Summer Honey Ale - Big Sky Brewing Company

zeff80

Missouri

3.25/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured out a clear, golden orange color with a small, white head of bubbly foam. There were thin traces of lace.

S - It smelled of honey and biscuity malt. There was a slight floral aroma, too.

T - It had a strong honey flavor with a good deal of spices. There was a good deal a sweet biscuity malt.

M - It was crisp and fairly sharp. A very light bodied and easy drinking brew.

D - This is an okay beer. It really seems more like a blonde ale than an APA.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2010 01:03:51 | More by zeff80

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

Tolnik

Colorado

2.98/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Poured this pale wheat colored beer into a pint glass. The foam that was created off the pour was that of a 1/2 inch. Then reduced down to wisps of lacing. The wheat and floweral tones of the beer off the aroma is tantalizing. The taste isn't that great that follows the aroma. It has a bittering taste of the wheat that doesn't create a great pallet. The after taste is likewise but doesn't linger for that long.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2010 07:02:50 | More by Tolnik

BeerOnTheWall

California

2.58/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into standard pint glass

A: Very light pale gold, almost looks too light. Very little head that dissipated quickly and left no lacing to speak of.

S: I hate to do this...I love Big Sky beers...this one smells like a gym sock soaked in Coors light...with a some noticeable hints of honey. No malt or hops coming through.

T: About like it smells

M: Very light body, crisp, decent carbonation

D: I would still drink this before most macros out there...ice cold on a hot day it may hit the spot. But I certainly won't go out of my way to find it.

Sorry Big Sky...your IPA, Moose Drool, and Scape Goat are still great!

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2010 21:15:52 | More by BeerOnTheWall

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

Monkeyknife

Missouri

3.63/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle a clear pale gold color with a thin white cap.

Very light aroma of sweet malts, honey, and bread.

The taste has more going for it than the aroma with sweet malts, honey, apple, and cinnamon. Finishes clean.

Lighter bodied, smooth, and moderately carbonated.

An easy-drinking APA from Big Sky. Not great, but definitely good.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2009 03:52:50 | More by Monkeyknife

happygnome

Minnesota

2.83/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

a: pours a pale golden color with about a half inch of head that disappears fairly quickly leaving a ring of lacing around the edge of the glass
s: citrus and floral hops. There is a strong aroma of biscuity malts, along with hints of the honey sweetness
t: similar to the aroma. citrus hops biscuity malts and light hint of honey sweetness
m: light bodied beer with ample carbonation

overall, i enjoyed this beer but dont think ill get it again

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2009 19:24:29 | More by happygnome

JBogan

Nevada

2.7/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a very pale gold color with a small white dome and minimal lacing. Kind of dull looking actually.

A weak corn and sweet malt aroma greets you, along with a grassy accent. Again, kind of dull.

Tasted a bit more interesting than the scent and appearance would suggest, however it's still only average at best. Sweet malt is the main draw here, with an ever so slight hint of orange and pepper.

Mouthfeel was on the watery side. Had just enough carbonation bite to keep it from getting a lower score.

This is a moderately enjoyable brew, but once I finished off the bottles I had no desire to revisit it again. A bit too sweet and thin for my tastes.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2009 04:43:32 | More by JBogan

colts9016

Idaho

2.75/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint glass at 37 degrees.

Appearance: A one finger head that sadly dissipate fairly fast. The body of the beer is a pale straw color. There is effervescence in the beer. The clarity of the beer is clear.

Nose: A medium toasty biscuit malt aroma with a light hop characters. The hops displays in some floral and citrus. The label said spice and it is too low for me to catch it. There is however, the honey aroma, lightly sweet.

Taste: The malt has a light toasted character. The hops are flat with no flavor really standing out. The honey is apparent and the spices are hidden.

