Summer Honey Ale - Big Sky Brewing Company

Murrhey

Montana

2.73/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a weizen glass in high elevation Libby, Mont. Reviewed live.

A- Half-finger white head, virtually no retention. Pale golden color with high clarity. No real lacing. Not very appealing.

S- Light malts, grass and soap. Maybe some honey if I stretch for it, but otherwise very bland.

T- Spicy hops, golden malts. It's alright.

M- Light bodied and aggressive carbonation.

O- Not great. Below average. Avoid.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 04:43:58 | More by Murrhey

Lemke10

Wisconsin

3.38/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a semi-clear amber color with a slight but fast diminishing head. Scent is sweet with wheat and hints of honey. Taste is light, refreshing, and smooth. The texture is decent for a summer beer, but could perhaps still be a bit thicker. The taste is sweet with malts and honey. For a summer beer, it’s not to bad but Big Sky does have better made beers on the market.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 03:32:49 | More by Lemke10

bump8628

Oklahoma

3.38/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

One of the many "easy-drinking" summer seasonals that shows up every year. Like most, this doesn't offer much in flavor, but what it has is pleasant. Subtle spicing sets it apart some. Light caramel honey sweetness, interesting herbal spicy twang from the hop/spice combo. Clean and light on the palate. Nice enough, I can't put my finger on any single spice which helps keep it mildly interesting.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 20:14:33 | More by bump8628

beergoot

Colorado

3.43/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Nice, golden yellow body topped with a thick, creamy white head. Smell comes across kind of 'dirty' and skunky. Some burnt grain notes. Some bright, grassy notes. Tastes include a light bread-like character with a good, subtle bitterness. Some slight caramel notes and buttery tones. The beer feels slightly rich, yet smooth and dry.

A decent little summer beer from "the last best place". Nothing outstanding, but worth a taste or two.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 00:30:13 | More by beergoot

imasloth

Texas

4.15/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Very small white head immediately gone. Lots of small carbonation in slightly hazy honey-coloured beer.

S- Honey, sweet, light malt, kind of lager-y.

T- Grassy, floral, slight bitterness, light honey.

M- Light to medium body. Little bitter feel.

O- Very good. Certainly adds something in taste to the concept of a summer beer (innovative).

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 22:27:47 | More by imasloth

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

4.38/5  rDev +29.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a standard pint glass.

A- Beautiful golden honey color with bubbles slowly rising from the bottom. A huge foamy white head that takes forever to recede, and sheets of thick sticky lacing coats the glass.

S- Smells malty, with a sweet honey undertone.

T- Big sudsy malty taste, with a gentle coating of honey afterward. Just perfectly balanced.

M- Medium bodied and creamy.

O- Another great beer by Big Sky, my second favorite brewery. This is delicious, and the perfect amount of sweetness makes this a great session beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 16:47:59 | More by JuicesFlowing

alexanf

2.83/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- Pours a honey laced gold.

S- Pale malts with light hints of spice and honey.

T- Flavorful honey, with a slight hint of fruit. Also has traces of wheat and light earthy spices.

M- Smooth, lightly carbonated. Finishes quickly and leaves a slight touch of honey lingering.

O- Overall, this has been my least favorite offering from Big Sky Brewing.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 23:41:04 | More by alexanf

jsisko01

Michigan

4.45/5  rDev +31.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - Pours a dark honey color with a thin white head that fades into a nice, thick lacing.

Smell - Has a slight bitter funk to it, along with feint hints of honey and wheat.

Taste - Very sweet with pale malts, caramel, honey, corn, wheat, and buttery biscuits. I honestly don't taste any spices at all.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with low carbonation.

Overall - I usually don't favor honey beers but this stuff tastes great. It's very drinkable and I hope to find it again some day.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 03:18:10 | More by jsisko01

barnzy78

Illinois

3/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle, pours golden with a thin white head that quickly dissipates leaving no lacing on the glass. Aromas are biscuity, sweet, faint honey. Tastes are sweet, malty, honey, biscuit, some spice, and trace herbal hop on the finish. Mouth-feel is thin-to-medium with moderate carbonation. Overall, definitely sessionable, but pretty standard for the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 03:01:41 | More by barnzy78

bushbeer75

Michigan

3.6/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz brown bottle poured into a glass mug

Big Sky Brewing Summer Honey Ale poured a clear honey golden color with a small ¾ finger white head of bubbly foam that was short lived. The aroma was of wheat, and light honey. The flavor is a bit stronger and more diverse than the aroma with the honey up front, some citrus along with a light herbal/spiciness that is hard to identify. For an APA the hoppiness is on the light side which suits me just fine. Make sure you do not drink Summer Honey Ale to cold as the flavor improves as it warms. The mouth feel is to the lighter side and a bit soft – perfect for a summertime brew.

