Organic Scottish Heather Honey Beer
Black Isle Brewery Co Ltd
- From:
- Black Isle Brewery Co Ltd
- Scotland, United Kingdom
- Style:
- Herb and Spice Beer
Ranked #47 - ABV:
- 5%
- Score:
- 86
Ranked #25,467 - Avg:
- 3.79 | pDev: 11.08%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 5
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Nov 08, 2021
- Added:
- Nov 04, 2013
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 2
SCORE
86
Very Good
86
Very Good
No description / notes.
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Reviewed by EmperorBevis from England
3.75/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottled and possibly bottle conditioned and purchased from Mark’s and Spencer’s in Altrincham town centre
Pours a fairly clear golden body with decent enough white head
Aroma betrays the honey element
Nov 08, 2021Pours a fairly clear golden body with decent enough white head
Aroma betrays the honey element
Reviewed by TheDoctor from Canada (QC)
4.21/5 rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.21/5 rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Serving: Cask
Consumed: Oct-1-2019
Pours a clear rich gold with a little white head and sheets of lace of lacing that cover the glass. The smell is of spicy lightly toasty bread crust and grainy malt with an underlying almost-wood smoke character that I'm guessing is the Heather. The flavor is pretty much the same: earthy, crusty, sweetness with a rustic, woody balance. Rich malt flavor, creamy feel, low carbonation. Very nice beer in general with such an interesting flavor/aroma profile from the Heather and maybe the honey that I bumped it up on the overall score. I almost get a little scotch character in both aspects but I wonder but what it is the power of suggestion based on the connection between Heather and peat bogs. I may be way off, but there is an earthy, almost-floral-almost-barky character that seems to stand in for the hops. The malt is the star but I also feel that the honey sweetness comes through a bit even though I know that that is rarely the case. Anyway, this was a very nice beer and was interesting and unique in the best way possible. As a beer in general, it definitely was very well made and is give it straight 4s. However, since it had different ingredients and managed to capture them and have them work harmoniously withing the overall profile of the beer I bumped it up. It is not the end all be all of this sort of beer but is well worth trying if you can get it and is a great way to get a feel for what heather can bring to a beer.
4...4.25...4.25...4...4.25
Oct 08, 2019Consumed: Oct-1-2019
Pours a clear rich gold with a little white head and sheets of lace of lacing that cover the glass. The smell is of spicy lightly toasty bread crust and grainy malt with an underlying almost-wood smoke character that I'm guessing is the Heather. The flavor is pretty much the same: earthy, crusty, sweetness with a rustic, woody balance. Rich malt flavor, creamy feel, low carbonation. Very nice beer in general with such an interesting flavor/aroma profile from the Heather and maybe the honey that I bumped it up on the overall score. I almost get a little scotch character in both aspects but I wonder but what it is the power of suggestion based on the connection between Heather and peat bogs. I may be way off, but there is an earthy, almost-floral-almost-barky character that seems to stand in for the hops. The malt is the star but I also feel that the honey sweetness comes through a bit even though I know that that is rarely the case. Anyway, this was a very nice beer and was interesting and unique in the best way possible. As a beer in general, it definitely was very well made and is give it straight 4s. However, since it had different ingredients and managed to capture them and have them work harmoniously withing the overall profile of the beer I bumped it up. It is not the end all be all of this sort of beer but is well worth trying if you can get it and is a great way to get a feel for what heather can bring to a beer.
4...4.25...4.25...4...4.25
Reviewed by BeerDrinkersWorldTour from Northern Ireland
3.33/5 rDev -12.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
3.33/5 rDev -12.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
A- Pale straw in colour with tight foam head that leaves a generous lace cover. Plenty of heavy CO2.
S - Hmmm. Seemed very vinegary at he outset and to be honest not very appealing but after a little breathing time the aroma of honey was confident and the malt hop balance came out and presented itself as confident and well rounded. There was still some sourness to the overall aroma but it was not bad after all.
T - The taste is better then the aroma with some nice malt sweetness and a light touch of honey. the honey has a woody character that coupled with the hop (which is very light) created a nice dry woody and nutty flavour.
MF - A little to the thin side and a bit of a let down but not bad.
O - Not bad tasting and a decent enough balance but I have to say this is not the best organic I have had in my life The mouth feel is a bit of a damp squib but the rest is decent enough but not amazing.
Apr 04, 2015S - Hmmm. Seemed very vinegary at he outset and to be honest not very appealing but after a little breathing time the aroma of honey was confident and the malt hop balance came out and presented itself as confident and well rounded. There was still some sourness to the overall aroma but it was not bad after all.
