Being organic is something that has long been respected in the food industry, and the craft beer scene is starting to follow suit. When thinking of organic breweries it has to be Dogwood Brewing that comes to mind. They are leading the charge in many ways and are one of a handful of breweries turning the organic beer movement into a norm, and this is something that B.C. Beer Reviews can certainly respect.

B.C. Beer Reviews: Dogwood Brewing – Organic Honey

Colour

Much like the name, this one looks like a pale honey in the pour from the can. When the glass is full it is a slightly deeper amber hue that you would come to expect from your run of the mill honey at home. Before pouring the remnants of the can there is a fantastic clarity to this beer, and after pouring them it is still relatively clear as well. There is a very appealing colour to this beer, and it matches up with the name fantastically.

Nose/Aroma

Unsurprisingly, one of the strongest notes you get from this beer is a sweetness indicative of the use of honey. It smells almost like raw honey on the front end, which makes for a very appealing aroma overall.

Behind that is the sweet aromas imparted by the malt/grain bill of a style like this. It is light in that sweetness, and it is very much in the background to the honey aromas, which could very well have been a byproduct of the use of certain malts/grains.

As unsurprising as this smelling like honey is, it is equally as unsurprising that there is almost zero perceivable hop aromas. You get a very light earthy and spice aroma that is common with noble hops, but it is hard to tell if that is what was used in this brew.

Tasting Notes

These are about as in line with the nose/aroma as it can get, with only subtle changes here and there.

For instance, the noble hop aromas you get on the back end of the nose/aroma are not present on your palate. This brew is very much dominated by the honey taste and the malt/grain bill used.

As stated above, this beer is what you would expect after smelling it. Honey is a strong characteristic of this one. It is accompanied by the smooth sweetness imparted by the malt/grain bill. The good thing is that it is not overpowering and does not linger for too long to border on being cloyingly sweet.

Overall this is a very smooth drinking brew with a very nice level of honey and malt/grain sweetness with zero hop presence on your palate.

Other Notes

The branding/labeling is quite simple on this can. There is a silver vertical line with the name of the beer, Dogwood Brewing and an explanation of how much work a single bee has to do to make honey. This is surrounded by an orange amber colour that is reminiscent of honey with a very large honey bee on the can. Simple but nice.

This beer pours a slightly above average head, but it does not last long. It does not dissipate immediately, but it starts to deteriorate quite quickly.

The carbonation level is very noticeable in this one. This is a nice way to finish a beer that does not rely on hops to keep it from being too sweet. This is a hard thing to pull off, and it points to very good brewing techniques and practices.

The lacing is certainly not significant, but there are thin lines here and there on the glass.

Final Grade

There is a smooth honey sweetness in both the nose/aroma and the tasting notes of this beer. It is strong, but not overpowering whatsoever. With this beer not leaning on any sort of hop presence, the carbonation level and slightly crisp finish is a nice touch to even it out.

Grade: 8.0/10

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B.C. Beer Reviews with Nic Hendrickson: Dogwood Brewing – Organic Honey