Hungry Bee ReHive Ale

For the first beer we review, I though we'd try out an old favorite - ReHive Ale, bottled not far from where we live!  I met Chef Kimberly McCune Gibson at the Cleveland International Beer Fest and was already hooked on her delicious honey ale.  After speaking to her at length while there, I learned that she shares my passion for the plight of bees, especially with the growing prevalence of colony collapse disorder.  As a meadmaker, I can understand a passion for bees and a need to save the honey that they make.  Also - I have to love this beer, it was brewed in my hometown!

My apologies for the picture, we're moving and don't have space or materials for fancy setups quite yet :)

Anyhow, I digress!  To the beer!

Beer: ReHive Ale
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
ABV: 5.5%

Aroma:  Heavy honey aroma with a faint suggestion of floral hops.  Almost like being near a honeysuckle bush in full bloom.

Appearance:  Small white head that has a decently long stay.  Beer is unfiltered and hazy with some stray yeast particles that add to the lovely deep gold coloration.

Body & Texture:  A medium bodied ale, accented in fullness by the honey.  Quite fizzy with a lasting bite from the carbonation that dances over the tongue as the finish fades.

Taste:  A quiet start with mild honey flavor that builds through the middle and finishes strongly with a clean blend of what tastes like wildflower or clover honey and floral hops.

Overall:  I give this beer a 5/5 nearly every time I come across it.  I have a soft spot for honeyed beverages, having had my start at brewing with mead, so I might be a bit biased, but I have to say that this is a beer worth trying.  It is a powerfully honeyed beverage, something I would recommend having with barbecue or spicy foods or saving for dessert.

Check out Hungry Bee Catering's site and read a little about ReHive at http://www.hungrybeecatering.com/rehive-ale