Summer Honey Ale - Big Sky Brewing Company

climax

Kansas

3.95/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

color was a pale amber-yellow, a bit murky. i had to pour it pretty aggressively to get a finger of head which faded quickly

smelled of wheat/grain, perfumy honey and melon, graham crackers when i buried my nose in it. hints of citrus and coriander. pretty complex nose actually

taste was bright and smooth, graham crackers, a bit of a hop presence at first and a definite wheat finish

nice crispness from the carbonation but not over done, pretty medium bodied, coats nicely with a chalky finish

not sure this beer is really a pale ale, not hoppy enough, would fit more in the pale wheat category....but i got a IPA in the sampler pack as well so i can't complain. nonetheless it's refreshing and quaffable. i could sit down and drink this all day and not be offended

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2009 02:30:16 | More by climax

lester619

Wisconsin

3.95/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a light golden yellow with a creamy head that settles to a half inch film. Sweet and floral smelling. Some black pepper, and faint baking spices like cloves and cinamon come out. Very clean and crisp flavor. Sweetness with a little peppery kick to start. Finishes bone dry with a just with a little bitterness and a touch more spice. This stuff works for what it's for. Very refreshing hot weather all day drinking kind of beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2010 22:50:03 | More by lester619

Mdog

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Gold with lots of carbonation.

Smell: Smells grassy to me.

Taste: Starts sweet then has some breadiness with maybe a little coriander, then finishes dry.

Mouthfeel: Light and refreshing.

Drinkability: If I want a night off from hops or something easy on a hot night, this is a good one.

A nice summer beer, not too heavy but complicated enough to be interesting. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2006 00:29:33 | More by Mdog

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Big Sky delivers a beautifully floral, gently sweet, and lightly citrusy golden beer in their Summer Honey Ale. It pours a deep golden body with an orange cast beneath a frothy head of bright white that steadily dwindles to a cottony surface covering and thick collar. Rings of spotty and cragged lace are left behind. In the nose it's lemony over some malty and honeyish sweetness. The body is medium with a decidedly dextrinous edge, and it's crisp on the palate with a lightly bristling carbonation. The flavor is loaded with honey flavor and wheatish malt. Floral hop flavors and a bit of lemon zest help to round it out. It finishes surprisingly short and dry given the amount of flavor packed into each sip, and it lingers for a few moments with a combination of wheatish malt and floral hops as well as a very light touch of pine. Quite a nice summer ale! This one's perfect for a wide variety of events, and I could easily imagine enjoying this at a ball game, boating, a backyard BBQ, fishing trip, or cool evening on the porch. Worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2006 22:35:19 | More by NeroFiddled

Chaz

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a shaker. Medium pour yields a one-fingered off white head of medium duration and fairly good lacing. Very clear golden in color, with moderate carbonation. Nose is subtle honey and lightly sweet, pale malts. Slightly vegetal, and no apparent hops. Honey is apparent on the first sip, but is fleeting, a bit more than the minimun impression is left before the semi-sweet malts round out the palate, and a dryer, biscuity malt takes over. Nice and dry in the finish. Somewhat fruity and aromatic, with clover honey (just a guess) and apple blossoms. Aftertaste leaves an impression of peach, which is actually quite nice. The hops are there also, but very, very attenuated. Body is lighter and mothfeel is a little on the thin side, and the carbonation is reasonably easy-going, too. This is a nice, well-executed fruit-vegetable beer, and I'd say so especially if we were to consider it more of an amalgam of Golden Ale and Fruit Vegetable beer rather than an APA. For whatever reason this bottle is striking me as tastier and livelier than the last draght I had of the Summer Honey, so either the recipe has changed or it's less impressive on draught? Improves a bit asit warms, but no doubt goes down quite well on the cold side for some folks . . . is there a touch of wheat malt in this one? At any rate, it's much better than I remember it from the many times I've sampled it over the previous five or six years. A solid summer quaffer from a solid craft brewery.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2007 18:39:18 | More by Chaz

Offa

California

3.93/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This is a very pleasant, somewhat kolsch-like golden ale with a definite honeyish character.

Golden and bubbly, it has a large white head shrinking steadily.

Aroma is honey and grain, simple but pleasant, straightforward about what it is.

The taste is light, crisp, slightly sweet with honey, grain, and a biscuity-grain aftertaste. Very pleasant, smooth, light and crisp, it is highly drinkable, pleasant, and does the job well.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2010 19:11:51 | More by Offa

Fabric8r

Montana

3.9/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Big Sky Brewing has done a great job with this light summer ale. Perfect for a hot day with both sweet tones and hop flavors. Color is just like honey. Not much head, even though it is over corbonated, which is why I gave it lower score on mouthfeel. The carbonation burn detracts from the flavor. So, I just swirl it a bit until the carbonation is released some. A bit pricey for a lighter beer, so I wait for it on sale.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2003 11:29:16 | More by Fabric8r

wnh

Missouri

3.9/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into a pint glass.

Pours a clear, bright, light orange-tinted yellow with a couple fingers' worth of slightly thick, slightly creamy head that diminishes to a slightly creamy film across the surface. Lively, with moderate amounts of carbonation.

