Back in September, Stone Brewing and Deschutes Brewery teamed up to release a honey-infused collaboration beer, Let’s Bee Homies Hazy IPA. I don’t know how it came about exactly but Deschutes wrote that the beer

is a collaboration celebrating both brewery’s investment and commitment to the Hop Research Council and their public hop breeding programs. Blackberry Honey representing Oregon and Orange Blossom Honey representing San Diego are paired with Chinook, Cashmere, Triumph and Comet hops developed through public breeding programs.

The description on Stone’s website says:

Nature is full of great collaborations. Take plants and pollinators for example – a symbiotic relationship that gives us fruits, vegetables and of course, honey. Although Stone and Deschutes have origins on near-opposite ends of the West Coast, our backyards are brought together in this hazy IPA brewed with equal parts Oregon blackberry honey and California orange blossom honey. A craft beer crosspollination, now available across the nation. Ain’t that sweet?

Let’s Bee Homies is 7.5% ABV with 45 IBUs.

Appearance: Hazy orange with a white delicate head. Particulates in suspension are visible when held to the light.

Smell: Dark and sweaty with overripe tropical fruits, with a bit of strawberry and herbal notes and a touch of resin. Hoppy and fragrant with that dank fruitiness.

Taste: Big earthy, cannabis-like bitterness, with spicy greens and fruit peel. Dank and resinous here too with a touch of floral beeswax. Lots of herb going on, with plenty of hop resin. Old fruits.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, with a bit of chewiness from the haze (proteins), and lingering herbal flavors into the finish.

Overall: Decent and dank, not sure how much the honey matters or contributes here but it’s a fruity and dank example of the style. (Did I say dank?)