Organic Honeydew - Fuller Smith & Turner PLC

sammytag

Alberta (Canada)

2/5  rDev -43.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

For all the "buzz" about this beer, I'm very unimpressed. With the Fuller's '08 vintage ale still on my tongue, I decided to give this one a try. Not great.

The nose is weak, with nothing distinguishable going on. A little touch of honey, yet, it's not enough to entice me.

The taste is clean, but not flavourful. The hops are lost in a tangle of weak malts and sweet graininess.

Not a very rewarding beer, unlike the rest of the fuller's commercial export line (Vintage, London Pride, London Porter, ESB).

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2009 02:14:38 | More by sammytag

lacqueredmouse

Australia

2.03/5  rDev -42.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Pours an extremely carbonated dark golden colour, fizzing head out of the bottle as soon as it's opened. Head is rocky and full; a very large crown of yellow-white bubbles that crackle and pop their way down to a disappointing nothingness, lacing no lacing. Head is too large bubbled, although the colour is nice.

Noticeable fruit on the nose, with a light citric note of orange peel, with some fragrant, if slightly cloying honey notes. Altogether, it smells rather like its namesake, with some organic sweetness reminiscent of melon rind. It's quite nice, very fresh and summery.

Taste is very bland, with a welling of really unpleasant wet grain funk on the back. Initial lightly sweet citric flavour, crashed with a really raw, almost meaty finish. Honey sweetness has disappeared, just leaving this organic compost-like flavour. Extremely light body leaves nothing to the imagination.

This started off like an unassuming, if tame, English honey pale, but ended falling on the poor side of drinkable. I find honey beers very often lack something, and this is no exception. Spice them, like mead, give them some character, or do something guys... This is at best bland; at worst undrinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2009 04:38:59 | More by lacqueredmouse

TerryW

Ontario (Canada)

2.13/5  rDev -39.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Fuller's usually offer up decent beers, so I was quite curious about this one and looking forward to giving it a try. Unfortunately, beyond being not bad looking, I think it's a bust.

Crystal clear golden colour with a moderate head that quickly settles to a thin film, but still manages to give up decent lace. Looks fairly appetizing.

Slightly sharp nose, grassy with a hint of honey and some malt in the background. Very disappointing to drink. Thin bodied, slightly floral and metallic. Finishes with a lingeing metallic bitterness.

Fuller's is capable of far better. Not to my taste at all.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2006 18:53:18 | More by TerryW

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

2.25/5  rDev -36.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Bottle: Poured a deep yellow color ale with a surprisingly big white puffy head with good retention. Aroma of honey is quite dominating with some malt also discernable. Taste is way sweeter then expected with honey making a huger impact then expected (I guess I’m getting used to those American honey brown beer where honey is quite subdued). Definitely too sweet for my own personal liking and one of the worst from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2006 19:22:15 | More by Phyl21ca

ThaCreep

Belgium

2.3/5  rDev -34.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

An easy-drinking palate, offering honey to taste, but without being really convincing. Honey is also present in the nose, in a style more grilled. The body is a little too soft and watery to really satisfy. Moreover, the lack of bitterness, often characteristic of Fuller's brewery is also disadvantageous. A model of Honey Ale, which gives an impression of poorly controlled, perhaps due to the absence of a higher ABV to compensate for the missing body, which remains light years ahead of Belgian models.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2010 10:42:13 | More by ThaCreep

kjyost

Manitoba (Canada)

2.33/5  rDev -34%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a clear straw yellowish (it was a dark room so I can't be 100% sure) with a short lived head atop it. Left light to no lacing. The nose of the beer had a sweetness to it and a bit of straw and apple. The beer itself was thin and had a touch of sweetness, but didn't have any substantive flavours or character that left me thinking it was much other than a macro. Once again the apple flavour was there, making me wonder if something was wrong with this beer. Bubbly in the mouth, and not a beer I would be reaching for again when given a decent second option.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2010 15:58:00 | More by kjyost

bark

Sweden

2.38/5  rDev -32.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

The colour is golden yellow; the white foam sinks down with a fizzing sound.

The smell is spicy (garden cress) with notes of malt and honey.

The carbonation is fresh, more like lager than ale.

The taste is quite weak and sweet, but it is almost too full-bodied, the malt resembles of a cheap standard lager. The aftertaste is milder with a low bitterness and flavours of honey drops, malt and marzipan.

I don’t really get this one. I reviewed it chilled; maybe I should try it really cold?

