Major Tom's Pomegranate Wheat - Fort Collins Brewing

dstc

Florida

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

Pours a slightly cloudy gold with a big white head. Head falls fairly slow to a minimal one. Thin, even lacing.

Has a simple, mild wheat aroma. Fruit is buried on there as well.

Nice wheat taste. Ends with the flavor of the pomegranate and a sharp tartness. Lingering bitter, funky aftertaste that is a bit off-putting.

Medium bodied with mild carbonation and a slight bite.

So-so. Average wit but the pomegranate did nothing for me.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2010 17:14:52 | More by dstc

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

My final brew I got in my variety case.

A - Poured a very light almost clear yellow with white head. Looks like a light beer.

S - Semi sweet Pomegranate with bitter wheat base.

T - Well it's not terrible but not great. It had a sort of off putting bitterness to it that made it hard to enjoy. It was OK for the style.

M - Light and refreshing

D - Well thankfully I only had four of them which were not much of a chore to consume but I really would have rather had Saranac Pomme offering.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2010 04:45:00 | More by DrDemento456

Nesued

South Carolina

3.3/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Very large head formed upon the initial pour. Resolved to a light ring with a bit of lacing on the pint glass. Clear (for a Witbier) with moderate carbonation continuing to feed the retained head.

Smell - Bright, sweet aroma with a tartness present as well.

Taste - Tart from the get go, but not a hoppy tart. A fruity component (I'm guessing the pomegranate concentrate...) takes center stage. The finish is very dry and crisp. Leaves you wanting another. A bit of a metallic bite as well. Not a natural feel.

Mouthfeel - Not much in the way of depth, but that's to be expected from a Witbier. Nice and light.

Drinkability - An obvious easy drinker. A bit too tart for me for a witbier, but I can see the appeal.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2010 01:33:36 | More by Nesued

Rayek

Colorado

3.05/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a Weizen glass.

A: Brilliant brass with stunning clarity and a steady stream of moderately sized bubbles. A small white cap is slow to form and quickly withdraws to a ring at the beer's edge. Leaves a light latticework of lace.

S: Smells like pomegranate on top of biscuits, with a light medicinal aroma.

T: Pretty malty at first, as cracker and straw flavors start things out. The pomegranate adds a nice fruity tartness in the middle. Bitterness is sharp and somewhat harshly metallic. Finishes tart, with some lingering pomegranate flavor.

M: The medium-light body is slightly syrupy and has the right amount of fizz.

D: This beer honestly didn't do much for me. A bit too harsh in the middle for me to truly enjoy it. The lightness; however, makes it go down quick.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2010 00:16:12 | More by Rayek

tapman

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Golden pilsner-like hue, perhaps a little darker ad is crystal clear. Is a brief one finger and the carbonation appears to be a little soft for the style.

Smells of biscuit malt, a little crystal malt, no hops except for a faint floral bitterness, and an extremely mellow pomegranate smell.

Big biscuit taste similar to a New Belgium brew. Pomegranate is earthy and not too tangy, though there is a pleasant tartness. I would have liked to see the use of pomegranate in this beer, while good in this recipe, paired with something lighter in the grain bill. For me too biscuity and not as refreshing as it could be. No hops except for slight floral note and a little bit of bittering.

Once again I find it too heavy on the palate with all the grain taste and I want it more refreshing.

I feel that these guys know how to make a great fruit beer, but this one isn't my favorite. I just wanted it lighter on the grain. Great use of pomegranate.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2010 21:29:08 | More by tapman

SimplySinister

Florida

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

A - Truthfully, this ale resembles a typical macro a little too much. Totally transparent straw color, high carbonation, 1 inch fizzy snow head with poor retention, giving little lacing. Not a good start.

S - Hop notes are obvious with undertones of pomegranate. I can also pick up a little wheat bread as well. Though, all in all, very minimalist.

T - Malt party here. This brew is very bitter for a "wheat ale." I can taste hints of pomegranate present; although they are very subdued. This brew is actually reminiscent of some type of sour pomegranate flavored IPA.

M - Not very smooth and somewhat lingering on the palate. Not clean or crisp.

D - The drink-ability of this brew, for me at least, is poor. I'm not overly thrilled about this beer.

In summary, I don't really like this beer. I rarely say that, but in this case I feel that this brew warrants it. I disagree wholeheartedly with Fort Collins in classifying it as "sweet and tart." I find it to be rather bitter and sour. However, in this brews defense, the bottle that I received could very well be skunked.

