Sauvage Miel
Green Bench Brewing Co.

 

woefully underrated here, this is one of the best and most unique beers i have had in a long time, and another winner from green bench in the sour and wild category. i cant believe how light this pours, seriously as light shimmery yellow golden as champagne, even clearer, and with just as much carbonation rushing up, its downright sexy in the glass, elegant as they come, almost doesnt even look like beer at all. i can smell a wonderfully mature wild yeast complexion here, brett driven, with some white winey and peary fruitiness, soft white peach and mango too, but its dry, farmy, and funky, very rustic and very clean, and its all there in the taste, old worldy and interesting, orval-esque, my highest praise. the honey aspect is great too, in the nose its a little sweet, delicate and floral, blossoming, orange and elderflower and clover, but in the flavor its a bit more robust, waxy and sticky and dripping, as flavorful as they light grain here, even more really, standout obvious flavor in such a mild base beer. the grain aspect is crackery and also dry but leaving an indelible earthy mark on this which is a great vehicle for the honey. i love how much i taste the honey in here, and how its floral intensity leans so well into the brett. carbonation is explosive and energetic and its perfect for this beer. this is like wedding toast stuff, worthy of the finest table and highest occasion. one of my favorite beers in an insane lineup, and one i wont soon forget. i hope to make it up to the brewery to check out more green bench beer when i am in florida later this year! this is pure gold!

edit: this ages real well too. still plenty of honey on it, but even drier and more fizzy now, truly like champagne, with a soft tartness and a very delicate body, it hasnt run sour or anything, and the level of refinement is all time. really special beer here, surprised this hasnt gotten more attention, one of a kind!

 

One of the best honey aromas I've ever encountered in a beer, but oddly the rest of the experience doesn't live up to it. The rich, complex notes of the honey in the nose are followed by a surprisingly bland flavor and thin body that finishes very dry.