Honey IPA
14th Star Brewing Co.

 

 

 

On tap at McGillicuddy’s, Williston, VT. This was poured into a pint glass. The appearance was a hazy burnt orange color. Bar pour’s kind of slim white head that dissipated immediately. No lacing. The smell started off with the dry sweet honey and then opened up with some light floral and then citrusy hops, gets somewhat grassy. The taste is basically the same with a semi-honey sweet aftertaste. Finishes somewhat crisp. On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium in body. Crisp and wet to the touch on my tongue. Nice sessionability! Overall, they should can this, would love to pound this one fishing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

definite tones of honey, both in color and in taste, without compromising the integrity of an IPA. Nice hoppy bight on the front of the pallet, with the perfect smooth finish over the back of the tongue.

 

 

 

Pours a burnt orange hue with one finger of khaki head that laces very nicely in the Fiddlehead tulip.

Aroma is relatively muted: some dank pine and a touch of grapefruit pith.

Flavor is a notable improvement over the aroma (which seems like it could have been improved by some dry hopping) and hits mid palate with a note of malt sweetness that is quickly overtaken by a bitter piney hop bite which finishes with the honey sweetness that becomes less of a factor after a couple of pours. There is a nice balance between the bitter and the sweet here.

Mouthfeel is medium and the carbonation is nicely done.

Seeing that there is a wide range of experimental IPAs out there, 14th Star Honey IPA seems to belong somewhere in the IPA category. In an amusing side note, 14th Star Honey IPA "beat" Heady Topper in a local newspaper publication (Seven Days) when it went head to head, but it is my guess that there was a concerted effort to unseat Heady, if only in a local forum. Solid but not stellar, worth a try and enjoyable.

 

On tap at the brewery.

Slightly hazy, amber-orange pour, with a small white head; moderate retention and some lacing. Sugary sweet aroma with some mild citrusy hops. In the taste, light, crisp, citrusy hops that were somewhat toned down in favor of a bready malt and honey sweetness; slight herbal bitterness in the finish. Not bad, but you might as well just call this an APA, which is basically what it is. Light-medium body, crisp and easy-drinkable mouthfeel. Decent, but not really what I'm looking for in the style.