Bee-Have
Madison River Brewing Company

 

Nice rye sourness, coupled with some honey sweetness. Hazy golden body, light funk nose, more rye sour in the taste. So much better than the German roggenbiers.

A- Pours a hefty light golden color with orange hues about it, and has a very impressive two finger thick foam head that has excellent retention! Eventually this settles into a very thick creamy looking film over the brew itself. Lacing is awesome with thick soapy bubbles clinging to the side of the glass and there appears to be a fair bit of carbonation rising to the top in several columns!

S- Pure natural honey sweetness is noticeable like sweet baking glazed with honey....baklava! Caramel/toffee malt sweetness is present as well and is balanced somewhat with flower petals of the clover plant, deep fruity notes like plum jam and just a hint of bitterness on the finish to smooth things out....a real treat on the nostrils!

T- Honeyed bliss is noticed throughout the drinking experience, but remains dry at the same time! There is a wildflower character about this, with unmalted grains and grassy notes. Earthy spice is present and the finish is mild in bitterness....orange blossoms and Honeysuckle! Very nice overall!

M/O- Aggressive carbonation and reasonably light in body, this is a very enjoyable strong ale to have really anytime! The alcohol is superbly well hidden and this is simply an drinkable ale with plenty of aroma and smell happening. Next time on a trip to Montana, this will be on the list of things to bring back! I recommend this to anyone who wants something that is easy to comprehend but wants complexity at the same time!

 

A - Clear bright golden, 2 fingers of creamy head, solid rentention and clingy lacing
S - Florals, oatmeal, light raw honey and marmalade
T - Biscuity malt and light sweet honey, mild spicy and grainy notes linger
M - Medium body and a tad flat with a spiciness that lingers, a little musty
O - Very sessionable and gentle yet full flavours, a definite must try

650ml bottle. Brewed with Sweet Pure Honey (.ca, if you're looking it up) The honey apparently comes from Saskatchewan, for use by a south of the 49th brewery. Cool - cross-border collaboration is always welcome in my books.

This beer pours a hazy medium golden straw hue, with two fingers of tightly foamy, and damned near creamy off-white head, which leaves some nicely gnarled webbed lace around the glass as it evenly subsides.

It smells of sharply biscuity, cereal grain malt, a very faint earthy sweetness, and leafy, grassy hops. The taste is more bready, biscuity malt, some soft, grainy rye spiciness, a still rather ethereal musty, earthy sweetness, and persistent leafy, floral hops.

The carbonation is fairly mellow, the body a decent medium-light weight, just a tad watery, but generally smooth overall. It finishes off-dry - just - the prototypical ESB biscuit character thankfully holding fast, an echo of an echo of honey sweetness lingering, under the shadow of stronger leafy, earthy hops.

If you'd sold me this under the pretense of a well-bred English ESB, I could not argue one bit. However, weird circumstances prevail to nullify the proclaimed rye malt and honey additive effects to almost nil. Whatevs, I can do a mind shift as well as the next guy, especially when it pertains to my ultimate enjoyment. Look out Fullers, you have some local (heh!) competition for one of your meal tickets.