Not much to detect in the nose. Bright and somewhat citrus, with what I believe is honey in the background, though my brain could be tricking my nose into believing it's smelling honey since this is a "honey" ale. Somewhat sweet, caramel, bready backbone.

Flavor is crisp and bright. Bready, though not particularly wheaty. This isn't exploding with flavor, but it's plenty flavorful for what I want in this type of beer.

Crisp, clean mouthfeel, with a short finish. Thirst-quenching. Plenty drinkable. A good summer beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2009 06:09:01 | More by wnh

ForWhatAlesYou

Minnesota

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

12 oz bottle into a pint glass

A: Nice sunny golden color. Very little head or lacing.

S: Very clean malt. Slight lemon/honey.

T: Tasty. Very malty with a honey edge. Crisp, clean. An instant summer go to.

M: Full. Medium carbonation.

D: Will surely enjoy this one again this summer. Not overtly sweet (nor bitter). Good.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 13:31:21 | More by ForWhatAlesYou

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

battlekow

Wisconsin

3.85/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this beer on a 90-degree day on a trip to the grocery store, figuring it would be refreshing. Upon arriving home, I discovered that I had been locked out of the house. Fearing for the beer's life, I managed to get a window open and crawl in. It was worth it, this beer is pretty good.

It's pale gold with a big, creamy head. Good lacing. Looks like the kind of beer I want to drink after mowing the lawn. Doesn't smell too much, a little bit of spiciness, but tastes great. The scent is representative of the flavor, a very easy-drinking beer with a bit of spice. Excellent and refreshing on this particular day.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2005 18:46:43 | More by battlekow

Clockwork420

Missouri

3.85/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle into glass.
Under $14 a 12 pack.

A - Gold straw color. No head at all, after pour. Super light white layer. Less than a mm thick.

S - Clean fresh, grassy. Smells sweetly like flowery. Smells kind of like dirt in a good way. Earthy.

T - Citrus, and sweet. Lemon hints. Light malt and balanced hops. Tangy bite on end. Refreshing.

M - Great carbonation. Thin and easy to drink. Perfect viscosity.

D - Fairly high.

This is the ideal Summer blend for a beer. I can see myself drinking this mowing the lawn or sitting on the porch with this one. The only lacking area is the Appearance, but its understandable and fits the style perfectly. Could pass as a massive brew product by looks alone. Taste is not in the same category. Light years away.

Good beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2010 22:25:49 | More by Clockwork420

whynot44

Missouri

3.83/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Clear golden color with a modest white head that does manage just a bit of lacing.

The aroma is bread dough, hints of honey and light floral hops.

The taste is dry bready malt, honey, hints of pepper and cinnamon, with a dry lightly hopped lingering aftertaste, crisp and refreshing, a very nice hot weather cooler.

Light/medium body, very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2010 03:40:39 | More by whynot44

Nerudamann

Arizona

3.83/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Look - murky light golden or straw color, almost like a pale hefe. Good 2 or 2 - 1/2 inches of head. Good carbonation.

Smell - very wheaty smelling, fairly hoppy. Not smelling much of the honey flavor, but there is a slight sweetness, maybe even a hint of pumpkin spice?

Taste - Very good balance between malty and hoppy. Slightly more hoppy flavored though, with a very "earthy" vibe to it..maybe not as pungeant as some of the noble ones...very "American" tasting if that makes any sense. Still can't taste much of a honey flavor..almost more of a smokey flavor to the taste.

Mouthfeel - Fairly well balanced, but more watery than creamy in texture.

Drinkability - very tasty brew! No lingering aftertaste and very clean in general. Easy one to come back to, and a great summer brew!

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2010 04:33:27 | More by Nerudamann

AmberMan22

Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a wonderful, true honey color -- aptly named. Slightly hazy...it really is like looking at honey.

Smell is largely of hoppy spiciness, some honey, hop bitterness, fairly one dimesional.

Tastes of fresh honeycomb, maybe cascade hops (I'm still learning, so this is largely a guess) but the hops have a peppery background. Actually a decent amount of malt to back this guy up. Nice job again Big Sky.

Mouthfeel is surprisingly thick for a beer of this color. Even the feeling of honey seems to enhance it's heft. The carbonation is too strong my my taste however.

Overall, this seems like a bit of a misfit, despite being a pretty good beer. I just don't know what season it fits in, because the mouthfeel seems too heavy for a spring/summer beer, but the flavor is in that range.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2010 01:48:39 | More by AmberMan22

freed

Oregon

3.78/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

We pulled a couple of these to try out, and frankly, I'm glad we did. This could be an excellent gateway beer, and I imagine I'll try and have some around for family.

The beer is dull yellow, has a mild amount of head, and gives off just a little aroma. The scent is mostly malt, but there is also some of the sweetness to the smell from the honey.

The taste is very pleasant, mild, and smooth. The honey aids in its smoothness, but doesn't dominate the taste. There isn't any noticeable hop flavors or bitterness, and the mild maltienss is rather nice.