Overall: The mouth fee is light, carbonated and a tad crisp. The body is also light and the finish is mild. I am not impressed. This beer does not taste like an APA. I think it is a tad sweet and not enough hops.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2009 00:16:42 | More by colts9016

Wasatch

Utah

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

Pours a nice clean/clear golden yellow color, nice carbonation, little fizzy off-white head, with minimal sticky lacing left behind. The nose is malty, very slight hop note, little spice note. The taste is sweet, malty, with some spice. Medium body. Drinkable, this is not an APA, should be a Blonde Ale or Cream Ale.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2009 21:07:06 | More by Wasatch

bnes09

Illinois

3.33/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance is light with slight haze and reminds me of white grape juice. Smell is quite sweet with not much else to speak of. Taste is sweet and full of honey up-front with emerging hints of lemon and orange to provide a sour balance. Body is light and carbonation is high. I could take down a six pack fairly easily but I would prefer to drink other styles. Overall, its not bad for a honey ale style but I like a more flavorful brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2009 03:23:30 | More by bnes09

brownbeer

Missouri

3.1/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A- gold with a white head.

S- Grainy aroma, corn, musty honey, somewhat floral.

T- A mild honey sweetness, juicy fruit, caramel

M- Smooth and malty, goes down pretty easily.

D- Not bad on a hot day but there are quite a few others I would reach for instead. Not worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2009 22:06:05 | More by brownbeer

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

abrand

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle poured into the Ommegang tulip. I believe this is the last summer brew in my DBF so thought it would be wise to drink her up. This was purchased earlier this summer as a Big Sky sampler. label shows a big grizzly and displays that it contains real honey and spices.

Appearance is a golden orange and minimal head after an aggressive pour. Minimal lacing but lots of carbonation. Not much hits the nose, but the aroma is sweet malts and maybe a little bit of honey. Taste is similar to the nose with it seeming very watered down. Little hints of sweet honey and a rather dry, bland finish. Mouthfeel is very thin and drinkability is rather low. Not a very exciting beer in any way.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2009 20:46:24 | More by abrand

PirateUlf73

Illinois

3.2/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint glass.

A: Nice light to medium-gold color with a nice white head.

S: Sweet malt and honey character. Honey is quite strong on second evaluation.

T: Somewhat spicy, but the honey dominates the taste. A bread-like sweetness with little in the way of hop bitterness. Quite sweet and savory.

M: Fairly light-bodied (as it had damned well better be!) with a somewhat even mouthfeel. Finishes pretty clean, with a honey-sweet aftertaste.

D: Light and sweet, but perhaps a bit too sweet for a hot summer day (for my taste anyway).

A good effort from Big Sky, but I found it to be a tad too sweet for my taste. The honey is quite dominant and thus not very well-balanced. May do well to lure some away from mead.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2009 03:45:05 | More by PirateUlf73

beertunes

Washington

2.42/5  rDev -28.4%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Served in Imperial Pint glass. Poured a clear light gold with a thin head that had no retention or lacing.

A bland, although slightly sweet, aroma greets the nose. The flavors are similar, without there being any noticeable features. with a slightly astringent finish.

The body was very thin, you almost don't even notice it's in your mouth. The beer was certainly drinkable, but why bother? Try this if you're looking to add another notch on your gunhandle, but otherwise avoid.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2009 19:18:16 | More by beertunes

Jayli

Massachusetts

3.2/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Had 8/13/09
This beer pours a clear honey color with a one finger of white head that disappears immediately. Minimal to no lacing on this beer. Nose is of pale malts, honey, and faint wheat tones. Taste is of grainy and pale malts up front then a bit of citrus with a honey sweetness in the finish. Lighter bodied, medium carbonation, really thin feel but finishes with a crispness.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2009 12:13:39 | More by Jayli

jwc215

New Jersey

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

Pours clear yellow with a thin white head that becomes a wide patch. Trailing lace slides down glass with minimal stickage.

The smell is of honey, grain, light pepper/floral spicing.

The taste is of sweet grain and some honey. A mild general spiciness gives some balance to the rather abrupt finish.

It is appropriately light bodied, not too fizzy.

A bit too sweet (and leaning towards bland) on the taste, though stops before becoming too honey-ish. Not one I would seek out, but refreshing enough on a hot day. Easy enough to drink, as there's not much to it, and carbonation is controlled, making it pretty smooth. More of an American Blonde than an APA, to me.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2009 20:50:45 | More by jwc215

Beaver13

Colorado

3.28/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle. Pours a clear yellow with a smallish white head that quickly goes to a thin film.

The aroma is sweet clove honey and some spices.

The flavor is sweet bready malts and a bit of honey with some subdued spicing. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with good carbonation.

