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

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

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

Ruddy chestnut with bright orange trim (on the coaster), uniform dark crimson (when backlit with sunshine). The head is the highlight of the appearance. It's large and beautifully creamy, like vigorously whipped butter. It's also an exceptional lace maker. Shotgun-riddled sheets stick from the top edge downward.

I can definitely appreciate honey in the nose. I love the fact that it's neither too subtle, nor too prominent, and is a great complement to the porterishness of the rest of the aroma. There's more of a dark earthiness present than there is chocolate or coffee. This promises to be an interesting, original offering. Let's hope it's also a delicious one.

I had my doubts about whether BBC could successfully pull off a honey porter. Not because I doubt their brewing talents, but because getting the combination of flavors just right in a beer like this probably isn't easy. They've managed to do it, though, and have created a wonderful beer in the process. No wonder Honey Porter was the winner of the second 'Beer Lover's Choice' campaign. The people don't always know best, but they did in this case.

The commingling of roasted malt (cocoa, dark caramel), Scottish heather honey and earthy English hops (Fuggles, East Kent Goldings) is a beautiful thing. Sweetness and bitterness are as well-balanced as the flavors themselves. There are only a handful of Sam Adams beers that I like more than this one.

I could tell the mouthfeel would be pleasurable by the sound the beer made when splashing into the glass. It's lightly creamy with an airy expansiveness and a perfect amount of soft carbonation. I wouldn't change a thing.

Samuel Adams Honey Porter well deserves the 'Brewmaster's Collection' moniker. Just as I suspected from the nose, it's an interesting, original creation that just about everyone should like. As far as I'm concerned, the craft beer movement owes a debt of gratitude to the Boston Beer Company. The combination of quality and availability in most of what they brew has saved me more than once.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2007 15:01:26 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.73/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A – Poured a nice golden dark amber, defiantly a hint of amber in this, with a mostly brown hue though. A nice two inch head rises atop of this one and then settles back to about an inch which pretty much hung around at that height thoughout the remainder of the session. Great carbonation coming up from the bottom was easily visiple through the semi transparent brown liquid. Once the side glass lace kicked in and started dripping, things got a tade more difficult to visualize though. Overall a pretty decent looker.



S – Aroma was very rich and sweet. I really did not detect and honey, so if it was there it was quickly overshadowed by your typical portesque aromas. Lots of roasted nuts and a touch of caramel were clearly evident as was a slight grassy or hoppy aroma floating around in the back. A decent overall aroma here.



T – Sort of a very light porter for me here. It was more like a lager, or brown ale if I had to get technical about it. Just did not have the fullness one usually sees in a porter. A quick hit of caramel up front was easily noticeable, followed by a strong touch of roasted malts. A nice grassy and earthy presense then tickled around and ended as a nice dry back settled in. Again not so sure why this is a honey porter, as it did not really have any honey hints in it, nor did it really come across as full as a porter usually does.



M – A little light here I have to admit. I was kinda hoping for a bit more here as It just seemed very thin, at least for the style. Now this would have been spot on for a brown ale, but for a porter a little thin. Still excellent carbonation though really pulled it through here, and the flavor was nice, just not what I was hoping for. No really oiley or slickness to it.



D –Very nice, it was like I said very light so it was very easy to put down. Good flavor, but not overwhelming helped as well. Could easily be a session ale and I am guessing that is what they were going for, as they usually do on most of their ales.



Overall this one was a mixed bag. If I review it as a brown ale I would have to score it fairly high as it had a nice feel and a good all around flavor profile, however if I stick to the porter it just came off a bit too thin for my liking. I would have thought it could have been a little bit fuller. Even still, excellent session ale and a worthy choice in the series for sure. I would not turn one down if it was offered. I also would not by a sixer either, so definitely a bit of a mixed bag, but worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2007 02:18:31 | More by mikesgroove

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.7/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours out a dark brown body with burgundy highlights and a medium-sized tan head.

Smell: Light aroma of honey and roasted malt.

Taste: Honey sweetness dovetails with a light coffee flavor and hints of dark chocolate. For me, there's no appreciable hop character, just a minor hop bite near the end. However, this beer finishes sweet.

Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Tingy, lively carbonation.

