Time to spin some vinyl on the old turntable, perhaps it’s Van the Man playing Tupelo Honey* while I sample this brew. Or maybe it’s the Beatles covering and adding lyrics to the Herb Alpert classic “A Taste of Honey”?** Or maybe it’s more Beatles with “Honey Pie” or Honey Don’t”. You can be sure it isn’t “Honey Honey” by ABBA on my turntable. You may see a theme developing here. Also I know our editor can’t resist adding trivia to classic vinyl so that intro should keep him busy.
When it comes to honey it seems most brewers have a sweet tooth. We have sampled Sleeman’s Honey Brown, Couchiching’s Honey Blonde, Honey Ambers and Honey Cream Ales. We even sampled Sawdust’s “Buzzin’ Beefore You Know It”.
In general honey brews get good COMDB reviews. The trick is to be like your humble reviewer, subtle and sweet. ***
This isn’t just any cream ale. In addition to it being brewed by Clear Lake, home of the largest beer spa in the world, it is in fact a honey cream ale in body, if not in name. The honeycomb pattern on the can may have been my first clue. Clear Lake tells us “Honey is the key to this brew.”
The pour is honey brown and clear with a touch of cream rising to the top. A malt aroma with a noticeable sweetness. It tastes of smooth malt with a sweet clean finish, no bitter or zing. No aftertaste. It is definitely honey infused but mellow honey. It does get sweeter as time goes by and it warms a bit. An enjoyable cream ale which a touch of honey, almost a touch too much but not quite.
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