Summer Honey Ale - Big Sky Brewing Company

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

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

DogFood11

California

3.98/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked this puppy out at BevMo because it was from montana and I dont think I've had a beer from there yet...good a reason as any is suppose. Plus with the weather we are having a good summer honey ale sounds great.

I wasn't dissapointed....It is what its trying to be....a bit spicey yet sweet almost to the point of annoying but like george castanza's dad it pulls up short....nice, refreshing carbonation levels. I did this six pack in tonight and would like another, in my book thats some super drinkability. Far from a big beer, this is lawnmower material and it does what you think it will, refresh without boring you.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2005 03:20:49 | More by DogFood11

WoodBrew

Illinois

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

Hump day...timed to wet the whistle with alil' Summer Honey from Big Sky. The appearance is good, crisp clear and golden with good carbonation that forms a thin white head. The nose is strong with honey, grain, and some spice. The taste is decent, good honey start polished off by a little spice/pepper taste. The mouthfeel is good and it is a fine beer to have on a summer day!

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2011 23:28:47 | More by WoodBrew

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

budgood1

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

pours out a slightly hazed light golden colour, with a fair sized head and some minimal lacing. grass and honey aroma, leaning towards clover and certainly perfumy. nice nose. light flavours of some grainy and coarse maltininess, sweetened a bit by some honey notes and balanced nicely by a small shot of some northwest hops. there is a definite underlying spiciness that adds a delicate layer of herbal goodness. tastes quite nice and is very satisfying. the mouthfeel is rounded and ample for a lower ABV summer themed ale, and the overall body is light and airy, making for easy quaffability. drinkability rates high for the quenching characteristics this summer ale imparts.

a nice beer. this should be a revisited every summer. recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2008 21:33:42 | More by budgood1

yemenmocha

Arizona

4.1/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours transparent golden color with thin white head that dissipates to a rim lace after a few minutes. Nose is lemon-lime citrus, with a slight touch of vanilla icing. Clean & fresh.

Palate is light to medium, with some herbal qualities that make me think of Kolsch, and some balancing honey sweet flavors in the middle. Toasty malt is present. Finish is herbal and somewhat dry.

Very refreshing and a great summer alternative to the usual weissbier or kolsch.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2009 03:32:38 | More by yemenmocha

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

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

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

BeerBelcher

Ohio

1.48/5  rDev -56.2%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

This beer had a musty earthiness I found rather unpleasant, and nothing else to recommend it. I can't recommend it - I found it rather lousy.

This beer appeared to have an oily sheen; it was slightly hazy, an unflattering shade of yellow, and had a little head. The appearance didn't give me a lot of reason to have faith that I would enjoy this beer.

The aroma didn't provide any additional reason not to be pessimistic. There was the aroma of some spice and maltiness, but also a lot of earthiness that I found off-putting and unpleasant.

The watery mouthfeel hit me before the flavor. Flavor was a distinct compost-y flavor.

Not good...not recommended...most went down the drain.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2007 01:53:11 | More by BeerBelcher

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

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

woemad

Washington

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

The bartender at The Viking in Spokane gave me a bottle of this on the house. The label features a bear doing something to a tree that's just plain wrong.


Poured a slightly dark yellow color, with a moderate white head. A very slight amount of lace.

Smell was of a honeyish sweetness, coupled with a more submissive spicy bitterness.

The first thing to greet the tastebuds is a honey flavored sweetness that, while not quite something I'd call mild, nevertheless is not over the top. This is quickly followed by a very mild peppery hop bitterness. Not a bad tasting beer, but it didn't send my tastebuds into ecstacy either.

This is a medium bodied beer. Nothing to complain about here. Nothing earthshattering either.

This is a perfectly drinkable beer, though it's nothing fantastic. I'm just not a fan of honey beers. It was quite good at the price I got it at, but I'm not sure I'd seek it out and pay actual money for it.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2004 01:06:28 | More by woemad

TexIndy

Texas

2.73/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass. Best by date of 8/17/11 lasered on the neck. It was a clear, golden honey color with plenty of carb streams. It had an average sized, fizzy head that quickly settled into a good carb and wisps. Good lacing with lots sticking.

The aroma was pale and biscuity malt with a little bit of honey and low hops. Bit of a disappointment. Needed more honey and more hops. No spices that I could tell but label claims it. Taste was average with biscuity malt leading the way and again a, too small, touch of honey. Not much hops. Medium mouthfeel with good carbonation.

Overall, an average beer and a below average APA that I won't remember soon as I crack the next beer. Really like some other Big Sky offerings but this one is a miss for me. Avail here in TX. Too many other offerings out there to make the rotation. [N;N]

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 00:01:02 | More by TexIndy

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

BeerManDan

California

4/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

When I poured this beer into a glass, the color was a light golden yellow with a little foam.

The smell of honey and spices filled the nose with a pleasant aroma. The same can be said with the taste. Honey and spices were very pleasant in the mouth and palate.

The bitterness and sweetness is well balanced in this ale. A different taste that just made it interesting and worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2003 14:37:39 | More by BeerManDan

beernut7

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This light golden summer brew from Big Sky presents with a bold honey malt character and a rather aggressive hop profile
for a beer brewed with honey. This is a quality beer.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2002 09:22:32 | More by beernut7

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

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

RJLarse

Washington

1.85/5  rDev -45.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

I poured this beer in to a pint tumbler.

Pours pale yellow color and and is clear. Two fingers of head is fairly resilient and produces moderate lacing on the side of the glass.

The smell is fairly faint and has a sweet aroma.

The taste is sweet, with a real raw honey flavor, and very little hop flavor coming through. I think the honey is over done. It is a sickly sweet flavor.

The mouth feel is a little thick and syrupy, but that could be my mind playing tricks on me because of the overly sweet taste.

I came close to pouring this one down the sink. It’s just too sweet, and the sweetness has some odd characteristics as well. It reminds me of the smell of over-aged beef. I can see how a lot of folks might like this beer, but I think I’ll avoid this one in the future.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2006 16:42:18 | More by RJLarse

coldmeat23

Oklahoma

2.55/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

GLASS: Pint Glass
TEMP: Chilled to approx 40 degrees

Pale golden straw color. Very pale. Minimal head. Minimal retention. Spotty lacing (at best). Looks weak.

Smells of wheat and floral hoppiness. Black pepper and orange peel.

Weak. Tastes like carbonated water, served in a glass that once had beer in it. I will say that it is crisp and clean tasting. There is some citrus and spice flavor in here, along with a touch of sweetness. The problem is that they are buried so deep that you can hardly taste them.

A little bit better (more) body than the traditional summer brew. Smooth and drinkable.

I don't like this one. I don't find it drinkable. For me to drink this one again, my other choice(s) will have to be quite horrid.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2008 20:35:41 | More by coldmeat23

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

u2carew

Massachusetts

2.3/5  rDev -32%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

12oz. longneck.
A) Pours with a finger thick head. Clear body, gold in color. Thin, tight lacing.
S) Not very aromatic. With a name like "summer honey" I anticipated at least a honey aroma. Of the faint aromatics there's a noticeable grain and a subtle floral aroma.
T) Weak taste. Gritty grain taste. Subtle malt sweetness. Resembles more of pilsener than a APA (maybe that's a error?)
M) Fizzy. Crisp. Light bodied.
D) Meh... not very impressed. I wouldn't drink another one.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2011 02:05:44 | More by u2carew

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