A Honey Of A Saison
Boulder Beer / Wilderness Pub

A Honey Of A SaisonA Honey Of A Saison
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From:
Boulder Beer / Wilderness Pub
 
Colorado, United States
Style:
Belgian Pale Strong Ale
ABV:
11.5%
Score:
78
Avg:
3.4 | pDev: 17.94%
Reviews:
30
Ratings:
156
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jul 08, 2020
Added:
Dec 18, 2012
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  16
A Honey of a Saison is a swarm of flavor and a stinger at 11.5% ABV. The French Saison yeast produces big, estery, phenolic aromas and flavors, while the Wildflower Honey lends a spicy, sweet aroma with essence of dried fruits. Champagne Yeast is also used to complete fermentation and create a dry finish. A strong malt bill imparts a rich, golden honey color to the ale, and it shows low hop bitterness at 25 IBU’s.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

1.81/5  rDev -46.8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.75
What in God's name was this? An 11.5% "saison"? Glad its called a BSPA here, seems more fitting. Although a tripel would have worked too.

Anyways, looks too dark for a saison, this is dark amber, auburn color, but does produce 1/2" off white head. Aroma is just hot and gross. Tons of phenolic plastic and rubbing alcohol, with a garnish of clove. Woof.

Taste gets worse. Massive amounts of everything I don't like to taste. Almost fusel like alcohol note, am I drinking gasoline? But wait, there's more. Stupid ass clove and melted plastic taste. Kill me please, if this beer does not. I don't know what they are talking about with the honey. Its neither dry nor sweet. I mean, if I had to pick one, I guess it leans lightly sweet, but overall, Its just brutal. Too thin for all the garbage you gotta put up with. Heavier malt bill might soak up some of that basura. I seriously could see me getting into a fight with whomever is most responsible for this recipe. I mean, sure, first trip in the time machine, go kick Hitler's ass, maybe Mao or Stalin next, but once all the socialists are gone, its time to find out who is responsible for this.
Jul 08, 2020
Photo of bushbeer75
Reviewed by bushbeer75 from Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
22 oz brown bottle -

A Honey of a Saison's body is a dark golden hue and formed a1-finger off-white head. The head reduced to a foamy collar with very minimal lacing on the walls of my tulip glass. The nose is sweet and a little spicy upfront. Light fruit; pear; peach and white grapes are also noted in the background. The taste matches the nose with the flavors of sweet honey first noted followed by all the light fruit mentioned in the nose. The finish is dry, sweet, and a little spicy. Mouth feel is high-medium with medium carbonation.

Overall, a sweeter ale for its style that is very drinkable for its high ABV - I like it.
Jul 02, 2019
 
Rated: 1 by GarrisWH from Colorado

Apr 01, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by a77cj7 from South Dakota

Sep 06, 2016
Photo of Brutaltruth
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Enjoyed from the 22 oz bottle in a snifter. This unique ale pours a deep and lightly hazy amber with a very nice head of white foam that settles to a thick rich ring, nice light layer, and very nice lacing. Nose of heavy mead, strong grained booze, and moderate hop notes. Flavors fall short from the nose with big honey blasted with an herbal hop that is prominent on the middle and sides and fades into the back with bubblegum and ultra sweet candy sugars that finish with a wine like tartness. Decent mouth feel, moderate carbonation is right for the style, yet the sweetness is overly cloying and coating making it a rather muddled mess.

I love rich sweet brews. I have a serious sweet tooth, yet this is over the top with a dry herbal finish that is almost off putting. The alcohol warmth is right, and the idea is solid; kudos with the champagne yeast, yet some tact and characteristic outside of sweet and herbal would be welcomed.

A recipe with it's heart in the right place, but one that could use some tweaking.
Apr 30, 2016
Photo of hoptheology
Reviewed by hoptheology from California

2.95/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3
Look : It pours a deep dark amber color with copper highlights. Head is fluffy and off-white, perfect Belgian appearance.

Smell : Honey, honey candy, bubblegum, pale malts, hop. Belgian yeast and alcohol play games together too.

