Tap Handle #768: Gray's Honey Ale

Tap size:  11.25"

Rarity:  tap retired

Mounting:  over sized round custom ferrule

Here's an oldie but a goody. The Gray's Honey Ale tap is the brewery's oldest figural tap, dating back to the mid 2000's. It features a caricature of a grinning bee holding a mug of beer while sitting on a tree trunk. The "wood grains" on the trunk are achieved through paint effects. There's not a lot of detail but the tap is pleasing in a colorful, cartoonish way. The base is a square green block with the name of the brewery, beer, and location carved in recessed letters on all four sides. At the bottom is a very unique, large round ferrule that resembles the ones found on the Hops Restaurant and Brewery taps such as Clearwater Light Mermaid and Lightning Bolt Gold; if I had to guess, I'd say that they were made by the same manufacturer, since I haven't seem that ferrule widely used. Due to the age of these Honey Ale taps, most of them are in well-worn condition and it's pretty rare to find one that hasn't been beat up over time. Mine certainly has seen some use, with a little paint loss on the edges, some lifting clear coat, and though I gave it a quick wipe down, it could use a deeper clean. Still, it's in great condition otherwise. I have seen about 10 or 11 of these hit the secondary market. Years ago they were very inexpensive...for a short time the price jumped up over the $100 mark (those were nice examples so I think condition did play a part in those prices), but they have since come back down to affordable levels again.

For more about Gray's Brewing, see this post.

Click through to read more about Gray's Brewing's Honey Ale and to see more photos of this tap with a fair amount of buzz around it...

Gray's Honey Ale is Wisconsin's original honey beer, brewed in a traditional style year-round. It uses locally harvested honey, four types of hops, and three types of two row malted barley, and is made in small batches to insure exacting flavor and freshness. The honey is evident in the unique and refreshing slight hop flavor and extraordinary aroma; it is used as a fermentable sugar source rather than a flavoring agent. The color is a golden blonde, and the brew is highly carbonated with a thick frothy head and creamy texture. Gray's Honey Ale won a gold medal at the 1994 Great American Beer Festival and a bronze at the World Beer Championships in 1996.

Ratebeer:  2.47 out of 5

Beer Advocate:  71 out of 100 (okay)