Hell Or High Watermelon Wheat Beer - 21st Amendment Brewery

flagmantho

Washington

3.4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12oz can into a pint glass.

Appearance: hazy light golden color with very little head. Not bad, but not very exciting.

Smell: a little sweet and just a tiny hint of watermelon. There's also a little sourness, but really, the aroma is too low-volume to appreciate much.

Taste: much more watermeloney than the aroma. There is a touch of citrusy wheat flavor in the malt and the watermelon is thankfully nice and understated. It's not my favorite beer in the world, but it is pretty interesting.

Mouthfeel: medium, medium-light body with an OK level of carbonation. It's alright.

Drinkability: pretty refreshing and moderately drinkable. It's not fantastic, but would do in a pinch on a hot day.

Serving type: can

02-20-2010 02:06:56 | More by flagmantho

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.5/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz. can served in a standard pint glass. Poured a hazy straw gold with a quarter inch, loose, white head that quickly disperses into a broken skim with a thicker band around the edges. Some spots of lacing, but weak legs. Nose is watermelon rind and some citrus - very mild. Taste consistent with nose with some wheat notes in the mix. Mouthfeel is light-bodied and evenly carbonated - just the right amount of effervescence to give some body while also being refreshing. Finish is fairly dry and clean. Fairly easy drinking beer - not spectacular, but exactly as anticipated for what it is. Much better than the Hooker Watermelon in that it actually taste like watermelon and not like some artificially flavored substitute.

Serving type: can

08-27-2009 18:30:46 | More by Jwale73

Deuane

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A-Golden adjunct lager looking with a thin white head that reduces to a thin veil and leaves no lace.

S-Light watermelon rind and a bit of sweetness.

T-Light wheat malt biscuit sweetness with the bitter backing of watermelon rind. Nothing extraordinary here.

M-Light bodied, crisp and refreshing...the best feature of this one. A good summer quencher.

D-A decent brew...nothing wrong with it but nothing exciting either. Kinda boring with a bit f watermelon rnd bitterness making it different. Too bad...I have been looking forward to this one for a long time....we have a better watermelon beer right here in south central PA.

Serving type: can

07-10-2009 02:10:45 | More by Deuane

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a cloudy light brown color with a 1/2 inch head. Smells like watermelon with some wheat. Taste like it smells, wheat and watermelon, though not overpowering, good balance. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and is highly drinkable. Overall this is an interesting and quality brew.

Serving type: can

12-01-2009 00:13:23 | More by tone77

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

2.73/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

On Tap at Old Eagle Tavern in a pint glass. I've been avoiding this beer for quite some time.

Hell or High looks pretty in the glass with a light bronze color with some gold trimmings. All together the beer is very still and dead looking with the head dying by the time it got to me, no lace on this one. Looks more like a pale ale than a fruit beer.

The smell is very grainy with some some wheat in the background. Only getting trace sniffs of watermelon with a whole lot of grass. This one is earthy in every sense of the word and not on the sweet smelling side.

And by god, this stuff is very putrid. It' s not the most offensive beer in the world, or perhaps this is an old keg, but this tastes like bad homebrew. Old faded hops give way to a big grassy smack in the palate, like an old IPA. The watermelon is light and not artificial tasting which is a good thing. Pale malt with lemon grass. I don't know what else to say.

Feel is on the less than medium side with a sharp carb hit despite the beer looking dead. The alcohol is not tasted, yet the aftertaste of old grass is off putting. I thinks this may be a old keg, no way 21st would put out a brew in such large quanity with it being a dud, or would they.

This is a very popular beer with new to craft drinkers. My brother swears by it and he is a BMC guy, so I guess there is some appeal to the non beer geek to seek this out with the watermelon addition. I need to try this from a can, but my draft score will remain.

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2012 02:29:58 | More by onix1agr

dbrauneis

New Jersey

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

Served in a can at Cork City in Hoboken, NJ

A: Pours a lightly hazy pale straw yellow in color with light to moderate amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a thin fizzy off-white head that quickly reduces to a thin film covering the majority of the surface of the beer with a thin ring at the edges of the glass.

S: The aroma of this beer is mild but you can definitely detect the smell of watermelon and wheat.

T: The watermelon flavor stands out more in the taste than the smell but there is also a decent wheat body. I like the fact that the watermelon flavor is not artificial or overly sweet.

