Hoegaarden Original White Ale - Brouwerij van Hoegaarden

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.58/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I've been enjoying witbiers since I've been aware of their existence, and yet this is my first time sampling "the original".Color: a cloudy, almost opaque pale yellow/bright white. Head: thick, lacey, white, fluffy as a cloud, slowly tumbling down. Aroma: uplifting, light and lovely! Full of citrus, spice, lemon/orange...wide open, spacious, airy, friendly and hospitable. All that in an aroma? Yes, Indeed!
A great big barrage of hops charges the palate at first, along with the gritty, grainy wheat texture. After that attack, very smooth and mellow. Light in body,and feeling, but rich in flavor, character, and soul. An utter delight every time it touches the tongue! An overall honey flavor dominates the remainder of the drink, and the delicious hops, the texture, the spice, continue to dance on the palate and provide for a richly rewarding refreshment.
When other folks talk of "nothing beating a Bud Light/Corona/generic yellowy water" on a hot summer's day, they would be wiser to wrap their lips around a glass of Hoegaarden. Wiser, happier, more improved in all aspects as a human being!
What a beautiful beer!

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2003 02:15:48 | More by feloniousmonk

86MonteSS

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I never really understood wheat beer till I tried this one. Hoegaarden does it so subtly and so well. Light, cloudy, and yellow in color with a tall pure white head. The grainy tastes begs for you to add the fruit but it's better without it. A solid beer, and the first bottled wheat I'd buy again (yeah, I realize I ought to try a few more).

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2003 21:08:32 | More by 86MonteSS

BierReise

Florida

2.9/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

First off, I have to say that I'm rating a bottle and not a draught Hoegaarden. They're almost like two different animals. The draught is far superior and I don't understand why. At any rate, the beer pours nicely and looks beautiful in the glass. The problem is that it doesn't live up to it's reputation in my opinion. The flavors that come out in the draught are hardly present. It tastes to me like a pale wheat beer. The draught is far superior for sure.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2003 17:02:51 | More by BierReise

Mitchster

Michigan

3.93/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought and drank this one in Cannes, France. Cloudy, white, straw-golden brew forms a large whipped white head atop small bubbles with excellent retention and lacing. Carbonation is moderate, despite the huge head. Aroma is immediately yeasty with clove and very faint banana notes. I don't notice the orange peel or spices. Mouthfeel is soft with a light body. Taste begins with spicy phenols, a light rubbery note, crisp wheat malt with very little bitterness and no discernable hop flavor or aroma. Orange is just barely perceptable in the flavor. Alcohol is not discernable. Finish is lightly astringent just on the back of the tongue. A good, delicate, light, easy to drink beer, but not overly distinct or exciting.

Serving type: can

04-27-2003 16:13:03 | More by Mitchster

mickeymac

California

3.7/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

It looks a bit like a cloudy glass of yellow lemonade. The smell is on the light side but slightly peppery. The taste is not unpleasant but nothing really distinguishes as being much above average. It is very drinkable and would make a good all day beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-26-2003 23:27:32 | More by mickeymac

BeerResearcher

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

At first glance you wonder if the waitress accidentally brought a tulip-shaped glass of milky dishwater to your table. Then, oh yeah! This is the White Ale I ordered. It just looks the way it's supposed to!The cloudy pale, off white, tinted yellow color reveals a light body. Clove and hop aroma with a trace of alcohol. High in complex bitter hops with citrus undertones. Extra Dry. Fine Carbonation with a fizzy head and fine lace. Very sharp and spicy.

Serving type: on-tap

04-25-2003 08:41:38 | More by BeerResearcher

dwarbi

New York

4.3/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a perfectly white, thick, light head which settles to a thin layer. very cloudy. Pale in color, like white corn. Smells of spices and lemon and wheat. Tastes light and very well-rounded. smooth. so refreshing and clean, I would drink it all night in the summer if my budget would allow for it.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2003 05:14:35 | More by dwarbi

BeerBuilder

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Cloudy, straw color with a thick white head. The aroma is fruity; orange peel and coriander aromas. The flavor is fruity with orange peel flavors that flow to a smooth, subtle dryness. It is a light-bodied beer that is smooth, refreshing and easy drinking. The best wit I have yet sampled.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2003 10:35:43 | More by BeerBuilder

dmarch

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I always wonder about having Belgian Wits on tap. I thought it was important to swirl the rest of the yeast and pour it in the bottle. Still, it was rather good. Pale cloudy yellow in color with a dense creamy white head. Strong lemony aroma, which is probably mostly due to the lemon they served it with. I would have turned down the lemon, but it seemed to compliment the beer well. Taste is citrusy and coriander. The perfect beer after cutting the grass on a hot summer day,

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2003 04:24:19 | More by dmarch

EmoBeerGuy

New Hampshire

4.6/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Drank a ton of this on tap during my semester spent in London. This was my introduction to White Beer, but really it was my introduction to real beer, that is non-Lager. Loved this from the first time I tried it and though it was considered a "girly" beer by some of my American friends (yeah, but that Carlsberg isn't?) I loved it and it opened the door for so many other Belgiums.

