Passover Honey Beer
Ramapo Valley Brewery

Passover Honey BeerPassover Honey Beer
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From:
Ramapo Valley Brewery
 
New York, United States
Style:
Herb and Spice Beer
ABV:
5.2%
Score:
67
Avg:
2.49 | pDev: 28.51%
Reviews:
25
Ratings:
26
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 18, 2011
Added:
Mar 16, 2005
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Rated: 2 by tclapper from Maine

Nov 18, 2011
Photo of pmcadamis
Reviewed by pmcadamis from Illinois

1.84/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 1 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5
A - This is the medium-gold hue of a first morning piss, and there is absolutely no head at all. Lots of fizzy bubbles cling to the glass, but the head and lace are strangely absent. This is an ugly beer.

S - This smells exactly like cheap sake and salty soy sauce. I'm a big sake fan, but this is not what I want to smell in a beer...I wouldn't go as far as to call it noxious or offensive, but it lacks an semblance of beer-smells.

T - Rancid fruit, big-time sake flavors, soy sauce again, and a generally foul flavor throughout. This is tangy and bitter, but not in a beery way. If you don't think of this as beer, it's not terrible.

M - Absolutely zero carbonation and a watery, but very dry mouthfeel remind me of cider. Crisp and thirst quenching.

D - If you come at this with an open mind and think of it as a unique beverage and not as a beer, then this isn't all bad. As a beer, it's terrible. Smells like sake, tastes like cider...WTF?
Mar 26, 2008
Photo of gmfessen
Reviewed by gmfessen from Michigan

2.36/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1
The name is what caught my eye on this one, then I realized it was "gluten free". My only other experience with such a beer was AB's Red Bridge Sorghum beer which was actually better than I had expected. Here goes: poured from the bottle into a pint glass, beer is a very clear, fizzy, light golden color similar to that of a light lager but with no head. The smell is pretty different, sweet like molasses and honey with a hint of fruit. Doesn't smell like any beer I've ever had before. The honey shines through in the taste, but it isn't terribly enjoyable. Like the smell the taste is pretty different but nothing that I would go searching for. Sweet and watery on the palate, it finishes with a residual sweetness that lingers. Very light body with almost no carbonation. This "beer" is pretty bad. Whenever I read a bad review of a beer I always hope to find my experience to be contrary to the masses but in this case I must agree. Definitely a novelty beer at best. I feel sorry for anyone who cannot have a "real" beer.
Jan 03, 2008
Photo of RblWthACoz
Reviewed by RblWthACoz from Pennsylvania

1.73/5  rDev -30.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5
Yeah. I bought it for the novelty.

Pours a clear gold with a decent sized white head at first that falls fairly quickly. Also there are some massive chunks of sediment that I did not expect to have in the bottle, so they ended up in my glass as I just poured everything in. Oops. Nose is like melted or burnt plastic. There is a touch of honey there, but not enough to impress. Flavor is like tart honey and lemon juice. Horrible. I doubt I get through two sips of this. Feel is thick with huge bubbles on it. I almost want to say this tastes like cheap champagne. Not drinkable at all. Avoid. This may have been supervised and blessed by a rabbi, but I doubt that God is going to be giving his thumbs up.
Dec 30, 2007
Photo of NJpadreFan
Reviewed by NJpadreFan from New Jersey

2.81/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Ramapo- Honey Beer

Appearance- Fizzy yellow with huge carbonation and no a quick disappating head.
Smell- Absolutely nothing!!
Taste- sweet honey with a touch of apple/ pear cider?! Slight white Zinfidel flavor.
Mouthfeel- Crisp fruity carbonation like a Widmer pear cider.

Overall- Actually not that bad. More of a cider than anthing else. Much cheaper than a Mead at $3 a bottle. If you suffer from Celiac's give it a shot.
Sep 05, 2007
Photo of sullysbeer
Reviewed by sullysbeer from Michigan

3.5/5  rDev +40.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4
Aroma: Huge honey aroma with a very light almost no hops. A gentle sherry nose with a very slight tartness. Has a mead and wine like character.

