Samuel Adams Honey Porter - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

beerSexualizer

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had this beer about 6 months before writing this post. I was living in Manzanillo Mexico and found it in a grocery store which was a nice treat after months of 1.2L Coronas. The beer is described as being a full bodied English Porter with Scottish Heather honey, dry hopped with English Goldings.

The beer poured brownish black and when held to the light had a dark amber hue ringing the glass. The creamy off white head had large bubbles.

The smells were bitter sweet and pruney. There was a roasted malt and coffee presence also.

Tasted like a thinnish dubble with fruity bitter licorice and a lasting honey and hopped palette. The honey reminded me of buckwheat honey, most likely because I've never had heather honey. The flavour also had a note of molasses queueing for position (which my girlfriend mocked me for phrasing this way).

The beer had a nice balance of bitter and sweet and was such a welcome change from all the corn flavoured beer we'd been downing with lime and salt. The carbonation was standard, medium.

Cost about $34 pesos or $3 canadian dollars. I would like to try it again while pairing it with a Toronto winter. Cheers Mother F***ers.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 14:19:47 | More by beerSexualizer

emmasdad

Colorado

3.18/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Brought to me via the six pack. Poured a dark reddish brown/nearly black color with a good brown head. Aromas of dark chocolate, roasted malt and coffee. On the palate, this one is medium bodied and rich, with flavors of roasted malt, dark chocolate and cocoa.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 02:53:56 | More by emmasdad

kylehay2004

Florida

3.65/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Half finger rapidly dissipating head. Very dark but getting light through.

S: Coffee, touch of honey, smokey

T: Smokey with a tough of sweet but not so much honey. Nutty and earthy notes.

M: Moderate to high carbonation. Medium to high carbonation.

Overall: Not a huge fan of this one. Honey just doesnt seem to come through in the honey brews I have tried. It has more of a smokey taste than I like.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2011 07:10:34 | More by kylehay2004

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.05/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Brown pour, a little more thin than your average porter I come across, tan head, 1". Aroma was roasted malt, no honey appreciable.

Taste, now the sweetness is more noticeable, hoping for a hop presence, didn't get what I wanted there. Just kind of a middle of the road beer. Would say it fits the English style, a little sweeter, thinner, less hoppy, sessionable in that the alcohol isn't strong. Better as it warms, mouthfeel allows what I suspect to be the honey to come out more and make the beer even smoother without going into 'too sweet' territory. Chocolate comes out in the smallest way.

A decent beer, hard to categorize for your American friends. Too dark for girls and BMC guys, too thin for your hophead/imperial everything crowd. A neat niche, but nothing spectacular.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2011 16:13:39 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This has the color of a porter pouring out as a dark rich brownish color. The head is a light brown color and fizzles away to just a ring around the glass. The aroma is deep and roasted with a really interesting sweetness in there from the honey. The taste of the beer is slighty burnt or roasted in the beginning and settles down in the aftertaste as a sweet and elegant mix of the roasted malts and the honey. The mouthfeel is on the lighter side for a dark brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2011 00:10:02 | More by Knapp85

JizackFH

New York

3.5/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - This beer pours a very dark mahogany color. It has a small 1-finger light tan head on it. The head left bits of lacing behind as it fell.

S - It smells of strong coffee and honey. There is also a small hop presence, as well as notes of chocolate and roasted malts.

T - The taste is of roasted malts, caramel sweetness, and dark chocolate. You can definitely taste the honey here as well. The finish has an earthy hop presence.

M - This has a medium body and medium carbonation. It went down fairly smooth, and it had a creamy and silky feel to it.

D - The drinkability is pretty decent. It went down pretty smooth. I could probably drink a few of these in a sitting. Overall, I think this is a pretty good beer, but it is certainly not great. I think its worth giving it a shot.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2011 14:06:31 | More by JizackFH

PEBKAC

New York

3.25/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A couple bottles of this was left around after the holidays.The SA Brewmaster's Collection around Queens never seems to have the porter when I'm looking. BB December notch.

DFH pint glass. Absurdly cold.

Grade B maple syrup with cola highlights. Rigid couple inches of tan head(The beer sways, but it does not).

