3rd Wave Brewing Company Reviews

jgb9348	3.1 3rd Wave Sandstorm Huge gusher of a bottle that exploded immediately after I cracked the cap and lost perhaps a bit more than half the bottle before I could rescue the remainder in the already ready snifter. Sad. Aroma of grain, honey, alcohol, metal, light chamomile blossoms, a dash of dry bread and some more assertive Belgian yeast notes, but an overwhelming aroma of grain and alcohol here. Medium to Full-bodied; Rich grainy yeast and bready malt note shows at first with a bunch of honey, curacao and even some coriander seed freshness with some wheat noticeable as well, but the alcohol warmth and especially the pungent yeast and sweet notes show through everything without much in the way of the spices or the malts, aside from a bit of bitterness at the end. Aftertaste is rich and relatively strong from the alcohol and malt bitterness, without a real hop characteristic and only some dry grainy and yeast characteristics to bring out some bitterness with the alcohol warmth still here and a touch of honey to upset that. Overall, a pretty expected beer I suppose without much quality in terms of complexity or range with a big bitterness from the grain and yeast without much spiciness, no complexity and a lot of pungency and alcohol warmth with less of the sugars, coupled with losing more than half of this from an exploding/gushing bottle makes this pretty poor overall. I sampled this twelve ounce bottle, purchased from Wine, Cheese & More (not sure if the store exists, still?) in Chincoteague, Virginia (Route 13) on 28-May-2017 for US$1,89 sampled at my house here in Washington close to five years later on 22-January-2022. Sunday, January 23, 2022
solidfunk	3.3 3rd Wave Sundancer White India Pale Ale Citrus and some pine. Not a ton here but easy to drink at least. Golden amber pour with decent head. Light bitter finish. A little tang as well. Can. Sunday, August 9, 2020
MrBoh	3.5 3rd Wave SunSet Peach Wheat Monday, June 8, 2020
MrBoh	3 3rd Wave Sandstorm Saturday, June 6, 2020
hman43	3.2 3rd Wave Shorebreak Pale Ale It pours golden and clear with a huge white head. Head retention is very good. There are some light citrus notes in the aroma with a bit of grass. The flavor has some light citrus note with a bit of grass and floral. It has a medium light body with high carbonation. Overall, an easy drinking pale ale. Sunday, December 8, 2019
blipp	3.6 3rd Wave Juice Box Series: Peach, Plum & Apricot Draft. Pours murky orange with a white head. Fresh peach candy and a little cream, a nice hit of acidity, and a bright finish. Solid. Saturday, September 28, 2019
BierMeHoos	3.7 3rd Wave BeachBreak Apricot Wheat Pint pour at Old Line in Beltsville MD. Appearance is lemon colored with slight golden yellow hues, hazy. 1 finger head when poured. Slight lacing around the glass after beer is allowed to settle. Aroma is of apricot, because this is the dominating aroma. Taste is big note of apricot upfront, followed by toasty notes of biscuit some roasted malt. No nasty aftertaste of strong bitterness. Palate is subtle carbonation, smooth but not flat. Just right for this style beer. Overall a nice refreshing beer that isn't too sweet or too bitter. The apricot provides a nice flavor that dominates, but is ok for this style. I would drink another with no hesitation. Monday, June 3, 2019
BierMeHoos	4.1 3rd Wave SunSet Peach Wheat Half pint at Old Line Bistro in MD. Overall a very tasty beer, clean and refreshing. A good summer beer! Saturday, May 25, 2019
glennmastrange	3.4 3rd Wave Juice Box Series: Raspberry, Vanilla, & Blueberry Tap. Faint grain for the malt, no noticeable hops, faint meadow for the yeast, with a lot of raspberry and a hint of vanilla. Head is small, fizzy, off-white, with a few spots of lacing and is mostly diminishing. Color is slightly hazy, rosey pink. Flavor starts lightly to moderately acidic and a touch sour, then finishes lightly acidic and sour. Palate is light, watery with a fizzy carbonation and a lightly tart finish. Nice Berliner Weisse, with the perfect amount of vanilla to balance out the fruit. Sunday, May 5, 2019
obguthr	3.2 3rd Wave Shorebreak Pale Ale Can: Tea and bread crust nose. Cloudy orange, medium yellow head. Tea and dandelion, honey. Medium body, easy carbonation. Probably not the freshest sample, but still somewhat enjoyable. Friday, April 26, 2019
BarleyGuide18	4.1 3rd Wave Dawn Patrol Pours dark brown/black. Minimal light brown head. Aroma of coffee and semisweet chocolate. Taste is heavy coffee with some sweet cream in the background. Semisweet chocolate finish. Dry and pleasant. Good beer. Tuesday, February 12, 2019
lagerking	3.8 3rd Wave Kohana Chocolate Cherry Stout Friday, January 25, 2019
