Brewer Patriot Collection - Traditional Ginger Honey Ale

Part 1 of the Brewer Patriot Collection.

My first of the Brewer Patriot Collection four-pack -- I figured I'd give a beer that I have the most "baggage" with out of the way first-and-and-foremost...! ;)

"Que?" Only in that I've had *a lot* of bad beers -- craft, micro, macro, brewpub, homebrew, whatever -- made with Ginger and/or Honey, that have repulsed me to no end. So when I saw that one of the Brewer Patriot Collection had a beer that featured not only Ginger, but also Honey -- from a brewery that doesn't set my world a'fire -- I honestly didn't expect much from this one.

But really? It's not a bad beer, by any means. If this is as authentic as Boston Beer Company would have you believe, then I can honestly say that the likes of Thomas Jefferson and his home boys (The Patriot Posse) had at least this beer to savor in the hot and humid Summers of Northern VA.

Kinda nuetral in the nose (to me, at least), but rather appealing in looks. Very dense and sticky head of foam, atop a body lemon-yellow sun. Looks a bit like a Kristalweizen, or a Helles.

Yes, the flavor profile is rather sweet -- normally a *huge* deal breaker for me. But I think the Ginger balances out the Honey sweetness pretty well, overall. The overall vibe is sweet, true, but thankfully not nearly as cloying as I've had from this sort of beer.

Nice mouthfeel, and rather easy to quaff, though I do have to say that I wouldn't want to drink this (and nothing else) all day or all night long -- so drinkability does take a slight hit there.

But really? I fully admit to going into this beer with quite a few doubts in my mind. But really? It's not bad -- one of the better examples of a Ginger Ale (w/ Honey), I'd say.
//TB