Watermelon Ale
Cervejaria Way

 

 

 

Big slosh of coarse foam dies down quickly to a not-quite-clear pale amber. Strange and unappetizing musky smell. I"m thinking of the whiff of incense in a mildewy cathedral.

This tastes almost entirely unlike watermelon. It also contains dragonfruit pulp, but that's normally a clean, acidic taste. What is weird is that this tastes and smells distinctly smoked. Dry finish with a woody, leaf mold nose. Faint bitterish aftertaste. Thoroughly unpleasant and headed for the garden. From the 16 oz can purchased at Krisp Market.

 

 

 

16 ounce can into pint glass, best before 11/2017. Pours slightly hazy golden/orange/light pinkish color with a 2 finger fairly dense and fluffy light pink head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of lightly tart watermelon, cucumber, berry, wheat, cracker, biscuit dough, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance of watermelon, pale malt, earthy hops, and light fruity yeast notes; with solid strength. Taste of lightly tart watermelon, cucumber, berry, wheat, cracker, biscuit dough, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate herbal/grassy/spicy bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of watermelon, cucumber, berry, wheat, cracker, biscuit dough, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast earthiness on the finish for as good bit. Nice robustness and balance of watermelon, pale malt, earthy hops, and light fruity yeast flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and zero astringent flavors after the finish. Moderate dryness from bitterness and carbonation, increasing through the glass. High carbonation and light-medium body; with a very smooth, crisp, and moderately bready/grainy/sticky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 4.7%. Overall this is a nice fruit beer. All around good robustness and balance of watermelon, pale malt, earthy hops, and light fruity yeast flavors; very smooth, crisp, clean, and refreshing to drink. Nicely flavorful and not watery feeling for the ABV. A nicely enjoyable offering.

Pours clear and pinkish gold with a big foamy white head that I swear has a pink hue. Great lacing! Subtle watermelon with a simple light malt sweetness in both aroma and flavor. Very spritzy, light, and well carbonated. Bubbles constantly race from the bottom to the surface. Overall, a refreshing summer thirst quencher, but would love a bit of acidity in it. I think that would make this beer outstanding. Cheers!

 

collaboration with jester king, and a neat beer. i would go so far as to say its the most authentic watermelon tasting beer i have encountered, if thats your thing. it turns out i like this beer, but that watermelon juice, at least in beer, might not be my personal favorite. everyone else at our table loved it, but i got more of an agua fresca vibe than a beer vibe from this, perhaps a credit to the authenticity of the watermelon here. there is a tartness about it, but it tastes like a quick lacto thing, balancing the sweetness of the fruit, but not particularly interesting as they go, lacking the wood and the funk of more wild ales. still, there is some grain character here, its not all juice, and as faint as it is, i appreciate it. meanwhile there is a nice carbonation that makes this refreshing with the tang. short of sparkling, but very lively. i like the low alcohol and the fresh nature of this, more it would be more dynamic with a funky brett complexion and even a white wine barrel (maybe next time!). an enjoyable beer from a brewery i have never heard of before, but im not sure watermelon in beer is a combination i love. i think if i ever was going to love it, this would be the one. i also drank it among whales, so perhaps it was just overshadowed by the other beers in our lineup, i will try it again...

 

 

A: Pours a very lightly hazy medium burnt orange in color with slightly heavier than moderate amounts of active visible carbonation rising quickly from the bottom of the glass and moderate rose colored highlights. The beer has a three finger tall fizzy sudsy foamy off-white head that slowly reduces to a few small patch of medium thick film surrounded by a large patch of thin film covering the remainder of the surface of the beer and a medium thick ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of freshly sliced watermelon over the top of light to moderate aromas of biscuit + doughy malts and light aromas of hibiscus + cucumber + slightly spicy yeast.

T: Upfront there are light to moderate flavors of biscuit + doughy malts with minimal amounts of sweetness present. That is followed by moderate flavors of fresh watermelon (which imparts some light to moderate watermelon sweetness) and light to moderate flavors of cucumber + hibiscus. There is a moderate flavor of slightly spicy yeast and a light flavor of citrus/orange zest hops which impart a light amount of bitterness which fades away quickly.

M: Medium bodied with slightly heavier than moderate amounts of carbonation. Crisp and clean.

O: Possibly the best watermelon beer that I have enjoyed - really nice aromas + flavors of fresh watermelon which captures some sweetness and a hint of tartness from the rind as well. The addition of the hibiscus is quite complementary. Enjoyable and easy to drink with well hidden alcohol. Could be sessionable on a hot summer afternoon/evening outdoors.

Incredible the way that Way captures the watermelon fruit in beer. Juicy, bright, radiant and refreshing, this Way & Jester King fusion is a fruit forward beer with perfumes of melon, cucumber, pepper and berry. Gently juicy, the beer's sweet taste is soft with cookie dough, biscuit and barley.

A rose pink hue decorates the palate with a fruity succulence, a pastry-like middle and a full taste of red melon, orange, grapefruit, cider and candy rise through the middle palate. Spicy and modestly bitter, the beer's tangy tartness frames a late palate of strawberry fields and and a grain derived peppery taste.

Medium light in the finish, the beers fruit filled center trends crisp, clean and with utmost refreshment. Trailing with a light hop expression, the beer's finish is minty, lightly of lemon, faintly herbal and grassy all at once.