Rebellion Brewing Hoppy Pollinator

Available only in the depths of the fimbulwinter when huginn and muninn screech in the sky and Fenrir casts about for loose scraps of moon. No amount of Danegeld can acquire it at other times in the year, and not even Grendel’s Mother bothered to stock up the cellar. Which is to say: Seasonally available/ 473ml

I don’t know what I thought when Rebellion brewing last sent beer. The package involved a pretty unimpressive chai spiced oatmeal beer. Trends overlap across provinces in different ways. Sometimes even the mightiest warriors misread the field of battle. There was a very good single hopped pale ale with local hops. And then there were two cans of honey beer.

I didn’t read the label. Although I try to do right by everyone, sometimes, there’s so many samples that I’m profligate. Sometimes I’ll try things and they aren’t worth mentioning; I’d just hurt the sales. Sometimes, I’ll really enjoy something but I won’t find a place for it. With Hoppy Pollinator, I just didn’t want you to know about it on the off chance you’d prevent me getting more of it next year.

It’s fully 14% alcohol, and that makes it, functionally speaking, relaxation in a can. I can’t imagine how much honey they used here. I’m guaranteed it’s an absurd amount. The aroma comes out to something like wildflower, straw, hay, propolis, resin and the free floating beeswax you associate with the holiday gift shops of your youth. The body ought, you’d think, to shimmy, to quiver, to roll non-newtonian around the glass in an Oobleckian display of not quite fluid dynamism, bit it swirls as though it were half its weight and it drinks heroically as Imperial Stouts could only aspire to. It’s a ballet dancer in a world of chain mail. 

There’s a touch of spice on the finish that renders it complex and interesting. There’s not a lot more you could want from a beverage and I frankly find it a little frightening how unequivocally I’m endorsing it. 

Did You Buy This Beer?: Not available in the province. Sometimes it’s nice to be me. 

Knowing What You Know Now, Would You Buy This Beer?: Maybe a six pack a year. You could get too familiar with this and ruin the specialness of it. That would be a pity. This is not for day to day drinking. This is for heroic valor. 

Did You Finish It?: Yep.