Discovery Fireweed Honey Ale
Yukon Brewing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

from notes over the christmas holidays...
A - Clear copper, thin head ended with some random blobs
S - Grainy with subtle honey, leafy and metallic aromas
T - Unique raw honey flavour with grainy and light caramel malt with some leafiness, not quite an ESB in the classic sense but still tasty
M - Light and sweet with enough bitterness to justify the ESB side of the equation
O - Nice to see honey added to something other than brown ale or lager, and it is done with a more raw natural flair here, could easily be a session beer

Appearance- Pours a clear copper colour with a very thin white head.

Smell- Honey, caramel, hint of vanilla, and grains.

Taste- It starts off with the honey sweetness and finishes with bitter grains. The flavours are well balanced and mild.

Mouthfeel- Light to medium bodied with light carbonation. A little thin but has a nice smooth quality.

Overall- An enjoyable ESB by Yukon. I enjoy their use of local ingredients such as fireweed honey. The sweet honey flavour is well balanced with the bitter qualities of this beer. Would make an excellent summer refresher.

341ml bottle poured into pint glass 6/2/11

A clear golden amber with plenty of carbonation but only a finger of loose foam that leaves a single partial ring of lace

S a little tea bag with honey and citric hops

T not far from the smell but I get a little more lemon and there's sweetness but its manageable

M rather slick at first then the bubbles fluff it up a bit and give it some life

O drinkable brew but not as nice as some of the offerings from Yukon but I had no issues

not a bad addition to the thirst aid kit but I'd prefer the Lead Dog or Stout in its place, but I understand those beers may be a little frightening for the entry level consumer their trying to target with the mixer

Bottle says: "Honey ESB"

A - Pours a clear copper-amber with finger of white head. Decent retention; subsides to lacing. Probably the high point of the beer.

S - Smell is ok. Subdued hop aroma which is citrus and herbal. Malt is slightly sweet and caramel. Hint of corn.

T - Taste follows with slightly hoppy and sweet malt. Hint of corn again.

M - Fairly thin, especially when trying to pass as and ESB.

D - Average.

Another delicious selection from our Canada Day beer swap!

A - Pours a clear golden brown with a thing layer of head which slowly dissipates with no real lacing.

S - The sweet honey is quite noticeable, with some faint coffee malts and bit of a corn / bready finish.

T - Bready malts come through off the top, the finish is bitter with a fairly dominant honey after-taste. A bit of brown sugar and citrus hops are also noticeable.

M - The one is fairly carbonated, but is nicely balanced. It fills up nicely on the tongue, but does not have a dry finish, which is nice.

D - Pretty tasty indeed. The flavours are wonderful, with a nice balance between sweet and bitter. Would definitely purchase a 6-er of these, and is a flavourful summertime bevy!

A- Pours with a thin white head that quickly disappears into a very thin film over the brew. The color is a not 100% clear copper and there seems to be medium carbonation. The lacing is non existent unfortunately so it's not the best looking beer.

S- I agree with some of the other reviewers in that this beer has a caramel aroma. I also smell a floral aroma as well as a dryness that is a combination of earthiness and subtle hops.

T- This is where the beer really stands out! There is a nice balance of sweet toffee flavor like malts (crystal malt?), a drier honey flavor than I'm used to, and the finish is perfectly hopped, producing a clean, bitter finish that lingers on the palate.

M- This is a light bodied beer, with solid carbonation that provides the clean crispness that makes this beer enjoyable. The honey on the palate is much more herbal like and is provides a more astringent mouthfeel than the creaminess that I'm used to having in a honey beer.

D- This is a different honey beer than any other I've tried. I really like this overall and wouldn't have any problems drinking this brew all night...especially as a patio beer during the summer! I think this is a more mature version of the honey beer style and think it is a beer that is classy!

This beer pours a medium copper hue, with a single finger of soapy white head, which leaves thin curtained lace around the glass as it quickly recedes. It smells of caramel and biscuit malt, as well as some sweet herbal hops. The taste is somewhat bitter herbal hops, spiced honey, and mild caramel malt. The carbonation is a bit below average, the body light and crisp, and it finishes off-dry, some sweet honey lingering, along with that herbal essence that I suppose must be the fireweed, whose flavour I was unacquainted with, before now.

A decent pale ale, the extra honey and herbal notes blend well for an enjoyable result.

Funky 6-pack packaging. The beer pours a lovely hue of golden, with head enough to satisfy. Looks great. The aroma is filled with fireweed and a lovely mix of subtle hopping with caramel malt. A step above any commercially available "honey lagers". This ain't no Sleemans. Plenty of sweet malting, paired with interesting aromas of subtle syrup, grassy herbs, and a good dose of fiery hopping. Taste really shines through. This is excellent caramel malting, bursting with red-ale sweetness and sugariness paired with just enough fireweed and hops to make for above-par balance. This is above par in every way. Exceptional mouthfeel and drinkability, though a little sweet, is excellent. Again, Yukon does not disappoint. This is some more liquid gold from the Yukon. More? Yes please.

Bottle courtesy of Irondjin: Poured a deep golden and dark honey color ale with a small bubbly head with minimal retention. Aroma of sweet malt with some unrefined grain is more or less pleasant. Taste is also dominated by some sweet malt with this unpleasant unrefined grain taste which was not appreciated. Body was fuller then average with some low carbonation.

Pours out with a loose spongy off-white head. The body is a deep clear amber/old copper hue.

Sweet caramel malt blends with herbal hops on the nose, a bit of spice from the honey.

The flavour seems fuller than it is thanks to the smooth beyond medium-bodied mouthfeel. Light toffee malt that develops a spicy sweetness in the middle, and finishes with a dandelion-like character. Carbonation becomes apparent on the finish.

Still a decent pale ale, and pretty solid once all the parts comes together. If anything, Yukon doesn't do anything half-assed.

Appearance - Dark amber color, some lacing.

Smell - Sweet honey smell with a hint of woodiness.

Mouthfeel - Smooth texture

Taste - Slight sweetness at the front of the mouth, fading into a pleasant mild hoppy bitter finish.

Drinkability - Tasty and flavorful yet refreshing at the same time.

Hitchiker from Presario, thank you. Some colour, bit of fizzy head. Drinkable though above average carbonation. Some fruit and sweet aroma. An APA base there,there's a reasonable beer trying to come out, and that's what I was after, without the honey additive. Medium mouthfeel.