Thomas Hooker Watermelon Ale - Thomas Hooker Brewing Company

tittymcj

Connecticut

2.7/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 2.5

A: Golden body with very little head. Nothing on the glass at all after it settles down. Quite hazy.

S: Smells like sugar. Obviously they've tried to make it smell like watermelon, but it reminds me of watermelon sourpatch candy.

T: Tastes the same as it smells. Lots of sugary taste, but it feels artificial. It's very refreshing, if only for the extreme sweetness.

M: Very thin. Not much substance, and if not for the sweetness there'd be nothing enjoyable about the mouthfeel.

O: Tasty, but only if you enjoy sugar. Not a lof of traditional beer attributes here, so not for those who wouldn't enjoy a Mike's Hard Lemonade.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 22:31:47 | More by tittymcj

davey101

Connecticut

3.25/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Born on 3/22. 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Pours a dark yellow body with a cap of soapy white foam. Really solid lacing. Smells like a tamer watermelon jolly rancher. Taste is again of tame jolly rancher but it finishes with a touch of cereal grain. It's not artifical, just very sweet. Not over the top sweet though. Light and crisp, this is awfully drinkable and thirst quenching. Overall it is what it is, a watermelon beer. It's drinkability means a lot here. Solid hot weather candidate.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 01:01:45 | More by davey101

beerthulhu

New Jersey

2.5/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Pale, lemon pour is translucent with a dirty bread white head that was skim thin and quick to dissipate not leaving alot of adjectives or interest to write home about. Faint visible carbonation. meh.

S: Watermelon, more green flesh then red pulp. Smells like watermelon jolly rancher, artificial, though label claims otherwise. Moderate awareness.

T: Soda like flavor, rather shandy, the melon is there, but more green melon, and again jolly rancher like, sweetened type malting and dry. Candy like, artifical watermelon, dont care what the label says, with some cough syrup like dryness on the swallow.

M: Some carbonation, but quite mundane, light medium body, light syrupy with a warming of watermelon cough medicine.

O: Overall a novelty beer, i prefered 21st admendments take over this. Not something i would drink in multiples, as im guessing this is what it should of strived for, a crisp, lightly fruity like experience, but comes off artificial and rather candy like (jolly rancher). Not something i would find refreshing nor crisp even on a hot summer day, gimmicky. It is what it is, but like mentioned earlier, 21st amendment did a somewhat more respectable job if you must partake in the novelty aspect.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 22:51:42 | More by beerthulhu

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Not a winter beer for sure, but cleaning out the back of the fridge.

pours light orange copper with fizzy white foam that settles out. Punchy watermelon smell. Jolly rancher watermelon candy taste. Medium carbonation. The fruit taste is present throughout. Simple ale, dominated by that fruit flavor. Unique for sure, and not half bad for a novelty beer. But one is plenty.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 15:44:14 | More by KTCamm

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.48/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into a pint glass

Appearance – The beer pours a golden-yellow color with a one finger white head. The head faded fast to leave only a very small amount of lacing.

Smell – The aroma was heaviest of a watermelon aroma. It is somewhat artificial, but not too bad. While the watermelon is dominating, there are lighter notes a wheat nature as well.

Taste – The taste begins with a malty wheat flavor. A wheat is a light background flavor for the watermelon flavor to sit upon. The watermelon starts out sweet and light and gets more intense in flavor toward the middle of the taste. As the taste moves on further it loses some of the watermelon sweetness as some light hop flavors come to the tongue. In the end a mildly sweet yet rather potent watermelon flavor is left on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – Te body of the beer is on the light to average side with a higher level of carbonation. Both are good for the sweet taste of the beer.

Overall – For a watermelon flavored beer it does have good watermelon flavor, but overall it is something I wouldn’t go out of my way to get.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 00:39:08 | More by Darkmagus82

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

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

12oz bottle poured into a New Belgium globe.

A: Pours a hazy golden yellow. Two inch white head settles into nothing but a thin wisp. Thin, delicate, and broken rings of lacing.

S: Big whiff of watermelon, concentrated and candy-like. Like a Jolly Rancher. Grainy malt scents in the background. Very faint kiss of floral hops.

T: Acute but indistinguishable hop bitterness up front. Cereal grains surge to the forefront shortly afterward. The grainy tastes subside momentarily as a wave of candy-like watermelon washes over the tongue. Very dry. Finishes with candy watermelon and grains working in tandem.

M: Light in body. Creamy and smooth with active, scrubbing carbonation. Crisp and refreshing.

