Hoegaarden Speciale
Brouwerij van Hoegaarden

Hoegaarden SpecialeHoegaarden Speciale
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From:
Brouwerij van Hoegaarden
 
Belgium
Style:
Witbier
ABV:
5.7%
Score:
85
Avg:
3.75 | pDev: 13.6%
Reviews:
31
Ratings:
39
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jul 20, 2021
Added:
Jul 05, 2002
Wants:
  19
Gots:
  5
No description / notes.
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Ratings by Voss:
Photo of Voss
Reviewed by Voss from Italy

4.4/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
The speciale is what it is, special. More tasteful than the classic witt ale but less bodied and malty than the Gran Cru. So this is the perfect witbier for me, wonderful paired with slices of salmon on buttered bread or even alone when you need something cool and tasteful. Very pleasant and satisfying, this is the most drinkable and desiderable of the Hoegaarden family.
Hoegaarden is a very small village in the middle of Belgium: they put a big fermentor on the roundabout that leads to the centre of the village, coasting the Hoegaarden factory. Just a little village, but what comes out of it!
Jun 19, 2007
More User Ratings:
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.74/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
250 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.7%. Hazy straw colour, large to moderate white head. Strong wheaty and yeasty aroma of citrus / orange peel, coriander and cloves, hints of bananas. The flavour is citrussy and refreshing, followed by moderate spicy notes of coriander and cloves, banana in the finish. Very moderate hops.
Jul 20, 2021
 
Rated: 3.5 by YvesB from Belgium

Apr 04, 2016
Photo of jonmikel
Reviewed by jonmikel from Spain

3.46/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured into a regular drinking glass from a 25 cl. bottle.
-The color is very opaque and it has a dinstinctive orange color, unusual for a witbier, as they use to be more yellow. It has a small foam head.
-Less citric than other witbiers.
-The mouthfeel and taste are quite good, it isn't neither heavy nor bitter.
-The feel is nice
Overall, I would describe it as an unsual witbier but still within the guidelines of the style and definitely worth trying it.
Dec 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by frontalot from Washington

Apr 17, 2015
 
Rated: 2 by olradetbalder from Sweden

Dec 03, 2014
 
Rated: 3.69 by samEBC from Belgium

Nov 06, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Rickus from Taiwan

Sep 06, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by BJSmit from Netherlands

Jun 09, 2014
Photo of flyingpig
Reviewed by flyingpig from Scotland

3.92/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
250ml bottle from Beers of Europe website (£1.89):
Slightly hazy, light amber a 2cm, foamy white head that holds well & shows signs of carbonation.

Clove & wheat initially followed by some clove and a little orange. A few citrus notes along with some spice and a touch of yeast also make an appearance.

Clove & hints of coridander upfront with some orange coming through and a little spice. There is some citrus as well and this one does a fairly good job of mirroring the nose. There is spice and various fruits with a slightly sour taste towards the end.

Smooth for the most part with some spice on top of a medium body and good, solid carbonation that gives the beer a nice kick.

Quite a nice beer but very similar to Hoegaarden itself, to be honest I can't tell what the difference is meant to be and am questioning whether this is a gimmick or not. Regardless this one is an enjoyable beer that runs the original very close & is a touch stronger in taste.
Nov 18, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by Anatole from Belgium

Sep 19, 2013
Photo of Filosoof
Reviewed by Filosoof from Netherlands

4.31/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
As a big lover of the famous Hoegaarden whitebeer I was interested whether this Speciale wheatbeer would have an own style or that it would be something the same (or worse) than the orginal. I'm quite suprised that this beer is something completely different - and of great quality!

L: the looks are quite bad; no retention;
S: comes close to the origal, but with more depth, real lemon smell;
T: the taste is really interesting and suprising; it doesn't look like any other Belgian whitebeers or German Weisener; spiciness, tiny orange, honey;
M: this is absolutely great; perfect alcohol, very drinkable; nice, bit dry finish and aftertaste;
O: could drink this one almost as often as the famous brother; if that one's sold out, I will fill my evening with this one!
Nov 24, 2012
Photo of eduardolinhalis
Reviewed by eduardolinhalis from Switzerland

3.9/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
250ml bottle served in a tulip glass.

