Hell Or High Watermelon Wheat Beer - 21st Amendment Brewery

mhatters

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev +13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a pint glass, on-tap at Devil's Den in Philly

Pours a light yellowstraw color, with a medium white head that goes away quickly

There is watermelon in the nose! Fantastic! Not too sweet or fruity, some wheat and malt too. Had this as a gimmick, now interested in the beer.

Easy drinker - the fruit is subtle, - but there, not dominating but obvious.

Thin, a bit watery, but OK, great on a warm day

One was enough for me, no problems at all, just all I wanted.

Serving type: on-tap

10-18-2009 00:05:16 | More by mhatters

oldcrustacean

Connecticut

5/5  rDev +54.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

My favorite beer from my time spent in San Francisco.

I would ride to the brewery at lunch to enjoy a few -- always served with a slice of watermelon. Can't say I got much done those days.

Other times I'd pick up a growler to share with friends. Ten extra pounds of awkward weight on my bicycle, climbing steep San Francisco streets, meant that I had to earn this brew. Ever climb an 18% grade hill with 2 growlers on your back? I assure you it makes the beer taste that much better.

This is the best watermelon ale out there -- the flavor doesn't taste contrived. Hooker and Opa's watermelon ales taste a bit too artificial for my liking; a little too heavy on the extract. 21A gets it right.

Prost.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2009 18:34:10 | More by oldcrustacean

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.88/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on-tap at the Rogue Public House in San Francisco. Pours a very hazy golden with a thin, white, swirly cap of a head. Smells vaguely sour with wheat and watermelon rind, a touch of lemon, and a tiny bit of sweetness. The taste is similar, with more white rind flavor than red juiciness, but as opposed to the aroma, there is at least some sweet, juicy watermelon here which adds something to the more sour and herbal rind and lemon flavors. Crisp, refreshing, and worth trying. A fairly interesting beer.

Serving type: on-tap

08-24-2009 01:58:32 | More by Georgiabeer

Docer

Washington

3.83/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had at this years OBF!

- Clear straw-yellow appearance... little bit of white lacing... bubbly...

- Great citrusy watermelon scent with some wheat and malt.. some breadiness... not bad..

- Smooth balanced flavor... somewhat watery though.. but certainly some watermelon... bit sweet and candy-like though. Ok I guess..

- Watery, like a watery fruit drink... light and refreshing...

- I could easily do a 12-pack on a hot day and wonder why I would be thirsty still and dehydrated.... a nice sporty brew for a hot day. Put some caffeine in it and it would appeal to some kids...

Serving type: on-tap

07-28-2009 00:57:36 | More by Docer

david18

New York

4.22/5  rDev +30.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Beer Advocate calls this a fruit beer but I would put it closer to a wheat. Although there is a slight watermelon aroma and taste it's really not that strong. It's an excellent, drinkable beer and a great summer draft. Might also be accessible to non-beer drinkers, like my wife.

Serving type: on-tap

07-24-2009 18:34:11 | More by david18

tzieser

Arizona

2.85/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I had this on tap at the pour farm in New Bedford, MA

Pored a typical maco brew looking gold with small yellow fizzy head that turned into nothing. Smelled like a typical macro beer, kinda corny, not much smell. Watermelon obviously.

tastes good if you really enjoy fruit beers. I don't mind fruit beers, but this one just isnt for me. The watermelon tastes like a jolly rancher dipped into a bud light.

Mouthfeel is pretty average.

Drinkability is average because I can't see myself craving these.

overall: I really don't get what all the hype is about. Overrated.

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2009 15:11:23 | More by tzieser

GPHarris

Alabama

4/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

had this at the brewpub before a giants-rangers baseball game.

not sure what to make of this tall beer poured in a weizen glass complete with a wedge of watermelon.

refreshing beer and the watermelon flavor gives it a coolness that is quite nice. i didn't put the wedge into the beer, only ate it after finishing the beer.

they don't do flights (which i can't believe) but i also had 1/2 pints of rustico (dark brown ale), tasty (ipa) and primus (belgian pale ale) before the game.

rustico was excellent though it doesn't have a profile so i can't review it on BA.

i paired this with some brew free chili (which was amazing) and a siciliana pizza (terrific).