O: It is what it is, I suppose, but it does nothing for me. A very average blonde ale loaded with concentrated watermelon flavor.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 03:57:30 | More by ryan1788a5

scootny

New York

3.98/5  rDev +28%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cloudy blonde with a sizable head and bits of lace here and there. A fairly active carbonation that keeps a good covering on top. A nice aroma of crystal malt and watermelon sweetness. It really does have a great summery aroma. Taste is surprisingly good with a crisp almost pilsner like cleaness in the overall malt character with a bit of ale like fruitiness that develops as the watermelon blossoms. Finish is clean and dry with a biscuity malt lingering as well as the lovely watermelon that is perfectly balanced. Feel is crisp and quenching with a perfect summer weight. A superb summer beer, from lawn mower to serious BBQ session ale this one is a great fit.

Serving type: growler

06-14-2012 01:54:57 | More by scootny

damzz

Massachusetts

4.95/5  rDev +59.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Calling an ale watermelon means it needs to have that flavor and this does - in the nose and in the taste. The sweetness of the watermelon is balanced by the hoppy aftertaste or is it rind? Just kidding. Of the three watermelons I've tasted, this is tops. The 21st amendment, which I like, does not reach the heights of this brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 22:14:29 | More by damzz

barleyroad

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +31.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Wow it smells like a Jolly Rancher, a real strong watermelon smell. The appearance is just about any other pilsner. As for taste, these guys hit it right as far as it goes on a watermelon ale. The taste is mild, way less that you think due to the strong smell. This the best melon beer we have sampled. Very clean off the mouth and is a great summer time beer. Fidge worthy in the summer months. Ladies will love this one too. Every once in a while you should have a liquid that taste like this. Bring on the BBQ and Hooker watermelon ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 02:10:29 | More by barleyroad

GreenGrowler

New York

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

This is one weird beer. It smells like a Jolly Rancher, a real strong watermelon smell. It looks like just about any other pilsner. But then you taste it and there is just a hint of watermelon, really just in the after taste. But it kind of grows on you. Sip after sip it gets better and better. And then before you know it you've finished off the whole growler and are feeling good but weird, because you never thought you'd like it and you never thought you'd drink a whole growler. Now I haven't tried any other watermelon ales, and I'm sure there are better ones, but as my first taste of a watermelon ale this was pretty dawn good! and weird!

Serving type: growler

09-01-2011 22:40:53 | More by GreenGrowler

Oktoberfests

Connecticut

3.48/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Not a big fan of fuit in beer. Unless it's blueberry. And even then, it can be hit or miss. The watermelon smell right after the bottle was opened was strong. But if faded after a while. This is a nice novelty beer, but nothing "special".

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2011 20:57:33 | More by Oktoberfests

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours medium yellow with a foamy white head. No lacing, slight retention.

I smell watermelon rind and some thin jolly rancher candy. Some malt, but hard to find. Some mineral. Note: this is not overpowering in the fruit dept. Not horrific or over the top.

An ok balance of lighter malt and grain with the watermelon fruit. A bit artificial, but not overpowering. The malt, with light bitterness, tries to fight through. You get some grain, but that is about it. Finishes fairly clean.

Lighter bodied, good carbonation.

Eh. I wanted to try it. Kinda ok, but barely. You'd get bored (or sorry) if you had a six. In the end, I can read a label. You get what you get. Better than some, worse than others.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 22:38:35 | More by OtherShoe2

billab914

Virginia

2.7/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

12oz bottle into my Mad Fox glass. It was a pale golden yellow color with a thin white head barely covering the top of the beer. Decent head retention to it as I drank it.

The aroma immediately reminds me of a pink starburst. The watermelon is definitely very present, but I seem to get a little strawberry to it as as well. It's sweet and almost candy like. The more I drink of it the more the pink starburst analogy seems to fit.

The taste is also pretty dominated by the candy like, strawberry and watermelon extract flavor. Again the pink starburst flavor is there, but more up front. I do get some pale, grainy malts in it as well that at least lets me know I'm drinking a beer.

The mouthfeel is light and carbonation is above average. Overall it was light and refreshing and could be drinkable on a hot day. I found it too sweet overall though and the fruity flavors seemed very fake and extract like. The pink starburst flavor was a little strange, but the pink ones are my favorite at least.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2011 23:16:57 | More by billab914

Yagman3000

New York

3.93/5  rDev +26.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a growler into a pint glass.

Appears a golden yellow color but on the lighter side. Can faintly see through it.

Smells sweet and delicious. Very strongly of the mentioned "Jolly Rancher" watermelon. A slight bready butteriness comes through as well.