Taste : A wall of rotten candy sweetness comes out in full force - settling into notes of honey, bubblegum, fusel alcohol, and malt liquor. A high dose of vinegar and malt combines with a hotness from the alcohol to create one giant mess. As it warms, the flavors tame a bit and meld together.

Feel is okay with buzzing carbonation (reminiscent of the bee on front) but at this point I don't particularly care as it's undrinkable. The finish is semi-dry.

Overall : I bought this for $1.99 and I paid too much. Drain pourrrrrrrr.
Feb 10, 2016
Photo of sjdevel
Reviewed by sjdevel from Utah

3.5/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Look:
Pours with a 1-finger head (from a 22oz bottle), but the head recedes quite rapidly. I am left with a decent foam ring around the outside of the glass and some decent lacing though. This beer is a very clear golden/copper/honey color. Not very active for a saison.

Smell:
Smells dank and tart. There are some fruity notes and a strong zing of wine. Not extremely aromatic, but a decent fragrance.

Taste:
There is a slight hop bitterness upfront, followed quickly by tart fruit. It then tastes like a blend of wines all swirled together (apple, white grape, red grape, peach, etc.). Mixed in with the fruits and wine are sweet honey and caramel malts. There is an earthy flavor that I cannot quite place that, at first, seems out of place, but then it seems to meld back in when it starts to dry out and then leave you with an aftertaste of champagne with a hint of vinegar. There are a couple of times throughout the flavor life cycle where it seems to fade into vinegary notes, but it doesn't last that long. The high level of alcohol is very apparent as you quickly get warm wave that crashes in with every sip.

Feel:
Medium to full feeling. It feels pretty thick when you first drink it but seems to get oily and thin. This one is on the low side of carbonation so it doesn't have the effervescent tingle that a lot of Saisons have. There is a slight dry feel at the tail end.

Overall:
This is pretty good. There are some flavors that clash briefly here and there though. I couldn't really track it down. It says that the fermentation is finished with champagne yeast so it may be that my taste buds are thinking that: IT'S A BEER, NO IT'S CHAMPAGNE, NO IT'S A BEER, NO IT'S CHAMPAGNE! There is a slight sourness as well so it's almost like a blend of 4 different drinks. There is a medicinal tinge here and there. It's not too bad, but I'm not convinced that all of the flavors that I was tasting belong together. But this one is worth trying once. It's Okay.
Jan 10, 2016
 
Rated: 3.39 by cmoore32 from Nebraska

Nov 14, 2015
Photo of BCraig
Reviewed by BCraig from Wyoming

2.75/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Pours red copper color with light khaki head that is slow to dissipate. Caramel malt upfront, sweet honey, raisins. Warming alcohol, esters, pear flavors. Medium mouthfeel dry finish.
Aug 27, 2015
 
Rated: 3.65 by ItsYourBoyBlue from Washington

Jul 20, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by afsdan from Colorado

Jul 16, 2015
Photo of MLoxxer
Reviewed by MLoxxer from Nebraska

2.86/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 3
I had this beer on tap. For being skeptical of Belgian style beer from US breweries I must say I was impressed. Being very alcoholic it does live up to being classed as a strong ale. Although it's flavor doesn't have the complexity of its foreign counterparts it is a good beer nonetheless.
Jul 02, 2015
Photo of Tommygunn
Reviewed by Tommygunn from California

2.46/5  rDev -27.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5
Not sure if I got a bad bottle. If not, this is not a good beer. It's initially sweet to taste before an oddly antiseptic flavor takes charge (it smells slightly like antiseptic also). Looks good though!
May 31, 2015
 
Rated: 3.09 by duke33s from Texas

May 29, 2015
 
Rated: 3.66 by MustyDusty from Illinois

May 25, 2015
 
Rated: 3.77 by PaulWaters from California

May 22, 2015
 
Rated: 3.85 by Lovely85 from Florida

May 02, 2015
 
Rated: 3.89 by nickfl from Florida

May 02, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by aussiebeer from Illinois

Apr 09, 2015
Photo of Zomdust
Rated by Zomdust from Missouri

2.64/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
To much honey, not tasty, drain pour from my perspective
Mar 19, 2015
A Honey Of A Saison from Boulder Beer / Wilderness Pub
Beer rating: 78 out of 100 with 156 ratings