Honky Tonk is doing great! Coming into this review, they only have one beer that is below average, and everything else is above it. Those outliers are inevitable, it seems, but boy, I don't know that I would have been able to predict a brewery with this redneck of a name doing such a great job. Is it some prejudice within me that leads me to think they would be incapable? Well, knowing several self-identified rednecks, I don't think so, but my opinion has been changed, either way.
The beer is gold to the point of being brown. What color is that? Like, a light brown sugar? I have no idea. The off-white head sizzles down to an eighth-inch cap that isn't going anywhere. The aroma is sweet malt with a little caramel and nuttiness going on that makes me think this isn't an IPA at all. It smells sweet and herbal. It's an odd smell for an IPA, that's for sure.
First sip is strangely tangy with spices melted into the caramel malt and herbs popping with some pine hops. I can't say I'm a huge fan right off the bat, but it makes an impression, and it's not something I immediately want to pour out. That said, I'm really not that eager to do a full swig. I think this beer might benefit from waiting and taking my time with it, but I have to swig, don't I?
Tip-in is caramel over spices and nuts with very little carbonation going on. The middle comes with a fairly nice, easy smoothness with the spices sparkling around the outsides and the caramel getting a little brown sugar that is mixed with bitterness. The finish is more bitterness with the spices, pine, and nuts holding on for the trail off.
Bottom Line: It makes a statement.
2.75/5