T - The taste is better then the aroma with some nice malt sweetness and a light touch of honey. the honey has a woody character that coupled with the hop (which is very light) created a nice dry woody and nutty flavour.
MF - A little to the thin side and a bit of a let down but not bad.
O - Not bad tasting and a decent enough balance but I have to say this is not the best organic I have had in my life The mouth feel is a bit of a damp squib but the rest is decent enough but not amazing.
Reviewed by J-Pendragon from England
3.75/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
Chilled briefly and poured into a nonic pint glass.
Appearance: a light, wheaty yellow-gold - a touch richer than your standard lager. An immediate flourish of effervescence produces an attractive snow-white head that rapidly melts away.
Smell: arrives with a top-layer that is distinctively heather honey, with an emphasis on the floral notes. The overall impression is of honeysuckle, with faint passing aromas of orange blossom. The hops are subtle but, pleasingly, present. In my experience, aromatically this is particularly well balanced for a honeyed beer.
Taste: clean and moreish. Given a little time to gather some of the warmth of the room, the honey tones show decent complexity for a lighter beer. Not too sweet, which is a blessing. As promised by the nose, the heather comes through nicely. To expand on the previous two reviews, butter is certainly an element here. Heather honey on (sligthly burnt) buttered toast comes to mind.
Overall: this is a well executed honey beer, a combination often mishandled. The essence of heather honey is brought out without becoming overpowering, neither too sweet or floral. Whilst depth could certainly be added, this proves a tasty casual beer for those enticed by the promise of merging the flavours of honey with beer.
Mar 14, 2014Appearance: a light, wheaty yellow-gold - a touch richer than your standard lager. An immediate flourish of effervescence produces an attractive snow-white head that rapidly melts away.
Smell: arrives with a top-layer that is distinctively heather honey, with an emphasis on the floral notes. The overall impression is of honeysuckle, with faint passing aromas of orange blossom. The hops are subtle but, pleasingly, present. In my experience, aromatically this is particularly well balanced for a honeyed beer.
Taste: clean and moreish. Given a little time to gather some of the warmth of the room, the honey tones show decent complexity for a lighter beer. Not too sweet, which is a blessing. As promised by the nose, the heather comes through nicely. To expand on the previous two reviews, butter is certainly an element here. Heather honey on (sligthly burnt) buttered toast comes to mind.
Overall: this is a well executed honey beer, a combination often mishandled. The essence of heather honey is brought out without becoming overpowering, neither too sweet or floral. Whilst depth could certainly be added, this proves a tasty casual beer for those enticed by the promise of merging the flavours of honey with beer.
Reviewed by wl0307 from England
3.13/5 rDev -17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.13/5 rDev -17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Purchased from the Marks & Spencer supermarket, coming in a 500ml brown bottle; BB 08/2014, served mildly chilled in a straight imperial pint glass.
A: pale golden in colour, coming with lively carbonation, great clarity, and a loosely-formed foamy head dissipating fast.
S: the malt aroma comes rather dense and rich, with a sweetness mixing very thick honey with orangey fruitiness and melted sugar, while the hop input is minimal, if noticeable at all. As noticed by the previous reviewer, a light touch of butterscotch is indeed present on the nose.
T: lightly effervescent, the entry comes thin-bodied with lightly sour-sweet maltiness and floral notes dominating the palate, turning mildly dry in the middle with random notes of honey and butterscotch lingering in the end. Simplistic but fairly well-executed.
M&O: lightly fizzy on the mouthfeel, this light-bodied honey beer is indeed a honey-accentuated beer all in all, but lacks slightly more enticing flavour elements to make it an interesting one.
Dec 08, 2013A: pale golden in colour, coming with lively carbonation, great clarity, and a loosely-formed foamy head dissipating fast.
S: the malt aroma comes rather dense and rich, with a sweetness mixing very thick honey with orangey fruitiness and melted sugar, while the hop input is minimal, if noticeable at all. As noticed by the previous reviewer, a light touch of butterscotch is indeed present on the nose.
T: lightly effervescent, the entry comes thin-bodied with lightly sour-sweet maltiness and floral notes dominating the palate, turning mildly dry in the middle with random notes of honey and butterscotch lingering in the end. Simplistic but fairly well-executed.
M&O: lightly fizzy on the mouthfeel, this light-bodied honey beer is indeed a honey-accentuated beer all in all, but lacks slightly more enticing flavour elements to make it an interesting one.
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