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Hornet's Nest
The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery
- From:
- The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery
- North Carolina, United States
- Style:
- Hefeweizen
Ranked #50 - ABV:
- 5.4%
- Score:
- 88
Ranked #13,730 - Avg:
- 3.94 | pDev: 9.64%
- Reviews:
- 15
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- May 26, 2023
- Added:
- May 19, 2013
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 33
At OMB, we love our local history almost as much as we enjoy brewing our premium local beer. While most people think Hornet’s Nest is an ode to Charlotte’s basketball team, it’s actually the nickname England’s General Cornwallis gave Charlotte when he met more resistance here than anticipated during the Revolutionary War. So why did we choose this opaque, subtly sweet Hefeweizen as Charlotte’s tribute beer? Because it’s awesome! Otherwise, it wouldn’t be much of a tribute.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Squire:
Reviewed by Squire from Mississippi
3.9/5 rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.9/5 rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Hazy golden color with white cap and good lacing.
Aroma of mild but sweet malt with a delightful mix of floral, spicy scents. I can't describe the spice other than it strikes me as more nutmeg than clove with some luscious ripe yellow fruit.
My first impression on taste was this is remarkably smooth. An overused term but appropriate here. My overall impression is the spiciness and ripe fruit are more prominent than in the scent yet the flavors carry a sense of beeriness rather than some tarted up fru-fru wheat brew. The spice and fruit are proportionate to the malt but they build as the malt recedes finishing with a burst of flavors that harmonize well together.
Medium texture with balancing carbonation. There is a glass filling amount of head at first yet once it settles the bubble influence feels normal.
This is well crafted and a delight to drink.
Jun 15, 2018Aroma of mild but sweet malt with a delightful mix of floral, spicy scents. I can't describe the spice other than it strikes me as more nutmeg than clove with some luscious ripe yellow fruit.
My first impression on taste was this is remarkably smooth. An overused term but appropriate here. My overall impression is the spiciness and ripe fruit are more prominent than in the scent yet the flavors carry a sense of beeriness rather than some tarted up fru-fru wheat brew. The spice and fruit are proportionate to the malt but they build as the malt recedes finishing with a burst of flavors that harmonize well together.
Medium texture with balancing carbonation. There is a glass filling amount of head at first yet once it settles the bubble influence feels normal.
This is well crafted and a delight to drink.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina
3.94/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
3.94/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy goldenstraw with a two finger head; decent retention with squiggles and shards
Smell: Wheat bread with hints of lemon, banana, sugar cookie and clove
Taste: Tangy wheat forward with hints of banana and sugar cookie; the lemon and clove appear after the swallow
Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate to high carbonation; somewhat creamy
Overall: Not getting quite the level of banana that I would like to taste; maybe it is the batch as others have reported a more traditional brew
Jun 29, 2022Smell: Wheat bread with hints of lemon, banana, sugar cookie and clove
Taste: Tangy wheat forward with hints of banana and sugar cookie; the lemon and clove appear after the swallow
Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate to high carbonation; somewhat creamy
Overall: Not getting quite the level of banana that I would like to taste; maybe it is the batch as others have reported a more traditional brew
Reviewed by CarolinaCardinals from North Carolina
4.29/5 rDev +8.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
4.29/5 rDev +8.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Enjoyed a 1/2 liter serving while visiting the brewery on 8-8-21. Also picked up a four-pack to take home.
Beer was served golden with an outstanding white head that had some great hang time!
Nose was outstanding as the yeast strain imparted a serious amount of banana and clove esters.
Taste followed the nose with the light wheat malt base incorporating the weizen yeast wonderfully imparting a bold bubble gum, banana, and clove flavor mid sip. Finished balanced.
Mouthfeel was light to medium bodied and pretty smooth and refreshing.
Overall while enjoying this i kept commenting to Da Boss on how legit the brewery is and how on par they are with the Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier!
Aug 09, 2021Beer was served golden with an outstanding white head that had some great hang time!
