Indian River Honey Amber Rose

Brewed by Florida Beer Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Melbourne, Florida USA

Serve in Lager glass, Tumbler

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(bottle thanks OSLO!) Pours an amber color with a white head. When I first smelled this beer, the first thing that popped into my head was that this beer smelled exactly like fish slime. It’s like when you catch a northern pike and you smell your hands after taking it off the hook. Needless to say, it’s not very pleasant. After that initial shock, the aroma became very vegetal, with some hints of brown sugar and floral hints from the rose, which was somewhat of an improvement. The taste was very sweet and really that’s all I can say about it because the flavor disappeared just as quickly as it appeared. There was a light finish of lemon. I have no idea how this is a vienna, as I did not possess any of the toastiness that viennas normally display. Definitely an interesting experience to drink this beer, but not one I’d like to repeat.

I have a special soft spot for the era of the roaring 20s and, to a certain degree, the era of corruption, decadence, and inhibition that flourished during and after Prohibition before paranoia, ignorance, and greed gave reason and common sense the boot. In regards to what? Fashion, music, spirits, and beer...to name a few. I could probably name more, but then I wouldn’t be able to indulge my very selfish praise for the beer, Honey Amber Rose. The name doesn’t necessarily induce oohs and aahs of anticipation, but the gorgeous picture of a Spanish Senorita dressed in her finest crimson regalia, clutching a rose of similar design induces an inescapable episode of fantasia and nostalgia. On a totally separate note, it brings to mind the quintessential artistic movie short Magnetic Rose by Mamoru Oshi, but again, I am getting side-tracked. When offered a chance to finally taste this beer, I jumped on it like nori on rice.

A haze of oranges and nectarines settles comfortably into my glass while a thin head settles into a humble film for the duration of our time spent. I’ve been accused of being a tease, but what can a humble gal do when graced by the presence of such bewitching beauty. Gentle winds of honey&comb sooth while maple and caramel glitter in the forefront. Gentle orange esters receive a playful sprinkling of cinnamon while butter rolls and biscuits are laid out to cool. A fresh rain shower has come and gone again, leaving damp straw and grass in its wake, dew glistening in the smiling summer sun. Despite not having even supped on her orange nectar yet, I am grinning quite silly from ear to ear. My first kiss is light, sweet, and oh-so-delicate. A lady of the finest standing, if I do say so myself. Honey kisses and coats my lips with delicate precision while freshly sliced oranges and peaches are laid out before me. Cinnamon toast is slathered with homemade marmalade while blooming roses drift by upon a gentle summer breeze. Closing my eyes, I am transported back in time to a gorgeous estate where I and a few of my near and dear friends enjoy a cool Honey Amber Rose in our balcony overlooking a seemingly endless garden in full bloom. The bounty? Roses of course. As I sup further, warm butter rolls and buttery biscuits satisfy the bread lover in me and melt perfectly into the continuous current of fresh oranges, peaches, marmalade and gentle rose essence. A clean finish with a soft lingering kiss of honey. Smooth, gentle, sophisticated and utterly desirable, she delighted in every way I ever could have imagined possible, and then some.

The Honey Amber Rose is neither big nor imperial nor barrel-aged nor hopped to high-heaven. What Honey Amber Rose exudes is an elusive era of romanticized sophistication, art, music, and gentile circumstance. She may be sepia colored self-indulgence, but that is fine and dandy with me.

Bottle thanks to cavie. Cloudy amber in color with a small off-white head. Aroma is of grain and honey. Taste is floral and grain.

Bottle thanks to cavie. Hazy golden orange brown pour. Aroma is heavy malts, some floral hops. Flavor is malty, light flowers, watery.

Bottle thanks to Cavie. The smell is grains, malts, sort of messy, flowers. The look is golden, clear, and a small whtie head. The taste is ok, malts, watery. Blah.

( 12oz bottle thanks to cavie) Pours cloudy yellow/orange with no head. Nose is wheat, perfume, and honey. The taste is also honey, nicely sweet, no bitterness to match though and overall it’s watery.

Bottle thanks to daknole-thanks. Poured hazy gold with a nice white head. Nose of light spices, wheat, light hops. Taste is a very light flavor of honey, little hops, very watery, a bit of sweetness. No hop or malt profile to speak of. Pretty lame beer.

Bottle thanks to cavie. Pours a hazy gold with white head. Aroma of a little malt, honey, a little floral. Flavor of some light fruit, very light malt, a little honey, some floral. Mouth feel is light body, very watery. Overall, interesting beer.

bottle thanks to cavie. light amber with a ring of cream head. not bad on teh paalte with a slightly fruity malt flavor.

This bottled brew from a bottle shop poured a small sized head of foamy finely sized off-white colored bubbles that were mostly lasting and left behind a slightly hazy uncarbonated orange colored body and a fair lacing. The aroma was malty and mead like honey. The semi-flat mouth feel was tingly at the start and at the finish. The mild flavor contained notes of mild honey malts and floral in nature. A horrible one that I would rather not drink again.

( 12oz bottle, courtesy of Cavie ) Pours a hazy amber body with a small white head. Aroma of caramel, florals, herbs, honey, and apple. Flavor of caramel malt, florals, breadiness, and honey.