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2005 20:38:16 | More by bark

BrewsCrewSA

Texas

2.45/5  rDev -30.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

A - Pours golden with a massive foamy head. A bit cloudy, carbonated.

S - smells of produce and faint malts, alcohol. Can't say much else about the bouquet.

T - Hmm....that was interesting. Sourness of (honey?) follows immediately by the sting of carbonation and alcohol. Kind of tastes, in all seriousness, like blood. Sweetness follows through the finish. Not impressed.

M - Meh. Acidic sting hits the palate, does not resound nicely, not at all creamy like Fuller's others. A bit disappointed here.

D - No.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 03:22:40 | More by BrewsCrewSA

ritzkiss

Ontario (Canada)

2.6/5  rDev -26.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

500ml bottle pours a slightly cloudy apple juice color with a finger of tight head that quickly runs away, leaving very minimal lacing.

I'll give them this - it smells like honey. Maybe some apples and some light light malts.

Taste is... bland. Bready malts and grains carry the brew into bland nothing-land. Some light honey notes, some lighter fresh fruit notes. Slightly acrid back of the mouth-feel , combined with the taste makes it seem a bit like stale apple juice (I guess that's the "zesty hops" they proclaim on the label). Ok carbonation.

I probably wouldn't drink more than one of these because of the taste but if you were to dig it you could easily pound these back for a while. Just not much there.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2009 21:04:30 | More by ritzkiss

bobsy

Ontario (Canada)

2.68/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Bottle from the LCBO. Nice golden colour, but no head. Aroma of honey was not overpowering, and I liked the subtlety it implied. Flavour was sweet, but too me it was a generic sweetness, and didn’t identify with the honey aroma. There is also a malty kick in there. Refreshing, but boring.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2008 19:32:20 | More by bobsy

treque

Mexico

2.75/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Orange Hue little fast dissipating head, steady but slight carbonation

S:honey-sweet aroma very light, expect much more

T: The taste is not as intense as you'd think. Leave a refreshing sensation in the throat, medium bodied, with extended ending that tends to honeyed flavor and a touch of malt

A little bit dissapointing, i would not buy this beer again

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2010 21:59:09 | More by treque

rickyleepotts

Arizona

2.88/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

The first organic beer we tried was terrible. I am hoping the honey helps this one. We have only had one from Fuller, but there are a ton on the list. I also found it interesting that BeerAdvocate, a site that has ALWAYS had every beer I was looking for, was missing this one. Not sure what the deal was… but it wasn’t there. There is one listed with cranberries, but this one is just honey. Organic honey! I had no idea that was hard to find. I guess another reason I need to visit South Africa.

This beer will go good after a long day in the office. Let’s get started.

In the Glass: It looks like a thin, polished lager. I was confused because on the website (the official Fuller, Smith, & Turner website) they pitch it as a lager when the style is actually a pale ale. Not sure… but it looks like a lager before it looks like a pale. I am a little worried, because the bottle says to enjoy before April 12.

Nose: The beer doesn’t have that big of a nose. I don’t pick up the honey until the very end. This is a beer that you want to drink freezing cold, but I am sure more aroma will come as it heats up. But that is a double edged sword… gain aroma but lose flavor on a beer like this.

Flavor: The flavor is bland, but the sweetness from the honey really stands out. As I drink this beer, I think about how drinkable it really is. There isn’t much in terms of the mouthfeel or the aftertaste… I would compare this to an infused light beer, like a Bud Light Lime. That’s not a bad thing, because the honey stands out.

Mouthfeel: There isn’t much of a mouthfeel here. It is thin, slides across the palate like a light beer, and is gone just like that. There is some subtle dryness toward the end, but that is gone as fast as it gets there. There aren’t as many bubbles as I expected, either.

Aftertaste: There isn’t much of an aftertaste here. What aftertaste there is is calm, with some dry honey notes. I am not sure I could tell the different between organic honey and regular honey… but it makes me feel better drinking an organic beer, I suppose.

This beer is good, but it is not great. I would order it again if the price is right. I would like to have this on tap in a pitcher to share with friends. If this was being served in a restaurant, I hope they throw a little honeycomb on the rim of the glass for garnish. That would be sweet!

Honey Dew - The bottle says: “THIS AWARD WINNING BEER, DELIGHTFULLY TASTY, GOLDEN AND REFRESHING, IS THE U.K.’S LEADING ORGANICALLY PRODUCED ALE. BREWED USING CAREFULLY CHOSEN INGREDIENTS, ORGANIC ENGLISH MALT, ORGANIC HOPS AND THE FINEST ORGANIC HONEY, TOGETHER WITH OUR UNIQUE YEAST AND WATER, HONEY DEW HAS A MELLOW, ROUNDED CHARACTER DELICIOUSLY BALANCED WITH A ZESTY CITRUS FINISH.”

