A Honey Of A Saison - Boulder Beer / Wilderness Pub

AmitC

Indiana

4/5  rDev +13.6%

12-29-2012 03:08:31 | More by AmitC

MonicaC

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -0.6%

05-20-2013 03:30:39 | More by MonicaC

nick_asian

Nevada

3.75/5  rDev +6.5%

05-19-2013 07:19:48 | More by nick_asian

smiga

New Jersey

2.76/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

This is one of the oddest, misguided beers I have reviewed here.

Poured from a 22 oz bottle bought for $2.50 at Whole Foods as part of a 6 craft pack of dinner bottles. (ie, sell em before they go stale!) Into my standard .5l Spaten cylinder.

A: A clear texture, with an inch of tan head that didn't last. Decent lacing. Med. carbonation. Odd amber honey color, a little too red. Alarming color.

S: Stink of bitter, turned apple cider and some frat floor, bit of ammonia stink. Maybe they cleaned the floor, maybe pissed on it. Beyond that a bit industrial, w really too little fruit, grass, hops, malt, or anything organic and tangible.

T: Too much of the smell here in the taste. But a bit better because the overwhelming alcohol insulates against the bitter turned flavor. Definitely phenolic, but thin flavor! Unpleasant and odd.
More flavors emerge as it warms, but increasing cleaning closet backdrop too.

M: Still industrial, had to agree with a review that said like licking dirty pennies and car battery terminals. I think I will see if this will chase off the moles. Pouring it down a mole hole.

O: It is the worst BSPA I have tried. Steer clear.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 01:02:06 | More by smiga

Dburke

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +6.5%

05-05-2013 02:59:18 | More by Dburke

ScottStache

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -14.8%

04-26-2013 02:34:22 | More by ScottStache

AngusOg

Maryland

4/5  rDev +13.6%

04-24-2013 19:51:52 | More by AngusOg

Rand_ale_Thor

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +20.7%

04-24-2013 12:30:24 | More by Rand_ale_Thor

NilocRellim

Minnesota

4.08/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.25

Poured form the tap.

The beer was a nice, copper/red colour with good clarity. The nose was sweet with Belgian yeast, citrus hops, floral hops, and the honey was noticeable. It tasted sweet wheatiness that transitioned into a brief pepper/spiciness, and had a tangy-yeasty finish. The aftertaste was sweet and floral.

Would I buy it again? Yes.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2013 02:09:17 | More by NilocRellim

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

**Reviewed before realizing the actual style classification on BA. Adjusted scores to style after the fact.

Hazy amber with some red in it. Frothy topper leaves some lacing. Looks rich for a saison.

Familiar aromas of farmhouse yeast, honey, green apple, toasted malts, rooibos, and light pepper. Not bad.

Big yeast and alcohol notes trailblaze with strength, nuttiness, and pomme fruits. Darker notes of honey and raisin enter, making this one burly saison. Borderline quad in flavor. Peppery spice and root vegetable flutters in the finish. Tea-like hops have flavor and bitterness that come in the middle-to-end. As it warms, it becomes almost like a BSPA with more apple-pear-cherry-golden raisin character. Interesting.

Massive for a saison. Booze is... well, we're dialed up to 11.5% here. Body is thicker than just medium. And, sticky, too. Carbonation wants to fall away in the feel.

Just too much for what I want in a saison. Not disappointing. Just a different kind of Belgian ale.

Serving type: on-tap

04-13-2013 14:30:47 | More by thecheapies

iemailjack

Florida

3/5  rDev -14.8%

04-08-2013 00:08:34 | More by iemailjack

TripelMark

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +42%

04-06-2013 16:09:15 | More by TripelMark

EyePeeAyBryan

Arizona

3.5/5  rDev -0.6%

04-01-2013 20:02:12 | More by EyePeeAyBryan

tfsimpkins

Florida

2.75/5  rDev -21.9%

03-25-2013 17:10:20 | More by tfsimpkins

halo913

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev +6.5%

03-25-2013 13:51:41 | More by halo913

stealth

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +13.6%

03-24-2013 02:47:01 | More by stealth

mscudder

Georgia

3.06/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5

Served in a snifter.

A - Cloudy amber hue with a one-finger ivory head. Good lacing after average retention.

S - Pear, white grapes, booze and a pinch of honey.

T - Sticky honey and caramel sweetness, booze, floral notes and spices. The booze overpowers everything that this had going...

M- Heavy on the mouth. Viscous composition with sharp booze alongside the floral notes on the finish. Not very good.

O - This is a big beer that I would not return to. Interesting idea, but way off balance for any Saison or BSPA I would keep in my fridge. Over half the bomber got poured down my drain.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 02:38:53 | More by mscudder

dbattey

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +6.5%

03-12-2013 04:31:58 | More by dbattey

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.15/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap in a snifter glass

Appearance – Served a clear amber color with a one finger white head. The head has a light level of retention fading over time to leave a moderate level of lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The aroma is sweet and wheaty. A strong wheat aroma mixed with a light fruit aroma of grapes, pear and peach create the bulk of the smell. Mixed with these is a lighter honey aroma as well as a little bit of notes of a floral like aroma. Overall it is quite pleasant.

Taste – The taste begins with a bready flavor with a little bit of wheat mixed within. With these more malty tastes, is a sweet flavor of caramel and honey upfront. The caramel is soon lost, but the honey flavor persists throughout the taste. In the middle of the taste flavors of light fruits of grape and pear enter and last till the end. Flavors of some alcohol and a bit of bitterness and sourness comes to the tongue more at the end of the taste. These flavors actually help round out some of the sweeter flavors, in the end leaving a rather nice warming and semi-sweet flavor to be left on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the average side in terms of creaminess and thickness with a carbonation level that is average as well. The medium body and higher carbonation (at least for a brew of 11.5%) was good for the sweeter flavors of the brew, but was not too over the top in thinness or carbonation to take away from the more boozy and malty flavors of the brew.

Overall- Its packs a sweet punch upfront and is quite high in alcohol, but still maintains a nice easy drinkability about it. I rather enjoyed this beer and would recommend it as a good sipper after dinner or a nice dessert style brew.

Serving type: on-tap

02-28-2013 14:57:18 | More by Darkmagus82

crwrunner

Virginia

2.75/5  rDev -21.9%

02-25-2013 00:19:37 | More by crwrunner

djrn2

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -0.6%

02-24-2013 22:38:28 | More by djrn2

jjd315

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +27.8%

02-24-2013 18:11:43 | More by jjd315

Bilco

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -0.6%

02-20-2013 22:55:41 | More by Bilco

Dorkbug

3.25/5  rDev -7.7%

02-20-2013 01:21:12 | More by Dorkbug

Cincy_Joe

3.25/5  rDev -7.7%

02-17-2013 04:15:06 | More by Cincy_Joe