Mandarin Hefeweizen - Yakima Brewing Co. / Bert Grant's Ales

Mustard

District of Columbia

3.63/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Presentation: Stubby, 12oz. brown bottle; no "bottled on" or "best before" warning; no ABV %; purchased as a "busted" single from Trader Joe's for, I believe, $0.75.

Appearance: Pours a hazy, orange-tinged gold; fat, batter-like head; a good c-cup's worth of lace; very good head retention.

Aroma: Predominantly of mandarin oranges and wheat malt, and nicely so.

Taste: Decidedly like its nose; lightly sweet upfront with firm notes of mandarin oranges throughout; solid wheat malt twang; a pleasant, rind-like bitterness pokes its head out in the finish; secondary notes include a) a peppery spiciness and b) bananas; light to medium bodied; crisp, lively mouthfeel.

Notes: I'm not normally a fan of fruit beers, but I rather enjoyed this.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2003 07:53:40 | More by Mustard

drabmuh

Maryland

4/5  rDev +19.8%

01-23-2012 19:32:56 | More by drabmuh

rab53

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +19.8%

12-10-2011 04:10:56 | More by rab53

BeerBeing

Pennsylvania

2.3/5  rDev -31.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Presentation: 12oz brown glass generic stubby bottle,green and black on orange label

Appearance: cloudy yellow color, almost no nead, no lacing

Smell: strong mandarin, minimal beer

Taste: again very strong mandarin taste, minimal hops bitterness

Notes: is it beer ? Let me see, hmm, here we go, from the label: "Malt beverage with mandarin flavor added". Ok, this is not a beer, just BEVERAGE with ADDED flavor

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2005 14:07:21 | More by BeerBeing

connecticutpoet

Connecticut

2.68/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

As expected, this hefe was a hazy yellow. There was almost no head.

Aroma was of oranges and wheat malt. Rather one-dimensional.

Taste was of bitter wheat malt, and there was a funky orange flavor.

Mouthfeel was average, kind of thin. Drinkability was not great, mainly because of the funkiness.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2005 22:14:24 | More by connecticutpoet

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.15/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Some fascinating characteristics, yet some flaws. Aromas are nicely orange-like. Little of the Wiezen aromas show. The beers apearance is exactly what one expects, however, I prefered better heat thickness and less carbonation. Flavors lack the creamy body expected in a Wheat. There are some good orange flavors in the foreground, but the bitterness that shows in the body are more likely from orange skins and tannins than from hops. Lacks spiciness, complexity, depth, and body. Sharp bittering keeps the beer from becoming as refreshing as expected.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2005 22:20:10 | More by BEERchitect

goodbyeohio

Oregon

3.13/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

beer pours a nice foamy golden color.. nothing off-putting or strange here. aroma is an artificial orangey, the way orange-flavored vitamin c pills smell. fruit overpowers beer aromas here. very clean and crisp with that initial orange soda/flintstones vitamin chalky citrus.. finishing dry and light with a definite witbier maltiness and a hint of alcohol. not the worst beer on the face of the earth, but i expected this to be more of an american fruity guilty pleasure type beer.. something that i could crack when it was hot as balls and the a/c is broken (like now) in place of a soda. not the case here.

oh, and this is by no means a hefeweizen. that aspect is rather misleading as this beer exemplifies nothing that i would usually see in a hefe.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2005 00:04:48 | More by goodbyeohio

PorterLambic

Florida

3.63/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy, golden apricot color with no head and no lace at all.
Smell is apricot along with malt, salted pretzel, hops and orange.
Taste is apricot and orange, malt, yeast and hops.
Effervescence all over the mouth with a light-medium body.
A smooth aftertaste that fades gently leaving nice orange & yeast notes.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2005 19:30:45 | More by PorterLambic

Zorro

California

3.88/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy golden colored beer.

Smell is sweet wheat malt and crackers scent with a light scent of tangerines. Smells very clean no off scents and no hop odor.

Taste is slight sweetness and a wheaty malt backbone and slight flavor of oranges. More malty than the first taste hints at. The flavor is very mild and is simple and clean, medium neutral American wheat beer flavor, mild orange fruit flavor and a little bit of hop bitterness to clean the taste buds.

Mouthfeel is OK.

Very good Drinkability in a basic straightforward brew. This is simply an American wheat beer brewed to be mild and neutral to highlight the flavor of mandarin oranges; it does this very well. Mild and easy to drink this is a good beer for enjoying as a summer thirst quencher.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2005 02:58:57 | More by Zorro

blitheringidiot

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Label states: Malt beverage with Mandarin flavor added. Foggy semi-unfiltered orange hued pour with a thin ivory white scattered thin head cap leaving scattered lace traces.

Judicious citrous scents of oranges and pez candy.

First swigs: Tangerine fruit and a Sweet ‘n Low sweetness gushes forth first and foremost. Wheat aspect in the hidden for the most part above some powdery notes. Clean short aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is thin to medium body with soft cushiony carbonation. Quite clean and refreshing, overall.