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 02:40:20 | More by rickyleepotts

GreenCard

Oregon

2.9/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: golden hue, great clarity, thinnish layer of foam that quickly turns to a thin half-moon of film

Aroma: light honey, used shoe leather(?), malt, angel food cake, a breath of English hops

Flavor: honey sweetness at first, then a touch of meaty yeast flavor followed by a malty backbone and just a tickle of hop flavor, finishes semi-sweet with an aftertaste of butterscotch, saccharine, hop bitterness and (funnily enough... or appropriately?) honeydew melon

Mouthfeel: medium-light body, light carbonation, slightly minerally

Other comments: Not a bad beer as it definitely reflects the quality that is common with Fullers. And I swear I'm not imagining the honeydew thing just because of the name.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2004 18:04:45 | More by GreenCard

allergictomacros

Ontario (Canada)

2.9/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Clear gold with a solid one-inch head.

S - Hmm. Mildew? That's a new one on me. Some grassy hops as well.

T - Sweet. Not sure I taste the honey. Solid hop kick though.

M - Slightly creamy, but light overall.

D - It's alright, but nothing special. Definitely on the sweet side, and needs some balance.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2006 23:25:58 | More by allergictomacros

PlowKing

Ontario (Canada)

2.98/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Serve chilled from the 500mL bottle.

Appearance - A transparent golden colour with an off-white dense head.

Smell - Distinct aroma of honey, slightly floral.

Taste - The ale was lightly carbonated which produced a nice smooth texture. Unfortunately, the taste was disappointing. There was a lack of body and none of the dryness associated with the addition of honey to a beer. Overall, the beer resembled that of a lager, albeit a "light" lager.

Its a shame that this beer seems like an underachiever compared to the London Porter.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2006 16:09:44 | More by PlowKing

hoegaardenhero

California

3.03/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

a: golden orange body with 2 fingers of tight white head that fades quickly leaving a little sticky lace on the side of glass

s: caramel malts; raw grains; just a hint of sweet honey; not overly fragrant

t: raw wheat is the predominant flavor; dryer than expected; caramel malts and honey flare up mid sip and slowly fade away leaving the grainy taste w/ just a hint of honey

m: nothing special; medium carb with light body

d: could definitely be a refreshing summer beer with just a hint of honey but a little on the boring side

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2008 15:08:42 | More by hoegaardenhero

Macca

Australia

3.05/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This pours a dark golden in colour with a generous white fluffy head. Clear.

Some sweet honey aromas and some graininess as well.

the taste is malty with quite a bit of sweetness. Very little hop influence.

Light mouthfeel. The sweetness is a little cloying.

It's ok but nothing exciting.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2009 09:56:18 | More by Macca

Mit

Ontario (Canada)

3.08/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a straw colour with very little head to speak of after initial pouring.

Smells of honey...initial smell is somewhat cloying....

Mild hop flavours with a def honey flavor coming through. Some bready notes coming through.

Solid mouthfeel for this beer. Fullers has this down pat IMO.

Overall this was a tasty beer. It got a little sweet but I could go for it again.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2011 00:10:05 | More by Mit

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

3.08/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A 500ml bottle with a BB of Nov 2012. Brewed with organic ingredients - the label claims that this is the UK's most popular organic beer.

Poured into a straight pint glass. A golden-amber colour with faint haze and medium carbonation. Forms a large head of white foam that lasts for a few minutes before subsiding. Aroma of light malt, a hint of sweet, earthy honey and some very mild floral notes. Not too much going on.

Tastes of sweet, light malt with a hint of honey. Subtle notes of fruity ale yeast, faint caramel, mild honey and stewed hops. A slight floweriness in the background. Dry and slightly sugary. No bitterness to speak of. Mouthfeel is smooth, dry and tingly, with nicely judged carbonation. Aftertaste of faint malt/honey.

An OK honey beer, though nothing special. Quite light in aroma and flavour, though the honey comes through. Would probably be alright on a hot day, but frankly there's not enough going on to hold my attention. Worth trying but no need to seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 23:24:33 | More by jazzyjeff13

Eramen

Ireland

3.1/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Pours a pale gold with a one finger head that disappears soon after.

S - Smells mostly of honey, sugar, sweetbread.

