Hoegaarden White by InBev

Beer specs

Preferred vessel: Pint glass
Color: 2 SRM

Beer details: Rating: 81; Hoegaarden White; Brewery: InBev · Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium; Variety: Ale · Belgian / French Ales · Witbier / White Beer; Alcohol: ABV 4.90% / ABW 3.92%; Preferred vessel: Pint glass; Color: Light Yellow (Pale lager) (2 SRM); Added by Anton

Hoegaarden is the authentic Belgian wheat or white beer. It has a unique and extremely complex brewing process whereby the brand is first top fermented and then is refermented within the bottle - ending up in a unique cloudy-white appearance. The brand’s unique appearance is mirrored by its one-of-a-kind taste - sweet and sour beer with a little bitterness, slightly spicy, with a strong touch of coriander and a hint of orange, perfect for warm summer days, instead of other refreshing beverages. Refreshing, a little quirky, and decidedly different - naturally.

Spicy, Light, Crisp, Citrus

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Reviews

Review by Anton

Rating: 85

Anton

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Peoria, IL

Jan. 13th, 2009 at 9:06 p.m.

Comment:
I keep a set of glasses in the freezer just for this beer. I’m not sure what it is, but this one has just the combination of light flavors that I really like in a drink.

Characteristics: semi-sweet tangy
Review by Tobias Batt

Rating: 50

Tobias Batt

drank this beer from a Stein (Mug) in Aberdeen, Aberdeen City, Great Britain

Jan. 14th, 2009 at 1:08 a.m.

Comment:
Apparently an acquired taste, unfiltered so there is lots of muck at the bottom, I will drink this if I have to.

Characteristics: murky nutty
Review by Casey

Rating: 87

Casey

drank this beer from a Goblet in St. Augustine, FL

Jan. 14th, 2009 at 7:30 a.m.

Comment:
Super-light and refreshing. Dare I say, delicate? I dare.

Characteristics:
Review by Matt Robin

Rating: 80

Matt Robin

drank this beer from a Pint glass in London, London, City of, Great Britain

Jan. 14th, 2009 at 2:50 p.m.

Comment:
This white beer is definitely not to everyone’s taste, it’s a ‘bit different’ from usual beers. I think it’s actually a bit special and I’ll have it sometimes as my ‘special beer’ to add a bit of variety to a selection. Hoegaarden do make different varieties - but I’m referring to the original version. It’s murkiness and full-body can make it a bit ‘filling’ (wouldn’t want to be drinking it all day!)

Characteristics: full-bodied murky
Review by jerry

Rating: 89

jerry

drank this beer from a Bottle in Warsaw, IN

Jan. 14th, 2009 at 5:25 p.m.

Comment:
I can imagine that there is a beer out there that I would like better, but it would only be my imagination.

Characteristics: citrus wheat-y
Review by Stefan

Rating: 75

Stefan

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Umeå, Vasterbottens Lan, Sweden

Jan. 15th, 2009 at 6:59 a.m.

Comment:

Characteristics:
Review by Ryan Schroeder

Rating: 84

Ryan Schroeder

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Seattle, WA

Jan. 15th, 2009 at 10:21 a.m.

Comment:
Delicious & easy to drink, but very filling. Not a session beer (at least for me!) Fruity & spicy without the floral notes you’ll get from some of the craft Belgian whites

If you like Blue Moon you’ll love this. If you think Blue Moon is overrated, I’d encourage you to give this a try.

The only bad thing about Hoegaarden is that some bar will charge you $6-7+ for pint (Brouwer’s I’m looking at you!), while more respectable places (Hooverville!) charge their standard micro-draft prices.

Characteristics: belgian citrus spicy white beer
Review by Jeff Smith

Rating: 80

Jeff Smith

drank this beer from a Pint glass in St. Albert, Alberta, Canada

Jan. 15th, 2009 at 11:43 a.m.

Comment:
A great summer beer, very refreshing, and smooth. Nice hints of citrus and coriander. Often ends up being a 19th hole drink after golf during the summer months.

Characteristics: fruit refreshing smooth spice
Review by mikegee

Rating: 80

mikegee

drank this beer from a Bottle in Miami, FL

Jan. 15th, 2009 at 12:52 p.m.

