Brewery: Fuller's
Location: London, England
ABV: 5.0%
Version: 500ml bottle
Source: Sainsbury's

With a giant bee on the honeycomb patterned label and a major clue in the title, there are no prizes for guessing the predominant flavour of Fuller's organic summer beer. It pours like liquid honey as well, settling to pale gold with a thin head of small bubbles and possesses a sugary, citrusy aroma that offers just a hint of what's in store.

And that's a syrupy sweetness; whole gobfuls of the stuff. In fact it's so sweet I'd hazard a guess it's practically an alcopop (or I would do, if I'd ever drunk such a thing on which to base a comparison, but I'm proud to say I haven't). It could even be verging on mead territory? It's been a few years since I last sampled actual fermented honey though, so again I'm not 100% confident on that one.

Okay, sticking to what I do know: despite the honey, honey, honey, there are more complex malt and hop tones that develop as the drink goes on. And at 5.0% abv it's deceptively strong as well: the buzz creeps up on you quite pleasantly, even as that sweetness continues to lull you into a false sense of security ("see how light and tasty I am..? Why, I'm practically a shandy... Go on, have another...")

So, potentially dangerous stuff, then. Luckily though, it's so sweet that your tooth enamel will most likely start screaming for mercy after a pint... Or two, tops. But it's damn tasty, all the same, so I'd be prepared to take the risk with a draft variant sometime. You know... for the team.

Related posts:

1. Tasting Notes: St Peter’s Honey Porter
2. Tasting Notes: Sharp’s Honey Spice Wheat Beer
3. Tasting Notes: Daas Organic Witte & Organic Blond
4. Tasting Notes: Fuller’s London Pride, Fuller’s ESB
5. Tasting Notes: St Peter’s Organic Ale