From the Brewery: 

“Like Lady Liberty, we stand for independence and perseverance. In the pursuit of innovative beer, there is no obstacle too great. No journey too long. No fruit too gigantic. This American wheat beer is brewed with real watermelon, for a flavor that’s surprisingly crisp, dry and refreshing—summer in a can.

Hell or High Watermelon Wheat is our summer seasonal beer available from April through September in six pack cans and on draft. We start by brewing a classic American wheat beer, which undergoes a traditional secondary fermentation using fresh watermelon. A straw-colored, refreshing beer with a kiss of watermelon aroma and flavor.” 4.9% ABV

Purchased from The Fort in Fresno

The Pour: 

Poured from a 12 oz can into my wheat beer glass. The color is very light straw/yellow. A large white head is poured, and settles quickly to a light covering. Ample carbonation is visible, and little lacing is left on the glass.

The Nose: 

Very typical wheat ale characteristics of grains and faint earthy hops, mixed with candy watermelon undertones.

The Mouth: 

Medium-thin bodied and easy going down, with just a bit of carbonation harshness. The initial flavor is a light run of faux watermelon on the tongue, followed by faint typical wheat beer characteristics.

Final Thoughts: 

Hell or High Watermelon’s main strengths lie in its light mouthfeel, easy drinkabilty, and refreshing nature. This beer could easily be sessioned, if so desired. That being said, I found the flavor profile not really to my liking. The brewery claims to use hundreds of pounds of fresh watermelon puree in a secondary fermentation, but the results create a very fake, Watermelon Jolly Rancher flavor which is prominent. Definitely a step up from a Watermelon Smirnoff Ice, but it just isn’t a very good craft beer. The actual wheat beer characteristics are okay, nothing standout for the style. 5/10.

21st Amendment Brewery – San Francisco, California