Comment:

Characteristics:
Review by coffeepostal

Rating: 92

coffeepostal

drank this beer from a Bottle in Anacortes, WA

Jan. 15th, 2009 at 8:02 p.m.

Comment:
By far one of my favorite beers. My first Belgian beer as well. Got two six-packs over Christmas in the middle of the Western Washington Blizzard of 2008. Went through them way too quickly. Pairs amazingly with certain cheeses.

Characteristics: belgian-style semi-sweet smooth wheat white beer
Review by Jordan

Rating: 85

Jordan

drank this beer from a Bottle in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Jan. 16th, 2009 at 12:44 p.m.

Comment:
One of my favorite summertime beers- probably my favorite unfiltered beer. The slight citrus tones make it incredibly refreshing.

Characteristics: belgian citrus unfiltered
Review by Olivia

Rating: 83

Olivia

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Ann Arbor, MI

Jan. 20th, 2009 at 12:18 p.m.

Comment:
A tasty combination of spicy and fruity…just the right balance. I love the smell of this beer, too.

Characteristics: cloudy crisp fruity semi-sweet spicy
Review by Greg Burnison

Rating: 82

Greg Burnison

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Jan. 20th, 2009 at 1:56 p.m.

Comment:

Characteristics:
Review by Andy McMillan

Rating: 95

Andy McMillan

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Belfast, Belfast, Great Britain

Jan. 20th, 2009 at 2:52 p.m.

Comment:

Characteristics:
Review by thebrianhayes

Rating: 90

thebrianhayes

drank this beer from a Bottle

Jan. 21st, 2009 at 10:13 a.m.

Comment:
One of my favorite summer beers

Characteristics:
Review by Matt Munsey

Rating: 80

Matt Munsey

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Tucson, AZ

Jan. 21st, 2009 at 11:30 a.m.

Comment:
A good, solid Belgian White. Neither overly flavorful nor flavorless, it pairs well with a number of foods.

Characteristics: cloudy crisp refreshing wheaty
Review by Saisondude

Rating: 70

Saisondude

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Boise, ID

Jan. 21st, 2009 at 1:50 p.m.

Comment:
In light of being a mass produced wit, this is surprisingly good. Not as smooth as NB’s Mothership Wit or as flavorful as wits made by smaller breweries, it still has the nice citrus and coriander taste you would expect in this style of beer. Like most wits, it is great with cheeses like gouda or white cheddar. My personal favorite pairing with Hoegaarden is fresh pineapple.

Characteristics: bitter citrus flowery
Review by Ryan

Rating: 72

Ryan

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Spokane, WA

Jan. 22nd, 2009 at 12:48 p.m.

Comment:
Crisp and slightly bitter. Light and easy to drink. Fairly smooth, fairly flavorful, definitely above average.

Characteristics: citrus crisp slightly bitter
Review by swestbrook

Rating: 74

swestbrook

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Portland, OR

Jan. 23rd, 2009 at 5:23 p.m.

Comment:
It’s a very pale – think ginger ale – slightly cloudy beer as you’d expect from a wit. After pouring, it retains a nice thin foam on top, with champagne-like bubbles. Good champagne, not cheap brut. The aroma is of yeast, coriander, and spice with a little citrus tartness thrown in. The flavor is much like the aroma, crisp and pretty refreshing, though the yeastiness keeps the beer from being too light. It’s a great lunch time beer – not heavy, not too alcoholic, better than a sweet soda or some plain old water.

Characteristics: coriander crisp light spicy yeasty
Review by Chuck Harmston

Rating: 87

Chuck Harmston

drank this beer from a Goblet in Washington, DC

Jan. 23rd, 2009 at 6:22 p.m.

Comment:
A haiku to celebrate my first favorite beer:

I only wish that / where I’m from, Hoegaarden flows / Like milk and honey.

Characteristics: citrus coriander summer wheaty
Review by mjb

Rating: 88

mjb

drank this beer from a Pint glass

Jan. 25th, 2009 at 4:28 p.m.

Comment:

Characteristics:
Review by Chris Arnold

Rating: 90

Chris Arnold

drank this beer from a Goblet in Denver, CO

Feb. 2nd, 2009 at 8:12 a.m.

Comment:
A favorite beer of mine. Fits the bill of a tasty Belgian wheat with a Blue Moon-esque orange kick. Not too sweet.