burg326	3.7 3rd Wave Juice Box Series: Blueberry & Blackberry Poured a cloudy purplish blue color with aromas of tart blackberries and some light wheat. Flavors are the same blackberries, light musk, some wheat, juice like with some light sourness. Friday, October 12, 2018
djd07	3.8 3rd Wave Juice Box Series: Boysenberry Can thanks to Adam. Pours a hazy purple with small pink head that dimishes quickly. The aroma is berry, wheat, cherry. Thin body, berry, lemon, cherry, wheat, nice tartness, very good. Sunday, September 16, 2018
burg326	3.8 3rd Wave Juice Box Series: Boysenberry Poured a purple color woth aromas of dough,blueberries, juice and some light hay. Flavors are ,the same straight juice and blueberries. Easy drinker with breakfast. Sunday, September 16, 2018
burg326	3.7 3rd Wave Juice Box Series: O’Greenberry Poured a bile yellow color with aromas or pineapple and apricots, juice and some light hay. Flavors are all juice and tart wheat, looks like mountain dew or red bull, crushable. Sunday, September 16, 2018
burg326	3.7 3rd Wave Juice Box Series: Raspberry, Vanilla, & Blueberry Poured a clear purplish red color with aromas raspberries, light blueberries and vanilla. Flavor is fruit juice, lots of fruit juice, drinkable as hell. Sunday, September 16, 2018
burg326	3.5 3rd Wave Juice Box Series: Blueberry & Black Currant Hazy purple from the can, aromas of bread, light currants and some tart blueberries. Flavors are the same straight juice, lots of juice in these beers. Sunday, September 16, 2018
djd07	3.7 3rd Wave Juice Box Series: Blueberry & Black Currant Can thanks to Adam. Pours a hazy purple with small off white head that lasts. The aroma is currant, berry, dough. Thin body, spice, currants, wheat, nice tartness, very good. Sunday, September 16, 2018
djd07	3.7 3rd Wave Juice Box Series: Blueberry & Blackberry Can thanks to Adam. Pours a hazy purple with small pinkish white head that lasts. The aroma is strong blackberry and wheat. Thin body, blackberry, wheat, light tartness, jammy, very good. Sunday, September 16, 2018
djd07	3.7 3rd Wave Juice Box Series: Raspberry, Vanilla, & Blueberry Can thanks to Adam. Pours a hazy ruby with small pinkish white head that lasts. The aroma is strong vanilla, wheat, berry. Thin body, strong vanilla, lacto, raspberry, light tartness, very good. Sunday, September 16, 2018
djd07	3.6 3rd Wave Juice Box Series: O’Greenberry Can thanks to Adam. Pours a hazy yellow green with small white head that lasts. The aroma is pineapple juice and wheat. Thin body, dole pineapple, wheat, nice tartness, very good. Sunday, September 16, 2018
djd07	3.6 3rd Wave Juice Box Series: Cherry Tangerine Can thanks to Adam. Pours a pale orange ruby with small off white head that diminishes to nothing. The aroma is tangerine, wheat, cherry pith. Thin body, wheat, tart cherry, light tangerine, acidic, very good. Saturday, September 15, 2018
burg326	3.3 3rd Wave Juice Box Series: Cherry Tangerine This is a capri sun, no berliner triats, just juice, no soreness, I want to play soccer now. Tha is mom. Saturday, September 15, 2018
djd07	3.5 3rd Wave All Juiced Up Can thanks to Adam. Pours a hazy orange gold with small white head that lasts. The aroma is strong mango, pomegrante, lacto. Thin body, tart, mango, light pomegranate, light acidity, very good. Saturday, September 15, 2018
burg326	3.4 3rd Wave All Juiced Up Poured a golden orange color with aromas of mango, pomegranate, light tart wheat. Flavors are the same, straight fruit juice with some light tartness, ok overall, but was hoping some more sour bite Saturday, September 15, 2018
solidfunk	3.3 3rd Wave Beach Juice Some lime and bread yeast. Pours golden with ok head. Very acidic. Tap at Gary's. Sunday, August 26, 2018
siennadean917	3.8 3rd Wave Beach Juice Refreshing, but a bit too tart. Tuesday, July 3, 2018
superspak	3.9 3rd Wave BeachBreak Apricot Wheat Got in a trade with spelingchampeon. 12 ounce can into pint glass, no can dating. Pours moderately hazy/cloudy medium golden yellow color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Dense soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of juicy/lightly tart/tangy apricots, fruit skin, peach, pear, melon, red apple, citrus zest, light pepper/clove, wheat, cracker, white bread, herbal, grass, and yeast earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of apricots, fruity/light spicy yeast, pale/wheat malts, and light earthy hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of juicy/lightly tart/tangy apricots, fruit skin, peach, pear, melon, red apple, citrus zest, light pepper/clove, wheat, cracker, white bread, herbal, grass, and yeast earthiness. Light herbal/grassy bitterness, yeast spiciness, and fruit tang/tartness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart/tangy apricots, fruit skin, peach, pear, melon, red apple, citrus zest, light pepper/clove, wheat, cracker, white bread, herbal, grass, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of apricots, fruity/light spicy yeast, pale/wheat malts, and light earthy hop flavors; with a great malt/bitter/spiciness and fruit tang/tartness balance; with zero cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Moderately crisp/clean finishing. Moderate increasing dryness from bitter/spiciness and carbonation. Medium-high carbonation and medium body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/sticky, and lightly tangy/acidic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 4.8%. Overall this is a delicious fruited American pale wheat ale. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of apricots, fruity/light spicy yeast, pale/wheat malts, and light earthy hop flavors; very smooth, crisp, clean, and refreshing to drink. Very flavorful and never watery for the ABV. Really well balanced between authentic fruit flavors, American wheat yeast, and pale/wheat malts. A very enjoyable offering, and spot on style example. Saturday, June 16, 2018
BroSpud	1.9 3rd Wave 1st (First) Wave IPA 12oz bottle purchased while travelling through the area. Probably got an infected bottle but I see that I wasn't the only one and probably will not be the last. Stay away from this one unless you like to gamble. You could get an OK bottle or more likely you will get a gusher. Saturday, May 26, 2018
katrinaez	3.7 3rd Wave BeachBreak Apricot Wheat Creamy citrus aroma, taste to match, almost like an orange cream-cicle, wheat aftertaste, medium mouthfeel, can. Saturday, April 28, 2018
spoonman631	3 3rd Wave Kohana Chocolate Cherry Stout This beer has since flavor and color Thursday, March 22, 2018
SG111	4.2 3rd Wave Juice Box Series: Boysenberry Canned. Pours gorgeous pomegranate juice color, ruby-tinged head. Aroma is tart sour, boysenberry, raspberry, blueberry. Really juicy and tart. Flavor is sweet boysenberry with a tart backbone. Really nice mix but still properly tart. Not overly acidic either. Really smooth mouthfeel too from the lactose, as stated. Mild vanilla undertones. Tuesday, March 13, 2018
Jpmercer	2.4 3rd Wave Sandstorm Admin converted to private rating Monday, March 12, 2018
ganache	2.3 3rd Wave Shorebreak Pale Ale 12oz can from WineWorks. Pour very pale, dull orange with a bit of copper and gold in it, head is soapy off-white. Watery medium body with medium spice, light bitterness, light sweetness, touch of grain, thin malt that barely overcomes the water level. Just a hint of orange / fruit from the hops, touch of soap and resin in the feel, touch of dryer softener. Not offensive, but think I'd recommend passing. [2018.02.23: 2.3] Saturday, February 24, 2018
ganache	3.2 3rd Wave Sandstorm Can from WineWorks. Nose banana, vanilla, sweet yeast, cream, golden malt with a little grain, hint of spice and herbal. Pour perfectly clear, rich golden with a sudsy white head. Taste medium-strong sweet, alcoholic, black pepper and some clove, less banana than expected, light herbal that really sticks around. Medium bitterness with a splash of astringency, hint of egg. Full body with a chalky coating, numbed taste buds and warmed throat. This take is a little non-traditional and a little messy, but I definitely enjoyed it. [2018.02.23: 3.2] Friday, February 23, 2018
dnstone	4.2 3rd Wave Tennessee Wild Ale Deep amber color. Apple and funk aroma. Lightly tart, funky, barrel-wood boozy complexity. Notes: Old note, GABF week Monday, February 12, 2018
Capa	3.5 3rd Wave Dawn Patrol Dark muddy brown. Coffee grounds, roasted malts, earthy. Full bodied. Finish is long, dry and bittersweet with plenty of coffee notes. A bit of sugar in there, too. A nice beer. Saturday, February 3, 2018
jgb9348	2.8 3rd Wave Shorebreak Pale Ale Fairly hazy deep copper and bronze coloured body with a rich, single centimetre tall tan head on top - quite nice looking. Aroma of grass, fresh yeast, some soap, a touch of herbs and a dose of light cleanser. Light to Medium-bodied; Rather soapy flavour at first with some fresh yeast notes, a bit of citrus and herbs, a dose of alcohol, some grassy kicks and finishing with a lightly unfinished biscuit, wort and grain flavour that still shows some cleanser near the end. Overall, a relatively deep and astringent beer with more of the cleanser, citrus, grain and especially soapy flavours than anything else with some very light sweetness on the end, some other funk and grain throughout and a grassy kick that is pungent at the very tail end. Not really recommended as this seems quite amateur and the soapy and cleanser notes make this more of a lower brewpub quality beer than anything that should ever have been canned. I sampled this twelve ounce can purchased from Food Lion in Onley, Virginia on the Eastern Shore on 27-January-2018 for US$1,67 sampled at home in Washington just two days later on 29-January-2018. Tuesday, January 30, 2018
