14 Dec SpindleTap Brewery Honey Hole by Tam

Honey Hole

SpindleTap Brewery

Houston, TX (Aldine)

ESB

ABV: 7%

IBUs: 20

Packaging: Draft, 12oz. Cans

WOOOO, BEEP BEEP BEEP! Move over Southern Star you’ve got a rival in SpindleTap! If you’ve been reading my reviews, (and you should they’re quite entertaining,) you know that I’ve only given one beer a five star rating since I’ve been writing for Beer Chronicle. You should also know I’ve had an obsession with that five star beer since I discovered it five years ago in a humid warehouse in Conroe. Well, I can say with certainty, if there’s any brewery that can get up there on my “Luv it Mayne!” list, it’ll have to be SpindleTap.

Me and the Beer Chronicle crew recently visited the team at SpindleTap to talk to those magical-concoction-creating wizards, and without giving to many details, let’s just say y’all are in for a treat.

While conducting this interview we were able to get our greedy little paws on some samples of SpindleTap’s finest, and that of course means we began at their foundation. (Before I get too far ahead of myself, I want to take this moment to shout out to Leo out at SpindleTap. He’s their resident Cicerone and Account Manager. Thanks Leo for hooking up the crew with these samples to better study and truly dive into.)

Honey Hole at first glance seems like nothing special, but you know what they say about looks (If you don’t know, then go look it up. I’ll wait). When poured, this beer has an average glow of blonde with hints of citrus and floral notes that waft into your nostrils. A minuscule amount of head is formed and the liquid itself is clear with no hazy residue. Now, this is where it gets interesting because the appearance seems average but the taste is not. Honey Hole’s first taste will produce a rich burst of light-hop that quickly settles on the tongue, while honey notes dance alongside on your palate. It has a mixture of sweet and bitter that is hard to come by, being as most brews are either “sweet, sour, bitter, or holy crap that’s bitter.”  Also, Honey Hole’s ABV is right on the money. I found this beer to be on the same playing field as Bombshell Blonde. It’s on the same playing field in the sense that it’s a great intro beer for novice craft drinkers meanwhile a a comfortable “go to” for veterans.

The aluminum can’s label resembles the golden honey and wax that is produced from a bees hive. The comb, in which those bees produce their sweet nectar, is used as the image that is wrapped around the can itself; which I find fitting for its honey sweetened contents. The name “Honey Hole” is slang for a location that yields a valued commodity or resource. Seeing how SpindleTap is named after the oil boom of 1901, it pays homage to that actual event and the blue collars that worked Spindletop Hill in Beaumont, TX.

This beer excites me! SpindleTap is a young brewery, and it’s already producing a four star beer right out of the gate, as one of its most popular sellers. Both, Tony and I found this to be a solid brew that left us not only wanting more but contemplating what amazing concoction do they have ready in the future? Don’t take our word for it. Grab yourself a sixer and tell us what you think in the comments below. Beers to you, Houston!