Hoegaarden
There’s good beer and bad beer, and supposedly my job is to tell the difference. But truth be told, beer is beer, and beer is good–and I’ve never tasted a beer I would turn down. Until Hoegaarden.
Hoegaarden has all the signs of a good beer: it’s a Belgian wheat beer (just like the Blue Moon I raved about) and it’s well-reviewed on most major beer websites. It’s even got a cool label. But all that goes to hell when you take a sip of it. It tastes like iron and bad candy, and it doesn’t even go down very well. The brewery website calls Hoegaarden “a little quirky and decidedly different.”
In fairness, this is an interesting, classy beer (it’s won an array of awards). But with all due respect to you non-conformists out there, it’s always a mistake to just do something different and wind up not doing something right. Do yourself a favor, and drink a beer that tastes good instead of one that tastes “different.”
Class rating: 4/5
Party rating: 1/5
Taste rating: 0/5
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I’ve got to put it out there. You’re way off. On most of the beer reviews. I do understand that you’re reviewing with (I assume) the college partier in mind, but this review is just way off base. Why even review a genuine Belgian beer? It easily costs double what partiers’ would even pay for. What really gets me is that you reviewed it right after reviewing Blue Moon - a poor imitation of the classic Belgian Wit (Hoegaarden being one such beer) - and you claimed that it tasted great in comparison. Blue Moon is a shoddy Big-American-Brewery (they’re owned by Molson-Coors) attempt at brewing real beer. The idea that Hoegaarden was trying to do something different is absurd! As I already mentioned that Belgian Wit beers are a classic style that’s been brewed for CENTURIES. Now I will say that Hoegaarden isn’t nearly my favorite Belgian Wit, but it’s certainly not 0/5. Poor show.
Please, do yourself a favor and either learn a thing or two about real beers or stick to what you know - the swill that’s only good for beer-pong. And do keep in mind what anyone who genuinely appreciates beer say about big American breweries - “Piss in a bottle and call it a day”.
Tim,
You are correct that Belgian Wit beers have been brewed for centuries, and that the recipe was originally discovered in 1445 in the town of Hoegaarden. However, the Hoegaarden beer that we drink today has nothing to do with the town, and has in fact only existed since 1966. Inbev, the brewer that makes Hoegaarden, even describes it as “totally different, by nature” and “a little quirky”–not “classic” as you claim.
Furthermore, no one is contesting that Hoegaarden is a “sophisticated” beer. (You’ll notice I gave it an excellent class rating.) I realize many people consider it the world standard for Belgian Wit. But neither that, nor anything else I learn about “real beers” will convince me that Hoegaarden doesn’t taste like human blood mixed with soda water. I review beer based on its taste–not on the country in which it was brewed.
And as for Blue Moon, that beer speaks for itself: its sales have more than doubled in the past few years.
Thanks for your comments,
Aaron
I tend to think the review is a bit off, as well.
I’ve had my share of pints of Hoegaarden at a number of watering holes, and I’ve always enjoyed it.
Aaron - I offer a few rebuttals to your reply. InBev’s statement refers to this particular style of beer as a whole. And it is true that Witbier is a quirky kind of beer. But the fact remains that Pierre Celis (the original brewmaster of Hoegaarden) brewed the beer with the goal of resurrecting one of the classic Belgian beers.
As for sophistication, I’ve no problem with however you wish to rate a beer’s sophistication. It’s a subject that is hard to pin down in an objective way and I’m not concerned with it.
Finally, I’ve never felt that sales effectively reflect worth in any product. Case and point, there are far more Ford Focuses sold than Porsche 911’s, and no one seems to be contending that the Focus is a better car. Here are links to ratings on the two beers (each with about 1700 ratings) in question from a reputable website.
http://ratebeer.com/beer/hoegaarden/399/
http://ratebeer.com/beer/blue-moon-belgian-white-ale/2228/
Lastly, I’d like to apologize for being a little rude in my last comment. After all you aren’t reviewing for beer aficionados. As far as Hoegaarden goes on the college scene, I have known it to be enjoyed by people (particularly the ladies) who don’t really like Bud or Miller Lite because it tends to be a little sweeter.
Aaron - this is probably akin to beating a dead horse, but here’s a link to a very interesting article about Hoegaarden and Pierre Celis. I hope you’ll read it. It illustrates some of the reasons why I so passionately argue against big breweries.
http://www.beer-pages.com/protz/features/celis.htm
Couldn’t agree more. I tasted and commented on Hoegaarden Witbier BEFORE browsing the net to see what others had to say. I like your comments about doing something “different’ at the expense of doing it right. Spot on friend. I’d like to add your site to a list of beer sites I’m compiling.
Best wishes.
Take a sip of Hoegaarden with this in mind and it will forever change your opinion: it tastes like hotdogs.
This Hoegaarden debate has been so long-lasting and controversial that at the last party we threw, I made all the guests taste a sample and give me their opinion. The wide range of reactions included: terrific, like candy, like tomato soup, and like blood. Now you’ve added hot dogs.
Evidently, although some people clearly enjoy this beer, it is at least a little off-beat….
[...] College Drinker | Imagen: Que Bien Te Veo Hoegaarden Witbier, una excelente cerveza [...]
Seriously you probably got some skunky Hoegaarden. It’s the quintessential Belgian White beer of which Blue Moon is a lame rip-off. The reason sales are increasing is because it’s backed by Molson-Coors big deal.
Try finding Hoegaarden on draught at a legit pub and see if you still feel the same way. If you do then you should spare the rest of the Intarweb and never review another beer in your life.
Being that Hoegaarden is imported you just never know how old it is. I have had different tastes from bottle to bottle, probably from the wheat not being stirred up enough, but never the extreme you mention.
Hoegaarden is becoming more popular in my area of New England as you now see it in grocery stores and on tap at random bars. They must be doing something right.
Dude,
You have NO idea what you are talking about. Take a trip to Belgium and find out what REAL beer is my friend. Wow, what a loser!!!!!!!!!
I def. don’t think this review was very fair. A recent college graduate myself, and seeing what college kids can afford, I don’t think this beer should have been reviewed on this site as most college students can’t afford this beer.
I will admit it is not for everyone…just like Guinness (a beer that tastes like rotten A1 sauce poured over pennies) isn’t for everyone. But compared to Blue Moon this beer takes the cake any day.
This was a horrible review of a great beer. I am a current college student and play my fair share of pong/quarters/(insert drinking game here), but know a good beer when I taste one. This beer has depth to it. It doesn’t taste like a $.02 can of beer-bong quality brew - In fact, if a friend were to bong such a drought as this… I would have to disown them.
Iron flavor? What beer were you drinking??? Certainly fruity, but such is the tradition of Belgian Wit beers. They were historically preserved with spices and fruits, and rarely contained high levels of hops (which has become the predominant flavor that most college students identify with beer).
Give it another shot. Have it with a meal. For goodness sake, just don’t write anymore reviews like this one for a beer as good as Hoegaarden Belgian White.