Taste is a tiny bit malty and bready up front that quickly turns to a sweet watermelon finish.

Mouthfeel is quick without much of a finish. It is a quencher for the summer months.

Overall a good light gun beer for the summer. Couldn't imagine having this if it was less than 88 degrees out. :)

Serving type: growler

07-15-2011 18:26:13 | More by Yagman3000

Thads324

Connecticut

2.6/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a light and pale yellow. Lots of bubbles and a thick white head. Smells of watermelon candy and a hint of grainy grass. The flavor is much the same, with a light and sweet grain body, dominated by a cloying artificial tasting watermelon flavor. Mouthfeel is nice, light, crisp and well carbed to carry the flavor. Feel is probably the finest part of the beer.

I don't see how this stuff uses real watermelons. It tastes utterly artificial. A good beer if you want to pound candy juice in the sun...otherwise try 21st amendments. I can see how some people would adore this stuff though.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2011 12:56:21 | More by Thads324

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

2.1/5  rDev -32.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Picked up a single in order to try my first 'Watermelon Beer'

A-Pours a very light golden blonde with nearly no haze. Small fizzy head appears then fades to a tight white cap. The lace is unreliable and light.

S-Yikes! This one smells exactly like a watermelon Jolly Rancher. Nearly overwhelming aroma of sugary, artificial watermelons. You really must focus in order to find any beer aspects behind the watermelon. Light grains and malts behind the candy flavor.

T-The taste is very odd. Not really hitting the right spot. The flavor of the watermelon is much more watery. The underlying aspects of the beer are more noticeable. Overall, intermingling of the flavors do not work well together. Thank god I didn't get a six pack (even though I wouldn't dare).

M-Oddly sticky. The body is heavier than expected. Just doesn't go down well.

O/D-Not a fan of this at all. Quite nearly a drain pour. Flavors do not mix correctly. Feel is off. Not good.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2011 02:28:26 | More by VelvetExtract

OMGTheyKilkenny

Connecticut

4.47/5  rDev +43.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle into a Samuel Adams Boston Lager Glass.

A- Beer

S- Watermelon

T- Watermelon beer

MF- Beer

D- Served ice cold on a hot summer day, great. One or two is probably enough. Lives up to the boast on the label, "Strangely refreshing." Unpalatable if not cold.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 05:05:55 | More by OMGTheyKilkenny

PicoPapa

Connecticut

3.45/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle with a Bottled On Date of 2011-05-03. Had to give it a try. Pours a translucent straw color with almost no head. Smells like a watermelon blow pop. Very sugary sweet candy watermelon aroma. The flavor is as huge as the aroma made me think it would be. Certainly has a lot of that watermelon flavor but I thought it would be more. Maybe can taste some malts and grains but it mostly is like an adjunct lager with a sweet candy watermelon flavor to it. It's a weird beer and I couldn't drink it often, but it's not bad at all. Crisp, smooth and easy to drink even with the fruity taste. Overall, I have no issue with having this once in a blue moon(no pun intended).

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2011 15:14:52 | More by PicoPapa

SBXLII

New York

3.75/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Not sure how a beer can be compared to a ridiculously electric-colored soda, but this is definitely worth stocking for a barbeque with friends. Not overpowering, and not sickeningly sweet like the name may imply. It's perfect for ribs or anything off the grill, really. Hooker has noted the past two years that this uses natural flavor, and no longer artificial. Before it kind of had the aftertaste of a watermelon Laffy Taffy. If you see it, grab it. Definitely perfect for the summertime.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2011 20:36:08 | More by SBXLII

RDHerm

Connecticut

2.98/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy greenish yellow with yellow highlights. It actually looks a lot like Mountain Dew. Has a thin white head that dissipates immediately, leaving a thin ring that holds throughout and has surprisingly good lacing.

Smells really sweet, and the aroma of watermelon is overwhelming. It smells a lot like a watermelon Jolly Rancher. There are some hints of yeast and floral hops in there, but not much.

Not nearly as sweet or watermelon-flavored as the aroma would indicate. Watermelon is present, but there are also notes of wheat and floral hops. Not terribly complex, but better than expected.

Light in body and carbonation level. Smooth, crisp, and refreshing - exactly what you'd expect from a blonde ale.

A little strange, but an OK brew in it's own right. Not something worth going out of your way for, but the perfect way to add a little variety when you're looking for something you can suck down a few of on a hot afternoon,

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2011 03:26:43 | More by RDHerm

rudzud

Massachusetts

2.88/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Picked up on a whim at Julio's to complete a "mix a six" pack, wish I hadn't.