Serving type: on-tap

06-26-2009 20:52:16 | More by GPHarris

plaid75

New York

3.65/5  rDev +13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a hazy medium straw hue with a one finger foamy white head. There was little retention and lacing.

The smell featured a light wheat malt and a bitter green watermelon rind.

The taste consisted of an upfront bitter watermelon rind and a mild wheat spice.

The mouthfeel was light and dry.

Overall a decent summer wheat ale. Not what I was expecting out of a watermelon beer.

Serving type: on-tap

06-24-2009 21:14:53 | More by plaid75

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

2.78/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

"If you're going through hell or high water(melon), don't you do it alone." - Black Stone Cherry

Cloudy gold color with a thin white head. The head then quickly got up and left. Oh well.

Smells like a McDonald's Egg McMuffin. I kid you not.

Tastes like wheaty yeast with watermelon. The watermelon itself is pretty good, it's the actual beer that's icky. A Zima lover's beach beer at best.

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2009 00:49:07 | More by donkeyrunner

Brewlore

California

2.17/5  rDev -32.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 1.5

Had this on tap whilst visiting the area.

It looks like a hefeweizen, cloudy golden in color with a frothy white head. Leaves a small lacing though.

The scent surprisingly does not contain a whole lot of watermelon. It's an off putting scent that does not exactly encourage you to drink it. Mostly malty aroma with the very subtle hint of watermelon

Taste wise, wow. Not good at all. I was very much looking to try this and was quite disappointed. It tasted malty and very vegetable in its taste. Rather than tasting the sweet juicy part of the watermelon your subjected to tasting the inner lighter in color near the rind part.

All that being said it felt quite nice on the palate with good levels of carbonation.

Not drinkable at all due to the fact that the it's not a good tasting brew.

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2008 09:25:25 | More by Brewlore

USCTrojanBrian

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On tap @ 21st Ammendment/San Francisco CA (from notes)

Pilsner glass w/watermelon wedge.

Not too cloudy amber color. Slightly bitter. Really standard American Wheat profile, if subpar. The watermelon wedge rescues this significantly although maybe they had to tone down the wheat to balance with the fruit? I dont know ...

Fun to drink though, very light, summer-y.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2008 23:15:41 | More by USCTrojanBrian

MiScusi

California

3.38/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Had at the 21st Amendment.

It's a light hazy gold, served in a hefe glass with a slice of watermelon on the rim. The smell is easily watermelon when there's a watermelon wedge sitting right on the rim. But if you take that off and inspect it after the juices have left the rim it doesn't smell like anything more than a standard wheat beer. The taste is the same... without the watermelon slice on top or in the drink it just tastes like a fairly standard wheat. Still, it's not bad for a wheat beer but I don't think it's as unique as people think. The mouthfeel was a bit too spritzy/harsh and grainy for me. I could definitely still drink this if I needed a wheat beer, but it doesn't stand out that much above others.

Serving type: on-tap

06-15-2008 16:28:13 | More by MiScusi

Redrover

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I was told that the Watermelon wheat is their most popular beer. Served in a hefe glass. The beer is a hazy dark straw color with a bone white head and awesome lacing.

The nose is of watermelon and wheat malts. Could be turned up a notch, but you know what your getting.

The beer leads with a bit of watermelon; some grains a hint of spice. It has a big watermelon finish.

The mouth is nicely slick. Nice hot weather beer, another killer crossover beer from this brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2008 19:00:23 | More by Redrover

phergy

Missouri

4.4/5  rDev +36.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The watermelon wheat looks like any unfiltered wheat beer: amber and cloudy. It has a white bubbly head that thins quickly. The nose is almost all wheat grain. It isn't until the first drink that you get a hint of watermelon. It is subtle, but noticeable, and adds a bit of sweetness to the beer. The closest I can get to describing the flavor is watermelon Jolly Rancher, but it not nearly that overpoweringly sweet. More like someone near you is eating a watermelon Jolly Rancher and you occasionally get a whiff. I was surprised to find that the watermelon is a nice complement to the wheatiness of the beer. Not a beer I would drink every day, but very good; much better than I expected.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2008 21:11:10 | More by phergy

JDV

Texas

3.28/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours very light colored with a small head. Definite watermelon smell, and taste. Easy drinking, slightly bittered watered down watermelon flavor. Nice in that you get the flavor you're expecting, but needs to be a slight bit fuller bodied and flavored, even for a summer refresher, I thought. Ok, but not as good as I hoped it would be.

