Honey Brown-A Beer Review

Hello, hello hello my readers. I am back with another beverage review! As you all know I brew mead. Mead is a wine where the main ingredient is honey. So when I cam across a beer that is made with honey you know ya boy had to scoop this one up. Its called "Honey Brown" and it is a lager. 

I was excited to try this one. I have been toying with the idea of making a beer with honey and really wanted to taste a commercial example. I was buzzing with anticipation on the way home.Get it? Buzzing? Because of honey? Bee's?.........I'll see myself out...


I cracked this open and took a whiff. It had an ok smell. Nothing really note worthy. I mean it was not bland nor really flavorful smelling. Just kind of in the middle. Anywho I poured up a glass and in my rush forgot to take a pic so here is one I found.  I found it to be a shade lighter than that pictures below shows. Though you can see the kind of head you will get on it.

This photo shows the color much better. 

Being really excited I took a swig......................................and was met with utter disappointment. It may because I was expecting more, but this beer could have been so much more. The flavor was just not there. I tasted the usual grain and malts of a lager with only the tinniest hint of a honey flavor. Now don't get me wrong. I am not saying its a bad beer. However I am not saying its a good beer either. I feel like it is an ok beer. For the makers of this beer to call it extra rich is either an inside joke or just a bad lie. It is the opposite of rich. It is quite weak feeling in your mouth. It is almost as if someone took a decent lager, dropped some budlight into it and bottled it. I just wish it had more flavor. Especially considering it was made with honey. I was really hoping more for some dry honey notes to come through.

I score this beer a 3/5 would not buy again. Maybe this was the world's way of telling me I need to get on with making beer..........................................


Adios folks!

A Beer Review-Chocolate Stout

Sup yall, I'm back with another beer review! I can feel the surprise feeling you have as the title is sinking in. I'm reviewing a beer that is not an ale. *GASP* While ale's remain my go to beer of choice, a recent work trip has shown me the way of the stout. Well while I was in my local international farmers market I was browsing their extensive beer selection when I came across this.

Samuel Smith's Organic Chocolate Stout is the name of this beer. It caught my eye the last time I was in the store and had picked up a peach lambic. I was there picking up some spices for a chili and decided to go ahead and give it a try.

Normally as soon as I get home, I am popping the tab for a pour, however this was a single bottle and I had chili to make. 4 hours later when the chili was done I sat down at the table and poured me a glass. I was so tired after cooking the chili [I underestimated the time it took and started at like 7pm] I forgot to take a pic, but here is one I found that is accurate. 

Notice all that foam? Yea this is a rather foamy beer. It took me a minute or two to pour a glass.

The first thing you notice when smelling this beer is the chocolate nose. It smells of chocolate strong, though not in a bad hershey syrup kind of way. More like deep earthy chocolate. Again I am no beer snob as some of you might have realized, so no fancy terms here, but I can say that this beer is very smooth. It spreads that malty thickness up front with just a little bit of bitter and washes down with a strong chocolatey finish.

ELI5: It's a good beer. 

If you need a more professional [see snobby] version of that here is a review of it on beer advocate.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/113/86189/

I was happy to see it scored a 93. I would agreed with that score. I like this beer. My only issues were described perfectly by one review on there. 

Creamy smooth yet with an undesired sharpness.

It had this twang to it that counteracted the perceived smoothness of the chocolate. 

Other than that I would still recommend this beer to anyone. I would especially recommend it as a first time stout drinker. It was good enough even The Wife, ok'd it. Good for sure!

Till next time.................