I recommend this for the people in your lives who don't understand why you like beer so much. It may help them.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2004 23:36:40 | More by freed

jmalex

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Tim for this one. I don't think I've ever had anything from Montana before.

APPEARANCE: Pours into a Sam Adams glass a clear pale yellow with a loose-bubbled white head on top. It shrinks down to a full cap with great staying power.

SMELL: Quite sweet with indications of wheat and lemony citrus. But it's really overtaken by the spices in this beer. Coriander for sure, but there could be more.

TASTE: Light and lemony and assuredly wheat-based. The spices aren't as formidable but still add a subtle complexity to the beer. Hops are much more apparent giving the beer a great balance. This really has a nice flavor and is quite unique.

MOUTHFEEL: Medium light body with an average carbonation. It does seem a bit slick though and lacks any crispness.

DRINKABILITY: It's a fine choice for a session and is well suited for summer weather. An ABV under 5% is a nice feature too. Unfortunately for me it's the coldest day since spring here today, so it's not quite well suited for drinking on this day.

A fine choice and good to drink if it's available to you. Not worth going out for your way for though.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2009 22:46:15 | More by jmalex

IntriqKen

California

3.75/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a pale honey color (sorry...that honestly is the shade of yellow I see) with a half finger white head that melts slowly to fine sticky lacing.
Aroma is floral and honey with almost a lager yeast smell to it.
Taste is initially pale malt lightly sweetened with a floral honey but then quickly turns to citrus hops. Actually a very nice evolution or balancing of flavors.
Aftertaste is sort of a floral or clover honey-lemon peel mixture and a nice quenching dryness.
This is a good summer beer...maybe excellent...very refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2006 18:54:44 | More by IntriqKen

benteach

Missouri

3.75/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a thick head, that lasted a while, with good lacing. Yellow color, very clear.

You smell the honey, but it is not overpowering. I am not a huge fan of honey, so I enjoyed this. Taste was very clear, crisp, and again, not too much on the honey side. Slight hop taste and something else between the smell and the taste that I cannot figure out. Floral I guess, it is hard to pinpoint.

Drinks well, I have enjoyed all of the Big Sky beers so far. This one is a nice departure from the typical APA.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2009 01:15:54 | More by benteach

browna71

Michigan

3.73/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Golden Straw, thin layer of cream colored head
S- Bready, sweet, honey
T- Pleasant toasted malt body, notes of herbal spiciness, honey comes though on the finish
M- Appropriate for style, good carbonation
O- Good beer, nothing over the top crazy, but a great beer for a hot summer day. Could drink several of these

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 01:53:14 | More by browna71

rowew

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: 12 oz long neck bottle with a beer grazing on the front. Made with real honey and spices. Indecipherable freshness code.

Appearance: Clear gold color with a great head.

Smell: Aroma is raw honey - sweet and slightly spicey.

Taste: Slight wheat flavor with the honey coming through strongly. Not cloyingly sweet like some honey beers.

Overall impression: One of the better honey beers I have tried. Nice drinkable summer brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2005 02:42:10 | More by rowew

Reidrover

Oregon

3.65/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bought in the 12 oz brown bottle..nice label with a bear taking some honey froma tree trunk.
Beer is a nice golden colour''like honey in fact..nice small sized frothy pure white head.
This is a real nice smelling beer..very malty and with honey and some spiciness.
Taste is not quite as good as the aroma..but it has all the above mentioned and a small hop bite at the end
Veru luxurious mouthfeel to the beer..smooth and creamy..nice.
Quite a drinkable honey beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2003 01:41:38 | More by Reidrover

therica

Maryland

3.65/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A= light golden-yellow with a glisten typical of honey; very light head, hardly any lacing that lasts long.

S= nice and inviting, malts with a bit of sweet-grassy scent.

T= mild on carbonation but sufficient; mild hops bitters, malts, honey.

M= very nice, with a slight hops-bitter residual, slight grassy taste with some mild honey-sweetness, less than I expected from the name "Honey Ale" though.

D= very drinkable, great for sessions or parties, probably just fine even in the non-summer seasons, and obviously FAR better than any macro of any sort.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2008 21:50:42 | More by therica

yesyouam

New York

3.65/5  rDev +8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Big Sky Summer Honey is a crystal-clear, lively light golden ale with an off-white head that mostly dissipates and leaves good lacing. The first aroma that strikes me is... pizza dough?, followed by honey and cane syrup and a hint of spruce. That yeast is too loud, otherwise it's excellent. It is medium bodied and soft, lively on the tongue, and it leaves the mouth raw and oily. It's hella bitter. The flavor balance is excellent-- a bit top-heavy. The yeast is in balance here and has a great Western US flavor. The blue spruce aftertaste reminds me of big country. It's fruity and bready-- a rowdy western session ale!
(rated Aug 9, 2007)

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2008 04:41:32 | More by yesyouam

Mora2000

Texas

3.65/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a very clear yellow color with a white head. The aroma is honey and wheat. The flavor is more of the same with lots of wheat and honey flavors. For a pale ale, there is hardly any hop character. Medium mouthfeel and low to medium carbonation. A nice easy drinking beer, but that is about it.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2010 22:37:14 | More by Mora2000