Golden 8
Crabtree Brewing Company
- From:
- Crabtree Brewing Company
- Colorado, United States
- Style:
- Belgian Pale Strong Ale
- ABV:
- 9%
- Score:
- 85
- Avg:
- 3.72 | pDev: 8.6%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 12
- Status:
- Inactive
- Rated:
- Sep 17, 2017
- Added:
- Jun 19, 2008
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
SCORE
85
Very Good
85
Very Good
Golden 8 Symphony of delight, complex in design, powerful in presence. Brewed with Belgian candy sugar, Fuggle hops, the finest malted barley, and pure Trappist yeast. Aged for four months, this ale will cellar for up to three years and grow in perfection over time.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by dbossman from Nebraska
3.5/5 rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A: Reddish orange hue with a small head with minimal retention; lacing is minimal as well
S: Strong apple aroma--apple juice actually with faint burnt malts and grains int he background; some sweet fruity esters; a touch grassy, herbaly, and spicy
T: Quite sweet up front--some herbal bitterness helps to balance the sweetness eventually but the sweetness still ends up being slightly cloying; still lots of fruitiness--especially apple with the same faint burnt grains underneath that I noticed in the aromas
F: Pretty creamy up front but it is a bit thin on the back end and at the same time sticky--almost too sticky in the finish
O: A decent Americanized Belgian but a bit too sweet with not enough of the complexities that I enjoy in my Belgian Blondes--the alcohol is pretty well masked and if it wasn't quite as sweet this could be a dangerously easy-drinking beer
Jun 15, 2012S: Strong apple aroma--apple juice actually with faint burnt malts and grains int he background; some sweet fruity esters; a touch grassy, herbaly, and spicy
T: Quite sweet up front--some herbal bitterness helps to balance the sweetness eventually but the sweetness still ends up being slightly cloying; still lots of fruitiness--especially apple with the same faint burnt grains underneath that I noticed in the aromas
F: Pretty creamy up front but it is a bit thin on the back end and at the same time sticky--almost too sticky in the finish
O: A decent Americanized Belgian but a bit too sweet with not enough of the complexities that I enjoy in my Belgian Blondes--the alcohol is pretty well masked and if it wasn't quite as sweet this could be a dangerously easy-drinking beer
Reviewed by claytong from Vermont
4.23/5 rDev +13.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
4.23/5 rDev +13.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
appearance - perfect head with perfect retention. rustic golden color. beautiful. the head never fully dies but keeps about a half cm the whole time
smell - candi sugar, alcohol, pale malt, belgian yeast, very well balanced. age has done this beer wonders
taste - follows the nose.
mouthfeel - great body and great carbonation, a bit of cloying
Oct 31, 2011smell - candi sugar, alcohol, pale malt, belgian yeast, very well balanced. age has done this beer wonders
taste - follows the nose.
mouthfeel - great body and great carbonation, a bit of cloying
Reviewed by Mora2000 from Texas
3.63/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.63/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Thanks to bu11zeye for sharing this bottle.
The beer pours a golden-orange color with a large white head. The aroma is orange and grassy, with some Belgian yeast mixed in. The flavor is heavier on the hop flavor than I expected. I don't get much bitterness, but I get a lot of oranges citrus, flowers, grass and lemon notes, as well as some wheat and grain. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.
Dec 22, 2010The beer pours a golden-orange color with a large white head. The aroma is orange and grassy, with some Belgian yeast mixed in. The flavor is heavier on the hop flavor than I expected. I don't get much bitterness, but I get a lot of oranges citrus, flowers, grass and lemon notes, as well as some wheat and grain. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa
3.88/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.88/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
"It is tact that is golden, not silence."
--Samuel Butler
Sunkist orange with amber accents and a small number of slowly rising bubble streams that are gently plinking into the underside of a bleached bone colored crown with a beautifully bubbly surface. Moth-eaten sheets of lace look mighty fine too.
The nose delivers the usual fruit and spice of the style, thanks to bona fide Trappist ale yeast. Barely detectable hints of toasted malt (and the orange color) suggest... well... toasted malt.
Tough call on the flavor, so it looks like time and warming (and maybe the 9.0% ABV) will have to push the final decision in one direction or the other. Golden 8 is pretty tasty beer if expectations are on the low end, but don't go thinking this ale is the second coming of Duvel.
It tastes like the malts are very slightly toasted bready, which adds another flavor facet that beer of this sort doesn't necessarily need. Fuggles hops don't add much flavor, but keep things balanced from a sweet-bitter perspective. Finally, esterific yeast hogs the flavor spotlight... as it should. Ripe banana, juicy pear and clove are most prominent.
