Hoegaarden Original White Ale - Brouwerij van Hoegaarden

Dave128

Kentucky

4.05/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I decided to try this beer on tap at a local pizza pub since it was the daily pint special. I didn't know anything about what it was when I ordered. At first I thought I was given the wrong thing when I saw this cloudy fruity-lookin drink with a lemon wedge on the glass. I was far away from the bar in the pub and it was a busy night so the head was mostly faded by the time I received it.

A - Cloudy whitish yellow. It kinda looked like a nice glass of hazy lemonade. About a half a finger of white head when I received it which reduced to a lasting thin cover. Lacing was moderate but I wasn't really paying attention due to the next factor.

S - This is what really threw me off on this one. I LOVED the smell of this beer. Heavy coriander aroma with some pepper and citrus.

T - Its quite what I expected it to taste like given the smell. Pretty sweet from the citrus but the majority of the flavor and aftertaste comes from the spices. A unique experience in my beer-tasting thus far. I squeezed a few lemon drops in for the last few sips but made that pretty much made it more of a hard lemonade XD

M - The mouthfeel was kinda sticky and sweet but carbonation was about right enough to make it a wonderful thirst quencher.

D - The flavors in this beer are not such that I'd want to drink multiples at a time. The spices and citrus are strong and a little overbearing on the palate. But I'm sure this would be a great "by the pool" refreshment on a hot summer day!

Serving type: on-tap

10-22-2010 13:40:48 | More by Dave128

grumblebee

California

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

05-19-2013 03:59:54 | More by grumblebee

Isotope

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +11.5%

05-19-2013 03:06:23 | More by Isotope

HardyA

Michigan

2.75/5  rDev -27.8%

05-18-2013 14:06:17 | More by HardyA

mattsucks

Ohio

2.75/5  rDev -27.8%

05-18-2013 13:57:14 | More by mattsucks

Nofear048

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +11.5%

05-18-2013 05:28:22 | More by Nofear048

apanloco

Sweden

4.5/5  rDev +18.1%

05-17-2013 18:30:44 | More by apanloco

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.71/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Served on tap in a pint glass

Appearance – Served a hazy straw colored brew with a two finger white head. The head had a moderately good level of retention, fading over time to give decent lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The aroma is heaviest of wheat and citrus with the citrus being of lemon and grapefruit. Mixed with these aromas are some lighter spicier aromas of a coriander and some lemongrass, producing overall a classic wit aroma

Taste –The taste begins with a wheaty and lemon flavor upfront. The taste sweetens quickly as flavors of tangerine and banana come to the tongue. Along with these sweeter flavors, so to comes a light spice flavor of coriander. These tastes take the taste to its end, leaving a sweet citrus flavor of orange and sweet white grapefruit as well as some wheat flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the slightly lighter side with a carbonation level that is a tad on the higher side. The overall feel is rather nice of the style as it makes it quite easy to drink and suits the sweeter and citrus flavors quite well.

Overall – Quite an easy drinking and refreshing wheat and sweet citrus brew.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2013 00:50:57 | More by Darkmagus82

carlitosbronson1

California

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

05-16-2013 23:47:32 | More by carlitosbronson1

Ciocanelu

Romania

4/5  rDev +5%

05-16-2013 21:02:35 | More by Ciocanelu

JAHMUR

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

05-16-2013 14:58:38 | More by JAHMUR

MelissaMonosoff

Pennsylvania

2/5  rDev -47.5%

05-16-2013 03:12:57 | More by MelissaMonosoff

Johnny62

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +24.7%

05-15-2013 15:17:39 | More by Johnny62

JoyHelfrich

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

05-15-2013 04:50:17 | More by JoyHelfrich

buzzy

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -27.8%

05-15-2013 02:30:08 | More by buzzy

ziggyzoggy

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%

05-14-2013 17:26:27 | More by ziggyzoggy

bconsidine

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

05-14-2013 17:20:53 | More by bconsidine

spoony

Colorado

3.54/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From a 330 ml bottle (best by November 22, 2013) into a nonic.

A-The brew pours like soda-pop with a short-lived, thin white head and light body. The brew is murky, as you would expect, and light yellowish, golden, straw in color. No bubbles were visible.

S-The smell is a pleasant lemon-forward affair with some spice, some grassy wheat, and a touch of sweetness. Pretty true to style.

T-The taste is slightly more tart than the smell, and still full of lemon. The grassy wheat and spice are present, but play somewhat muted roles. It is simple, but again, pretty true to style.

M-The feel is a little too fizzy, with a lighter body that you would expect. Still, this is refreshing and drinkable for a summer's day.

O-Compared against great wit beers, the grand-daddy that is Hoegaarden falls a little short in the complexity and strength departments. The looks are pretty weak, too. Nevertheless, this beer is quaffable and a good fit for a hot summer's day.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 01:31:08 | More by spoony

aty11b

Texas

4/5  rDev +5%

05-14-2013 01:18:03 | More by aty11b

BigTrubble

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

05-13-2013 20:57:21 | More by BigTrubble

briiguy

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

05-13-2013 00:41:14 | More by briiguy

mikeburd1128

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%

05-12-2013 16:59:11 | More by mikeburd1128

greggy1972

Ohio

4/5  rDev +5%

05-12-2013 15:16:00 | More by greggy1972

fank2788

Connecticut

3.9/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

11.2oz bottle served in a pilsner glass
Cloudy pale gold with a huge white head comprised of tiny bubbles that takes a while to settle and laces nicely. The smell is clean wheat maltiness with lemon and orange citrus combined with some peppery spice pretty much spot on for a Wit. When it comes to the taste the spices come out in the front with the citrus moving to the background, a background well framed in by the wheat. Also perceivable is some yeast character but overall everything is a bit overshadowed by the coriander spiciness. The mouthfeel is acceptable with high levels of carbonation combined with a light body however I would have preferred it to be a bit crisper with a cleaner finish. Overall this is a very commendable example of the style and as one of the most easily recognized and available witbeirs it is doing the style justice

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 23:48:35 | More by fank2788

dmorgan310

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

05-11-2013 14:29:24 | More by dmorgan310