I'm not sure that there is a more fitting kind of beer for honey to be added to. Most kolsches are vaguely honey in color in the first place. And, if you wanted something that was absolutely clear, you would go with a pilsner. So, it seems to me that a slightly muddied, honey colored kolsch might be exactly where this should go. The fact that this is Rogue trying it out means that they stand a pretty good chance of doing this well. I'm looking forward to a beer right now.
First sip might be the smoothest beer with this many flowers in it that I've ever had. As we all know, Magic Hat has all but ruined flowers in beer for me, but this beer seems to be doing a very good job of showing why it's okay to put flowers in there. Combined with the honey, the smooth texture added to the sweetness really yearns for the punctuation that is the taste of flowers. It's a pretty dang good sip.
Tip-in is sweet from the get-go with carbonation rising steadily into a roar while flowers dance notably around the center of the tongue. The middle turns the carbonation up a bit too much, but the smoothness of the beverage can't be overwhelmed by the cacophony produced by all these bubbles. The finish is awash with sweetness as the carbonation finally lifts to let the flowers dance in the breeze with all that honey.
Bottom Line: This is a delightful beer.
4.25/5