Drinkability: Though somewhat artificial tasting, this beer gives the impression of buttersctoch candy. Seems overly filtered, too.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2007 03:46:36 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

3.65/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a burnished brown color with ruby highlights; the rocky head sticks well and leaves plenty of lace

Smell: Roasted tones compete with sweet honey; a touch of malted milk balls

Taste: Starts out with a molasses cake flavor with honey tones building by mid-palate; not a mead like honey but an unfermented honey aspect; after the swallow, there is a bit of a hop and coffee presence to tone it down, but overall, this beer is rather sweet

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Just a bit to sweet for me; lacking offsetting complexity

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2007 23:29:58 | More by brentk56

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.85/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I've heard much about this beer, but only recently has it been distributed to Central Kentucky. Turns out to be a fine beer. A moderate to light Porter character shows light (Columbian) coffee, a hint of chocolate, mildly roasted grains and a lot of yeasty flavors from the fermentation. The body seems light, maybe toward Brown Ale proportions. The honey adds a subtle, underlining sweetness, perfumy aroma, and a delicate spiciness. Finishes a bit on the astringent side...seems to be typical of roasted grains in a lighter body. Otherwise a fine beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2007 15:34:36 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

3.65/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The first chance to try this beer,poured into my Red Oak pint glass a deep dark brown with some ruby-like hue when held up to the light a large fluffy 2 finger almond colored head atop that left multiple sheets of lace behind as it settles into a creamy mass.Rather light aromas some roastiness bitter chocolate and the heather honey lingers nicely,a tad thin and fizzy in the mouth but not distracting.Flavors start out mild but become fuller as it warms a bit lightly sweet and definantly roasty a real honey flavor profile shows in the appetizing finish finish .Not the most complex porter on earth but its drinkable and just sweet enough,I like it.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2007 22:24:27 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Walls of thin, sticky lace coat the glass throughout the entire serving as you drain it, sip by sip. The tan head maintains a thin but solid surface covering; and the clear, deep mahogany body glows with a crimson and ruby cast.

Some honey is found in the nose, along with some almost scorched sugar and a whiff of gently vinous dark fruit, perhaps plums; and the honey returns much more solidly in the flavor.

It's not chocolatey, although there is an edge to it, but mainly it displays deeply caramelized sugar, a dark fruitiness, a smear of ceral-like graininess, and honey. It's mildly roasty, but coupled with the dark sugar even that seems softened. The honey comes and goes, appearing in different places... sometimes at the start, and often lingering into the finish. The bitterness is more than firm, solid but not bold, but dull, perhaps muted by the honey sweetness. It finishes kind of dull and muddied, with some sticky honey (that's not necessarily sugary, but coating, and with honey flavor), and a solid bitterness and some dark malt acidity. It's very nice upfront, but offers a sloppy finish.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2007 16:19:34 | More by NeroFiddled

WesWes

New York

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

The beer pours a dark brown color with a thick frothy tan head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a rich, roasted scent that boasts of chocolate and special roast malts. It's creamy with a slight honey presence. The taste is good. It has a dry roasted flavor that goes down easy and finishes smooth. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a good porter. It's nothing too awesome, but I enjoyed it and would buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2007 00:35:15 | More by WesWes

zeff80

Missouri

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

A - Poured out black with brownish tints and tan, foamy, one-finger head. Left some lace.

S - It smelled of honey and caramel.Quite sweet.

T - It tasted very sweet and buttery. The honey flavor was noticeable behind a strong roasted malt taste. There was also a mild spice.

M - It was soft and creamy. A medium-bodied beer.

D - This is a pretty good porter. It really has a unique blend of flavors with the honey, caramel, roasted malt and hop spice.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2007 01:52:09 | More by zeff80

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a dark brown color with a thin, but foamy off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thin and even lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of honey, spice, a little chocolate and some hops.

T: The taste is sweet but not too sweet. The honey flavor is certainly there, but it’s not overdone. There are also flavors of roasted malt, dark fruit, spice and a touch of chocolate. This one doesn’t have the hoppiness that most Sam Adams beers have, but I think that’s a good thing for this type of beer. It also doesn’t have much of a chocolate or coffee flavor that most porters have either, which makes it a little awkward.

M: Crisp and very smooth, medium body but light for the style, medium carbonation, finish is dry and slightly sticky.

