Honey Porter
J. Boag & Son Brewing

Honey PorterHoney Porter
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From:
J. Boag & Son Brewing
 
Australia
Style:
American Porter
ABV:
5.5%
Score:
78
Avg:
3.08 | pDev: 22.4%
Reviews:
11
Ratings:
12
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 22, 2013
Added:
Aug 25, 2003
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Ratings by belgbeerdrinker:
Photo of belgbeerdrinker
Reviewed by belgbeerdrinker from Colorado

3.8/5  rDev +23.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
a: dark color - ruby-like that u can see through in the light, nice head to start that settles to no head
s: mildly sweet smell, almost like a chardonnay
t: definitely more honey than porter - blind taste-teste wouldn't pin this as a porter. hardly any resemblance, but taste is sweet and pretty clean. resembles something like version of a light belgian strong ale.
m: smooth with decent carbonation & medium body
d: although i've had a few other boag's products that were above average, this was a nice surprise. not at all what i expected, but certainly worth another try or two & easy to drink.
Feb 02, 2007
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 2.5 by pin from Australia

May 22, 2013
Photo of rec
Reviewed by rec from Australia

2.29/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
I was really, really excited when I first saw this in a shop tonight. It's limited release and I hope is from the most recent batch (otherwise I'd be worried about its age).

The pour is lack-lustre, with near no noticeable head. Retention is equally as poor. It sports a deep but transparent ruby body, which is perhaps the only visual distinction worth appreciating.

The smell is a hard one to put my finger on. It's sweet, and I'd almost say some sort some light fruits accompany the hops.

I'm not sure what the deal is with the taste - I'm not recognising any honey what-so-ever. I get a watery roasted caffeine flavour and spicy bitterness.

It's easy enough to drink; the carbonation is fine, but for a porter it's just not what I expected. It's far from thick or creamy, which while not always the case with a porter, you'd expect from a honey porter.

In closing, how they called it a honey porter is beyond me, because it doesn't exert any characteristics that would justify that label on either count. I'm extremely disappointed unfortunately.
Mar 29, 2007
Photo of jarmby1711
Reviewed by jarmby1711 from Australia

3.52/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Thisis really quite dark with a tinge ofruby where the light penetrates the edge of the glassA decent sized head persists for a modicum of time.
It smells of a higher ABV than the 5.5% suggests it may. It is a bit acrid for me.
Neither porterish or honeyish is in the smellThe alcohol also comes through in the taste as does the honey , which is not at all sweet and the roasted grains of the porter are there as well.
It surely achieves what it sets out to do
Not the sort of beer I would drink a lot of , but it balances well and has plenty of contrasts in it .
I have never had a Honey Porter before so I cant say if this is good bad or indifferent.It is a niche beer , perhaps in winter with a good slab of mature cheddar to help it along
Oct 21, 2006
Photo of norwichboy
Reviewed by norwichboy from Australia

2.49/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
This may have been re-released as there is plenty of it around at the moment.

Clear red-brown with a good frothy lasting head and lacing which coats the glass.
Not much smell other than some gamey barnyardy characteristics; no honey that I can tell.
To taste, there isn't actually much flavour, some hops and malt, but lacking intensity. However a pleasant bitter finish, in which the honey just faintly comes through at the end - but blink and you'll miss it. Quite a lingering bitterness. Modertately carbonated. A struggle to finish.

Well I was unimpressed by the honey porter from Dark Isle because it tasted of honey and nothing else. This is the other end of the spectrum, with the honey influence only very subtle, but it's a hard going drink without much reward.
Oct 18, 2006
Photo of vancurly
Reviewed by vancurly from Australia

3.8/5  rDev +23.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours a clear, copper dark amber, almost red...off-white head with nice lace.

Aromas of nutmeg, P.O.R. hops, green fruit. Some fleshy, gamey, barnyard notes.

Flavour of green hops, some candy-like sweetness, with spicy musky phenolics, some slight similarity to Belgian ale. Crystal malts. Apple & pear aftertaste.

Nice mouthfeel. Medium bodied, medium bitterness. Slight tartness on the lips at the end.

Not a bad drop.... I reckon it would go well with roast pork & all the trimmings.
Sep 26, 2006
Photo of BeerNutta
Reviewed by BeerNutta from Australia

2.36/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Honey Porter 2006 Release.

A = Poured dark brown with a thin foam head that quickly dissapated. It was not dark enough. It was dark. But a lighter shade of dark brown. If anything, it was milk chocolate brown.

S = Slight honey smell. Nothing really.

T = Slightly roasted malt taste with a slight honey aftertaste. Very dissapointing for a limited release.

M = Watery feel with light carbonation. Average.

D = The problem with this porter is that it is so damn bland. It comes out once every 2 or so years. I want to be impressed. I want something unique. Not something uniquely bland.
Sep 14, 2006
Photo of Weizenmensch
Reviewed by Weizenmensch from Japan

4.08/5  rDev +32.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Quite an impressive seasonal. Best before 04/05/06.

Appearance: Nice deep goldensyrupy-brown colour, as if there's some mystery in the glass. Lacing is ubiquitous but head retention is low.

