Honest Brew are a beer subscription service with a twist. They take a big extra step to make sure that you get exactly the beers that will suit your palate.

The Honest Brew process is to send you out a Taster Kit, then you tell them which beers you enjoyed, and they will send you 12 different craft beers every month, from all over the world, that match your tastes. This review covers the Taster Kit and gives you an idea of what you can expect to receive.

Honest Brew

Honest Brew Taster Kit

Beaverton Neck Oil Session IPA

Honest Brew

This IPA comes in a yellow can adorned in various bearded skulls and some pyramid imagery reminiscent of the Knights of the Templar. It’s simply the lightest, palest IPA I’ve ever come across. It’s got enough umph about it to make you realise you’re not drinking a pale ale. It’s bursting with grapefruit taste without being too bitter. It has a long hop list – Magnum, Columbus, Centennial, Simcoe, Amarillo, Galaxy, Vic Secret, Mosaic – leaving a complex but crisp taste.

Definitely a good session choice for both IPA and pale ale fans.

Howling Hops Running Beer

Honest Brew

This is like more like an IPA than a brown ale. There’s a delicious caramel depth to the body and the hops give off a nice floral sweetness. It’s a good balance of a malty booty with a new world hop perfume. It’s a rounded taste, biscuity, and has a slight spicy finish. Nicely done.

The Wild Beer Co – Wild Goose Chase

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A long, slender, goose neck bottle with a stag’s head up front delivers Wild Goose Chase, a “Farmhouse Pale + Gooseberry + Zingy” combination. It’s odd that the description up front doesn’t mention wheat because it’s most definitely a wheaty, wheat beer. I should point out that wheat beers aren’t my thing, which is no fault of the Wild Beer Co. If, however, you like the sound of a light wheat beer with a green, fruity tartness fermented by “own culture of wild yeast from local orchards”, then this will be right up your street.

Fourpure – Pils Lager

Honest BrewFourpure’s Pils is a traditional German Pilsner, hopped with a blend of Hallertauer and Saaz and fermented with a classic Bavarian yeast. While I’m not really one for Pilsner, this was definitely refreshing and this would not go amiss on a hot summer’s day.

Buxton Brewery – Wild Boar

Honest Brew

The beautiful citrusy aroma, the satisfying body of an IPA, the fruity punch and the perfectly balanced bitterness makes Wild Boar a wonderful find. It turned out to be a perfect accompaniment to my chicken, coriander and coconut curry. If I was indicating what, from my sample box, suited my taste, I’d be double ticking and circling this one. Delicious.

The Five Points Brewing Co – Railway Porter

Honest BrewI wish I loved Porters and Stouts. I think that it may be something that I develop a taste for in time but, just now, it’s just too dark, rich & bitter for me. This Porter is bursting with caramel, chocolate and rich coffee. The dark roast and toffee tastes are too much for me, but that’s fine. The whole point of this Taster Kit is that you try a wide selection of beers and get an idea of what you’d like more of.

And that’s a great idea. It’s far better to express a preference this way rather than ending up with 12 bottles and half of them just aren’t your thing. Honest Brew should be commended for this.

Disclaimer : Honest Brew sent me this Taster Kit for the purposes of this review.

Giveaway & Offer

Fancy winning a Taster Kit + One Month of craft beer tailored to your tastes (valued at £48)? Thanks to those delightful folk at Honest Brew, you might do! If you don’t win, don’t fret. They’ve also put together a special offer for Looking for the Postman’s readers.

Offer for readers: Try a Taster Kit for half price and kickstart your Honesty box service. That’s 6 different beers and tasting guide for only £9 including free delivery – that’s 50% off! Simply go to honestbrew.co.uk/coupon/postman or use code POSTMAN.
To enter the competition, use the widget below. There’s loads of options for extra entries, and additional daily entries. Entrants must reside in the UK mainland and be over the age of 18. Closing date is midnight, Sunday 10 April 2016. Good luck!

Competition has now closed!

Terms and Conditions
1. Closing date is 10 April 2016 at midnight.
2. The prize is one Taster Kit + One Month of craft beer tailored to your tastes (value £48) by Honest Brew.
3.Entrants must be 18 or over and reside on the UK mainland.
4. No cash alternative.
5. The winner will be picked from all valid entries using the Promosimple Widget.
6. Don’t use multiple email address to enter the competition. Entries suspected of cheating will be invalidated.
7. The winner will be contacted within 7 days of the draw closing. They will be notified and will have 7 days to respond. In the event that no response is received, a further winner will be drawn and so on.