Characteristics: citrus wheaty
Review by raeanne

Rating: 97

raeanne

drank this beer from a Pint glass

Feb. 3rd, 2009 at 2:05 p.m.

Comment:
Hoegaarden is, without a doubt, my favorite beer in the whole world. My first taste was in Beer class (yes, really) five years ago, and luckily for me it has since grown in popularity and availability. It’s the perfect summer beer - light and zesty, with a hint of lemon, it tastes like nothing else I’ve encountered. It tastes best (and is most beautiful) served with a slice of lemon in the signature Hoegaarden glass, which creates an optical illusion of an extra-sized pint due to the thick glass.

I love this brew year-round, and hope to visit the brewery someday.

Characteristics: citruc delicate frothy lemony light zesty
Review by Jeff Forcier

Rating: 65

Jeff Forcier

drank this beer from a Bottle

Feb. 7th, 2009 at 5:02 a.m.

Comment:

Characteristics:
Review by Rob Hudson

Rating: 79

Rob Hudson

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Eugene, OR

Feb. 7th, 2009 at 3:41 p.m.

Comment:
Almost clear it’s so pale with a rich creamy head. Spicy and estery aroma. Super light in flavor, coriander and zesty flavors.

Characteristics: coriander zesty
Review by Brian Flanagan

Rating: 75

Brian Flanagan

drank this beer from a Stein (Mug) in Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Feb. 8th, 2009 at 6:37 a.m.

Comment:

Characteristics: citrus crisp refreshing yeasty
Review by skyhawk133

Rating: 75

skyhawk133

drank this beer from a Pint glass

Feb. 23rd, 2009 at 5:40 p.m.

Comment:

Characteristics:
Review by theprint

Rating: 77

theprint

drank this beer from a Other

Feb. 26th, 2009 at 3:02 p.m.

Comment:
Half the fun of Hoegaarden is getting it in one of those enormous glasses. From the bottle, it just doesn’t taste as good.

This is a VERY sweet hefe. Almost too much so, but perfect for enjoying on a hot summer’s day.

Characteristics:
Review by Mark Crawley

Rating: 87

Mark Crawley

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom

Feb. 28th, 2009 at 3:33 a.m.

Comment:
Great for a change but very filling, perfect for a summers day outdoors. Should be drunk from a Hoegaarden fat pint glass for maximum enjoyment.

Characteristics: citrus cloudy filling fruity unpronounceable
Review by Scott Phelps

Rating: 85

Scott Phelps

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Kansas City, MO

March 2nd, 2009 at 12:30 p.m.

Comment:
A refreshing summer time, cut the heat kind of beer. Although a bit cloudy (unfiltered) this beer has beautiful hints of anise and citrus, perhaps even coriander. If I’m not mistaken its actually brewed with a bit of orange peel and coriander…. Rich flavors and refreshing.

Bad if you have any reactive yeast allergies…remember it’s unfiltered!

Characteristics: coriander orange peel
Review by Scotty “The Body”

Rating: 63

Scotty “The Body”

drank this beer from a Bottle in St. Louis, MO

March 6th, 2009 at 3:29 p.m.

Comment:
No sir, I do not like it!

Characteristics:
Review by Simmy

Rating: 85

Simmy

drank this beer from a Pint glass in New York, NY

March 9th, 2009 at 6:45 p.m.

Comment:
I’m a sucker for wheat beers, especially the Belgian ones. One of the first beers I ever tried.

Characteristics:
Review by Jack Huang

Rating: 90

Jack Huang

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Ann Arbor, MI

March 9th, 2009 at 9:22 p.m.

Comment:
This is probably my favorite beer.

Being a fan of light, crisp flavors, the citrus elements of this beer (esp. the hint of orange zest) really appeal to me. The slightly turbid, yet brightly translucent golden color is beautiful, esp. in a traditional Hoegaarden pint glass.

Characteristics: citrus crisp golden light
Review by Thrax

Rating: 84

Thrax

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Detroit, MI

March 10th, 2009 at 8:07 a.m.

Comment:
One of the better mass market witbieren, Hoegaarden is a delightfully crisp and smooth beer with a pleasant finish.

The color is extremely pale and maintains a good head when given to one of the famous Hoegaarden glasses (or any other, for that matter).