Appearance: Crystal clear yellow, just like the color of urine. No head retention at all.

Flavor: White table wine, Huge honey flavor just like a mead, no hop flavor and very light hop bitterness. Fruity esters of currants and a slightly tart and sweet but finishes quite dry. Alcohol is present.

Mouthfeel: Medium light body. Has a decent carbonation but tends to fizzle out of solution. Slight astringency and dry.

Overall Impression: Gluten-Free Beer is very difficult to brew. This is a very refreshing well brewed one. If you want to pick up a six pack don't expect it to taste like an ordinary micro brew. This one would be perfectly described as a sparkling wine or a sparkling mead possibly Champagne, but does not have an ordinary micro brew flavor.

Gluten can be found in many common cereal grains including barley and wheat. Even in small quantities it can be poisonous to those who suffer from Celiac disease (also spelt Coeliac disease). Almost all beer contains levels of gluten that cannot be tolerated by the celiac, but a very few specialist breweries do cater for celiac or those who suffer from an autoimmune reaction to gluten, or otherwise find they cannot tolerate the consumption of one or other of the relevant glycoproteins.

Instead of Barley and Wheat most Gluten-Free Beers are brewed with Sorghum, Buckwheat, and Corn but you can also use: Amaranth, Flax, Maize, Millet, Quinoa, Ragi, Rape, Rice, Sesame, Sunflower, Soybean, Teff and Wild Rice.
Jul 10, 2007
Photo of torchedpunk
Reviewed by torchedpunk from New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev +37.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Picked this up for its local name, being from north jersey Ramapo Valley actually is in Oakland Mahwah and Fairlawn, all NJ towns, but I'm not going to comment on the company name anymore.

Appearance- Small, fast dissipating head with steady carbonation, light gold in color.

Smell- No complex aroma, hint of honey and alcohol.

Taste- Champagne taste, minimal hop flavor, light taste of molasses, strong honey flavor, subtle yeast.

Mouthfeel and Drinkability- Smooth, bubbly, noticeable taste of alcohol, mid drinkability, unique but I can't drink more then a few of these guys.
Feb 21, 2007
Photo of NeroFiddled
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
As I raised the glass to my nose I thought "mead"!?! I knew it was a honey beer, but I thought it was more of a golden ale with honey added.

Then I realized that it's a "beer" "brewed" for people with Celiac's disease. Apparently no grain is used at all. It's made from honey, molasses, hops, and yeast. And that's pretty much what it tastes like. I don't consider it beer, regardless of the use of hops, because meads have been made with hops in the past (metheglins). And simply based on taste, it's more like a mead. There are grains that don't contain gluten, but none have been used here. Several other products on the markey use them, however.

That said, from a completely hedonistic view (and rated as such), it looks pretty good with a clear deep-golden body. It initially brings up a finger-thick head of bright white, but that's disappeared with nary a trace in just moments.

The aroma is nice... clean, honeyish, with a touch of scorched sugar molasses, and a slightly floral and citrusy character (probably from a combination of honey, alcohol, and hops).

It's medium-light bodied; and basically still. I'd estimate the carbonation level to be below 1.8 volumes of CO2.

The flavor delivers honey upfront, a nip of molasses, alcohol, and citrusy (lime) and floral character, and then some herbal and spicy hops in the lingering bitter finish.

As this "beer" is fairly expensive, I'd much rather have a well-made mead; or a perry, cider, or wine. I don't find it have any beer character, and at best, it's a poor substitute... so why not choose something good that Celiac's can drink?
Jan 21, 2007
Photo of rebel1771
Reviewed by rebel1771 from Florida

2.83/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Pours a clear light golden color with a huge coarse head.

Nothing special in the aroma, kinda hoppy with a good bit of honey notes.

Nothing special in the flavor either. Sweeter than average with neither a particular hop or malt character notable.