This one was a bottle though. Pours with slight head. Apperance is white on top to a honey gold on the bottom. Don't forget to swill!

Taste: Classic White Beer flavor. I still like this one better than Allagash altough I may be alone on this one. One tap it, overseas especially, its even better, but this one is all citrus, clove, and coreander. Nice zing. Don't let them give you any lemon though, this has all the citrus I need Brewed Into the Beer. Great on a summer day, or, as a treat tonight, to ring in spring!

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2003 18:54:13 | More by EmoBeerGuy

tavernjef

Minnesota

4.22/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On tap baby, oh yeah..... poured out into the glass very hazy yellow, lots of mixing of whites and yellows, like watching watery latex paint mix. A huge creamy, thick, foamy head grew over and beyond and was quite a thrill to see. Smells right away of the orange and lemon, extremely citrusy. Nothing out of the ordinary for this Belgian beauty, but good non the less. Tastes of a citrus brew, very citrusy with orange and lemon strongly presented and felt, with a hint of spice, coriander I believe. Quite the drinker this was, I drank it to fast and gave me a buzz.

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2003 10:24:14 | More by tavernjef

marburg

Michigan

4.22/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hoegaarden was the first wit I ever had, and it definitely turned me on to the style. I've had a couple (Celis, Blance de Namur) that I like better for sure, but this is still just a great beer. It's certainly not as complex as something like Hitachino's white, but it simply fills the niche of a refreshing, spritzy, tasty beer. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Pours dish water yellow -- hazed and alive-looking -- with a rocky, poofy, yet creamy-looking head. Aroma of orange peel can hit you from its resting position on the table let alone as you drink it. All the usual suspects are there in the taste: lemon, coriander, orange, etc. Total citrus brew.

And it's easy to drink. It's very light and simple, nothing too brain-bending about this one. I've made this a summertime session beer before, and I'll probably do it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2003 19:00:52 | More by marburg

ellman

Indiana

4.13/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer Pours a cloudy, fizzy, pale yellow with a thin white head. A nose of lemon, bananas and slightly peppery. The lemon comes through in the taste also a pear taste is present. Quite a citrus taste. A light body good for a cool down in the summer beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2003 08:59:52 | More by ellman

tang214

Texas

4.2/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is an excellent wheat brew. It pours bright cloudy yellow with very little head. Served with a lemon. The beer in itself was quite citrussy. It had a fruity flavor that did not overpower the wheat malts. Cirtrussy in the mouth but very drinkable. Very good.

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2003 15:27:16 | More by tang214

UncleJimbo

Massachusetts

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

Sampled on tap at Redbones.

This wheat ale poured a very cloudy yellow color with modest white foam. The smell was lightly fruity (bananas). The taste was fruity (bananas), with the flavors of wheat, pears, apples, musty grapes, and some citrus-like tartness. The mouthfeel was smooth and clean with low carbonation and light to medium body. The drinkability was good. This was a light and refreshing ale, probably better suited to warmer weather.

Serving type: on-tap

03-22-2003 23:16:58 | More by UncleJimbo

philipt

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer is bursting with different qualities.

First of all, this beer is a very pale yellow, hence "white ale" right? It has a perfectly white head that has good initial size and has staying power. I smells highly citrusy, almost like a fruit juice. Taste is spicy, citrusy, and sweet at the same time. Grapefruit (sweet grapefruit) and banana stick out. Slightly metallic characteristics too.

Not my favorite style, but good nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2003 13:06:11 | More by philipt

Rocko

Sweden

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

This wheatbeer pours hazy light yellow, it looks almost like lemonjuice. The frothy head grows quickly but settles quick too leaving only a thin lace.

