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Jason Johnson's picture

Odyssey Hive

Judges Rating: 
90
Aroma: 
21 / 24
Appearance: 
6 / 6
Flavor: 
37 / 40
Mouthfeel: 
9 / 10
Overall Impression: 
17 / 20

This would be considered a specialty beer because it is brewed with a unique fermentable sugar: honey. The base style is an American Pale Ale. 

The beer pours a gold color with very good clarity and minimal haze. It is not brilliantly clear but extremely close. It pours a nice ¾ inch white, foamy head that dissipates fairly quickly. The aroma is quite hoppy, with a solid citrus aroma and a little bit of pineapple. The malt aroma is crisp and toasty. I don’t really pick up much from the honey in the aroma, but the flavor has a definite honey-like sweetness in the middle and a slight floral finish that could be from the honey. The bitterness is stiff, but it doesn’t linger long into the finish. The hop flavors are citrusy and clean, and the malt flavors mirror the aroma pretty much exactly. The balance is solidly in the hop territory, but there is enough malt that you can’t ignore it... which is a good thing. Mouthfeel and carbonation are both medium, and the beer is quite smooth and creamy. The bitterness helps wash away any mild sweetness, which makes it very easy to drink quite a bit of this very quickly. I thoroughly enjoyed this beer. While a bit of the honey character was missing in the aroma, the flavor picked up the ball, and the hops are not overplayed. This is an easy-drinking and well-done brew.