M: Light bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Slightly watery.

O: Certainly the best watermelon beer that I have tried as it is not overly sweet and does not taste like a Jolly Rancher. The beer is easy to drink and refreshing but I'm not sure it would be a sessionable beer for me (just not a flavor profile that I loved). Would be good on a real hop summer day.

Serving type: can

06-17-2012 01:40:14 | More by dbrauneis

Metalmonk

North Carolina

3.4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Poured aggressively to wake up all the watermelon aroma possible. Head is big and very soapy, and retains for a good while. Color is a cloudy light rust color, with tiny colonies of lace dotting the sides of the glass.

Watermelon is faint in the aroma, smelling a bit sour and sort of like overboiled vegetable matter. The wheat is the most dominant and appealing part of the aroma, with mild nutty yeast in the background.

Flavor is more authentically watermelon than the aroma, riding along nicely with the wheat. Both elements are balanced well, but it's a very simple partnership, as nothing else springs up from the flavors, except for a lemon-y tartness in the distance. Sour finish isn't welcome.

Feels a bit under-carbonated for the style and particular flavors. Kind of thin and watery.

I was anxious to try this after having read a lot of hype in some of the west coast beer newspapers. Glad I got the chance, but I'm not at all envious that we can't find it in this part of the country. It's merely okay.

[Thanks to melbatoast93 for bringing back a few of these from his latest west coast jaunt.]

Serving type: can

03-13-2007 21:18:54 | More by Metalmonk

ngeunit1

California

3.65/5  rDev +13%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a clear golden color with a finger of crisp white head atop. The head fades down fairly quickly leaving behind no lace.

S - Aroma is a mix of fruit watermelon esters and a bit of wheat and grain. There is just a touch of yeast in the background. Not overly aromatic.

T - Starts off with a bit of sweet and slightly tart watermelon flavor. Tastes like fairly fresh watermelon. There is just a bit of grain alongside to balance. Through the middle, the grain steps up a bit and just a bit of yeast comes through. The finish is a mix of watermelon and wheat flavors that linger just a bit.

M - Close to light bodied with mild carbonation. Feels smooth and crisp, but just a bit thin and watery.

D - Very drinkable. The watermelon flavor is very nice, but it just needed a bit more flavor and body. Felt refreshing, but just a bit empty.

Serving type: can

08-09-2011 06:26:57 | More by ngeunit1

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

My first thought was this is probably going to be sweet and nasty but I give credit to 21st in that they made the watermelon work well with the style. The nose is watermelon but the taste is wheat with only a hint of the fruit. Actually finishes nicely with a smooth grainy taste with that watermelon on the tip of the tongue. Could have been a disaster but it actually works.

Serving type: can

06-21-2011 17:13:03 | More by canucklehead

KarlHungus

Minnesota

2.7/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

This beer pours a cloudy pale orange color with ha hint of green. The head is an inch in height, and vanishes within seconds. The aroma is of watermelon. There is also a tart aspect to the aroma that isn't pleasing to me. I am sure this beer smells how it is intended to, but it simply smells bad. The taste is of very mild watermelon, and not much else. Really this taste is of virtually nothing. It isn't bad; it just isn't. The mouthfeel is watery with low carbonation (bad for a wheat beer). Overall, this is a fairly bad beer. I will not drink it again.

Serving type: can

10-13-2010 14:08:30 | More by KarlHungus

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - pours a lemony color, a fizzy but short lived cap of white on top.

Aroma - light graininess, a trace of general sweetness but not attributable to any particular fruit.

Taste - light grain, definite watermelon flavor, on the lighter side. A certain snap afterwards of hop or some other light sourness, not real sure what it is. Ends cleanly enough, again with little focus on the sweet and more on the fruit, pretty nice balance.

Mouthfeel - light, crisp, what you would expect from a fruity wheat.

Drinkability - no problem knocking these back. It gets the full gamut of reviews from the fire pit crowd.

Serving type: can

06-12-2010 06:08:37 | More by brewdlyhooked13

billab914

Virginia

2.38/5  rDev -26.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12oz can poured into a pint glass. It poured a pale golden color with a thin head that disappeared pretty quickly.

