Major Tom's Pomegranate Wheat - Fort Collins Brewing

DarthKostrizer

California

3.45/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Look: Golden yellow in color with a 1/8 inch head and no retention

Smell: Wheat earthy hops and a hint of pomegranate

Taste: Upfront the beer is very wheaty and the backend end carries a kind of funky fruit note that could only be the pomegranate

Mouthfeel: Light in body with high carbonation and easy drinkability crisp and clean on the finish

Overall: Not a bad little beer. I think the first sip you take the flavor kind of shocks the palate but each sip afterwards became more and more enjoyable

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2011 23:45:32 | More by DarthKostrizer

kojevergas

California

3.2/5  rDev 0%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

33cl brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a La Chouffe tulip in high altitude Castle Rock, Colorado. Reviewed live.

A: Pours a two finger head of slight cream, fair thickness, and good retention. Colour is a clear dark yellow.

Sm: Musty wheat and a light raspberry ester. No pomegranate comes through even though I look for it. A mild strength aroma all around.

T: A pleasant light wheat and barley foundation with a light ester on the climax which I suppose must be pomegranate; it isn't raspberry. Not horribly complex, but effective for what it is. It's bold not to go with the usual orange peel witbier approach, but that said it's not too effective for what it is. Well built and balanced.

Mf: Smooth and a bit coarse on account of the wheat. Doesn't really suit the style or the flavours. Should be wet.

Dr: Maybe they should use real pomegranate juice instead of concentrate. It's very affordable here in Colorado but not horribly drinkable on account of the coarseness. It's worth a try, but I won't get it again.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2011 06:55:22 | More by kojevergas

Brent

Kentucky

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

Poured golden with the barest touch of haze. Up front wheat character is clean and straightforward along the American Pale Wheat style. What I suppose is the pomegranate kicks in mid-way through, although I was not able to discern any particular flavor of that fruit. What did present was a bit artificial bittersweetness with the sweet aspect almost hinting at Belgian candy sugar (or immitation Belgian candy sugar). Drinkable, but not particularly enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2011 14:54:59 | More by Brent

Halcyondays

California

2.98/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle,

A: Pours goldenrod with a medium white head. Good head retention spotty lace. Way too clear for a wit, but I wont ding it for that, odds are it's a mis-categorized American wheat.

S: Light pomegranate, some husky grain, with vegetal notes which weren't to my liking.

T: The pomegranate is clearly noticable and is a pleasing addition to the brew. Light malt character, clean. Hops come in on the back end and clash with the first act, 35 IBUs is probably too much for this style as it's clearly disjointed. Although as the beer gets some air it gets more structured and this goes away to an extent. First half is nice, second half not so much.

M: Light-bodied, clean finish - really nothing to tell you this is a wheat beer at all, the filtration is clear. Semi-crisp.

O: This is a hot weather beer, and this is the only time I'd ever drink it, however there is a ton in the 'wit' category at a similar price that's better. The pomegranate adjunct could make it a try if you enjoy that fruit.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 02:17:26 | More by Halcyondays

bamadog

Kentucky

3.25/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A pomegranate wheat beer? Oh yeah, I've gotta try this. Review is from notes taken on 8/3/2011 and poured from the bottle to a pint glass.

Appearance: Dark yellow, coppery color and it starts with a full, one finger, slightly off-white head with moderate retention; body is crystal clear, and shows strong carbonation bubbling up throughout;

Smell: Could be a bit stronger, but there is a bitter, toasty/husky graininess to it; lightly fruited in the back; slight citric hop bitterness.

Taste: It's not bad -- up front, it really tastes like a straight up witbier with plenty of toasty and wheat graininess and a slightly citric (lemon?) hop bitterness; at first I'm disappointed as there is not much of a presence at all of the pomegranate, but towards the back of the flavor profile there is a slightly sweet and syrupy pomegranate flavor that I wish was much stronger.

Mouthfeel: Light in body, with a strong and spritzy carbonation to it; semi-dry, sticky thin coating is left on the roof of the mouth that holds some of the hop and grainy bitterness. Pretty refreshing, ultimately.