Either way, I've said it before and I'll say it again. When a beer is mislabeled, or improperly categorized by the brewer, it will always receive low scores from me even if it does taste good. This is because if I'm in the mood for a stout, and I buy something labeled stout, I expect a stout. Likewise, I expected a wheat ale and I didn't get one. Therefore, I'm left disappointed. I don't mean this to offend, but its the truth. I honestly adore Fort Collins Brewery. Unfortunately, they have disappointed me with this offering.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2010 21:18:42 | More by SimplySinister

FickleBeast

New Jersey

3.28/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Label has no useful information.

Pours clear yellow-amber with almost no head. I'm suprised it is not cloudy. Smell is sweet, fruity, but not yeast fruity. More like apples, or pomegranates, I suppose.

First sip is very sweet, with a bit of husky graininess on the aftertaste. No hops to speak of, not that they would be expected. Sweetness is very powerful, but not overpowering... there is a distinction. The pomegranate barely pokes through. There is a little too much residual sweetness for my liking, but I detect no off flavors or major negatives. This is just a beer that I only tried because I had it as part of a sampler. I wouldn't buy a sixer of this on its own, both before or after I've tasted it.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2010 04:36:04 | More by FickleBeast

SamN

Colorado

2.75/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

A- First off, if a witbier is unfiltered, this ain't a wit. This is crystal clear. Like polished glass.

Anyways, like I said, this is a clear, amber brown color. Fairly good head, lace is already forming on my glass. Soapy white bubbles. Zero visible carbonation.

S- Tart fruits, pomegranate most likely, bing cherries, a sour hoppiness, more hops than I expected. Very slight wheat malts, mostly fruity hops. Not too bad.

T- Eh. Seems jumbled and busy, a bunch of flavors pushing through a narrow doorway. Very bitter hops, dry fruit, odd battle of flavors on the tongue. No real wheat character, this seems more like a pomegranate IPA. Too bitter and dry for me.

M- Light and thinner mouthfeel, less than average, no wheat smoothness.

For those of you keeping count, that is zero wheat beer characteristics.

D- Bitter and tart, no refreshing wheat character, and let me just say that pomegranate has no place in beer. This is pilot material, not the breweryflagship beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2010 22:32:46 | More by SamN

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.33/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a fairly standard clear amber with a fairly thick and fluffy white head - typical, but not off-putting. Aroma is yeasty and wheaty with a decided fruity overtone. Flavor is mainly of pomegranate, which I love, and has malty and yeasty undertones. It is slightly sweet and slightly hop-bitter. Texture is smooth and fairly fizzy, and it leaves an edgy, somewhat bitter aftertaste. Not great, but worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2010 01:11:03 | More by Cyberkedi

GilGarp

Colorado

3.65/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Part of the lunchbox variety pack.

Served cold into a pint glass, it has a pale golden yellow color with great clarity and thin white head. It settles quickly leaving no lacing behind.

Aroma is pretty mild, hard to pick up much except a mild tropical fruit smell.

Flavor is surprisingly nice. Again very mild here but the pomegranate adds just the right amount of tartness.

Mouthfeel is light in body and appropriate carbonation.

Overall a pleasant surprise. It's not the predictable fruity wheat beer that I was expecting. A nice bit of bitterness and tartness gives it a real balance.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2010 05:26:50 | More by GilGarp

SilentSabre

Georgia

2.33/5  rDev -27.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Wow. I was completely caught off guard with this one. When one sees a beer calling itself "Pomegranate Wheat", and marketing itself as a witbier or hefe, there are certain things one doesn't expect to find. Citrusy, piney hops is one of those things. I must say, however, the head on this beer is remarkable. It's thick and densely foamy, almost like shaving cream. It remained this way throughout the drink, too.
Colour was a yellowy - orange with afore-mentioned lovely, foamy head.
Smell was immediately hops, with pomegranate (and perhaps a few more less assertive fruits) hiding in the back, but in there nevertheless.
Taste was sweet and hoppy at the same time. The pomegranate, while discernable, was quite muted and overpowered by the hops, in my opinion. This whole thing was just really bizarre. I suppose it isn't a *terrible* beer, just a bit, perhaps, mis-labeled? This, to me, is the brewing equivalent of biting into a slice of pizza and having it taste exactly like cherry pie. I like both of those things, but they're nothing alike, and when I want one, *that* is what I want.
Why don't we brew up an oatmeal stout with some spent espresso grounds and some Dutch chocolate flakes and put "English style ESB" on the label while we're at it....
Again, not a terrible beer (not a great one, either), just terribly mis-labeled.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2010 20:28:06 | More by SilentSabre

goblue3509

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a golden yellow color with a nice one finger head that stays around. The smell is very weak there is a bit of wheat and a slight sweet smell. The taste is enjoyable but not over powering, the taste is of a wheat backbone with a pom note over the top. The mouthfeel is moderately carbonated. Overall its a very drinkable beer, the taste is smooth and subtle.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2010 20:46:19 | More by goblue3509

NicholasCasber

Iowa

3.75/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Outstanding appearance, head was fairly stable, which allowed the aroma to fully mature, and stayed for the most of the drink. The beer was poured into a wet sided glass as is usual with Witbier.

