What The Huck - Fernie Brewing Co.

CrazyMike

Alberta (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Cloudy purple appearance with a small amount of head but good lacing and retention. Was caught by surprise with the appearance. Sweet, berry smell with a hint of wheat, bread and apples.

Picked up wheat and berries for the taste as well as bread, some malt and a hint of vanilla. Taste seems like a lighter version of the smell. Light and creamy bodied with low carbonation. Aftertaste is a dry, berry taste.

Overall, this is an interesting fruit beer and very refreshing. Taste could use more of a kick to it, but it's a well rounded beer. Will definitely try again in the summer.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2011 23:50:15 | More by CrazyMike

Kmat10

Alberta (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +0.3%

05-20-2013 05:06:09 | More by Kmat10

maclean25

British Columbia (Canada)

3.13/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

This pours with little, white, head - and the small head reduces quickly. The body is cloudy with a mix of colours, kind of purple but more of an orange-dark red colour. The aroma is fresh and lively. I get mostly grain and detect pear and a smoky quality. Wheat ales mix well with fruit flavours as this beer demonstrates. The taste is mostly berry and light citrus. The fruit tastes real (not artificially flavoured). It has a medium body, which is heavier than I expected. The carbonation is appropriate.

Overall, it reminds me of a herbal tea, but cool and carbonated. I'm not a big fan of fruit herbal teas though and this isn't the best fruit flavoured beer I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 04:49:13 | More by maclean25

schopenhauerale

British Columbia (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +0.3%

04-13-2013 06:11:27 | More by schopenhauerale

jrempel

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev +7%

08-08-2012 06:27:04 | More by jrempel

Coastal_Brew

British Columbia (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +0.3%

07-22-2012 14:02:32 | More by Coastal_Brew

bumchilly25

British Columbia (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +0.3%

05-13-2012 05:09:59 | More by bumchilly25

w00ddy

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev +7%

02-11-2012 18:13:44 | More by w00ddy

slimspady

Alberta (Canada)

3/5  rDev -19.8%

02-02-2012 05:42:55 | More by slimspady

goalie35

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +7%

02-01-2012 22:41:14 | More by goalie35

tonyf55

Alberta (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Had on-tap at Craft Beer Market in Calgary, AB. Served in a shaker.

Visual (2.5): Low-clarity, orangish hue with minimal head but nice lacing despite being in a shaker. No real stand-out traits.

Aroma (3.5): Berries...I'm guessing huckleberry and hints of gooseberry (advised by my friend who has tried both). What is for sure is a hoppy pine scent that does well to balance the wilderness fruit sweetness.

Taste (3.5): Fruity sweetness from the nose is reflected in the taste with the hops fitting into the flavour really well at the end. Sweetness lingers nicely with a great little hit of hop spice at the end. Would be best on a warm summer day.

Mouthfeel (3): Lively mouthfeel with active carbonation that sweeps over the pallet. A little watery with a lighter body. Again, the feel compliments the taste for some warmer weather.

Overall (4): This beer is the definition of "greater than the sum of it's parts". All togther, Fernie Brewing's What the Huck is a creative, well-crafted, and easily drinkable summer fruit beer. Although individually each of its traits may not stand out, all together What the Huck is a fantastic summer sipper that is not to be missed when the weather is good.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2011 04:54:49 | More by tonyf55

schnarr84

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +7%

11-27-2011 05:32:25 | More by schnarr84

MrTinnedPEach

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +7%

11-21-2011 17:33:41 | More by MrTinnedPEach

EskimoDave

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev +7%

11-21-2011 03:12:18 | More by EskimoDave

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

3.45/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

This beer pours a purplish amber color, with a small lacing head. The smell is borderline offensive. The taste is initially sweet, with a strong huckleberry taste, but then finishes with a strong wheat beer taste. The overall flavor is strong, but dosent last on the paletee very long; nice carbonation. Overall a very good wheat/fruit beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2011 00:01:38 | More by vette2006c5r

scott451

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A very bubbly one finger head on a hazy purplish apricot. The head soon passes. No lacing to speak of.

Fruity smells. Some light malt notes. The berries are apparent but restrained. On the first sip, a nice blueberryish whiff on a very mild wheat base. The berry flavours seem more dominant. A mild tangy finish.

A very light body and a fairly light carbonation. A pleasant creamy texture. The drinkability is very good. A well balanced fruit beer. It is nice to see real fruit (wild crafted yet) rather than syrup. It shows in the final product.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2011 20:15:06 | More by scott451

LazyL

British Columbia (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Hazy bright amber with a violet hue thats hard to explain. Good creamy head and some nice lace on the glass.
A bit of honey and some earthy notes, otherwise not alot here.
Slightly sour, but sweet at the same time. This is the berry influence. Its nice, has an OK mouthfeel and is quite an easy drinker.
This would be a nice addition to an ice filled tub on the deck for a summer BBQ. If you like this you will also like St Ambroise apricot wheat ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2011 04:59:29 | More by LazyL

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance. Pours a hazy amber with a bluish hue. Interesting but not especially appealing. Half finger head falling to a film with minimal lacing.

Smell. Sour berries and apples. Some bready yeast and a little malt. Nice.

Taste. Berries and a little wheat. Finishing with some malt and a little honey. Not too sweet.

Mouthfeel. Light and crisp with some prickly carbonation.