This brew is worth trying if nothing more than the experience of drinking a gluten free beer.
Jan 10, 2007
Photo of ppoitras
Reviewed by ppoitras from Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev +41.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12ozer bought as a single from Oliver's Beverage, Albany, NY.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a frothy 1" bright white head over the bright golden brew. Head lasts nicely, with thick but spotty lacing. Aroma is meadish, as expected, sweet with a tart fruity alcohol presence. Taste is also along the mead/cider road to my mind, moderately sweet upfront, fruity in the middle, and a dry close. Mouthfeel and drinkability are pretty good as well. Could revisit this, and I'm sure it's a godsend for people who have this as one of their few options for beer-like product.
Oct 24, 2006
Photo of TastyTaste
Reviewed by TastyTaste from Minnesota

3.26/5  rDev +30.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Lightly hazed gold body, larger white head, some chunky suspension.

Smell: Honey and an odd sort of grainy smell to it. Not good.

Taste: Very sweet at first, the grainy aspect comes through making this taste exactly like a graham cracker! Interesting, maybe one of the better honey beers I have had, this may, however, get a little cloying. Still, not bad, if you need a gluten free beer, this may be the best of the 3 (New Grist and Bard's Tale), but doesn't taste a lot like beer.

Drinkability: Maybe with a little double chocolate stout and some marshmallow creme this would make for a great s'more experience. Like I said, good if you can't do gluten.
Aug 09, 2006
Photo of dherling
Reviewed by dherling from New Jersey

2.77/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2
My dad has celiac, and therefore cannot digest gluten. Caliac/sprue is an intollerence to gluten, which is found in most grains and is responsible for making your breads light and fluffy, as it allows dough to be streched. If you've had, or are reviewing this beer, you probably already know all this. On to the beer. It is light in color, with an unmistakably honey nose. It tastes pretty much like what it is, a carbonated mead with some light hopping. Think of a cider that isn't fully attenuated and gets you in the back of the throat with that warm coating honey flavor. If you're looking for beer or a beer substitute, this isn't it. You have to go into this with an open mind. It's not a bad drink for what it is, but I personally wouldn't want to be dirnking this all night long.
Aug 05, 2006
Photo of hreb
Reviewed by hreb from Washington

1.85/5  rDev -25.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5
Brown 12oz bottle with a blue cap, proclaiming it to be Gluten Free, and label, which purports that "this brew is the first Kosher for Passover Honey Beer in over 2000 years," as supervised by Rabbi Blech. More on "blech" later. No date apparent on the bottle or six pack, which was purchased at Route 9 Wine & Spirits in Framingham for a price which was somewhat excessive ($10+).

Purchased for a friend-of-a-friend who discovered she regretfully can't have gluten (and thus, almost all beer). But of course, I had to try one for myself...

Pours (into an American pint glass) clear yellow-amber color with big, soda-esque bubbles and a medium to thick, but short-lived, head. Served reasonably cold. Smells of sweet apples.

At first taste, is fizzy, but not as over-carbonated as I expected from its appearance. Sickly sweet. Primarily tastes of red apples. Taste of honey is present, but not pronounced. Not particularly hoppy or malty. Did I mention sweet? Not particularly beery, either...more like a bitter-ish cider than a beer. And upon reflection, evaluated as a cider, some people might enjoy it.

The texture is thin but the taste is cloying, and to me, not particularly pleasant. A chore to finish the bottle. I tried it with some salty crackers (gluten!) and then some dry roasted peanuts to counteract the sweetness, but they only served to bring out the sourness of the beer. The FoaF can have the other 5, I think.
Jun 11, 2006
Photo of battlekow
Reviewed by battlekow from Wisconsin

3.57/5  rDev +43.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A rep from a company we never buy from that sells primarily Swiss beer dropped this one off. Murrayswine bet me a dollar I wouldn't drink it, so here goes.

I'm drinking it out of the bottle, but I assume it's rather average-looking.