S: Drinking this with my girlfriend, allowed me to hear a second thought on the smell that this had to offer. The original smell was fairly wheat hearty, while she decided to input that there were subtle notes of the pomegranate that was used in the brewing process. On a second smell I did notice the slighter sweetness.

T: The taste was overall the most pleasant part of the experience, as I believe consuming beverages should be. The sweet, yet almost bitter taste of the pomegranate against the hearty wheat, was something that I know I'd reach for on a day to day basis. I feel that this is one of the better beers I've tasted, and I feel my rating reflects that.

M: The overall mouthfeel was not as full as I desired, however, as light as some of the witbiers I've tasted, it wasn't too bad.

D: The taste was overall outstanding, however, I don't feel that I could reach for this beer on the day to day. It's not your Sam Adams blackberry witbier, Blue Moon, or your 312. That said, I'd still recommend this over any of those.

Overall, I feel that this beer was a great purchase at $2.00 on the single rack. I don't see myself buying the 6-pack on a regular basis, unless it's spring... it's surely a light, and flavorful beer that would be better tasted during a season other than winter, still a great beer. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2009 03:38:26 | More by NicholasCasber

morimech

Minnesota

3.6/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Wheat ale with pomergranate juice concentrate. Not exactly something I would seek to drink. It is an attractive beer with a clear golden body and large head that had good retention. The head eventually settles to a thick cap. Moderate amount of lacing is left on the glass. Aroma of wheat malt and some fruit than I could not peg as pomergranate. The flavor is rather mild. Had a natural flavor as I was afraid that like a lot of added flavor beers, they taste artificial. Just a hint of pomergranate which also gives some bitterness. A lighter body and well matched carbonation. Feels right for the style. A decent beer and would be a good drinker on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2009 23:17:25 | More by morimech

Tone

Missouri

3.38/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear, golden/orange color. 1/3 inch head of a white color. Decent retention and decent lacing. Smells of hops, sweet malt, slight wheat, and a hint of citrus. Fits the style of a Witbier. Mouth feel is smooth and crisp with an average carbonation level. Tastes of wheat, hops, sweet malt, slight citrus, and grain. Overall, an easy drinking beer, but not well blended and the grain leaves an odd aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2009 04:40:25 | More by Tone

arizcards

Arizona

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

Picked this up in late September in Grand Junction as part of a 12 pack sampler.

Beer poured golden with a shade of red in the undertone. Nose is good, fruity with hints of floral hops. Taste is actually pretty good. The pom flavoring plays well as a bittering element in the finish. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, decently carbonated for a refreshing finish. Drinkability is pretty good as well. This is a nice twist on the wheat style of beer, not overly sweet. This is worthy of a shot.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2009 23:52:36 | More by arizcards

tjd112

New Jersey

3.15/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

From the brewer's lunchbox sold at Spirits Unlimited at Routes 9 and 526, Lakewood, NJ. Poured into pilsener glass.

A - Pours a surprisingly clear golden color
S - Has a very fruity smell to it, like apples or grapes
T - Smell gets you excited, but the taste is more like an average pale ale
M - Has a smooth dryness to it, light to medium bodied
D - Definitely average

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2009 00:26:10 | More by tjd112

KarlHungus

Minnesota

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

This beer pours a clear golden color. The head is one inch in height, snd recedes very quickly into minimal lacing. The aroma is pale malt, and pomegranate juice. There is nothing in this aroma that indicates it is a wheat beer. The taste is like the aroma, but with a little wheaty tang. Still it leaves a lot to be desired. The mouthfeel medium-light bodied with a velvety texture, and moderately high carbonation. It is actually a really nice mouthfeel. Overall, this style of fruit beer is way overdone. This particular beer is average at best. I don't think I'll be drinking this again.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2009 19:09:05 | More by KarlHungus

HeroJH

Colorado

3.8/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - gold, nice head and lacing
S - malty with a touch of grapes
T - full pleasant beer. refreshing with just the slightest sweetless and a little bit of tartness. Sweet finish, but not overdone
M - clean, smooth, tanin like dryness
D - really good, if in the mood for a touch of sweet.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2009 16:11:44 | More by HeroJH

wiseguy142

New York

4.22/5  rDev +31.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice color, not too pale but shy of amber with a nice frothy white head on top with a good amount of lacing.

Nice crisp aroma of wheat- not quite the flavor from wheat you get but also probably partially because of the yeast strain. Really actually seems like a witbier although there's nothing on the bottle that hints at that.