A - Poured into my Duvel tulip a crystal clear yellow pour with a fizzy half a finger head that rapidly faded to leave light white swirls.

S - Watermelon jolly rancher.

T - Sweet, fake watermelon jollyrancher flavour followed by some wheat and typical ale notes. Way too fake and too sweet.

M - Starts off with nice, high carbonation but quickly becomes lackluster and thin.

O - Just an average "watermelon" beer. I keep trying these hoping to find one I'll enjoy but nothing has really brought watermelon strong. Always the fake aroma and taste.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 04:53:21 | More by rudzud

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

3.28/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Picked this up in Totowa via the single bottle because things are finally starting to warm up outside. I didn't expect much from this beer and after downing the contents of my pint glass relatively quickly, it's easy to see why I shouldn't have had high hopes for this. While this isn't bad at all, this is about as textbook as a "watermelon beer" can be.

Nothing memorable to the pour of this at all - looked like a typical Blonde Ale with just a hint of wheat in the hue and a moderate head that didn't last all that long. There was a bit of lacing as well and the smell was that of watermelon a bit of warm commercially produced cheese-like funk. There was the sweetness of bubble gum and cotton candy in the taste with watermelon on top of that. The latter note continued in the aftertaste but there wasn't hardly any wheat or other plant notes to be felt with the exception of a hint of straw. The malt was so unassuming that I couldn't feel it at all as to be expected, hops are absent here as well

I only had one bottle but if it was warm out, I could have had a few more. This almost feels like soda because of the lightness of the body and the subtle carbonation that can be felt. Session beers don't get more easygoing than this and even though this wasn't bad, it's unlikely that I'll be reaching for this again. It was worth a try once but there are much better and more full-bodied offerings that can be enjoyed during this time of the year.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2011 21:07:36 | More by JerzDevl2000

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a bottle of this one into a pint glass, it was a pale yellow color. Very clear looking body with a soapy white head. The aroma was pretty nice actually the watermelon was subtle enough that you could still pick up some of the malts in the brew. The flavor of this beer is good at first when it's right out of the fridge and still cold. The watermelon isn't overly sweet at that point and is kind of refreshing. As the beer warms up though it starts to get a little funky, This kind of turned me off from this brew. The mouthfeel was super light and highly drinkable for summer time. Just drink it fast.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2011 00:35:22 | More by Knapp85

Paxomaniac

New Hampshire

3.55/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: This was my third time drinking this and I'd yet to actually get a good idea about what it looks like until now. The brown bottle gives it a darker yellow hue so I was definitely surprised to find it has a pale yellow color, not too unlike a belgian white.

S: The smell is what first attracted me, as a fairly young and new beer drinker, the reminiscent scent of watermelon candies was a pleasant one. The only drawback is that after the second and third time trying this beer, the smell of Jolly Rancher's isn't as novel as it was the first time, it gets a little tiring.

T: In contrast to the strong smell, the watermelon taste is light and leaves a faint but not overwhelming aftertaste of sweet and sour. Unlike some of the more fruity or commonly "girly" drinks, there's a good balance between the fruit and the average ale taste. The taste seems to get sweeter towards the middle of the bottle making for an overall pleasant drinking experience.

M: The carbonation initially comes on strong and then fades almost instantly. If it weren't for the alcohol content I might confuse it for a weak flavored watermelon soda. It has almost all of the trademarks of the average summer beer that I can see enjoying on a hot day. Still, nothing too remarkable about it, it's a little above average.

D: Refreshing and light. Unlike some beers I've had in the past I actually feel like I've had my thirst quenched. Definitely a slow drinking experience though due to the taste and carbonation making it impossible to chug it down comfortably. I think for the price ($8 for 6 pck.) it's worth trying. Definitely not my favorite beer I've had, but on a hot summer day I can see stocking up on this for a summer BBQ or just a relaxing night in front of the TV.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2010 22:51:15 | More by Paxomaniac

WesWes

New York

3.28/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a pale gold color with a thin white head that fades to spotty lacing. The aroma is decent. I has a light pale malt scent along with a wonderfully fruity watermelon aroma. Yes, it's weak and watery, but the watermelon aroma is pretty damn refreshing. The taste, however is quite weak an devoid of character. It has a light pale malt taste along with a dry, artificial watermelon flavor. It goes down quick and easy with a thin, watery finish. The mouthfeel is decent. It is a low bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is your basic commercial fruit beer. It's nothing to get excited about, but it's enjoyable on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2010 21:45:49 | More by WesWes