Honey, I Do
McKenzie Brewing Company

As I recall, the brewer named this beer in answer to a man who proposed marriage to her. And what better way to say I love you than with a beer?

This is a peculiar brown ale in that it tastes strangely burnt. That's not a bad thing in the least, but I must admit it took me by surprise. The same characteristics of Steelhead’s house yeast strain are notably present here but are subsumed to a solid bitterness and a gutsy malt profile. The flavor is almost raunchy. Actually, I should say that the flavor is almost rauchy, in the sense of being comparable to a rauchbier. It’s very smoky though without the “smoked sausage” effect of some rauchbiers. The aroma however, is faintly carbolic.

Honey, I Do has a nice chestnut color and a clear, radiant body derived from the use of 50 pounds of raspberry honey in the mash. It has a very slight head but leaves well-composed lace. It does have a slightly astringent late mouthfeel and the finish is somewhat stressed – that smoke can be hard to swallow. But I liked it. This isn’t a beer you’d want to drink every day. But then how often does the brewer get married?