Big Sky Summer Honey Ale is a good choice for a refreshing summertime brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 20:55:38 | More by bushbeer75

kojevergas

California

2.6/5  rDev -23.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12 fl. oz. brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a true imperial pint glass in high altitude Castle Rock, Colorado. Reviewed live. Expectations are above average; I quite fancy honey beers, but this brewery has yet to impress me.

A: Pours a two finger head of slight cream, fair/below average thickness, and okay retention. Colour is a transparent light gold. The abundance of bubbles makes me wonder if it's overcarbonated.

Sm: Mildly full barley, traces of cidery honey notes, and no detectable spices (I was looking for them per the label). A mild strength aroma.

T: A barley foundation with some decent honey notes atop. I detect no spice at all. It's quite simply built so there isn't much to say about it. No layering or depth. It's decently balanced I guess.

Mf: Smooth and wet, but also too obstructively thick. There's hardly any allowance for what few flavours are present. It's by no means creamy. The finish is abruptly dry and a touch coarse.

Dr: Drinkable but forgettable. I might try it again on draught if I'm feeling squirrelly but otherwise I'll just avoid this in the future. This was the fourth and final beer I had from their variety pack; I see no reason to have anything from this brewery in the future unless it comes naturally to me. They seem to be pretty shite.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 04:23:30 | More by kojevergas

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

3.88/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Consumed: 10/14/11

Appearance: A mostly clear, pale golden color - honestly looks a lot like Trout Slayer, which I had earlier tonight - small white head, minimal lacing

Smell: Pale, light malts with some quite obvious honey - very honey-forward - maybe this was added post-fermentation? - a little spicy, a little floral, but really not that exciting

Taste: Interesting - the honey is really prominent - sweet, but not excessively so - some spice, some light fruit - malts are very light, kind of like barely-cooked biscuits, kind of tastes like some wheat is involved here - a touch of citrus to balance things out - certainly not bitter, but there are some hops in here

Mouthfeel: Light medium body, kind of coats the tongue in a dry way, medium carbonation

Overall: Surprisingly good

At first I was a bit confused by the honey, but it grew on me very quickly. This is really one of the best uses of honey I've encountered in quite some time. I'm note sure if it's what I want in a summer beer, but it works quite well right now as I'm drinking it in October.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 04:56:21 | More by angrybabboon

zoso1967

Michigan

3.63/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Summer Honey Ale pours a light golden color with a pale beige head. The head is nice and light with a frothy texture. It has decent retention and leaves some nice lacing.

The aroma is fairly subtle, but it does have some nice, slightly grainy aromas to it. It also carries a light spice note and some zesty citrus.

The flavor is crisp, pleasant and unassuming with a nice sweetness that mixes well with an earthy spiciness. The citrusy and zesty character also comes through, as well as some floral blossom notes.

The body is quite light and the carbonation is appropriate for style. The finish is dry and slightly grainy, but fairly refreshing.

This is a drinkable and light ale that would definitely be a good one to quaff at a summer party. I found it to be pretty unremarkable, but solid none the less.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2011 03:03:44 | More by zoso1967

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

copper color with a good amount of clarity to it. two inch head of white foam came over the top right away.p.

nice and hopped, grassy with some decent touches of light citrus and pine mixed in. A biscuit like bready middle to it that really came out once it warmed up. The flavor was more of the same, crisp and clean, with a quick hitting citric hop bite. Crisp and clean

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 04:31:05 | More by mikesgroove

minterro

Michigan

3.4/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Montana mixer

A & S: clear yellow orange colored beer. Off white thick foamy head when poured and doesn’t disappear much for the rest of the consumption. Lacing has a decent amount of cling. There are bits of unfiltered specks floating about in the many rising bubbles. Dominantly fruity aroma, with hints of honey as advertised along with a metallic scent.

T & M: A bit of a dry, very light hoppy penetrating the whole taste (but the hops are not very pronounced, there are there but not robust). Traces of fruitiness throughout, and you can taste the spices in the mid to last part of the taste. Med. bodied with a relatively high amount of carbonation. Really easy to drink.

O: Overall I liked it, and im happy about the montana mixer purchase.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2011 15:08:37 | More by minterro

ADZA

Australia

2.98/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a clear golden yellow hue which leaves a two finger frothy head and sporadic lacing,the smell is average and has aromas of grains,bready sweet malts and herbal hops but very uninspiring,the mothfeel is light bodied and dissapointing with tastes of honey,lemon zest,grains and finished with a spicy herbal hoppy dryness and overall its below par with an average mouthfeel that doesnt suit and would not buy again cheers.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 10:38:15 | More by ADZA

JEdmund

Kansas

3.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Hazy honey yellow, smallish head.