D: Tasty so far as it’s something different, goes down easy, just a little bit filling, it’s a good beer but I prefer a little substance and a little more flavor when I go for a porter.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2007 02:05:27 | More by TheManiacalOne

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

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.65/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

BBD of Aug 07, pours chestnut/mahogany with 2 fingers of fluffy brown sand colored head. Really good head renetion & good lacing

S: Sweetness (brown sugar) & light roasted malt

T: Roasted malt, choclate & a hint of sasparilla (sic) up front. Molasess, a hint of coffee & brown sugar follow. As this warms dryness asserts itself. Coffee & a hint of coccoa & along with intense dryness in the finish

MF: Medium bodied, but rich with low carbonation

Drinks fairly easy, not my favorite porter but a good, if over dry (too much honey) effort

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2007 03:51:55 | More by russpowell

Halcyondays

California

4.13/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle,

A: Pours a very dark brown, with a light tan head, with excellent retention, it hangs around forever, nice lacing, as well.

S: Smells heavily of honey, sweet wildflowers and heather, this is the dominant scent, but with also some roasted malts and chocolate.

T: A nice mix of sweet honey and dark porter flavour hits the tongue. Chocolate, a hint of coffee, and some roasted malts round out the flavour, of which the honey is a major player.

M: Smooth, creamy, not terribly robust, but good heft for its size and alcohol content.

D: A great little porter, one of my favourite Sam Adams brews that I have ever had, this is definitely worth another purchase.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2007 18:31:48 | More by Halcyondays

jwc215

New Jersey

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

Poured from bottle, best before June 2007

Pours deep borwn with a rocky tan head that slowly thins and sticks around.

The smell is of sweet dark malt and honey.

The taste is of honey upfront that lingers around well into the aftertaste. Beyond the herbal honey sweetness lies more sweet maltiness that is offset by a pinch of bitter coffee. There is something beyond the honey, but not enough to even it out. Sweet finish with just a nod to the bitter hops that stay well-subdued.

The feel is medium to full bodied with a soft, almost buttery, smoothness.

I expected a honey sweetness, and got it, but some more balance would have been nice. A coffee-ish porter was present, enough to give it a decent taste when mixed with the honey, but not enough to round it out. Not a bad brew for but the honey sweetness was a bit too much for me, personally.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2007 02:17:53 | More by jwc215

tempest

Pennsylvania

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

Oh, this is a nice looking beer. A dark brown body with a tall light tan head that leaves thick lacing. The rest of the beer, unfortunately, is less impressive - though still good.

The aroma is of sweet bready grains and honey. The flavor expands on the honey, adding a small, but crisp hop bite with subtle chocolate and caramel malt flavors. The flavor is a touch plain, but the overall feel has a great balance between the honey sweetness, dry malts and hops. Worth a try if you like honey, but this can't stand up to most porters.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2008 01:05:47 | More by tempest

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beers appearance is great large rocky textured tan head above a dark ruby almost black body with much eye appeal. Aroma roasted dark malts creamy sweetness charred roasty character with herbal hops no overt honey tones but subtle mellow sweetness is there. Flavor is clean charred malts give a bitterness creamy overall with a honey finish to it hidden sweetness among the dark roasted barley malts. Mouthfeel is medium bodied even light for some porters but carbonation levels are great no need to worry. Drinkability is solid a staple for most beer drinkers into dark beer living in WV we don't have many options but this is a great even porter that I would welcome anytime.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2007 13:51:01 | More by WVbeergeek

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beautiful rocky head with plentiful lace on the glass.

Wow, the honey smell is quite strong. I was expecting it to be far more subtle. Needless to say, it is sweet. There is nearly none of the typical porter smells.

The taste is completely different from the smell--lots of cocoa, little honey or sweetness. Enough hop to create a bitter finish with chocolate in the background. Very complex. Good body and carbonation.

