Quidi Vidi Honey Brown

by Stacey Langille
(Beer Delegate, NS, Canada)

New Kiddie does not impress

Most people I know are aware of my writing adventures with the UNOB and if they travel somewhere make attempts to bring me back a new beer to try to see what I will think. Recently a friend came back from a trip to Newfoundland and brought back a six pack of Quidi Vidi Honey Brown. (Pronunciations vary, even amongst Newfoundland residents, but "Kiddy Viddy" is the most common.)

Always one to be properly prepared, I threw it in the fridge and checked out some information on this East coast brew so I would be an informed drinker.

Quidi Vidi Brewing Company was established in 1996. First introduced in the fall of 2002, Quidi Vidi Honey Brown has caught on like wildfire! It is brewed with a combination of medium and dark-roasted malt, honey, and imported hops. According to their website, demand for this brand continues to grow at an unprecedented pace and positive consumer feedback keeps pouring in. The recurring comment is that consumers are most impressed by its full-bodied yet exceptionally smooth taste. Well call me impressed so far, come on fridge and cool those puppies down!

So the time was now upon me and I cracked a bottle- did a pour, and sat watching the amber color dance through my eyes and down into my stomach before I even took a first sip. The aroma was sweet and subtle and it just looked like a good drinking beer. So the first sip was upon me, hmmmm I thought, better take another, hmmmm I thought again, better take a third sip.

Then it hit me that this was not an individual taste sensation. It was not a unique drinking experience. Sadly it just did not make me want to drink the rest of the glass while jotting down how it made me feel. Quidi Vidi Honey Brown is a non-descript beer just like those being produced by the larger breweries.

They say they are different on their web site but the bottom line for me was that it just fell flat. It is not that it was a bad beer, just disappointing. I really wanted to like it and be excited by this upstart company from the Maritimes; sadly I was just bored to tears drinking this brew and couldn’t wait for the bottle to be finished.

Now since I had a six pack and did not want to judge on first impressions I tried another and the same feeling washed over as the first: disappointment. For those 'commercial' beer lovers this just may be the one for you, but for me if it is all that is on the menu, I will have water please! Anyone want four unopened beers?