The watermelon is immediately noticeable in it along with some citrus and wheat malts. I also unfortunately get an unpleasant metallic flavor to it.

The taste also shows a lot of the watermelon flavor along with some rind and vegetable like qualities. A little wheat and citrus are there but the watermelon is overwhelming and just not that good.

The mouthfeel is thin with moderate carbonation. Overall, I just didn't care for it. The watermelon was too dominating and just not that great. It seemed to have more of a bitter rind, vegetable like quality to it that I didn't care for. A little metallic as well. Not something I'd want to try again.

Serving type: can

04-20-2012 17:37:58 | More by billab914

emmasdad

Colorado

2.73/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a hazy golden-orange color, with a minimal amount of fluffy white foam. Not much going on in the nose here, with the exception of the watermelon. Not so much fruit, but more like a watermelon jolly rancher. A little sweetness on the palate, some light wheat, but again mostly the somewhat cloying fake watermelon taste. Nothing special here, just a decent light beer with fake fruit flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2010 05:06:31 | More by emmasdad

Floydster

California

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

12 ounce can purchased at City Beer Store in San Francisco, split with my girlfriend last night, poured into my small Stone glass

A-Golden yellow color with some orange, a little cloudy, a thin bubbly 1/4 inch white head, minimal retention, no lacing
S-Sweet malts, weak watermelon aromas, lots of wheat, some grassy accents, and light grains
T-Starts off with some watermelon juice but it is pretty weak and not sour or anything like people have said, tasted nothing like candy to me, middle has some chewy malt and wheat, finish is a little dry but still chewy, does not change much as it warms other than getting less popping and more subtle
M-Thin to medium bodied, too much carbonation, light, crisp, and slightly metallic mouthfeel, taste does not linger
D-Light on the stomach and smooth, would get tiresome possibly which is why it does not get a perfect score, low ABV and quite sessionable

This beer was really hyped and did not quite live up to it even though it was pretty good, nice watermelon concept that might work better if it was in a lambic or wild ale, might buy another six pack in a few months but not something I will get every day, recommended

Serving type: can

08-26-2008 23:32:56 | More by Floydster

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

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

21st Amendment- Watermelon Wheat

A- Light clear yellowish orange with a small filmy head.
S- Tangy watermelon with wheat and light sugary grainy malt.
T- Light and sugary sweet watermelon with a grainy malt body and a lemony wheat finish.
M- Watery with a dry watermelon malty body and a slight dry grassy finish.

Overall- Not bad. A good summer afternoon beer. Easy to drink.

Serving type: can

06-04-2009 23:53:45 | More by NJpadreFan

ArrogantB

Colorado

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

12oz can $1.99 Hazy yellow color, looks murky with a pillowtop head. Smells faintly of watermelon and wheat. The flavor was heavy watermelon juice, so much so that it almost felt artificially flavored but I liked it anyway. For me this would be a good hot weather beer but not a session beer since I wouldn't want more than one.

Serving type: can

07-30-2011 13:24:24 | More by ArrogantB

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

Hojaminbag

Colorado

2.58/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A clear golden color with a small off white head. Not a ton of retention or lacing.

Smells sweet, watermelon is pretty noticeable.

There is a little bit of a wheat backbone, but the dominating characteristic is a sweet, artificial tasting watermelon flavor. It's not terrible like a lot of fruit beers are, but I'm not crazy about it either.

Light to medium bodied with fairly low carbonation.

Too sweet for me overall.

Serving type: can

05-13-2009 15:14:53 | More by Hojaminbag

Overlord

California

1.68/5  rDev -48%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Sounded interesting ... and almost impossible to get right. And it sorta was.

Pours a somewhat hazy gold with a mild white foam head. Smells weird, with a definite whiff of watermelon and yeast.

The taste is ... all over the place. The mouthfeel's a bit thin and watery, and there's a sharp, almost acidic watermelon flavor running through it, but I don't detect much wheat, malt, or any other balancing flavor. Just not quite right.

Spritzy. Bad mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2008 07:35:19 | More by Overlord

Reidrover

Oregon

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

6 pack of cans from Roth’s Sunnyside Market, S.Salem.$7.99 says 4.9% alc on the can. Appearance? Murkey golden yellow..almost like a farmhouse cider, tiny white bubbly head. Really picking up next to nothing as far as aroma..some hay and dough maybe. Picking up the water melon in the taste right away and its not candy type but real watermelon..after that its just wheatiness..VERY simple. Thin mouthfeel but you cant hold that against it per style. Overall very dissapointed..very very boring even in the heat.