I like this beer although I find the smell to be a bit deceiving from what you ultimately drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2008 00:50:56 | More by smcolw

Wasatch

Utah

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

Pours a nice clean/clear dark brown color, nice carbonation, nice little off-white head, some nice sticky lacing afterwards. Then nose is sweet, malty, and lots of caramel. The taste is sweet, malt, some vanilla, honey, and caramel. This brew is smooth and got a nice carbonation kick. Medium body. Very drinkable, glad to see this one finally show up here in utah. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2007 01:58:13 | More by Wasatch

jdhilt

New Hampshire

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

Pours with a four finger light brown head leaving a good lace. Almost opaque deep mahogany color. The nose is light honey and malts. Medium carbonation and medium-heavy body. Flavor is a chewy honey/roasted coffee with a bakers chocolate finish. $1.50 for 12oz bottle from Capitol Convenience, Concord, NH.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2007 23:55:42 | More by jdhilt

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

(Served in a Sam Adams glass)

A- This beer has a crystal clear but a bit dense body of brown with a rocky oatmeal textured tan head that looks a bit like a brain as it pulls away from the glass. There is carbonation trailing up the side of the glass.

S- The soft sweetness of honeycomb blends with brown malt notes and a mellow raw grain finish.

T- This beer has a slightly tangy note of mead to start off then a nougat hint to it and a mellow brown malt flavor. There is a slight bitter note of black malt at the finish with a slight coffee roasted malt flavor.

M- This beer has a medium-full mouthfeel with a slightly watery texture.

D- This beer has one of the better honey flavor I have tasted in a beer but the porter is a bit weak. The tartness at the beginning is a bit to much and after two classes I thought there was an on taste of old man smell that I could not get out of my mind.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2008 18:19:03 | More by rhoadsrage

Jason

Massachusetts

3.33/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Sample from the "Beer Lover's Choice" vote. 12oz brown bottle with a freshness date on the label.

A- Dark brown with ruby highlights, great head retention as the lace leave a spiderweb-like trail down the glass.

S- Slight roasted malt, raw honey comb. Caramelized / burnt sugar.

T&M- Raw honey all throughout ... almost too much of a honey character. Full bodied and very smooth, lush mouth feel. Mild roasted malt flavor and mild on the hops, barely enough bitterness to balance. Finishes very sweet.

D- Not bad but not the Honey Porter I remember ... I am sure my tastes have changed but this one comes off a bit too sweet.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2006 03:22:13 | More by Jason

ppoitras

Massachusetts

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

12oz bottle purchased as part of the Brewmaster's Variety Collection 12-pack from Yankee Spirits, Sturbridge, MA.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1/2" light brown head over the clear reddish brown brew. Head falls gradually, with lasting sticky lacing. Aroma is rich grains and sweetness. Taste begins with full malt flavor, goes honey sweet in the middle, a quick tart shot and then closes with a lingering sweetness. Mouthfeel is smooth, and drinkability is pretty good. Continues the Sam tradition of being an acceptable representative of the style, but nothing outrageous.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2009 19:55:57 | More by ppoitras

Zorro

California

4/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Clear dark brown ale with a good light brown head.

Firstly the scent of this beer is intensely bready. Sweet smelling there is a reasonably strong honey scent and some butter. This smells exactly like a popular Oklahoma Cherokee snack, wild honey and butter on bread, and this is spot on for that smell. Little bit of chocolate and smoke in the scent and no really coffee aroma.

The taste starts out sweet and smoky with a dark bread flavor, the smoke flavor is long lasting. Bitterness kicks in after the second sip moderately strong but not overpowering. There is really more molasses flavor here than the honey but it is in here if you know what heather honey tastes like. Interesting choice and a different way of getting a smoky flavor in the beer. English style hops which ones I am not sure about.

Mouthfeel is OK.

A damn tasty and easy to drink beer that I really wish I had a growler of for the weekend. Super tasty beer and one that absolutely deserves to be available year round.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2007 04:56:03 | More by Zorro

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a dark brown with just the tiniest amount of red highlights showing around the bottom. Finger width of tan head that retains well and leaves a nice latticework of lacing down the sides of the glass. The aroma is surprisingly deep wiht notes of chocolate and coffee with just the tiniest amount of sweet honey in the background. I also picked up just a smidge of heat as well.

The taste is roasted malt, sweet chocolate, and coffee. The honey makes itself known with just a splash in the finish followed up by some dry hop bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a mellow creamy feel.

This was a nicely done and drinkable Porter from Sam Adams. I was especially surprised just how deep the roasted chocolate came through. It's definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2008 17:23:54 | More by Kegatron

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