Definite honey and some spice and doughy sweet malt.

Taste features a good honey flavor without overdoing it. Seems to have some wheat in the mix. Light bodied and right level of flavor for a summer seasonal. Finish is crisp, with a hop bite that's part orange, part bubblegum.

An interesting concoction. Enjoyable but not especially memorable. Certainly a good summer option if you're looking for something a little different.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 00:57:48 | More by JEdmund

UCLABrewN84

California

3.45/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a semi-clear light orange with a 1 inch off-white head that fades to a thin film. Foamy rings of lace form on the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, honey, and some spice notes. Taste is of toasted malt, honey, and spices. There is a slight bitterness on the tongue after each sip that lingers for a bit. A good level of carbonation makes for a crisp and clean mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but not something I would buy more of.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2011 16:55:42 | More by UCLABrewN84

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

3.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Yellow to tan and a bit hazy. Head was about a half inch and lacing was sparse.

Smelled of honey, lemons, and grains.

Taste is refreshing and crisp, with a grainy base being accented heavily with lemons and honey, along with a somewhat floral afternote.

Body is light and more bubbly than I expected from the head. Easy drinking and summery to be sure.

Overall it's tasty and I would like to get it in cans for a day of fishin'.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 19:30:44 | More by AlCaponeJunior

MrVonzipper

California

3.28/5  rDev -3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Light honey Color with alot of visible carbonation Short white head  

Pale malt. Not much going on at all. Very disappointing. Smells like a euro pale lager. 

Tastes like a euro pale lager but thankfully a little better with the extra touch of honey and spice notes. 

Mouth. Very lite and refreshing Good carbonation.

Overall this beer was pretty boring. There are many summer honey style beers I prefer over this one. I wouldn't get this again.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2011 04:44:40 | More by MrVonzipper

awmiller

Texas

3.05/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Under the cap – “If yer gonna be stoopid, ya gotta be tough!” This brew poured up a clear golden body with a one-finger head (from a somewhat vigorous pour). Retention was minimal reducing down to a bubbly film on top with minimal lacing effects. Smell- Lots of sweet honey and spices throughout. Served ‘fridge-cold’. Scents and flavors of honey (duh!) and various spices and very little detection of hops or malts throughout.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2011 21:30:48 | More by awmiller

lurpy1

Minnesota

3.23/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Split a bottle with my lovely wife last night. It's uber-tropical here, so seems like a good night for a beer that runs towards the light side.

Unfortunately, this one is too tilted towards the light. Mouthfeel, while not unpleasant, is clearly thin. The taste is pleasant, honey, breakfast spices, apples, but there's just not enough there there. Hop characteristic is completely lacking, although it shows up in the aftertaste . My wife summed up well after we were done: "Find me something else, I don't even feel like I drank a beer."

It does go down very well on a hot, hot night. Probably a good gateway beer from Macro beers to craft brew. Other than that, I look for something with a little more action.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 13:45:25 | More by lurpy1

Gatch

Massachusetts

2.93/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Golden pale in color. Thin, fizzy head that dissipates quickly.

S - Hops, some malt, staleness that you find in macro lagers. Some citrus.

T - This tastes and feels more like a macro lager than a pale ale. What makes it different and keeps it a pale ale are the notes of citrus and honey.

M - Fizzy with ample carbonation.

Not great but good when it's cold.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 02:33:23 | More by Gatch

BeerAmbassador

Arizona

3.5/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear golden color with a decent two finger white head. Aromas of toasted biscuit malt and honey. Kind of reminds me a bit of honey nut Cheerios, but not in a bad way. Also picking up a bit of lemon on the end. Flavor pretty much follows suit. I remember having this beer a few years ago and not being a huge fan, but it's actually tasting pretty good to me today.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2011 05:36:14 | More by BeerAmbassador

EnJeiBee

Wisconsin

3.43/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - After a vigorous pour a white 1-finger pillow of head formed over a noticeably bubbly transparent golden brew

S - Sweet malt dominates with a hint of honey and spice in the background

T - Clean malty flavor with a small hit of spices. The honey really doesn't show itself until the finish.

M - Light bodied with good carbonation and a very clean finish

O - This is definitely a summer session beer in my mind. There isn't anything remarkable about it, but that's OK. I think it would appeal to the BMC drinkers that you might want to try giving a little push in the craft direction.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2011 03:41:32 | More by EnJeiBee