Last swigs: Orange soda. Just an easy “fresh squeezed orange” flavor that holds up throughout the brew. Nothing special but, maybe this would be even better on tap. $2.00 a bottle at Circle Liquors.

Beer is good. Happy beering.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2005 10:10:25 | More by blitheringidiot

palliko

California

3.53/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance is cloudy golden amber with a nice white head of foam that settles down to leave sticky lace on the glass. Aroma has the yeast one expects in a Hefe, but there is orange in there, as well as malt. Initial taste is of sweet grains, citrus, and bitter hops. Taste is same as aroma, plus veggies. Finish is composed of hops and orange peel. A little bland for my palate - I wouldn’t want more than one in an evening.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2005 13:26:29 | More by palliko

mynie

Indiana

2.4/5  rDev -28.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I love Weizens. I'm more open-minded when it comes to fruit beers than your average BA. This should work, then... right?

Rather crappy pour. Nothing to it. Almost no head. Light orange, almost like a macro. No haze.

Smells like OJ and beer. By "beer" I mean PBR. American macro and OJ. Nothing like a weizen.

Tastes like synthetic orange upfront. The slightest hint of wheat in the middle, more orange sweetness in the back.

Rats. I got my hopes up for nothing.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2005 02:14:23 | More by mynie

Hunter

Arizona

2.7/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Takes a vigorous pour to get any kind of headm and then it's a thin layer of white bubbles that die fast. Brew's color is somewhere between dark pilsner and light amber. No carbonation but no lacing effects.

The aroma is citrusy, almost reminiscent of Tang. Very little else.

The Tang character is less dominant in the taste but still the main player. Malt characteristics have some room to maneuver here but they're still weak. Finishing almost like citrus-infused club soda.

Light mouthfeel, no aftertaste. Hefe's lend themselves well to fruit additions, but it's an art adding just enough to taste but not overpower the beer itself. This one hasn't figured it out yet. Drinkable but not especially "beery".

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2005 05:21:51 | More by Hunter

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.18/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Surprisingly clear, yellow gold in color. The head is minute and the lace is spotty at best.

Strong orange blossom aromas--very sweet and floral.

This is a very sweet and fruity beer. There is a citric tartness in the swallow. Imagine putting in an ounce of Grand Marnier in a mild hefeweizen and you'll get the idea. Fairly thin in body and very high in carbonation.

I would describe this as a novelty beer. Pleasant and different but not exactly something that would become a regular fare.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2005 21:44:19 | More by smcolw

beersarang

California

3.6/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a light copper with a touch of orange and a big frothy white head that leaves some nice lacing down the glass. Recedes into a thin collar.

Smells like mandarin oranges... with some mandarin oranges too.

Wheat presence is minimal, malts seem to be nearly nonexistant and neutral. The hop presence is typical citrusy cascade. Nice bite leads into a mandarin aftertaste that lingers. Gets a little unpleasant as the drinking goes on.

Heartily carbonated and has a nice body.

Quite drinkable when cold.
Not a typical hefeweizen by any means at all, but it does do well as a fruit beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2005 05:08:17 | More by beersarang

rowew

Colorado

2.73/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Presentation: 12 oz. short bottle. Bottled date printed on the label. A description of the beer is on the back, with a reference to Bert Gran't website for more information.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy yellow/orange color with a small head (at least for the style). Just from the pour I am wondering if this should be categorized as a fruit beer instead of a Hefe.

Smell: Aroma is slightly sour orange, with hints of wheat. Not much else.

Taste: Orange flavor is subtle, but there ins't much else going on here. Certainly no hefe flavors, and not much else related to beer either.

Overall impression: Slightly orange flavored alco-pop. I didn't pour it out, but I won't be seeking more either.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2005 23:46:50 | More by rowew

putnam

Michigan

2.55/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Yellow color, boosted with orange and smoggy
Smells like Emergen-C orange, like orange flavor crystals, like chewable vitamins.
The aromas are very attractive and artificial.
I know what this will mean for the flavor.
Soda pop-infused regular beer. The unflavored beer ingredient is delicate, endowed by light colored malts with agility and substance. The flavoring is obnoxious. It's a crude, noisy relative. It's the only one talking during a movie. It's simple and narcissistic. It ruins an otherwise good, natural, malty treat.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2005 23:03:55 | More by putnam

apintofknowledge

New Jersey

2.35/5  rDev -29.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Poured a hazy orange amber with a thin white head that disappated quickly. The aroma reminded me of both orange and a sweet Riesling... such a nice aroma made me hope for a great taste. At first I taste mild orange... not like orange juice or orange soda, but more like an orange rind, followed by lemon and mildly bitter black pepper. The finish was somewhat soapy and metalic. Not at all what I would have expected from the aroma. The beer was also relatively flat... both the mild flavor and lack of carbonation made me feel like it was watered-down.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2005 03:08:49 | More by apintofknowledge

Padron4KM

Arizona

2.73/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle with no freshness code on the lable. I know it’s fresh tho, as these guys sell a lot of this stuff.

