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Special Golden Ale
Holy Mackerel Beers
Beer Geek Stats
| Print Shelf Talker
- From:
- Holy Mackerel Beers
- Florida, United States
- Style:
- Belgian Pale Strong Ale
Ranked #191 - ABV:
- 8.5%
- Score:
- 76
Ranked #27,392 - Avg:
- 3.3 | pDev: 18.18%
- Reviews:
- 146
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Dec 26, 2023
- Added:
- Jun 02, 2008
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 24
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by beerthulhu:
Reviewed by beerthulhu from New Jersey
3.05/5 rDev -7.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
3.05/5 rDev -7.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
A: Poured a pale orange with a flat creamy, bone white head that didn't bother to stick around long. No real lacing to speak of, while a very faint and sporadic effervesce is observed lending this to just an ordinary appearance.
S: musky dry oranges, old bread and dry lemon peels. Light to moderate in strength there was a touch of musky booziness, and a sterile, almost phenolic nature of fermented fruit.
T: sour and musky, oranges and lemons, dry with a boozy alcohol notes. Sour green apples and fruitiness along with a pharmaceutical phenolic taste. The beer finishes with a bittering dry, sour funky citrus hopping and sweet orange candy notes. Overall didn't find the flavor particularly enticing or inviting.
M: pretty full, slightly creamy and smooth with a musky dry bittering finish.
D: Average drinkability, one better consumed rather quickly. Cant recommend a six pack here.
May 14, 2009S: musky dry oranges, old bread and dry lemon peels. Light to moderate in strength there was a touch of musky booziness, and a sterile, almost phenolic nature of fermented fruit.
T: sour and musky, oranges and lemons, dry with a boozy alcohol notes. Sour green apples and fruitiness along with a pharmaceutical phenolic taste. The beer finishes with a bittering dry, sour funky citrus hopping and sweet orange candy notes. Overall didn't find the flavor particularly enticing or inviting.
M: pretty full, slightly creamy and smooth with a musky dry bittering finish.
D: Average drinkability, one better consumed rather quickly. Cant recommend a six pack here.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by hman43 from North Carolina
3.66/5 rDev +10.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.66/5 rDev +10.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Look: It pours amber with a slightly off white head. Head retention is very good.
Smell: It has aromas of citrus fruit and spice. There are some Belgian funk notes with lemon.
Taste: It has citrus and lemon flavors with some hay like notes. It is also a bit musty with a touch of grainy sweetness.
Feel: It has a medium body with a tad sweet finish.
Overall, not sure about the mixtures of ingriedents as some seem to clash a bit with the others.
Dec 26, 2023Smell: It has aromas of citrus fruit and spice. There are some Belgian funk notes with lemon.
Taste: It has citrus and lemon flavors with some hay like notes. It is also a bit musty with a touch of grainy sweetness.
Feel: It has a medium body with a tad sweet finish.
Overall, not sure about the mixtures of ingriedents as some seem to clash a bit with the others.
Rated by Rennoc_stl from Florida
3.19/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
3.19/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Malt flavor is overwhelming
Feb 10, 2018Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina
3.72/5 rDev +12.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.72/5 rDev +12.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
2016 12 oz bottle purchased in FL and consumed near the contract brewer in SC.
Pours with a murky orange-amber body topped by a decent off-white head. The head is semi-durable and leaves respectable lacing.
Appealing fruity aroma with a better and more complex flavor. Notes of soft ripe fruits as well as dried fruits. A little yeast and faint spice in the flavor.
Medium-full body with medium carbonation.
Mar 19, 2017Pours with a murky orange-amber body topped by a decent off-white head. The head is semi-durable and leaves respectable lacing.
Appealing fruity aroma with a better and more complex flavor. Notes of soft ripe fruits as well as dried fruits. A little yeast and faint spice in the flavor.
Medium-full body with medium carbonation.
Reviewed by ordybill from Georgia
3.52/5 rDev +6.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.52/5 rDev +6.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a 12 OZ bottle into a pint glass. The appearance is a murky pale orange color with a small white head. The aroma is light citrus and alcohol. The taste is yeasty with some citrus.
Dec 04, 2016Rated by DavesBeerReviews from Florida
3.81/5 rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
3.81/5 rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Great with bbq pork chops.. strong
Dec 13, 2015Reviewed by thebeers from Pennsylvania
3.01/5 rDev -8.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
3.01/5 rDev -8.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
2015 bottling. Dark gold, like apple juice, with a thin white head and modest lacing. Strong Belgian yeast aroma with an off-putting nuttiness in the background. There's also a breadiness reminiscent of plain, under-toasted English muffins. All of this carries over to the taste, which is slightly sweet. Mouthfeel on the thin side. To be honest, I ordered this as the only local offering at a hotel bar in Florida not knowing the style, and was pleased to find it wasn't a Corona clone. I don't think it's awful, but wouldn't recommend seeking it out.
Oct 22, 2015Reviewed by Myotus from Texas
3.45/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
3.45/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a 12oz bottle (dated 2015) into a snifter.
LOOK:Pours with a half finger's worth of white foam that shrivels down into a line after 40 seconds. Rising bubbles are small and subtle. Gold in color as the name would suggest. Lacing is subtle, but what little there is stays in the sides of the glass.
SMELL: There are mild aromas of pale malts, tree nuts, honey graham crackers, and cloves that meet with subtle white grape, banana, and pear aromas. A hint of alcohol can also be detected. Too many aromas going on at once. Not too found of it.
TASTE: Initial taste is of mild clove and honey graham cracker flavors. Subtle pear, white grape, and banana flavors enter immediately after the initial flavors. Mild pale malt flavors along with a hint of alcohol enter about 2 seconds after the initial taste. As honey graham cracker flavors fade and all others persist, subtle tree nut flavors enter lastly.
FEEL: Medium-bodied and highly carbonated. Goes down rough. Finishes with a moderate dryness.
NOTE: As Beer warms, alcohol becomes more prevalent. Also, way too many aromas and flavors going on with this one. I love complexity, but this was too much.
Sep 23, 2015LOOK:Pours with a half finger's worth of white foam that shrivels down into a line after 40 seconds. Rising bubbles are small and subtle. Gold in color as the name would suggest. Lacing is subtle, but what little there is stays in the sides of the glass.
SMELL: There are mild aromas of pale malts, tree nuts, honey graham crackers, and cloves that meet with subtle white grape, banana, and pear aromas. A hint of alcohol can also be detected. Too many aromas going on at once. Not too found of it.
TASTE: Initial taste is of mild clove and honey graham cracker flavors. Subtle pear, white grape, and banana flavors enter immediately after the initial flavors. Mild pale malt flavors along with a hint of alcohol enter about 2 seconds after the initial taste. As honey graham cracker flavors fade and all others persist, subtle tree nut flavors enter lastly.
FEEL: Medium-bodied and highly carbonated. Goes down rough. Finishes with a moderate dryness.
NOTE: As Beer warms, alcohol becomes more prevalent. Also, way too many aromas and flavors going on with this one. I love complexity, but this was too much.
Rated by papat444 from Canada (QC)
3.25/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.25/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Flashback #71
Aug 17, 2015Reviewed by SaisonRichBiere from Michigan
3.72/5 rDev +12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.72/5 rDev +12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Very standard to the style. Pours copper, smells funky, tastes like spiced brown sugar with a boozy finish. Very dense and sugary feel. A sipper for sure.
Jul 25, 2015
Special Golden Ale from Holy Mackerel Beers
Beer rating:
76 out of
100 with
247 ratings
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