BUZZ OFF! (Skinners Heligan Honey)

Member Name: tange

Product:	Skinners Heligan Honey
Date:	25/10/05 (311 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A tasty and refreshing bitter/ sweet beer.

Disadvantages: Not remarkable.

As the summer has finally faded into autumn I feel inspired to cling onto the last vestiges of warmth by reviewing a summer beer! This one is produced by Skinners Brewery and is called Heligan Honey.

~~~THE BREWERY.

Skinners Brewery can be found in Truro, Cornwall. They were founded in 1997 by Steve and Sarah Skinner and have gone on, in a short space of time, to produce award winning beers. Many of their beers are based on traditional recipes and integrate Cornish folklore into the names and stories behind the names. Their beers can be found nationwide (usually as Guest Ales) and are known for their hoppy aroma and distinctive tastes.

As well as Heligan Honey Skinners produce a range of bottled and cask ales, including Betty Stogs Bitter (a hoppy amber beer at 4% ABV), Cornish Blonde (a light coloured wheat beer at 5% ABV) and St Pirans (a golden beer at 4.5% ABV).

~~~THE BEER.

***A Bit of Background***

Heligan Honey was originally commissioned by the Lost Gardens Of Heligan (the famous gardens near Mevagissey in Cornwall). It is a standard bitter with the added twist of putting honey from the Lost Gardens of Heligan into the beer during the brewing process. The bottle label and pump clip are done in the typical Skinner's cartoon style ~ this one portrays a man dressed in a beer keepers clothing carrying a foaming tankard of ale. In the background is a gardener pushing a barrow of manure around, while being chased by bees!

***Vital Stats***

Heligan Honey weighs in at 4% ABV and is a standard strength bitter, brewed using Cornish Honey (as I said before) and West Country malt. Although really a summer beer, according to the brewery it is a permanent part of their porfolio.

***Look, aroma & texture***

Looks wise, Heligan Honey is a golden to light amber coloured bitter with an initially frothy head that settles down into a small, light beige head that laces the glass as you drink. The beer stays slightly hazy, even when allowed to settle. The aroma of the beer is hoppy (the flowery kind of scent you get from some hops along with a faint grassy aroma), slightly fruity (I would say soft fruits), citrusy and does have a sweetness from the honey. The texture is pleasant and refreshing ~ the mouthfeel is smooth and light to medium bodied.

***Tange's Taste Test***

The dominant flavour in this beer I would say is hops. This taste stays with the beer throughout and remains as the overtone. The same fresh grassy element that is present in the aroma comes through in the taste, combined with a honey (not surprisingly) sweetness that becomes increasingly evident ~ but still pretty subtle and not at all overpowering. This all leads to a soft bitter finish and a bitter/sweet after taste that lingers and leaves a refreshing feeling on the palate.

~~~WHAT TANGE THINKS.

I rather enjoyed my couple of pints of Heligan Honey. It was nice and made a good and refreshing early evening choice. I would say it is an ideal summer beer ~ tasty but not overpowering and not too strong either. Its strength makes it a good session beer and also a good option as a beer to go with food (this is what I did in fact).

The beer itself combines a number of flavours and Heligan Honey is a rather well balanced beer. It is good, but not remarkable. Pleasant, but doesn't blow you away. I liked it and would drink it again, but I wouldn't say it was the best beer I have ever tasted. I would, however, recommend it to Real Ale drinkers who like a slightly sweet, subtle flavoured beer.

I would have liked the honey flavour to be a tad more pronounced. As it is it comes through slightly but you are left with not much more than the malt and hoppy flavours of a standard bitter. This isn't a bad thing and it really is a GOOD standard bitter! I have tried other honey flavoured beers such as Waggledance and Fullers Honey Dew and this is the most subtle. I would say that Honey is Dew is my favourite because it is slightly more complex, followed by this one and my least favourite would be the Waggledance.

I tried my Heligan Honey in the Royal Oak in the Shambles area of Chesterfield. It cost me £2.15 a pint and I thought that it was a good quality beer for the price. I have seen it around the country at beer festivals too, so it does seem to be readily available (if not as a regular beer in my local pubs).

I recommend that you give it try honey....you may love it!

~~~BREWERY DETAILS.

Skinners Brewing Company
Riverside View, Newham,
Truro, Cornwall. TR1 2SV
01872 271885
www.skinnersbrewery.com

Summary: A nice beer with subtle honey flavours.