Crack the bottle open and even before I begin to pour the orange oil aroma hits my nose. Kind of like when you peel an orange and the juice from the rind squirts you in the face.

Pour is hazy dark yellow/orange, with a thick off white head.
Aroma is sour rotting orange. Wheat tries to peak out , but is overpowered by the orange

Flavor is lightly crunchy wheat, light malt, and of course orange. This is where you actually taste mandarin tho. slightly sweet, slightly tangy. bitter orange zest finish.

It says "hint" of orange, but I got more than a hint. More like a flat out punch in the face.

The jury’s still out on this. On the one hand it is refreshing and would be a nice beer after mowing the lawn on a hot summer day, on the other, I could achieve this experience by leaving the O.J in the fridge a couple of weeks past the exp. date, then drinking it.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2005 04:40:03 | More by Padron4KM

JLShepard

Delaware

3.18/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Aroma: A pleasant madarin smell, unfortunately unaccompanied by anything else.

Appearance: A honey colored beer with traces of orange around the edges. Poured carefully, it yields a small head that quickly dissipates leaving some lacing around the edge.

Taste: The taste is dominated by mandarin, like the aroma practically unaccompanied by any other flavor. Adding an orange rounded out the mandarin flavor nicely.

Mouthfeel: A crisp, medium bodied beer that is easy to drink.

Overall I liked this beer, it was nice smelling, looking, and tasting. It is not, as the label proclaims, a hefeweizen, for which it suffers.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2005 22:42:56 | More by JLShepard

Naerhu

Japan

4.13/5  rDev +23.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

Opaque orange body with pure white head.
Big mandarin orange and biscuity malt aroma.
Considering that the aroma was primarily citrus, the flavor is primarily malt, with only a juicy orange accent. Perfect balance between the malt and orange.
Medium body with fine carbonation.
Easy drinking beer, which I will take over any light beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2005 17:40:32 | More by Naerhu

foXXtail

Ohio

3.3/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I was promised two things. Mandarins, which I got and hefeweizen, which I did not.

This beer is all about the oranges. It was honey orange in color and only slightly cloudy. In fact, it was oddly translucent. There is a strong orange smell present with little else in the nose.

Tasting this beer brought none of the complexity I expect out of a hefe. No clove, no banana, just orange. The mandarin front fades gently into a hoppy middle. The mandarin and hop flavors dance back and forth as the taste gently fades.

Doing some research on this beer, I read that it was ‘Brewed in the Style of an American Wheat.” Now, that makes sense. It tastes like a flavored American wheat. Then why would they call it a Hefe? Don’t ask me, I don’t work at Yakima. Would have been rated higher had I not been rating it as a hefe.

Not a bad beer at all, you just don’t mess with my hefe.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2005 17:02:04 | More by foXXtail

GeoffRizzo

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Peach fuzz orange, appears to be mildly carbonated, a ¼ inch off-white head. Ripe oranges with some suggestions of wheat bread on the nose. A tough one to define; wheat malts coupled with sweet orange flavorings. Subtle sweet malts will make up the body, some fresh bread to be noted as well. The finish is creamy and slightly carbonated, yet smooth and sweet. Tough to label this as a true hefe, yet interesting enough to try at least once.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2005 01:48:46 | More by GeoffRizzo

mattcrill

Ohio

2.35/5  rDev -29.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle clearly states that it was bottled on 8/20/04.

Appearance: cloudy straw color with clear yellow edges. Sticky white head forms and tiny bubbles cascade up the sides of my glass.

Smell: Mandarin oranges. Nothing more and nothing less. I think this beer may suck.

Taste: Yep...mandarin oranges. Like opening up a can of mandarin oranges and drinking the juice. A whisp of biscuity hop presence is noted at the very end. But only if you are paying attention.

Mouthfeel: Light and crispy. This would probably hit the spot on a hot summer day if I was in the mood for orange-ade.

Drinkability: Pretty easy going down b/c it's so damn one-dimensional.

I got this as part of a mix-n-match 10 pack gift set from a neighbor. No way in hell I would think about buying this otherwise. This may be appropriate re-gifting fodder.

Oh yeah, in case you missed it, I didn't note anything about this that reminded me of a Hefe.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2005 20:06:57 | More by mattcrill

ybnorml

Rhode Island

2.78/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A not exactly clean yellow beer with asmall white head. The head dissapears very quickly and leaves no lace. Mandarine Orange says it all. The aroma is an inesapceable tart orange. The flavor is over powered again by the omnipresent orange. If you are old enough think Tru Ade. On the finish there was a redeming blush of hops.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2004 23:18:52 | More by ybnorml