Heritage Honey Ale
Golden State Brewery

Light, malty, barely any sweetness or honey

 

a little dated, but a cool beer, a little more malty than anticipated, rust colored rather than golden or brassy and clear, but it has a nice head on it and good carbonation to push through the honey and the body. the honey is nice, definitely orange blossom derived, with that signature sweet citrus note to it, waxy and kind of raw in here which i like, more of it hangs out even though the beer isnt sweet, which i think is a nice feature for something like this, a little earthy and rugged nature to it, yum. the malt has a little oxidation to it, but some nice protein heft and a smoothness i really like, this isnt a watery honey beer for the sake of summertime, its a little more substantial than that. floral and bright to me even though its grainy, the honey really gives it a lot of life, and although i wish i was able to drink this a little fresher, i did really enjoy it, and it warms up well, more honey and less oxidation at temperature, interestingly enough. fun beer, my first from these guys, cool and robust use of high quality honey, it really comes through more than i thought it would for this being as sturdy as it is. ill look for this again in the future!

 

Attractive beer with the deep golden amber color and big white foam in the New Belgium snifter. Pleasant scent of honey. Sudsy mouthfeel, light bodied, and maybe it's my imagination but it seems slightly sticky too.

Sweet, and seems appropriate for a blonde. This has that interesting honey taste that always seems overly sweet yet tempered with some bitterish hops. As a Blonde Ale this rates pretty good for being more interesting than most. From the 22 oz bottle purchased at Jensens supermarket in Palm Springs.

 

 

 

Appearance - Pours slightly hazy and brilliant golden orange in color with an off-white, finger width head. Sub-par retetnion, quickly breaking down to a near barren surface. Not much for lacing, save a spot or two on the glass.

Smell - Honey and lightly toasted bread. Honey nut Cheerios comes to mind. Faint orange note in the distance.

Taste - Follows the nose. Mild honey and a touch of citrus character is met by a moderate, lightly toasted bready malt backbone. Finishes clean, with a faint, lingering sweetness.

Mouthfeel - Light to medium in body with moderate carbonation. Slick texture makes this an easy drinker with a quick finish.

Overall - A unique and tasty take on the American Blonde style. The honey adds a nice sweetness without becoming cloying. Simple but elegant. I would definitely drink this again.