Overall: Well, I wouldn't say it lived up to my expectations -- as mentioned, I was really hoping for a stronger fruit presence (kind of like how DFH does the Aprihop); decent flavors though in the end and it is a pretty refreshing summer drink. I wouldn't go out of my way to get it, but I certainly wouldn't turn it down if someone offered it to me.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 01:12:04 | More by bamadog

tdm168

North Carolina

3.15/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

Pours a golden yellow with little head. Nose offers wheat and yeast, but I don't pick up a strong fruit presence. Little if any pomegranate in the nose. Taste offers a little more fruit but mainly in the finish. The pomegranate is overall very faint. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and highly carbonated. I was looking for a little more in this one, but not a bad beer for the summer.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 01:32:55 | More by tdm168

samie85

Illinois

2.8/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A-Pours a clear golden amber with a finger and a half of white head that leaves some creamy lacing behind.

S-Very sweet butterscotch with a green apple aroma. No notes of pomegranate.

T-Wheat upfront with some notes of very mild pomegranate and blackberry on the finish.

M-Very slick and well carbonated with a light to medium body.

D-Eh, not a bad beer by any means, but I'm really not enjoying this one all that much. The pomegranate is barely there and fruit wheat beers aren't my favorite style.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 00:55:29 | More by samie85

NODAK

Tennessee

3.7/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Has a fairly tart and fruity aroma to it....like a tart apricot smell, but of course it's actually pomegranate. Who actually knows how that fruit smells anyway?

Pours dark golden and clear...little to no head. Not very remarkable there.

The taste follows the aroma with a tart fruitiness prevailing in the body, presumably from the pomegranate juice concentrate that the label mentions. Again, it's tough for me to differentiate that from another fruit, such as apricot, because pomegranate isn't exactly a fruit I eat often. The wheat shows up mildly in the back, helping to finish the beer off. A small bitterness is also present, just barely tingling the tongue.

Pretty refreshing and drinkable, if not unremarkable. Decent summer beer here....not much to really think about when drinking it.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 01:16:07 | More by NODAK

hosehead83

Ohio

3.6/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a standard pint glass. Clear gold in color, with a rather short head of white foam.
Aroma-Wheat, faint fruitiness.
Taste-Wheat, subtle fruit tartness, refreshing. Subtle flavors, nothing overdone. A decent, different, refreshing hot weather brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2011 16:06:18 | More by hosehead83

JoeAmerican77

Colorado

2.98/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a crystal clear golden honey, one finger of head, thick white lacing...

Smells zesty with yeast and fruit in the back. It would be hard to say it smells like pomegranate because that fruit really doesn't have much of an aroma in the first place.

Fruit forward, wheat back. A sweetness light and staying hits the tongue and hops join in the after effects.

Mouth feel is more medium bodied than the wheats I'm used to, a nice change and the full blast carbonation leaves one a happy advocate

Overall it is lacking smell, good in flavor, great in feel. Not a bad drink. I

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2011 01:44:03 | More by JoeAmerican77

WACHUSETTblue

Georgia

3.28/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

not a bad beer pours leaving a about a finger of head that quickly dissipates leaving little to no lacing. is a light golden color similar to more generic beers like a Budweiser for say. taste is light but overall pleasing more of a watery feel very drinkable you could say , the pomegranate is very noticeable . I would defiantly recommend this beer to someone who likes fruity beers .

This is my first review on this site so please if you have any advice message me thanks

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2011 23:25:05 | More by WACHUSETTblue

rawfish

California

2.65/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Bottle to NB globe pours honey gold with a bit of orange glow into the glass netting a film of forth with no lacing. Color is nice but nothing else really amazing.

Smell is all over the place, a lot of variety but not exactly pleasant. Dry grain, bready malts, fruit tartness and sweetness, though not pomegranate, more like berries followed by sulfur, yeah it's definitely sulfur, not rotten eggs strong or anything but a bit off putting.

Taste is of dried grain with a wheaty twang, not earthy at all but rather bright and bland. Not much sweetness to the fruit and a vinegar tart finish on the end of the drink. Tastes a little like a failed berliner wiesse. In addition the finish starts of drying with a little bit of grain husks then sulfur on the palate than lingers on through the dryness. What bitterness there is, is accompanied by drying sulfur.

Okay if you ignore the bad after taste the carbonation is lively and the drink is light bodied and easy. It even begins to dry pleasantly until the flavor kicks in. This would be fun if I didn't have tastebuds.

