Abbatacola's Craft Beer Review: Hominey White Ale, Heavy Melon, Wheach
By Matt Abbatacola--
(CBS) Hello beer friends. I have three more beers for you to try and as always, let me know your thoughts. Find me on Untappd. I will have info in the next few weeks about an outing to a taproom, so keep reading my weekly column for details and follow along on Twitter @MattAbbatacola.
As a reminder, here are the criteria that go into the review.
Tocayo's Hominy White Ale -- $
Carrying a a 5.5% ABV, this is a white ale brewed with hominy, sweet orange peel and coriander. Hominy is basically dried corn that's soaked in a process called nixtamalization ,which results in the kernels doubling in size. I was a bit skeptical at first but then saw this brew company partnered with award-winning chef, Rick Bayless. This man knows Mexican cuisine and culture. Keep in mind, no hominy, no tortillas. Who doesn't like fresh homemade tortillas?
This ale had a hazy golden color. It had a strong aroma of orange and spices. It was a very mild and light beer. The taste was all in the front of my mouth and tongue. There wasn't a strong aftertaste or finish. It fades fast -- not a bad thing. This is a very easy to drink ale.
They say it pairs well with Mexican food, and I would hope it does if Bayless is involved.
If you like Blue Moon, you'll love this beer. This is lighter, sweeter (but not too sweet) and spicier than Blue Moon. And being a wheat beer, Blue Moon is darker and opaque compared to Tocayo's hominy ale.
The can is very cool looking and has an authentic Mexican feel to it. Don't let the hominy throw you off or keep you trying this delicious ale.
While I enjoyed this beer and will buy it again to try with some homemade tacos or enchiladas, I prefer something with a little more bite to it.
Overall score: 7
New Belgium's Heavy Melon -- $
This is described as a watermelon lime ale, and it has a 5% ABV. It was light and golden in color. The aroma was mildly sweet, with a subtle hint of tartness and acidity from the lime.
Heavy Melon had a light, crisp taste. I was somewhat disappointed in the very mild flavor of melon and lime. It finished clean and smooth. There was little to a very mild aftertaste.
Here's the issue I had with New Belgium's Heavy Melon. I expected to grabbed by melon and lime flavor. I wanted a sweet fruity ale with a tart aftertaste. It failed to do so. My expectations of this ale were misled by the name. Now, that doesn't mean I didn't love this beer, because I did. It was delicious, and I plan to buy more. I can see myself going one bottle after another on a hot sunny day.
It was light, clean and refreshing. I think the idea was there, but the execution on the "heavy" flavor wasn't. If New Belgium presented this as a summer ale flavored with melon and lime? Winner. Maybe I'm being too picky or I'm just used to Ballast Point's Watermelon Dorado, which is a very different beer being a double IPA but the watermelon flavor punches you in the face. Also, 21st Amendment's Hell or High Watermelon has wonderful watermelon flavor in a clean wheat beer.
I had to knock the overall score down a bit because it lacked the watermelon and lime I wanted, but I would still recommend this ale, and I'll buy more.
Overall score: 7.5
O'Fallon's Wheach -- $
This is a peach wheat beer with a 5.1% ABV. It had a light amber color and a sweet peach aroma. It was very pleasant and inviting.
Before I describe the taste and my feelings about this brew, let me say first that I enjoy fruit beers and I do like wheat beers. I'm not the biggest fan of peach, but I was interested in giving O'Fallon's Wheach a whirl. This is my first offering from O'Fallon's brewery.
That being said, I loved this beer. I can't wait to buy more and drink it throughout what remains of the summer.
It was light and sweet but not too sweet. It had a fantastic mild finish with a wonderful balance achieved between the peach flavor and the normal desired taste of a good wheat beer. The yeast comes through just enough to make the peach flavor not a dominant flavor, but they worked so well together. I felt if it was too "peachy" it would be a one-and-done beer, but it isn't.
Well done, O'Fallon Brewery.
As with all beers, I recommend you pour this one in a glass. If you drink from the bottle, you'll miss half of the experience of this wheat beer, as you won't get that delicious peach aroma in your nose with every sip.
Overall score: 9
Matt Abbatacola is a producer, host and update anchor at 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MattAbbatacola and email him at Matt@670thescore.com.