Serving type: can

07-04-2011 02:08:29 | More by Reidrover

grub

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

biegaman hooked me up with this one. thanks jan!

12oz can. sampled jan 31/09.

pours deep golden yellow with just a touch of haze. a small fine white head forms, dropping quickly and leaves a few spots of lace.

aroma is ok. bit of alcohol. wheat bread. cracker. touch of biscuit. it's fairly fruity, but i can't say that i'd pick it as watermelon. it's a bit off-putting too - i get a bit of a sweat sock thing from it that i'm not too keen on.

taste is good. the watermelon does come through here, but not in an unpleasant or overbearing way. white bread. bit of cracker. not at all sweet. light alcohol. low bitterness level.

mouthfeel is great. medium-high carbonation level. nice light body with a fairly dry finish.

drinkability is pretty good. this one grew on me a little along the way, but i can't say that i'll be searching out mass quantities of it. still, it was nice and i wouldn't say no to another.

Serving type: can

01-31-2009 18:51:26 | More by grub

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.98/5  rDev +23.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a can into a weisse vase, the beer is a cloudy, opaque, pale yellow-gold coloring with no head whatsoever. Aromas of tangy sweet watermelon and toasted grains. Flavors are light and sweet, with a strong watermelon character on the forward tongue that gives you a sugary tart profile atop the toasted grain backbone. The aftertaste is light and quick, with a strong watermelon character and tangy feel. Crisp, light finish. This beer is very easy to drink, and great on a hot day. Also goes well with a wedge of watermelon, as we originally had it at 21st Amendment in SanFran.

Serving type: can

04-18-2012 02:20:32 | More by GarthDanielson

cjgator3

Florida

2.83/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12oz can poured into a pint glass.

A- Pours a slightly golden yellow color with a thin fizzy white head.

S- The aroma features some malt and wheat along with a faint watermelon smell.

T- Some malt and wheat flavors with really faint watermelon flavors in the background. Not much notable hop flavor.

M- The mouthfeel is light bodied with a high amount of carbonation that is pretty cheap and macro lager feeling. But hey, there are no seeds to spit out!

D- Pretty run of the mill, I get bored with this one pretty quickly.

Overall, Hell or High Watermelon is a pretty average brew that I won't be jumping at to purchase again.

Serving type: can

08-17-2008 03:49:10 | More by cjgator3

msubulldog25

Oregon

3.33/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

What a CUTE name: 'Hell or High Watermelon'! Have tried this a couple times before, always on-draught at the Oregon Brewers Fest; this is my first taste fro the can. A 12 oz'er, poured to a pint glass.

A: Nice lofty head of white cream, nearly two-fingers before cresting and falling. A lightly hazed, milky wheat-yellow with plenty of rising carbonation.

S: Meh, bland smelling wheat-malt aroma with the vaguest 'melon' aroma, a bit tart. Weird candy/fruit, although not quite the 'Jolly Rancher' sort of 'watermelon'. Not a terrible smell, but not really appealing either.

T: Interesting, full of wheat and a plump/ripe watermelon that doesn't dominate. The earthy and rind-like watermelon is evident throughout, adding some dimension to an otherwise simple wheat ale.

D: Mouthfeel is rather weak/watery and generally unimpressive. Light in body, low in carbonation.

M: Certainly 'drinkable' and, honestly, quite refreshing. Despite a weak feel, the watermelon flavor and light wheat come through nicely; it's a 'summer' beer if there ever was one. Quirst-quenching and extremely easy going down. Not one to rush out and hoard, but certainly worth a try, especially on a hot day.

Serving type: can

08-21-2009 03:33:46 | More by msubulldog25

nickd717

California

2.6/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Review dated 2/15/2009.

On tap at the brewpub. Hazy yellow color with a small white head and a watermelon slice on the glass. Aroma is lots of watermelon. Flavor is wheaty with - you guessed it - watermelon. Pretty sour and almost cidery on the finish. Light on the palate, refreshing but a little off-balance in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2011 18:46:35 | More by nickd717