Drinkability. Goes down real easy. Not very sweet and pronounced, but light flavours make this a great drinker.

Looks like another nice summer thirst quencher that I'll buy again.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2011 19:55:16 | More by Rutager

lumikuuro

British Columbia (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Cloudy purple-amber with big frothy off white head with great retention and thick lace.

Aroma: Gentle huckleberry and wheat.

Taste: Gentle huckleberry and wheat, tart dryness and a little sweetness. Good balance but the fruit is moderately subtle.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, nice carbonation, dry.

Drinkability: A nice beer, and a good effort. Would prefer more fruit intensity, however.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2010 17:00:08 | More by lumikuuro

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

650ml bottle poured into pint glass sept10 2010

A hazy deep orange with a little pink with lots of bubbles including some of the biggest bubbles I've ever seen, thumbs width of head hangs around for a minute or two and leaves a patch of lace

S not much some honey, berries and wheat but rather faint

T what I smell but a little stronger and a little sweeter

M thin and a little too much carbonation it turns to foam in your mouth

D easy enough to drink nothings wrong with this one and it would go down fairly well with the hot sun

no reason not to try this beer and props to Fernie for branching out and trying something different from their norm

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2010 01:05:24 | More by wordemupg

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another Fernie brew that I got to try the draft version of on a trip to BC.
Golden colored liquid was slightly hazy, with a hint of purple when held up to the light. A thin floating cap of foam lasted nicely and left thin spiderwebs of lace. The fruit smell is evident from the start, sweet huckleberries, some wheat malt as well. The fruit flavour is right there, but without being too much. Very nicely balanced. Bready, wheat malt with sweet and tart fruit. A well made wheat beer with fruit incorporated (as opposed to a sickly sweet artificial flavoring).
Very nicely carbonated, bubbly on the tongue, smooth and not too fizzy. Mouthfeel is light, keeping it refreshing and crisp. Easy to drink fruit beer.
And I brought a bottle home too.

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2010 03:58:20 | More by BigBry

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - a hazy bronze orange with one thumb of white had that retained reasonably well leaving a small lace of foam
S - grainy wheaty malt, some perfume hop notes, light sweet berry syrup scent
D - savory bready wheat malt flavour mixed with the very sweet and tart huckleberry, perfumy hop notes are very light, a biscuity aftertaste
M - the tart bitterness of the berries seems to dominate throughout, medium bodies with the chewiness of the bready wheat malt
D - the mix of sweet, bitter tart, and bready is an interesting mix of flavours and feels, the actual berry flavour is not over emphasized as is sometimes the case with fruit offerings, while nothing here is outstanding it is a very nice seasonal

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2010 03:21:17 | More by joemcgrath27

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

2.75/5  rDev -26.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

From a 650 ml brown bottle, abv. listed at 5%. Pours out with a tall loose creamy off-white head, cloudy russet copper hue for the body.

Tart musty dry grains on the nose, some creaminess, with low levels of sweet tart fruit.

Creamy, almost milky sweetness up front in the flavour, neutral grains in the middle, with some tart berries and more sweet cream on the finish.

Medium-bodied, soft and creamy texture, the wheat is put to good use, I wouldn't doubt if some oats were in there either.

I can see this appealing to the cross-over crowd, but it just doesn't gel with me, I find that milky sweetness quite off-putting, while the fruit content isn't high enough to even start to balance it out. I'll pass....

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2010 04:50:48 | More by IronDjinn

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Last time I reviewed any of Fernie's beers it was years ago and they produced barely drinkable beer in home brew bottles. Things have changed and this is a great looking bomber with a nice play on words. The beer is thankfully much better.

The beer pours a slightly purple dark orange colour due to the Huckleberries being used after filtration. The head is big and fluffy and the nose is redolent of fruit and hops. The beer is all about the beer part first and the fruit second which is a great choice. The Huckleberry is pretty tart so it lends itself well to the taste. I don't taste a lot of wheat in here but rather the beer tastes like a pale ale with fruit. Very drinkable and well put together

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2010 01:56:43 | More by canucklehead

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Visited a friendly local Co-op Liquor Store (Rocky Ridge) and was pleasantly surprised by their selection. This was one of the many selections I picked up for my birthday weekend.

A - Pours a hazy golden brown with a reddish / purple hue around the edges. A thin layer of head with remains throughout and no real lacing.

S - The scent was full of berry fruits, with (what I'm assuming is, though I've never eaten) huckleberry, but is reminiscent of a mixture between a strawberry and blueberry. A bit of grassy wheat and bready malt comes off on the finish.

T - The fruit flavours are definitely noticeable, but by no means overwhelming. This is perfectly balanced, offering a sweet fruit flavour off the top, while finishing with a nice balance of wheat grains and bready malts. The huckleberry is nice and sweet, and has a bit of a vanilla finish. The lingering flavour is reminiscent of a berry sweet tart.

M - This one is perfectly carbonated, offering a nice bubbling sensation on the tongue, and goes down extremely smooth.

D - The light feel makes it go down extremely easy, and the delicious, yet not overpowering, combination of flavours makes for an easy drinking and enjoyable experience. The flavours are light enough that your can toss it back pretty easily, but it still offers enough flavour to make the experience memorable. Great beverage, and highly recommended to enthusiasts of berry flavoured beers!

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2010 04:59:17 | More by andrenaline