juniper and pine. A touch of citrus. The aroma is reminiscent of Masala Mama, and yes I am being serious. I love the huge resinous notes.

T: Significantly more wheat flavors than on the nose. Spicy hops and bitterness. Touches of citrus. Very good, but doesn't live up to the nose.

M/D: Medium bodied, crisp carbonation on the higher end of the spectrum. Drinkability is good.

O: Overall, what a nice surprise. Is it just me or is Sam Adams stepping up their game? One of the better Sam Adams offerings Ive tried. I would certainly drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 02:37:09 | More by zac16125

pmcadamis

Illinois

2.98/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Cloudy with a bunch of turbid chunks of yeast floating around in the tangerine brew. This one has a enormously thick head with lots and lots of lace that sticks permanently to the glass. Excellent head retention, and I'm a sucker for yeast chunks.

S - Biscuity malts and a whiff of lemon. Yeasty, but sort of plain. Virtually no hops on the nose other than a tiny floral note, so that's a pretty big fault for this style. Since they are doing a wit/IPA smash up this really isn't straight IPA style anyway.

T - Lemon rind bitterness with a grassy flavor coming through later. Finishes with a really bitter touch of hops that reminds me of chewing dandelion stems as a kid.

M - Light bodied but a little fluffy from the carbonation. Extremely dry and attenuated.

Didn't really care for this. The hop profile is green-grassy and sharply bitter, and leaves an arugula aftertaste. The biscuit and yeast from the nose disappears in the mouth.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 20:30:30 | More by pmcadamis