A: Pours a slightly cloudy yellow to orange color forming a small bubbled white head, Small retention and few lacings formed and left in the glass

S: Sweet and spicy. Sweet grains, honey, wheat, cloves, cinnamon, orange zest, flowery hops, Belgian bready yeasts

T: Slightly sweet malts upfront. Notes of honey, cloves, cinnamon, orange zest, wheat, Blegian yeasts. Mild hops bitterness in the end

M: Light body and medium carbonation. Aftertaste is slightly sweet and quite spicy, mainly made of wheat, cloves and orange zest

O: Easy drinking beer. Very smooth and pleasant in the mouth. A sweeter version of the classic Hoegaarden with stronger notes of the spices used. Recommended
Nov 24, 2012
Photo of BlackHaddock
Reviewed by BlackHaddock from England

3.32/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
19th Oct 2012: bottle in 't Puur Genot, a strange irish type bar in Diest. Noticed the advertising card on the table when we poured into the pub from it's outside area when the rain started: decided to risk one.

Cloudy, murky and misty: once I'd cleaned the glass I poured the beer in, it too was cloudy, murky and misty. No head to talk of, just a few bubbles exploding on the surface.

Usual Hoegaarden lemony/orangey/citrusy notes: whats special about this speciale then? certainly not the smell.

Tasted very simular too (as the normal brew): they may have added some sweeter fruit syrup into the brew to make it less tart and refreshing, would like to compare side by side with the original Hoegaarden.

Not unpleasant, but not great either: a kind of sweeter less fizzy Hoegaarden in my eyes.
Oct 30, 2012
Photo of sfprint
Reviewed by sfprint from Germany

3.89/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
exp 8/25/12

A: Hazy, pretty bright orangy yellow. Basically no head, and just a few sporadic bubbles jumping to the top. Poured without the yeast at the bottom.

S: Like a solid wit, I don't have this side by side a standard Hoegaarden, but I feel it's pretty similar. Orange citrus yeast, sweet, refreshing and inviting.

T: Not as sweet as the nose, generally more sedated than the nose, nothing negative, not bitter at all, a hair of sourness, not as bright as a standard hoegaarden. It's good, but doesn't take your breath away.

Edit: But wait, as I'm nearing the bottom of the glass, a sort of childrens, fruity medicinal flavor enters. Interesting.

M: More of a sense of pushing outward, but not carbonation pops felt. Nice.

O: Very decent wit.
May 28, 2012
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

2.67/5  rDev -28.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
Nice aroma, but the rest leaves a bit to be desired. Taste is wet paper, honey, lemons, with abrupt and dry finish. SHould have known this was going to be disappointing
Apr 27, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by ygtbsm94 from Utah

Mar 17, 2012
Photo of ThaCreep
Reviewed by ThaCreep from Belgium

2.83/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Nose smells of wheat but also the traditional Witbier fruity apricot-peach in a way. The mouth is warmer than the classic Hoegaarden and there sees a strong aspect syrupy not always really nice with the aforementioned fruit and slight nutty palate. Finish softer but also more syrup and unfortunately less refreshing.
Sep 16, 2011
Photo of atis
Reviewed by atis from Finland

3.84/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Pours very pale yellow with large white head that quickly subsides. Aroma is sweet lemon and yeast.

Taste is fruity spice, wheat and very light bitterness. The beer becomes sweeter towards the end and light warming feel sets in during the faint citrusy aftertaste. Mouthfeel is medium-full with moderate carbonation.

Speciale is rather drinkable, but seemed a bit too sweet at the end of the glass.
Dec 14, 2010
Photo of benfons
Reviewed by benfons from Belgium

4.16/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A: Pale hazy yellow, almost no head

S: Grains, lemon and a hint of vanilla

T: Grains and hops, and a citruslike vanilla flavour in the back.

M/D: Kind of flat, very thin carbonation, not very pleasant. Very drinkable though.

Not really my cup of tea but pretty good.
Jun 16, 2010
Hoegaarden Speciale from Brouwerij van Hoegaarden
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 39 ratings