I think the taste is just 1 ingredient shy of being amazing. I don't know what that ingredient is, but it's missing. Great refreshing wheat character, subtle fruit flavor from the pomegranate but no overly juicy flavors. The fruit goes very well with the beer. Very balanced- great level of bitterness and maltiness but yet it's so light.. this is actually very very good. Hops are almost piney, almost noble, but neither of both.

This is one of the better fruit-wheat beers I've had. I wasn't expecting much. I even though this was going to be old and stale, but it tastes quite fresh.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2009 04:30:32 | More by wiseguy142

gmfessen

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev +15%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a weizen glass, beer must be a filtered Witbier because it is perfectly clear and golden in appearance with a thin, creamy looking cap. Looks more like a macro lager than a micro Witbier. The nose is surprisingly hop dominant with a mild, slightly toasted malt backdrop and only a faint whiff of fruitiness which I will attribute to the pomegranate. It is not much more apparent in the taste other than in the presence of a tart acidic flavor but the fact that it is pomegranate is indistinguishable. There is a definite wheaty-ness to it as well as a lightly toasted malt flavor - victory maybe? The beer is also well balanced with hops and finishes neutral with the tart acidity I previously mentioned. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a thin yet smooth and creamy carbonation. Overall a very drinkable beer and not bad. My only let down with this beer is the advertisement of pomegranate which as I mentioned is indistinguishable. If they just called this "Major Tom's Wheat Ale" I think my opinion of it would have been much more positive.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2009 23:00:01 | More by gmfessen

glid02

Georgia

3.4/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from a mixed 12-pack purchased from Green's on Ponce in Atlanta.

Pours a hazy yellow-gold color with a one-finger white head. The head dissipates rather quickly into a thin layer on top leaving light lacing.

Smells of wheat with a hint of citrus and slightly stronger hints of fruit sweetness that doesn't smell exactly like pomegranate but that's what I attribute it to. As it warms the wheat aroma gets a bit huskier.

Tastes similar to how it smells. The pomegranate flavor is a bit more pronounced but still takes a backseat to the wheat flavors. I have been holding onto this one for a while (scared to open it) so the fruit flavors may have mellowed out a bit. Ending is nondescript and as with the smell the wheat flavors lose a bit of smoothness as the beer warms.

Mouthfeel is good. It has a slightly thin and slick mouthfeel with moderate carbonation.

Drinkability is alright. I actually didn't have a problem finishing the bottle however I won't have another.

Overall this was better than I anticipated although I must say it's much better before it gets much above 50 deg F - drink this one fast.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2009 02:30:52 | More by glid02

Yeastcakes

Colorado

3.63/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Serving notes - 45F, imperial pint glass
A - grapefruit with a bit of twang to it (I guess it could be pomegranate). Some floral hops also present.
A - Nice finger of rocky head that collapses quickly to a film. Crystal clear orange-yellow.
M - light to medium body, medium carbonation.
T - Sweetness comes though on the front of the tongue, but manages not to be too strong. Some nice malt in the background. Wheat is very subtle. Some light zest spiciness. Finishes clean.
D - I am not generally a fan of fruit beer, but this the subdued sweetness and dry finish make this one very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2009 02:53:31 | More by Yeastcakes

GarrisWH

Colorado

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

A - Pours a clear, light golden color with one finger of frothy, white head. Head recedes slowly and leaves a slight bit of lacing behind. Very clear for a wheat ale, no haze whatsoever.

S - Not a whole lot going on in the aroma. Subtle, crisp citrus hop aromas along with wheat and biscuity yeast. A hint of fruitiness lingering in the background.

T - Citrus, lemon hop character up front leading into the wheat and biscuit, yeast flavors. The yeast character carries over into the finish, along with a subtle hint of tart pomegranate that is tough to even detect until the aftertaste. Not bad, but not quite my style.

M - Light bodied with a smooth feel

D - A pretty original take on the wheat. Not bad by any means, just not quite what I seek in a beer. Pretty refreshing and drinkable overall, although I probably wouldn't seek this one out again.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2009 03:38:23 | More by GarrisWH

Gyle41386

South Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +28.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Golden amber pour. Monster head peers out over the top of the glass. The foam retains and sticks pretty well.

Aroma is of pale wheat, pomegranate, and spicy hops. It's hard for me to determine if the citric nature of the nose comes from both the pomegranate and the hops, or if the hops are just contributing a little piney character. There's also a musty, earthy quality.

Flavor follows the nose. This beer is a pretty pleasant surprise. I enjoy the flavor of pomegranates...the crappy house I lived in with a few friends during our junior year of college had a random pomegranate tree in the backyard. There's a nice tartness and bitterness to the flavor.

Super easy drinker. So smooth, very flavorful, I like this a whole lot better than most wits. Really, really nice summer beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2009 02:50:53 | More by Gyle41386