However, both the aroma and the flavor are by far its best qualities. With notes of coriander, citrus, and an obvious wheat, this beer is perfect for spring and summer.

Hell, I drink it year ‘round.

Characteristics: citrus coriander crisp sediment wheat
Review by CWD

Rating: 76

CWD

drank this beer from a Goblet

March 10th, 2009 at 12:22 p.m.

Comment:

Characteristics:
Review by soopa

Rating: 90

soopa

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Albany, NY

March 11th, 2009 at 3:15 p.m.

Comment:
Love this stuff, it reminds me of lemonade! Not many beers are more refreshing on a hot summer day.

Characteristics: bubbly foggy lemon lemonade light
Review by tbeseda

Rating: 85

tbeseda

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Breckenridge, CO

March 11th, 2009 at 3:20 p.m.

Comment:
Mmmm… Belgian Wheat.

Characteristics: orange
Review by Grumblemouse

Rating: 67

Grumblemouse

drank this beer from a Pint glass

March 12th, 2009 at 2:57 p.m.

Comment:
Every now and again it tastes awesome but mostly it kind of just tastes like citrusy dishwater!

Characteristics:
Review by Sander Tiekstra

Rating: 60

Sander Tiekstra

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands

March 13th, 2009 at 3:43 a.m.

Comment:

Characteristics:
Review by Scott C

Rating: 80

Scott C

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Hartford, CT

March 14th, 2009 at 10:56 p.m.

Comment:
Very refreshing on a hot day. Good starter beer for friends who only drink macros.

Characteristics:
Review by ciaran_lee

Rating: 85

ciaran_lee

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

March 15th, 2009 at 8:46 a.m.

Comment:
The perfect beer for a warm Summer evening. It’s light and refreshing. Best drunk in a chunky Hoegaarden glass.

Characteristics: fruity light sweet
Review by squigglechick

Rating: 97

squigglechick

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Seattle, WA

March 20th, 2009 at 3:45 p.m.

Comment:
LOVE it!! I love my Belgians & this might be my most fav!! Great summer beer, but I can drink it all year long!!

Characteristics:
Review by Jimmy

Rating: 90

Jimmy

drank this beer from a Bottle in Norfolk, VA

March 25th, 2009 at 9:06 p.m.

Comment:
Another one of my favorites. Drinking one as I type this. Think I’ll have another now, and another, you see where I’m going with this.

Characteristics: cloudy coriander orange spicy white
Review by Chris Harrison

Rating: 65

Chris Harrison

drank this beer from a Stein (Mug) in Augusta, GA

March 26th, 2009 at 7:12 a.m.

Comment:
Not bad at all. Didn’t care for the finish though. Was served with an orange garnish which probably didn’t help. Will need to try again under different circumstances.

Characteristics: light
Review by Wren

Rating: 83

Wren

drank this beer from a Tulip in Santa Monica, CA

March 28th, 2009 at 11:40 p.m.

Comment:

Characteristics:
Review by Chris White

Rating: 95

Chris White

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Littleton, CO

April 5th, 2009 at 1:45 p.m.

Comment:
Hoegaarden White is always one of my favorite beers when I’m in the mood for something light and refreshing. I love the orange and coriander, the dramatic spices and the crisp finish. This is certainly one of the most complex beers I’ve had, especially for a lighter beer and you’re going get a lot of of flavor the moment it hits your tongue.

Hoegaarden pours a lovely cloudy pail yellow that is unique to anything else I’ve ever come across.

This is also one of my go-to beers for demonstrating how different a beer can taste out of the bottle or poured into a glass. In a bottle it’s much more muted and almost takes on some Christmas spices that transform completely the minute when you pour it into a glass.

Hey kid, put down that Blue Moon and get me a Hoegaarden.

Characteristics: citrus cloudy complex coriander crisp orange refreshing unfiltered
Review by Kevin

Rating: 90

Kevin

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Seattle, WA

April 7th, 2009 at 5:18 p.m.

Comment:
This nice white Belgian beer is the perfect compliment to a warm sunny day. It’s light and refreshing with a hint of grass and lemon.

Characteristics: cloudy grassy lemon white
Review by boog_5000

Rating: 82

boog_5000

drank this beer from a Pint glass in New York, NY

April 8th, 2009 at 1:50 p.m.