Smells like baklava with a dash of cocoa. Cheerios & a bit of brown sugar. Or maybe just malted milk with a spot of coffee.

Taste is just brown sugar added to a mild roast. It is not "robust". A bit of iron-y bitter greens trail on the finish & that's about it. As it warms, the honey comes forth more, but the beer develops a citric bite that I could do without.

Solid, foamy carbonation, maybe even creamy, but a bit thin for a porter. The alcohol melds well.

Pretty pedestrian, even for Sam Adams.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2011 02:36:30 | More by PEBKAC

Distilled10

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- A deep/dark brown color. A thin/medium size head, and leaves a nice lace.

S- Toasty. There is a mix of smells to this beer, a very small hint of honey, but it is quickly over come by other scents.

T- An 'earthy' chocolate taste, not too strong, but still has a bit of bitterness to it.

M- Mild/Medium body, as well as the carbonation.

D- Leaves a good layer/coat in your mouth, and in a sense keeps your mouth ready for more.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2011 04:28:14 | More by Distilled10

washburnkid

New York

4.38/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes.

Over two fingers of beige head. The porter is ruby and brown hues. The head is fluffy like a marshmallow, with wonderfully fluffy retention and plenty of lacing adorning the glass. Aromas are acidic at first whiff, with sweet chocolate and roasted coffee malts coming in to balance it all out. Flavors emphasize the heavily roasted malt. Biscuit malt expected from an English style porter, complete with the acidic coffee characteristics. There is a nice balance between the malt and hops, and the honey is undeniably present. There's high carbonation at first but it seems to mellow out with a bit of time and warmth...or maybe I twirled the glass one too many times? Nice residuals left behind from a rather light body. This is a pretty solid porter!

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2010 20:33:49 | More by washburnkid

nrbw23

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a deep brown color with pretty small off white colored head. Head leaves some nice lacing behing.

S- Smell is roasty up front, dark chocolate and a bit of burnt toast. A bit of honey comes through but it almost leaves a more metallic smell than anything.

T- Taste is chocolate, roasted malts and a bit of earthy hop bitterness. Honey sweetness is here but kept in check by the roasted malts.

M- Medium in body and a bit on the lighter side of medium in carbonation.

D- Not too bad to drink and easy. Coats the mouth well and there is just enough to keep my interest.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2010 22:32:35 | More by nrbw23

JMD

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a dark brown mahogany color with very small head that fades quickly. Leaves very little lacing on the glass.

S: Sweet toasted malt. Hints of honey, brown sugar and carmel.

T: Same as the aroma. Toasted malt, light hints of carmel and expresso. A sugary sweetness that follows but no pronounced honey flavor.

M: Medium bodied and a little thin.

D: This is a decent porter but nothing exceptional. Like many Sam Adams beers, the flavor is muted. These go down easy but nothing I would seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2010 23:39:53 | More by JMD

rsgcwhite

Connecticut

2.45/5  rDev -33.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Purchased absent-mindedly near the end of its freshness date; this probably skewed my review. Tsk tsk, Manchester Wine and Liquor.

Pours dark with amber edges; a massive head of moderate thickness condenses unevenly.

The aroma is strongly molasses, honey, yeasty. More intense than most beers; a little over fermented. It smells thick, syrupy.

The near end of lifetime on this beer has taken it's toll - it's aroma is now too strong for me to appreciate the subtle nuances of its flavor. The honey flavor seems stronger than expected - this isn't exactly Bärenjäger yet, but it overpowers lightly roasted malts and citrus hop tastes that would otherwise make this a more consumable beer. The sweetness and dry finish are fine, but something isn't right; the balance is off.

The honey flavor makes this beer seem like a porter with a bad aftertaste - I appreciate the boldness and innovation of the Boston Brewing Company, but this is just not my beer.

Mouthfeel is initially sweet and creamy, followed by a strongly dry aftertaste.

One day, I will try this again - until then, I will not look at honey-laced things the same way. I'm avoiding the sugary condiment aisle in the Supermarket for about a month.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2010 02:50:38 | More by rsgcwhite

vfgccp

New York

3.63/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Dark chocolate amber. One finger of creamy head that held with some nice retention.

