21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon Wheat

Brewed by 21st Amendment Brewery
Style: Fruit Beer
San Francisco, California USA

nice light golden color with a dry finish. When I was at the GABF this is what everyone was talking about.

Let me say first, that I’m still far from being a brett fan. I guess it’s an acquired taste; way too sour for me right now. But this beer is a really nice brett gateway. For one, it isn’t overloaded with brett; just spiced with it. Second, watermelon works very very well with brett--if you’re unfamilar with brett think cidery sour; so this beer is watermelon with a sour kick. Works very well together. And a perfect craft beer for a hot day.

pours a lightly hazy golden-yellow, straight out of the can. pink-ish tinted head retains well and leaves ok lace. nose is a pleasant, vaguelly subtle watermelon, over some light graininess. such a nice smell natural watermelon has, vs. the crappy watermelon extract I have smelled in other beers. flavor is dry, with a balance of "wheaty-ness" and fresh watermelon. a bit of clean bitterness in the finish. really nice.

Rating #21 Draft, served with a small wedge of watermelon: Poured a thin white colored layer of foam; nice hazy pale gold color. Virtually no hop nose, just a wheaty boquet paired nicely with a lush watermelon aroma. Started with a crisp effervescent acidity and a dry toasty maltiness. Subtle watermelon flavor soon followed and carried all the way through to the finish and into the yeasty-bready aftertaste (let it sit on your tongue for a while and it takes on a pleasant mango like character). Hop bitterness was noticable but low enough to let the watermelon come through. Palate was light bodied and crisp with a lively, effervescent carbonation. With watermelon as the featured ingredient this brew may come off as another novelty fruit beer at first glance but it worked surprisingly well. The watermelon flavor balanced nicely with the toasty wheat malt character which was complimented by the crisp acidity and refreshingly effervescent carbonation. A most enjoyable summer quaff.

Mine and Portland Drunk's comments seem to be out of tune with everyone else. We both enjoyed this at OBF 2003 and it seems like the beer was in perfect shape that day. A firm sweet watermelon and wheaty nose plays well into the light watermelon body and very refreshing watermelon finish. It is not dry and grainy like so many fruity wheat beers, but rather extremely well balanced and forthcoming. Portlanddrunk also hit it on the nose with watermelon jolly rancher!

Aroma: Wonderfully boquet of FRESH watermelon (not like the jolly rancher) and some wheat like malt nose in the back ground Appearance: POurs Light yellow hazy with a light white head which dissipates quickly Flavor: watermelon and winter melon flavors hold each other in check and completment wheat like grainy malty flavor. No noticeable hop flavor but finishes dry Palate: Nothing like a fruit beer, a hint of fresh fruit in the palate and finishing clean and dry Overall: A very well made beer, excellent balance between fruit and malt. Not your usual fruity beer the watermelon presence is undeniable but very well restrained and finishes dry. Great summer session beer

Growler. Aroma of wheat, lemony citrus, banana, bubblegum. Flavor continues to have lovely, well-balanced wheaty and yeasty notes with a touch of watermelon jolly rancher that doesn’t get in the way of things but also adds a nice sweet-tart aspect to go along with the straight-sweet wheat notes. Pretty creamy mouthfeel as well, crisp and refreshing at the finish. What makes this one for me is that it’s a really solid wheat all around, and the subtle watermelon twist just adds a little extra. Impressive.

The best wheat beer I have ever had, and one of the top fruit beers. Light nose of flour, rind and minerals. Flavor is a very smooth and unoffensive wheat, with a speedbump of weird vegetable right before the watermelon starts. When it does, however, it just cleans the palate with a mild tartness and small burst of flavor. All sketchiness of the preceding flavors are made up for. I can’t wait to try Watermelon Funk.