Comment:
Great summer beer- light, slightly fruity but not overpoweringly, great with a piece of lemon. Bring on the dog days…

Characteristics:
Review by trossi10

Rating: 80

trossi10

drank this beer from a Other

April 9th, 2009 at 7:08 p.m.

Comment:
Always a solid choice light crisp refreshing. Orangey, spicy. Tastes a bit watered down, though. Maybe my palate has changed. Light gold cloudy colot lacing, nice foam. A bit poopy (autolysed yeast?) smell, no hops.

Characteristics: coriander green Olives? orange
Review by Brian

Rating: 62

Brian

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Denver, CO

April 26th, 2009 at 11:43 p.m.

Comment:
Bright, citrusy aroma. I highly recommending taking a pass at the slice of orange or lemon bartenders usually offer when getting this beer. It can stand nicely on its own! Not to mention all the spice character from the yeast and coriander that is in there gets drowned out by a big ol chunk of orange.

Characteristics: citrus coriander orange pice
Review by gotoplanb

Rating: 82

gotoplanb

drank this beer from a Bottle in Gainesville, FL

April 28th, 2009 at 7:50 a.m.

Comment:
Crisp and a little spicy. Nice balance of smoothness and complexity. One of the better beers you can find at most supermarkets.

Characteristics: crisp smooth spicy
Review by Dustin

Rating: 93

Dustin

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Calgary, Alberta, Canada

April 30th, 2009 at 1 p.m.

Comment:

Characteristics:
Review by andr3

Rating: 95

andr3

drank this beer from a Bottle in Lisbon, Portugal

May 9th, 2009 at 8:42 a.m.

Comment:
A couple of friends used to drink this over lunch and I was stuck with my Guinness. Until I tried it.

It jumped to the top of my favorite beers.

Characteristics: belgian citrus light
Review by Donleezey

Rating: 84

Donleezey

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Eugene, OR

May 26th, 2009 at 5:48 p.m.

Comment:
A great witbier, and very light. The spices come through quite nicely, although I’ve had some American wits that spice it up a bit better to give the beer a more complex taste.

Characteristics: light refreshing spices
Review by joemick

Rating: 55

joemick

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Newtown, PA

June 18th, 2009 at 4:13 a.m.

Comment:
I like it

Characteristics: tangy
Review by bs529

Rating: 95

bs529

drank this beer from a Goblet

July 1st, 2009 at 2:25 p.m.

Comment:
In my opinion one of the finest beers on the planet. Very light and clean flavor. Lemon zest and pepper. A bit of wheat flavor.

Characteristics:
Review by Spirits Lady

Rating: 90

Spirits Lady

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Nashville, TN

July 1st, 2009 at 4:36 p.m.

Comment:
Hoegaarden is Belgium’s original wit, white or wheat, beer, and, as with any true wheat beer, it’s unfiltered, meaning it’s not at all clear when you drink it. A lovely golden color, this beer has a light citrus taste, and I find it very refreshing in the summer.

Characteristics: citrus golden unfiltered
Review by Joe

Rating: 85

Joe

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Akron, OH

Aug. 22nd, 2009 at 1:51 p.m.

Comment:
Perfect type of beer for me since it leaves out all the bitter flavors of most other beers. The fruity notes were very unexpected and it’s just a lot more complex than your typical light beer. Also had it with a Clementine slice that that really ups the fruit complexity.

Characteristics: fruity light
Review by scredsfan

Rating: 80

scredsfan

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Aiken, SC

Aug. 25th, 2009 at 3:22 p.m.

Comment:
Overall, a better ale than I expected - somewhat of a pleasant surpise! Pours very light yellow with medium head and some lacing. Aroma is very light as well - slightly spicy.

Taste is crisp and spicy - much more character than the light color suggests. Clean finish without much aftertaste - this is where the beer disappoints - wish there was a little more at the end.

Characteristics: fruity light spicy
Review by KidHack

Rating: 77

KidHack

drank this beer from a Pint glass in South San Francisco, CA

Dec. 6th, 2009 at 9:32 p.m.

Comment:

Characteristics:
Review by nashour

Rating: 80

nashour

drank this beer from a Pint glass in Houston, TX

March 5th, 2010 at 6:51 a.m.

Comment:

Characteristics: refreshing