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2008 21:16:42 | More by JDV

Oxymoron

Colorado

3.45/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

A trip to San Francisco was a trip to 21st Amendment. It came with a wedge of watermelon with the glass. No longer are lemons and oranges used as a garnishment. The pour was a pretty hazy with a lemony yellow color. When arrived there was a nice but light frothy head but it did quickly hide to the edge of the glass and disappear altogether.

The nose was light and mostly consistent of a wheat beer. Some lighter notes of a melon-esk substance, but not sure if I would say it would be specific to watermelon.

The taste is similar with a very subtle American wheat beer flavor. Some lighter malt hints are there if you really look for them. Some graininess flavors and in the aftertaste the watermelon makes it’s presence detectable, but is slight.

The body is light but the watermelon aftertaste (more of a hint) leaves a slight sweeter flavor. But not a malty sweet more of a fruity sugar sweet. Carbonation felt low but an interesting wheat fruit experiment.

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2007 22:42:36 | More by Oxymoron

mitchfor3

California

3.95/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Sampled at the 21st Amendment is SF.

This is a really interesting beer. Presentation was cheesy - in a weizenglass with a slice of watermelon garnishing the lip of the glass. Still, the tropical feeling was welcome and while gimmicky, it was also creative.

Beer was a hazy straw color with a fizzy white head.

Tastes and smells remarkably like watermelon. I think they nailed this one. Delightfully refreshing and went great with 21st's delicious pizza. In my experience, fruit beers tend not to make the best session beers, and this one is no exception. For me, drinkability was hampered by the uniqueness of the taste - one was enough.

Really an ideal beer to pick up in cans. Perfect for the beach!

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2006 23:29:25 | More by mitchfor3

unklesyd

Oregon

4/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this beer twice, and both times it has fallen on the better half of surprise.

I've heard many complaints that this beer is too spritzy and that there isn't enough going on flavor wise. However, I think that these are a couple of its strong points.

It is indeed spritzy, but not in an over-the-top, acidic bubbling on your tongue way. Effervescent is what I would call it.

The flavors are subtle, but with this style, that is the way it should be. Rather than dose this beer with a heavy watermelon Otter-pop juice flavor, the brewers kept it simple and gave the essence of the melon flavor in a dry, very neutral wheat beer base. No noticable hop flavors, which would very much distract from the watermelon.

Aroma is hard to detect, but there is a slight white flour and watermelon in the nose if you get close.

This is a perfect choice for a nice hot day. If I could buy their new cans up here, I'd get a case.

Serving type: on-tap

08-02-2006 15:26:26 | More by unklesyd

benito

Oregon

2.88/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On tap at 21st Amendment. After a long bike ride around San Francisco, I was looking for something refreshing and tasty. I was disappoitned.

A: Unfiltered. Cloudy gold served with a watermelon wedge. No head and low carbonation.

S: Lots of watermelon. It gives the impression that it's a standard American pale wheat beer with 400 lbs of watermelon in the mash.

T: A good watermelon sweetness across the front of the tongue. The flavors dissipate fast, meaning a dry finish. There were no residual flavors save a light 'wheatiness.'

M: Thin, but inoffensive. And not memorable.

D: Very summery and light. Easy to down a pint despite its lack of flavor.

Overall, mediocre but not offensive. Not recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

06-15-2006 23:38:54 | More by benito

DaPeculierDane

Wisconsin

4.47/5  rDev +38.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

My experiences with Watermelon Wheats had not been positive so I was hesitant to try this beer. At the advice of a respected BA I gave it a shot and boy was I ever surprised. First and foremost, 21st’s WW isn’t pink. It looks like beer rather than Kool-aid. This is positive. Its body is a hazed golden lager color served in a small weizen glass. Aroma is all watermelon, real, honest to goodness watermelon. Close your eyes and you’re body will tell you that you’re sniffing a big wedge of green and red goodness. The flavor matches as does the mouthfeel. It’s fibrous. This is the real deal. While there is almost no head, there are bountiful carbonation streams giving this beer a great bite. Body is very light. Drinkability is high due to the lack of artificial flavor and only light to moderate sweetness. They were wise not to overdo it. The best watermelon wheat I’ve had… in fact the only good Watermelon Wheat I’ve had.