Overall, a decent slightly plain summer beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2009 22:57:08 | More by Beaver13

Halcyondays

California

2.95/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle,

A: Pours a very pale yellow, with a light cap of fizzy white foam, spotty lace.

S: Honey, piney hops.

T: Sweet with honey initially, but goes heavy into an earthy, green hop profile that wasn't my cup of tea, still drinkable though, it's OK. The honey is a very minor part of the beer, don't expect something like Midas Touch.

M: Crisp, light-bodied, nice carbonation, good mouthfeel overall.

D: I've been a fan of Big Sky in the past, I just didn't find this one very good, a pass for me.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2009 17:24:10 | More by Halcyondays

DesMoinesMike

Iowa

3.38/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I'm a fan of bears (referencing my 7 years of photographing them) so I decided to pick up a bottle of Bis Sky's summer beer. It's almost like a pilsner with honey flavor. It's a medium gold/amber color that's visually appealing with a small amount of head. The aroma is hoppy. Taste wise it has very mellow malts with the honey almost undetectable. It goes down and finishes very smoothly. It burbs good. It's ok, but it just doesn't stand out any.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2009 23:13:19 | More by DesMoinesMike

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.13/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a clear, yellow body with a fizzy, white head. If that doesn't say "Summertime Drinking", nothing does!

Smell: Faint pale malt nose with a note of honey, but maybe half a note each of spice and fruitiness.

Taste: Light pale maltiness with a modest honey-based sweetish. Hint of peach fruitiness as well as a touch fo spice. Floral, citrusy hops with a fairly tame, gentle bitterness. The flavor bounces back and forth between the simple, sweet honey and light spice taste until you reach the dry, thin finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: Easy drinking, lightly flavorful, though somewhat forgettable. Yep, it's about average for a simple, summertime libation!

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2009 16:57:52 | More by ChainGangGuy

katan

Colorado

3.58/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

12 oz into a pint

A - Pours an extremely clear, light golden color. Lots of bubbling is present from the strong carbonation. Head formation is extremely light.

S - Smells of a sweet pilsner malt - only the lightest hint of honey. No hops to speak of.

T - Starts with the malt pilsner sweetness, which only briefly adds some bitterness. No hopping on the taste. On the aftertaste the honey starts to show just a bit. Sits on the tongue with a bit of a bitter bite.

M - Light in body - light in carbonation, which is against its appearance. Light sugar cling on the tongue.

D - Easily drinkable. ABV is manageable. Not filling.

Not really an APA to me, but an okay offering nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2009 02:44:10 | More by katan

pants678

California

2.15/5  rDev -36.4%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured into an english pint, it is nearly transparent. The white head goes from single finger to barely lacing in no time. It's golden, not leaning toward orange or yellow. Not particularly impressive.

The smell doesn't hit me immediately as much of anything. Perhaps hints of coriander, but can't define anything more than that. Citrus may be a stretch.

The taste is thicker than the appearance would suggest. The best thing I can say is that it is well mixed. The honey doesn't feel forced or separated, not like a hoppy pinesol. Rather, the honey is subtly combined with the sweet, light texture. I may not have the strongest palate, but it seems a bit empty, not very complex. The sharper hints are not of citrus, but of subtle spice that does not linger.

Flavors here might benefit from a wheat texture, as this one seems too quickly fleeting. There is not much present to hold on to.

It goes down easy, but is heavier than I might like. There is something to this one being cold that gives it a Kolsch feel. I have to admit this might be releiving on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2009 06:28:56 | More by pants678

Goliath

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a clear golden color with a large inch and a half slightly off white head. Good retention.

The aroma is ok. A slight hop presence giving a touch of citrus is followed by a sweet bit of honey. How appropriate.

The taste is ok. A light hop presence gives a bit of citrus and is quickly followed by a hefty malt backbone lending notes of bread and grain. A slight sweetness takes the edge off.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with moderately high carbonation giving it a nice tingle.

Drinkability is moderate. The beer is easily sessionable at only 4.7% ABV, however it's a bit dull and uninspiring which doesn't exactly compel the drinker to have another, or finish the current one for that matter. It's ok, but subpar in my book.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2009 17:06:10 | More by Goliath