Not sure if I'm being harsh on this one but first of all this is not a witbeer, no orange, no coriander and no yeast character whatsoever. In addition that sulfite addition is not adding to the illusion of pomegranate in this. It's an average wheat beer exposed to a chemistry fair volcano. On the brightside, FCB finally proves to me they can produce a beer that is actually carbonated. * golf claps*

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2011 21:28:22 | More by rawfish

thagr81us

South Carolina

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

Served from tap into a shaker. Poured a golden yellow with a one finger pure white head. Maintained excellent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, wheat, spices, and orange zest. The flavor was of sweet malt, wheat, fruit, and subtle spices. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a decent brew, but that was about it. It was slightly spicy for the style or at least what I'm used in this style. Wasn't really sure what to make of it, good or bad. I honestly wouldn't have guessed this to be a Witbier but rather a Spiced/Herbed style. Highly doubt I will be having this one again.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2011 13:37:16 | More by thagr81us

keethrax

Minnesota

3.45/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice golden glass with a small head. Not a lot of aroma good or bad.

Fizzier than I would have expected, but not unpleasantly so with a lingering dry finish.

There's a bit of fruitiness to it, but it's hard to identify it as pomegranate. Not bad, just sorta "generic brightish fruit" instead of "hey! pomegranate".

Tasty and refreshing enough, but nothing special, and in particular no real pomegranate flavors.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2011 00:10:00 | More by keethrax

Outchillen

Pennsylvania

1.83/5  rDev -42.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A friend let me try this, I dont know what I did to him

Im not one for bashing beers, but I didnt like this beer at all

A: Pale orange, light hazy, had red flakes floating in it? didnt look too much like a wheat beer to me, head dissipated right away

S:The biggest turn off was the smell, hard to even discribe

T:didn taste great, very unbalanced, didnt taste like Pom or wheat

overall if you'd like to try a pom wheat, i recommend Saranacs, ive heard FCB has good beers, but this missed the cut

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2011 22:30:21 | More by Outchillen

shand

Florida

1.83/5  rDev -42.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a pint glass.

This pours a clear golden colour with plenty of floaties suspended in the glass. The head was a nice inch and left some decent lacing ... what's with the floaties though? The aroma is fairly tart, no pomegranate to speak of, just general tartness over general "beeriness". The taste is just entirely non-descript. There's barely anything here beyond the generic beeriness and a touch of tartness. Very boring, there's really nothing here to enjoy.

The mouthfeel is fairly nice, it's crisp and well-carbonated. The drinkability? Eh, it's decent, but there's no reason. Overall? This is a bad beer. There's really nothing here to enjoy. I might have a bad bottle, because the floaties don't seem to be mentioned by any other review. I'd try it again, but wouldn't be fooled twice. Saranac's Pomegranate Wheat is much better.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2011 02:15:08 | More by shand

LittleDon

Texas

3.43/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Golden with a bit of haze and plenty of carbonation. The head quickly disappears. Sweet honey like aroma. Good amount of carbonation on first sip. The fruit comes out in the middle with a bit of sourness. Nice amount of hops in the back. In the end the sour and bitter clash making for an odd finish. Medium body

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2011 22:02:46 | More by LittleDon

theboozecruise

Louisiana

3.55/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

I've been seeing more of Fort Collins in the BR market... definitely a good thing. Pretty reasonable too, $9.99 for a 6-pack at the Bet-R.

I poured it from the 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass... it's a clear golden color with a white head and minimal retention and lacing... nothing special at all to look at.

The smell is full of wheat, but not a whole lot of pomegranate. It's pretty weak on the nose, hopefully more on the tongue.

There is definitely more pomegranate on the tongue, especially if you let the beer move around in your mouth and hit all the taste buds. It's pretty tasty actually, a good blend of fruit sweetness mixed with the body of the wheat and then some bitterness coming from the fruit as well on the end. Solid beer.

It's a little thin on the mouthfeel, but high marks for drinkability, this one goes down easy and I could definitely go for more.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 00:57:11 | More by theboozecruise

ChangeBrewery

Colorado

3.48/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A- A clear golden ale with decent lace down the glass.

S- The smell of beer was true to the wheat name with a floral aroma of the hops

T- A sharp bitterness on the approach followed by the crisp notes of the hops. The pomegranate is not overwhelming but very subtle.

M- Decent carbonation, average feel

D- Very drinkable and goes down easy.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2010 16:47:19 | More by ChangeBrewery

WeezyBoPeep

Florida

2.25/5  rDev -29.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Live review. Poured from a bottle into a standard pint glass.