jgb9348	3.2 3rd Wave 1st (First) Wave IPA Pure crystal clear coloured body with a ridiculously thick eight centimetre tall head that leaves a quite ugly, large off-white head. Aroma of yeast, alcohol, grain, citrus, flowers and a good dose of caramel. Medium-bodied; Strong grassy and super yeastie flavour with a big dose of biscuits and grain with a little sweetness and bubble gum noticeable near the tail end. Aftertaste shows some soap, grain, alcohol, funk and deeper yeast flavours throughout with some bitterness and astringency near the end. Overall, a decent and very soapy, fully carbonated and relatively staid beer, especially an IPA that doesn't show anything truly interesting with only the nice lighter smoke and grassy/soapy finish. The lack in complexity and depth from flavours is immediate after recognizing how good of a situation it currently showing no sweetness or yeast, just lighter malt and some sugars. I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased from Food Lion here in Onley, Virginia on the Eastern Shore on 27-January-2018 for US$10,99 sampled at home here in Pungoteague, Virginia a few hours later on 27-January-2018. Sunday, January 28, 2018
Jpmercer	3.1 3rd Wave Shorebreak Pale Ale Admin converted to private rating Sunday, January 21, 2018
Patrickctenchi	3.6 3rd Wave Sandstorm Can: Nearly clear, honey-gold with a thick, off-white head. Dough/yeast aroma.....light banana. Taste is mildly sweet, yeast, banana, white fruits. Very soft and easygoing. Saturday, January 6, 2018
Patrickctenchi	2.3 3rd Wave Shorebreak Pale Ale Can: Hazy aber with a decent-sized beige head. Strong, mixed fruit aroma....like a dry fruit cake. Very sweet grain malt, fruit-cocktail syrup taste. Not beery at all.....like a drink mix.....with a touch of fruit-peel bittering. Odd.....starts, almost OK, then gets a little "garbagey". Tuesday, January 2, 2018
FlannelBurden	4.9 3rd Wave Bombora Thursday, December 21, 2017
shrubber85	3.8 3rd Wave Sandstorm Can. Banana, clove, biscuit malt, and hay aroma. Slightly hazy golden yellow with large off-white head. Moderately sweet pineapple/orange, biscuit malt, and moderately bitter/astringent hay flavor. Good body. On the sweet side but very nice. Saturday, December 16, 2017
shrubber85	2.5 3rd Wave Shorebreak Pale Ale Can. Orange biscuit malt and orange peel aroma. Slightly hazy golden yellow with large off-white head. Lightly sweet orange biscuit malt and moderately bitter orange peel/quinine flavor. Light body. Saturday, November 4, 2017
jgb9348	2.3 3rd Wave Big Reef Porter Deep dark brown coloured body with a thin, fast-dying head only about a single centimetre tall at first. Aroma of slightly smoked peat, some funky malts, a bit of cardboard, prunes, plums and raisins with very little else - nothing of real substance here and no roasted malts really at all. Medium-bodied; Strong roasty flavour right at first that dies down immediately and shows a bit of a mushroomy kick, some very subdued sweetness from prunes and plums and only cardboard and grain at the tail end. Aftertaste is very subdued with only the funky sugars and odd mushroomy malts near the end, nothing of real character or complexity at all here. Overall, a pretty poor beer that showed some initial nice bits from the smell and apppearance, but after that, the niceness died down and you are just left with a mediocre at best porter with no real flavours, cohesiveness or complexity throughout the entire beer. Not worth trying unless you love porters of all types and/or really cannot get any other beers where you are, but i'd find that hard to believe if you CAN find this one! I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased from Wine, Cheese & More in Chincoteague, Virginia on 28-May-2017 for US$1,99 sampled at home in Washington on 12-October-2017. Friday, October 13, 2017
jrodooo5	3.7 3rd Wave Kohana Chocolate Cherry Stout Surprisingly bold & not very sweet! Pours jet black w/ a mocha head & great lacing. The aroma is roasty w/ a hint a of cherry. The medium body yields way to a nice flavorful punch. It's roasty while having just enough cherry to simmer it down & make it pretty drinkable. Complex & tasty. Good stuff! Thursday, September 28, 2017
hopdog	3 3rd Wave Shorebreak Pale Ale On tap at Fins. Poured a golden color with a thin sized off white head. Citrus and a bit toasty. Wednesday, September 13, 2017
05barnold	3.4 3rd Wave Male' Ana Poured from a can in OCMD. Thick foamy head. Hop and citrus aroma. Wanted more grapefruit taste. Would drink but wouldn't purchase again. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone Saturday, July 29, 2017