Note: I'm giving this beer high marks not because I loved the beer but because I feel that 21st captured the style they were going for almost perfectly.

Serving type: on-tap

05-19-2006 16:27:19 | More by DaPeculierDane

donnebaby

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +26.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Crisp fresh watermelon nose -- like the mostly neutral smell of watermelon rind, lightly sweet and creamy. Opaque white gold body and a fat haze held up by the pulsing bubble carbonation.

Highly carbonated in the mouth -- almost to the point of club soda carbonation. Decent body, not thin. After of toasty dry cereals. This is certainly on the dry end of hefeweizens -- virtually no sweetness in the mouth. Light hop bitterness way after-the-fact. Complex in its subtlety, the watermelon wheat is clean and soda-like in the mouth and then blends light bitterness, toasty grains, and a small, sweet watermelon candy taste in the after.

I didn't think I liked this brew at first, but it definitely proves itself with subtlety and taste. An excellent pick for a summer seasonal.

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2005 04:22:31 | More by donnebaby

dansroka

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +34.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I used to work in the neighborhood of 21st Amendment, and this quickly became a favorite summertime beer. Your first reaction to hearing the name is "watermelon? in a beer?". But watermelon provides a suprisingly light and refreshing twist to a wheat beer. After drinking it, we all had the sudden desire to try to brew it ourselves.

It arrives with a nice head, nice clear color, and a slice of watermelon (instead of the typical lemon). The taste is all beer, with just a hint of watermelon - enough to make a difference without feeling cloying or gimmicky. The draught is very refreshing, cutting through any flavors in whatever food you may be eating and cleansing your palette. Perfect with one of their great burgers, before strolling down to a game.

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2005 19:46:00 | More by dansroka

Bang34

California

4.08/5  rDev +26.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A friend of mine made me try this before a Giants game and I really didn't expect to like it. I am not a fan of fruit beers having to deal with Pyramid's apricot ale when the ladies brought the beer. But I have to say that this was very good.

It poured a nice golden color with a bit of a head and a watermellon wedge on the rim of the glass.

It really didn't taste fruity at all, nice and crisp with hints of citrus like all good wheat beers should be and with just a hint of watermellon in the finish.

overall I have to say that the best thing about this beer is how refreshing it was. It was almost like drinking lemonade. Now whenever I head out to Pac Bell to catch the Giants I make sure to stop by the ammendment for a brew. It is a great way to start an evening of baseball.

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2004 06:05:31 | More by Bang34

beerguy101

California

3.23/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Light gold color. A light bodied wheat ale. Fruit flavor is very subtle, its there but masked. Very smooth taste. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is neutral. A good wheat beer, but the melon taste is not really noticeable

Serving type: on-tap

11-11-2002 19:43:18 | More by beerguy101

Cyrano41

Virginia

3.54/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

I don't think I would have every decided to try watermelon beer if there were no outside influences. But, I had just read an online article about coming down off your manly beer perch and trying fruit beers. In total wine, a reasonably attractive woman saw me looking at the can and commented that it was very good with a winning smile. These forces combined with my uncontrollable urge to try something new or different everytime I'm faced with the Wall Of Beer (and yes, it should be capitialized) lead me to setting down on the couch to watch Disney Channel with my family with a pale yellow, fizzy conncoction smelling like one of the kids dropped a jolly rancher in my beer. After the first drink, I smiled and examinied my glass again. Hazy yellow, thin head with two scents; a good wheat and candy watermelon. I smiled wider and handed the glass to my wife. "What does that taste like to you?" I was thinking that no way should a good beer and watermelon work together....but it did! My better half took a tenitive sip, "Cherry?" I'm still not sure how she got that. Bigger swallow, "watermelon!" I don't think the normal review would give this beer it's due. Long and short of it is, it tastes good! Low enough ABV to qualify as sessionable, light enough to allow drinking a few and with enough flavor that you want to. Now, I will say that it may be too sweet for some people to session, but give it a try.

Serving type: can

05-21-2013 15:50:29 | More by Cyrano41