A: Slightly cloudy pale yellow with a tannish hue. Nice white foamy head. Laces well on the sides of the glass.

S: Super malty and hoppy and that's about it. Strange for a witbier. I detect light fruit but nothing else. Smells like an APA all the way, or a bad IPA.

T: How is this a witbier? Tastes like almost like an IPA with a light berry presence. Did I get an old bottle or something?

D: I can't really say I'd have more than one of these. If I was gonna drink a pomegranate ale I'd go with the Peak Organic.

Value: Pricey as heck for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2010 23:23:55 | More by WeezyBoPeep

PorterLambic

Florida

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

Seemed worth a try if for no other reason that the pomegranate aspect.
Pours a clear medium amber with a decent off-white head that drops quickly and leaves scant lacing.
Smell is hops, light fruit and malt.
Taste is malt, hops, fruit (tart) and vinegary.
A medium-bodied brew with a watery, dry finish. Medium effervescence. Overall, a decent beer but just a middle of the road one.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2010 01:00:14 | More by PorterLambic

sauron681

Wisconsin

1.68/5  rDev -47.5%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

Pours a reddish blond color, with no head or lacing at all. Very clear, ( are you sure this is a wheat beer?)
Starts out lightly sweet, and finishes dry and chalky. Has a rancid aroma, with hints of lemon and citrus fruit. Has a very faint Hefe taste. I could not find no hints of pomegranate whatsoever.

Overall this was a disappointment, Not sure how a fruity "wheat" beer can be sweet and bitter? This could be better, pomegranate is a wonderful fruit to brew with. I use it once in a while in my homebrew witbier, and its great. With a little work they can greatly improve this beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2010 02:55:35 | More by sauron681

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.23/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: The label claims a straw-blonde color, my eyes disagree and appeared more of a watery down orange with a bit of brass glow when backlit. The head was slight, bubbly and a bit soapy, quick to dissipate to a non-relevant status. Carbonation is light, amply spaced and fairly quick on the move. A lack of lacing offers little in the visual department not helping matters here.

S: Bits of tartness and pomegranate are evident. When agitated alcohol, sour green apples and wet hay and citrus are evident but don't necessarily play well together with a miss-mash of flavor that never gets going. Overall the strength was light.

T: Juicy pomegrante notes in the front, wet with a bit of apple juice follows up. There is a bit of wet tartness of lemon-lime, green apples and some sour pear fruitiness as well. The malting is barely worth mentioning, lightly dry and sweet, allowing the fruity nature of the drink to take over. Sweet and fruity upfront followed up by a sour twang of wet lemons on the finish.

M: The label claims it crisp, I claim it flat and boring, falling short of expectations and imaginative wishful thinking. Decent fluid viscosity, smooth with a juicy sweet fruitiness like appeal on the tongue. A light lemon tartness and green apple appeal ensures on the swallow.

D: Ones plenty for me thanks, even by style and not enough to recommend even a single purchase here.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2010 22:55:23 | More by beerthulhu

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

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

From BeerAdvocate Magazine Volume II, Issue IV:

Pomegranate is still all the rage even though many people have claimed that several other fruits have more anti-oxidant qualities to it. Regardless, you have to consume a large amount of juice or actually eat the fruit in its natural form to get the true benefits. Word of warning about this beer, it oddly contains sulfites.

Healthy looking head with some clinging lace on the glass, clear golden color. Mild bready wheat aroma with a very distant and vague fruit tone and a faint whiff of sulfite. Graininess from the wheat comes off very bready, there is some astringent husk in the middle that doubles up with the modest hop bitterness and lively crispness. Light twang of fruit, can't really tell that it is pomegranate. Breath of sulfite up front. Finishes semi-dry with lots of hard lingering grain.

Not really sure where this beer was going, but it seemed to fall flat other than an OK American Wheat Ale flavor. As for the fruit and sulfites, the fruit missed the mark, and why are sulfites used? Keep that to wine and cider please.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2010 14:40:03 | More by BeerAdvocate

jadpsu

Georgia

3.43/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours slightly hazy with a nearly white head that has good retention and execellent lacing.

Smell is of lemon peel. Taste has a litlle lemon that comes through. This brew is betterthan any wheat I have tried and for me that is favorable.

Not sure how true this is to it's wheat lable, as I don't care for wheat's and I find this one quite likeable.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2010 03:04:13 | More by jadpsu