Very fresh smell of exotic fruits and spice, and of course wheat. The taste is also fresh but a with bit of watery mouthfeel. This beer is however very drinkable it's not bitter and only a little sweetness is present, I think this is a beer everyone can enjoy. :)

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2003 11:27:15 | More by Rocko

Scooter77

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Ahh, Hoegaarden…My favorite white ale. This was the first beer that I sample when I was converting to the world of “better beer”. Pours a cloudy, pale yellow with small yeast particles dancing around in the heavy carbonation. A thick, fluffy white head presents itself upon pouring and slowly dies down leaving a beautiful lace on the glass. Aromas of lemon and coriander are very prominent. The flavors of yeast, citrus and spicy coriander engulf the taste buds all at once. Leaving you mouth begging for more. A clean and refreshing taste is left on the palate. This is an exceptionally smooth and easy drinking beer. This brew from Hoegaarden sets the standard for all other wits.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2003 08:01:17 | More by Scooter77

mzwolinski

California

4.4/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Cloudy pale yellow in color, with a thin, surprisingly persistant, pristine white head. The aroma is an invigorating wheaty, lemony scent. Taste is zesty, with a tart start, yielding to a somewhat spicy (corriander?) mid-palate, a finish of moderate floral hops, and a gently sweet aftertaste. Finish is slightly dry, body is medium-light, and the flavors are very well balanced and blend into each other oh-so-smoothly. Very refreshing and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2003 07:21:12 | More by mzwolinski

Hobbz

Rhode Island

4.47/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

"Wow" with the color... Very nice and thinkly wheat- / yeast- cloudy. But I tell you, without the (required for style) cloudiness, this beer would look quite funny -- pale, pale, pale. Nice head atop and I was careful not to let any lemon touch the inside (if I use lemon at all, it is in the summer, and only after I have tasted many offerings). Taste was super, as was its mouthfeel and drinkability. Nice subtly spicy, sweet flavor. Decided to sample this one even though the bar was a chilly temp. Will be saving this stuff for the summer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-14-2003 19:23:56 | More by Hobbz

Denali

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Cloudy pale yellow (is it yellow as in grapefruit, or yellow as in banana, or... well its yellow). White head.

Smell: Spicy and citrusy aroma.

Taste: Sweet, citrusy, yeasty, slighty spicy, but all of the flavors are light. Not overly complex and very clean.

Mouthfeel: Nice carbonation, almost soda like.

Drinkability: This is the best part about this beer. Perfectly refreshing. When I order these, they do not last long. No huge ABV either.

Simple tasting and delicious. Well balanced flavors. Always hits the spot. Whenever I'm out I always manage to order one of these if available.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2003 16:37:46 | More by Denali

BeerAngel

Texas

4.22/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours with the look of a sparkling champagne except with a white fizzy head that stays a just a tad longer. The color is a very pale hazed yellow-stained water. Light aromas of a light sweet fruit and a hint of yeast bellow out of the soda-like head. The light yet sophisticated flavors of light yeast and fruit and a slight note of a lemon twang make up a nice refreshing beer. The mouthfeel is light to medium and finishes nonchalantly sticky. Very well done! Op uw gezonheid!

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2003 17:21:59 | More by BeerAngel

mickstepp

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hazy, pale yellow. Nice head retention. No lacing to speak of. Yeasty, lemon aromas. Effervescent. A very pleasant, refreshing summer beer. Not big in taste or structure. This is a simple beer that has withstood the test of time. An easy drinking classic.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2003 18:05:32 | More by mickstepp

WVbeergeek

Ohio

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

Came in the new bottles that have just been released by Hoegaarden. A staple for any true belgium beer drinkers, it pours a classic pale hazy unfiltered yellow with a superb white head carrying all of the yeasty goodness this beer has to offer. The aroma is clove and banana laced, with other spices and coriander what a treat. More refreshing than a lemonade, in my opinion. A lighter bodied beer that has citrusy tone to it and then mellows out to form a great yeasty finish. Full of so many flavors with out over doing it, this is an amazing beer that I will never grow tired of. Yes it is drinkable on every level for quantity and enjoyment.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2003 14:38:11 | More by WVbeergeek

aaronh

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

On tap at Piper's Pub.

Cloudy, light lemon-yellow beer with a tight, white, long lasting head. Wheat spiciness and coriander in the aroma. The taste is light and crisp, with lemon and coriander present supported by a touch of malt sweetness. The good mouthfeel helps support the light flavor. Excellent drinakbility, and one that is high on my list for summer. There's a good reason this is a classic.

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2003 14:32:47 | More by aaronh