S - Mild. Toasty with some sugar and light dried fruits.

T - Malt, toast, molasses, and just a touch of smoky bitterness. Slightly watery aftertaste.

M - Body is a tad light, but there's enough there to hold the beer together.

D - Very drinkable. None of the characteristics are harsh or overbearing.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2010 22:52:26 | More by vfgccp

mikeg67

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle. Pours dark brown with a foamy, long lasting, tanned head. Good amount of lacing. Aroma of coffee, roasted malt and hints of citrus hops. Medium, tangy body. Flavor of dark fruit, coffee, chocolate and hints of honey. Medium, balanced finish. Tasty, easy drinkable porter.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2010 20:04:26 | More by mikeg67

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Another Samuel Adams tick found at my local place. Beer might be a bit old since it expires in December 2010. Pours a nice deep black amber with a nice inch of head. The smell is mostly honey but it smells like bitter malty honey. The taste is something getting used to. At first I was offput with the strong coffee and chocolate taste of a porter with sweet malty honey but it grows on you. By half glass it starts bitter porter, sweet honey. with a hoppy finish. Mouth-feel is light but moderate due to the bitterness of the porter. Drink-ability is decent but I didn't really enjoy having to get used to honey in my porter. A smooth light beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2010 22:34:47 | More by DrDemento456

arboristfish

Wisconsin

2.9/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

The beer pours a deep black color, with a slight amber hue to it. The beer smells of malty. The flavor is what id expect from a porter. Dark roasted malt character, im not picking up really any honey. The mouthfeel is medium. I dont find this beer drinkable. Ive had this beer several times and havent been able to develop a taste for it. I just dont find it well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2010 13:41:25 | More by arboristfish

SkunkWorks

New York

3.5/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

Look: dark brown with dark red highlights. The head is about a finger thick and is tan in color. The head forms a thin layer of tan foam on top of the beer as I work my way to the bottom of the glass. There's no lacing left.

Smell: a little sweetness from the honey but more dark malt than anything. Like everything from Boston Beer Company, the aroma is fairly subtle.

Taste: dark malt lends some coffee and dark chocolate flavors. The hops are also fairly noticeable. Its sweet but I can't pick out the honey very well.

Feel: medium bodied. Its a little too carbonated for my liking but otherwise its fine.

Drink: I could have a few of these if I wanted, though I probably wouldn't want to.

Overall, its a solid effort by Boston Beer Company but its far from my favorite porter. Boston Beer Company tends to play it safe with their beers and this is no exception. Worth a try, especially since its pretty easy to get, but I wouldn't go out of my way for this one. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2010 14:29:21 | More by SkunkWorks

SamN

Colorado

3.2/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Fairly clear dark amber brown color with a thin fizzy tan head. Smells of bitter coffee and some honey malts, with a light hoppy zing. Tastes is light and flavorful; classic earthy porter taste with an uplifting honey and hop finish. Finishes pretty clean without a lot of lingering flavor, some noticeable adjuncts though. Light for a porter, pretty thin body with just a little too much lively carbonation. Mediocre drinkability, just not my first choice for American Porter. Too zippy and light and superficial.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2010 20:56:32 | More by SamN

drtth

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into an imperial pint glass. Glass of cold water on the side to sip from periodically.

Appearance: As poured the beer is rich brown color with some reddish tinge to it. The ½" tan head soon recedes to a ring and a layer of foam. The foam leaves some sticky patches of lacing and a few scattered speckles. Sipping leaves a sheet of foam on one side of the glass with widely scattered spekles of lacing on the other for much of the beer.

Smell: The aroma has a rich scent of roasted malt that has a fair amount of dark chocolate in it. There also seems to be a bit of an earthy character here but it is well integrated and stays in the background.

Taste: The flavors have a nice toasted malt character with some definite coffee and dark chocolate. There is some honey-like sweetness balanced by the bittering effect or either the hops or the dark roasted malt. Having had several bottles of an Heather Ale the last year the residue of that flavor left behind by the fermentation of the honey stands pops out even though it is well integrated with other flavors.