Nose was outstanding as the yeast strain imparted a serious amount of banana and clove esters.
Taste followed the nose with the light wheat malt base incorporating the weizen yeast wonderfully imparting a bold bubble gum, banana, and clove flavor mid sip. Finished balanced.
Mouthfeel was light to medium bodied and pretty smooth and refreshing.
Overall while enjoying this i kept commenting to Da Boss on how legit the brewery is and how on par they are with the Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier!
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky
3.71/5 rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.71/5 rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
With such an assertive name but a quite soft style, Olde Mecklenburg's take on traditional German Wheat Ale pays homage to Carolina history with a soothing session.
Cloudy gold and with peps of burnt lemon providing an overcast to the wheaten riddled ale, Hornet's Nest billows with a creamy pillow of foam. As a fruity, spicy and herbal scent rolls off of the glass, notions of tropical, citrus and pastry come to mind and with a tingle of pepper. Soft and creamy with first impression in taste, an upstart of cream of wheat offers a cereal softness with sugar cookie and wheat germ.
The full fruit and spice balance is on display once the beer breaches the middle palate with lemon, banana, apple and pawpaw. Not to be outdone, the spices of white pepper, clove, coriander and mint all balance the fruits and lingering wheat sweetness and eventually overtake them. Trending herbal with lemon pepper and hay, the hops are there for support only and to never make the beer bitter.
Medium light on the palate, the spices, grains and hops pull the beer out of balance slightly with the earthiness of stale bread and an extra tingle on the tongue. But the beer otherwise finishes crisp and refreshing with an off-clean linger. Hints of cumin and mint linger slightly in a short and sweet after palate.
Jul 29, 2021Cloudy gold and with peps of burnt lemon providing an overcast to the wheaten riddled ale, Hornet's Nest billows with a creamy pillow of foam. As a fruity, spicy and herbal scent rolls off of the glass, notions of tropical, citrus and pastry come to mind and with a tingle of pepper. Soft and creamy with first impression in taste, an upstart of cream of wheat offers a cereal softness with sugar cookie and wheat germ.
The full fruit and spice balance is on display once the beer breaches the middle palate with lemon, banana, apple and pawpaw. Not to be outdone, the spices of white pepper, clove, coriander and mint all balance the fruits and lingering wheat sweetness and eventually overtake them. Trending herbal with lemon pepper and hay, the hops are there for support only and to never make the beer bitter.
Medium light on the palate, the spices, grains and hops pull the beer out of balance slightly with the earthiness of stale bread and an extra tingle on the tongue. But the beer otherwise finishes crisp and refreshing with an off-clean linger. Hints of cumin and mint linger slightly in a short and sweet after palate.
Reviewed by Manta200 from Kentucky
4.24/5 rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.24/5 rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Courtesy of brentk56! 19oz can into Erdinger Weißbier glass.
Did not get much of a head but that might be due to the shipping stress the beer went through.
Hazy straw color when swirling the last bit before pouring, exactly the way it should be. Otherwise crystal clear color.
Distinctive banana smell and taste. Crisp, clean, mildly sweet finish.
A nice example of a Hefeweizen, hopefully somebody sends me more of this...
Oct 28, 2020Did not get much of a head but that might be due to the shipping stress the beer went through.
Hazy straw color when swirling the last bit before pouring, exactly the way it should be. Otherwise crystal clear color.
Distinctive banana smell and taste. Crisp, clean, mildly sweet finish.
A nice example of a Hefeweizen, hopefully somebody sends me more of this...
Rated by lakebeersociety from North Carolina
4.12/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.12/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Clovey, kind of overwhelms a bit, very floral. Still, a classic Hefeweisen and we would all drink it again happily!
Aug 09, 2020Rated by zpaden from North Carolina
3.91/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.91/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Huge head, sweet smooth beer. Elements of spice but I felt like they took more of a backseat in this beer.
Mar 15, 2019
Hornet's Nest from The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery
Beer rating:
88 out of
100 with
70 ratings
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