Smell: Not too obvious, faint smells of burnt sugar, maybe honey, and maybe pine sawdust.

Taste: Really complex, nice and sweet. Complex sugars, lots of different types of sweetness. Can taste the malt, as well as honey, and an interesting hop not-quite-bitterness, possibly due to the "van Diemen hop" used. (Never heard of that one before). On drinking the second of these for the night, I decided that its taste was better than 'good': even though this beer may not conform to the 'porter' style, it is delicious and I will be drinking many more of these as soon as I can get my hands on them.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, creamy, divine. Very appropriate.

Drinkability: Complex but goes down easy. I would be in heaven drinking this all night. Overall I'm very impressed.
Jun 05, 2005
Photo of joecast
Reviewed by joecast from Australia

3.46/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
ok, boags honey porter. missed this the previous few times its been released. looking forward to a taste.

pours a dark, but extremely clear, mahogany color. head forms about 1/4in thick and light tan in color. the bubbles looked a bit odd in shape at first but after a minute or two settle nicely.

aroma is on the sweetish side. honey is hardly detectable in the aroma, but it does have a nice maltiness about it. nothing outstanding about it though.

the bottle states "limited edition van diemen hop" and ill admit i dont know anything about it. is it a bittering hop, an aroma hop, what?? anyway, ill continue with the review.

taste is definitely interesting. this is only my third review for a porter and it (the style) is starting to grow on me. this one (although the second leatherwood honey variety) differs from the previous two. really smooth maltiness (bordering on candy sweet). i suppose being a converted hop head has altered my perception here as it may seem really well balanced to others. some honey and chocolate notes as well.

pretty good mouthfeel, especially once warmed a bit. drinkability suffers slightly from the lack of bitterness. otherwise, cant really fault this beer. nice one from the brewery up north.
May 26, 2005
Photo of goodbyesoberday
Reviewed by goodbyesoberday from Australia

3.7/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Honeyed and floral on the aroma, with an undertone of roast, though I wonder how much of the leatherwood aroma is in that, as I hear it's quite a distinctive honey. There's something a little off-putting in there, a little like fly-spray, though it's better once it's in the mouth. Tastewise the honey is definitely there, though it seems the roast malt is stepping up the plate to meet it with coffee and chocolate. Bitterness is at a good level, high enough to balance sweetness of the beer, I think. Not really sure if I can taste the van diemen hops, there's too much else in there. Aftertaste is lingering slightly sweet, but the bitterness is reducing that quite well.

I would call the colour translucent coffee. The head was loose and all but vanished. Not sure how close it is to porter style as I'm not overly experienced with them, but I deem it redrinkable.
May 25, 2005
Photo of diablo14
Reviewed by diablo14 from Illinois

2.9/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
boags get extra points simply for doing what cascade has refused to do with their seasonal beers, and thats go out on a limb. this is the type of beer youd expect from a micro, so these guys get a boquet from me for the attempt.

having said that, the balance of this brew is all over the place. it has dark ruby/ mahogany colors and a lacy off white head which looks a little out of place with a beer that is dark. the nose has a gentle roasted touch, with massive blasts of honey and fruity hops. you can really smell the apple orchards of tassie in there. problem here is in the balance of the flavours. theyve gone a bit too full on trying to take a porter and give it an edge. too heavyhanded on the honey which often overpowers the beer. you have to drink this chilled, so this is kept under control. unfortunately, porters are at their best warming up. they also have this nice new hop which they are also trying to bring to the fore, but it doesnt compliment everything else they are trying to do here. the hop has a fine balance of bitterness and aroma, but its application here is a little amiss. the addition of honey and new hops totally takes the focus off the fact this is supposed to be a porter because they have gone overboard with it. the roasted flavor that should be present in spades is shoved to the side in a big way. it also finishes in a rather muddled fashion. trying to be dry, but again, the honey kills it, and the hops seem to end up being more about the aroma than the bite. it does have a crisp clean feel tho, as is usually the case with tassie beers.

its a fair price for a seasonal beer, which alone makes it worth the try. theyve just got a bit over excited with the idea. id like to see these guys go back to the drawing board and have another crack, and come back again next year when theyve got the balance together. still its good to see a macro having a go, especially in australia.

update 2005: just finished a couple of the new batch of this brew, and while boags have said they tweaked it a bit, im finding not a lot has changed. everything is still all over the place. alas the hops are a bit down and there is still a distinct lack of a roasted presence for the style.

i think the biggest problem with this beer is you cant drink it after having other beers. doing this exposes its weaknesses to the hilt. goes down ok if its drunk in isolation, or at the start of the night.

its still not bad, and kinda interesting for an aussie beer, but the improvements i had hoped for just havent happened.
Oct 17, 2003
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Reviewed by rastaman from England

2.03/5  rDev -34.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
This ain't a porter, it might say it is on the label, but it ain't, maybe dark lager or "american dark" would be fair. Really easy to drink, with virtually no flavour, besides some light roastyness. Gimicky name, with no flavour to match. Why did they brew such a bland winter beer? Aaaaah, i know, coz San Miguel wouldn't aprove otherwise
Oct 16, 2003
Honey Porter from J. Boag & Son Brewing
Beer rating: 78 out of 100 with 12 ratings