Mouthfeel: The mouth feel is medium bodied and soft with some persistent gentle carbonation. The finish is medium length, begins in dark semi-sweetness and trails of to some heather and some earthy bitterness that sit there in the back of the mouth.

Drinkability: This seemed to go down quite nicely but that was in part because of trying to tease out the aroma and flavor components. As a drinking beer I'd be happy to have this one again and will take advantage of the opportunity to do so, but, that said, I'll also not go out of my way to track this one down or add it to my shopping list.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2010 02:07:03 | More by drtth

projectflam86

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a deep dark brown color with a thick coffee foam head that leaves great lacing.

S- A bit of roasted malt in the nose with some sweetness. Not as much aroma as I had expected.

T- Wave of roasted bitterness initially with a sharp metallic tang in the finish. The flavor seems to open up a bit as it warms.

M- Smooth and slightly creamy with ok carbonation.

D- I think I was expecting a little more but still a decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2010 20:24:18 | More by projectflam86

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours dark brown with a big tan foamy head. No true retention, no lacing.

Nice dark roast notes, some bitter chocolate and coffee aromas. Nothing off, but not overly strong either.

Great dark charred malt flavors, with coffee and some creamy sweetness mixed in with a bit of an astringent bitter bite. Nice pleasant lingering bitter finish.

Fuller bodied and appropriately carbonated.

Good solid drinkable porter. Lacks hoppy or super bitter distinctions, and that is a good thing. The honey mellows this one. Great balance. Haven't had this in a while. Glad I grabbed a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2010 23:38:51 | More by OtherShoe2

beerprovedwright

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark as porter should be. Pulls a 35 on the SRM beer color chart. I was hoping for a little more head, but one finger was all I got. This head was light brown and tight fluffy bubbles. It actually took a while for this small head to convert to nice lacing around the side of my glass. Honey and chocolate are the first aromas to hit my nostrils. Sorghum molasses, raisins, coffee bean, and a hint of citrus linger in the background scents. Oh yes, I see why it is called Honey Porter. As with the smell, honey and chocolate are in the forefront, and with every sip and slide around my mouth comes another flavor; caramel, roasted wheat, coffee, lime, and hops. It has a billowy mouthfeel, like marshmallows. Oh yes I will have another. Should be good with glazed donuts.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2010 20:02:50 | More by beerprovedwright

abriggs1

Connecticut

1.2/5  rDev -67.5%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

This is quite simply, one of the most vile tasting "premium" beers I've ever had the displeasure of tasting. This beer is a challenge to choke down. Syrupy sweet and almost undrinkable. I wish I had something good to say about this beer, but it's really that bad. This tastes more like soda than beer, but much thicker and less refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2010 20:57:28 | More by abriggs1

chefhatt

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer has a nice dark color to it, with nice brown head that last a while. I smell a hint of honey and malts. The taste is out of this world, not to sweet but has just enough balance of hops and honey to make it really taste like a good porter. Great mouth feel and is very drinkable. I can't wait to drink another one.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2010 01:54:04 | More by chefhatt

silentjay

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

another beer I haven't had in a while that I figured I should revisit and review.

pours a barely translucent deep brown with mahogany tinting when held up to the light. a mocha head forms, sticks around a few minutes then recedes to leave a decent lace on the glass.

aroma is dominated by the honey. some roasted malt and earthy hops (bottle says dry-hopped with east kent goldings) are hiding behind the honey and never quite make it to the forefront, unfortunately.

roasted malt and a bit of hoppiness make it to the palate before being "balanced" by the honey. Its a pleasant flavor, but I would have liked a bit more of a roasty character, though. what is there is a bit of molasses, some brown sugar and there is a definite hop spiciness and sharpness before the honey completely dominates the finish. The sweetness sticks around forever.

honey in the mouthfeel as well. carbonation is a bit low which works well for the style. medium bodied with a syrupy feel from start to finish.

actually goes down well. would be exceptional with some more roastiness, but if you don't mind a bit of honey its actually quaffable. I'm thinking of mixing the last half of this with another beer, but I wouldn't mind drinking the rest on its own either.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2010 02:50:04 | More by silentjay