T- Quite tangy, probably owing to the mixture of honey and brewing malts which are a strong feature on the palate; hint of lemon and breads, there is not really any more pronounced flavours other than these - disappointing. Hop bitterness is minimal.

MF - Fairly thin and watery in substance, about average mf.

O - An ok beer, it beats Wells honey beer but isn't spectacular. I honestly expect much more from Fuller's whose brews are normally fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2011 21:16:07 | More by Eramen

ZorPrime

Quebec (Canada)

3.1/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

500 ml bottle. 5% ABV. Big bee on the label.

The color is golden a little bit on the dark side too. Thrones a nice looking foamy head of white color. Tenacious head on top. Sticks well to the glass.

The aroma is light in intensity (expected). Fruity notes with some honey in there too. Sweet and mellow in the nose. Taste has notes of honey with some malts and cereals. Good taste.

A good average beer that is very refreshing and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 19:28:04 | More by ZorPrime

ricke

Sweden

3.15/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Serving date: 2009-02-19. Served in snifter.

Presentation: 500 ml bottle with freshness date (best before 2010-01-08) and some suggested food pairings on the label.

Appearance: Pours a very clear pale copper color with a 1 cm head that dissipates way too quickly. Minimal lacework.

Smell: Caramel, plenty of honey and faint notes of dry earth. A very sweet smell all in all, with a distinct genuine honey character. However, the smell is rather restrained.

Taste: Very reminiscent of the smell. Mostly honey, biscuit and caramel malts, earth and a metallic taste in the middle. Some grassy hops as well. The finish is first and foremost short (a moment away from a sip, I basically can't tell I'm drinking a beer) but has some grassy (nettles?) hop flavors to it. Minimal bitterness. The finish is also slightly dry and together with the earth and grassy flavors, this makes the beer seems slightly harsh. In general, the flavors in this one are too restrained, and there's not much going on at all.

Mouthfeel: Moderate body with semi-sharp bubbles. I actually think its level of carbonation is to high.

Drinkability: I wasn't expecting much from this, but still I feel a bit disappointed. As noted, its too restrained and actually comes out a bit bland. It lacks complexity and since there is nothing backing up the honey flavors, these become too dominating. Further, the flavors don't mix that well either. The honey clashes with the earth and the malts get disturbed by the metallic flavors I got. In short, it tastes like beer with honey, not honey beer - and in theory there is a big difference between the two. It was fun to try it, but I would buy it again. However, it should get some credits for the way the honey tastes - like real genuine honey.

NOTE: ABV is 5% according to the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2009 20:23:20 | More by ricke

Noxious26

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.18/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500ml bottle poured in a pint glass. Unique bottle and I like how they have Independent Family Brewers embossed in the bottle.

Clear, golden colour. White head is 1/8 inch on the pour, but quickly recedes to a thin ring.

Aroma of grassy and skunky hops with a touch of honey.

Quite a mild flavoured brew. The honey is most evident before the swallow as there is a definite sweetness prsent. Grassy hops off the start with hints of light malt in the background. The hops fade in the middle to reveal a brief honey taste. Things come to an abrupt finish as everything just seems to disappear from the palate like a magic act. Aftertaste is hardly there and is a little grassy/skunky hops.

Medium mouthfeel with light carbonation. Fairly smooth.

This actually reminds me more of a lager than a pale ale. Reasonably refreshing and smooth, but no real wow factor. Very nice on a hot day like today.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2006 03:37:11 | More by Noxious26

elricorico

Alberta (Canada)

3.18/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

In the glass, this one is a deep golden orange, almost creeping towards amber. The head was about a centimetre thick, white and bubbly. The head doesn't last though.

Grainy and sweet, the aroma gives a baked bread sort of impression. I can't say I specifically smell honey, but there is certainly something sweet about it that doesn't seem malty. Altogether it smells akin to a pilsner to me.

The honey hits right away in the taste, where many beers have honey in the name, this one backs it up in the flavour. A bit of citrus and some dry grain in the finish. Something metallic lingers. Unique in this department, but not my cup of tea.

A little bit of body and lively carbonation. Almost feels like a fizzy mixed drink. Not bad, but not great.

Doesn't rate too high for me. Nothing bad about it, but nothing that gets me going.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2006 00:47:03 | More by elricorico

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.18/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Light honeyish colour with good fresh head. very subtle hop and honey smell. Easy drinking session ale. Not too sweet, and the hops are under the honey's constraint. Satisfying, drying aftertaste, with drops of burning honey on the lips.
Had on tap at Twisted Kilt 2.4 years later and it was honeyish, decent mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2007 22:22:08 | More by northyorksammy