It's actually not too bad. Strong notes of honey in the smell and taste, as you'd expect, but there is some balancing "beeriness" as well. I feared it would be overwhelmingly sweet and mead-like, but it's not; it's actually quite mild. I could drink a bunch of these, especially if I was paid to do so, but it's not memorable in any way.
May 25, 2006
Photo of scoobybrew
Reviewed by scoobybrew from Indiana

3.35/5  rDev +34.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
Poured into a belgian chalis. The appearance is a clear and looks alot like a sparkling cider. There is no head whatsoever, apparently from a lack of grain. The aroma is a honey-like scent and very "wine-ish". The taste is very sweet wine-like and cidery. Interestingly odd. The body is light with moderate carbonation.

I have no frame of reference for this beer, so it's pretty tough to judge it, as it's in such a vague style category. I think it's a little too sweet for repeated consumption. However, it's a curiosity. I like it, but couldn't drink much of it.
May 14, 2006
Photo of ADR
Reviewed by ADR from Pennsylvania

2.28/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.5
I suppose this showed up as a holiday thing or because it is gluten-free. Yellowish and clear, tepid appearance with bubbles but very little head. Leaves wispy spidery rings for laces. Sweet vaguely citrusy aroma, artificial and rather cloying. Mouthfeel features ample carbonation but is kind of rubbery. Flavor is very saccharine and lingering, Mead-like with a bare fruitiness of lime pie and apple skins. Rather un-beer-like with a chattering finish to it. Sure, I have to say I don't like it but I'd pick this beer over Lakefront New Grist Sorghum in an instant.
May 14, 2006
Photo of HimerMan
Reviewed by HimerMan from New Jersey

2.23/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
12oz bottle, in a pint glass.

Not a terrible smell - no head, almost like a ginger ale color to it.

Taste is different. Hard to say what it resembles because of how very different it is from most beers.

However, I can not bash this beer because it was designed for celiacs - and if you need to have a beer without gluten, its not that bad.

Worth a shot to try - not for its style - but rather curiosity in alternative beers.

Give it a shot.
Apr 29, 2006
Photo of jdhilt
Reviewed by jdhilt from New Hampshire

1.69/5  rDev -32.1%
look: 1 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2
Pours a one finger, white head that quickly fades to a ring leaving no lace. Nose is crushed apple peelings. Clear pale amber color. Light carbonation and light-medium bodied. Starts and finishes with a slight sour apple/vinegar flavor but sweetness is there without any noticeable hops, doesn’t really taste like beer. In fact is it beer? Gluten free means no malt. Think of it as a sweet mead. $1.60 for a 12oz bottle from Colonial Spirits Acton, Ma.
Apr 27, 2006
Photo of plaid75
Reviewed by plaid75 from New York

1.3/5  rDev -47.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1
Pours a pale straw color, with a creamy one finger head. There is decent retention, but not much lacing.

The smell was very sweet, there was a strong yeast presence and a bit of spiciness - maybe cloves.

The taste was just awful. Very sour and yeasty. There was no real body to grab on to. It was just a mouthful of sweetness. I guess that is what happens when you brew a beer with molasses instead of barley.

The drinkability was horrible also. The beer went down like broken glass. Bitter, but not in a good way.

The mouthfeel was perhaps the worst i have ever experienced.

I don't understand why this beer was created.
Apr 22, 2006
Photo of BigSipper
Reviewed by BigSipper from Pennsylvania

2.76/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3
Pours a very nice goldish bronze and very clear. The head dissipates quickly and the carbonation is subdued. Smells pleasantly sweet, honeylike, but not like beer, but there is a hint of yeast. The first flavor sensation is that of sweetness, then an almost unpleasant cidery attack. Aftertaste is sweet and caramely, but one-dimensional, like after eating hard candy. There is neither malt nor hop flavor.

If you ignore the fact that this drink looks like beer but doesn't taste like it, this could be a perfectly drinkable carbonated alcoholic beverage. If I couldn't drink malt beverages because of a medical condition, I might have one of these once in a while.
Mar 08, 2006
Passover Honey Beer from Ramapo Valley Brewery
Beer rating: 67 out of 100 with 26 ratings