Even though the mouthfeel is nowhere near Belgianesque, it's big enough, expansive enough and creamy enough to get the job done. No major complaints (or even minor ones) here either.
Crabtree did not impress with Boxcar Brown and Dearfield Ale is best left unmentioned. However, Ginger Bee Beer and Golden 8 Belgian Style Golden Ale are proof that they know how to brew pretty damn good craft beer. 8 (out of 10) sounds about right.
Dec 08, 2010--Samuel Butler
Sunkist orange with amber accents and a small number of slowly rising bubble streams that are gently plinking into the underside of a bleached bone colored crown with a beautifully bubbly surface. Moth-eaten sheets of lace look mighty fine too.
The nose delivers the usual fruit and spice of the style, thanks to bona fide Trappist ale yeast. Barely detectable hints of toasted malt (and the orange color) suggest... well... toasted malt.
Tough call on the flavor, so it looks like time and warming (and maybe the 9.0% ABV) will have to push the final decision in one direction or the other. Golden 8 is pretty tasty beer if expectations are on the low end, but don't go thinking this ale is the second coming of Duvel.
It tastes like the malts are very slightly toasted bready, which adds another flavor facet that beer of this sort doesn't necessarily need. Fuggles hops don't add much flavor, but keep things balanced from a sweet-bitter perspective. Finally, esterific yeast hogs the flavor spotlight... as it should. Ripe banana, juicy pear and clove are most prominent.
Even though the mouthfeel is nowhere near Belgianesque, it's big enough, expansive enough and creamy enough to get the job done. No major complaints (or even minor ones) here either.
Crabtree did not impress with Boxcar Brown and Dearfield Ale is best left unmentioned. However, Ginger Bee Beer and Golden 8 Belgian Style Golden Ale are proof that they know how to brew pretty damn good craft beer. 8 (out of 10) sounds about right.
Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri
3.85/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.85/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - Poured out a clear, golden orange color with a small, white head of fluffy foam. It left a little sudsy lace on the glass.
S - A spicy, yeasty aroma with notes of orange peel. Some mild clove presence, too.
T - Good spicy, yeastiness with a sweet caramel and grain backbone. There was a subtle orange flavor, too.
M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied ale with a dry finish and a warm alcohol punch.
D - This is a pretty good ale. It is a nice attempt at a bigger beer.
Sep 24, 2010S - A spicy, yeasty aroma with notes of orange peel. Some mild clove presence, too.
T - Good spicy, yeastiness with a sweet caramel and grain backbone. There was a subtle orange flavor, too.
M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied ale with a dry finish and a warm alcohol punch.
D - This is a pretty good ale. It is a nice attempt at a bigger beer.
Reviewed by Airek from Colorado
4.14/5 rDev +11.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.14/5 rDev +11.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22oz bomber, aged for about 6 months.
Billed as a Belgian Style Golden Ale, it packs quite a wallop. It pours a clear rich golden color with some head that quickly disappears into a small bubble layer. Nice carbonation streams. It clearly settled out quite a bit in the fridge, because I got a nice yeasty final pour.
Pleasant aroma, with hints of cloves and banana. A subtle alcohol smell and the notes of the candied sugars.
Nice taste with sweet, candied front, into the ever present spice flavor, and finished with just a brief note of bitterness. Aftertaste a little sticky and sweet, but throat is thoroughly warmed.
Overall pretty good, I'm kinda' wishing I let it age a little more however
Aug 11, 2010Billed as a Belgian Style Golden Ale, it packs quite a wallop. It pours a clear rich golden color with some head that quickly disappears into a small bubble layer. Nice carbonation streams. It clearly settled out quite a bit in the fridge, because I got a nice yeasty final pour.
Pleasant aroma, with hints of cloves and banana. A subtle alcohol smell and the notes of the candied sugars.
Nice taste with sweet, candied front, into the ever present spice flavor, and finished with just a brief note of bitterness. Aftertaste a little sticky and sweet, but throat is thoroughly warmed.
Overall pretty good, I'm kinda' wishing I let it age a little more however
Reviewed by Mebuzzard from Colorado
3.17/5 rDev -14.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.17/5 rDev -14.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
BSPA? Sales rep said it was a tripel, bottle states Golden. What the heck?
Pours a rusty golden color with a quickly forming head, that died about as quickly. Looks flat and boring.
Sweet aroma from malt and candied sugar, some lemon and light clove. Some florals
Taste isn't so bad. Lemony and floral with a strong malt backbone. Faint caramel on the back end gives the sweetness something to hitch onto.
Syrupy feel to it. Carbonation dies quickly and can't fluff up the malt to accentuate the citrus parts. I think a BSPA is a good name, b/c it doesn't really match anything else.
Jul 13, 2010Pours a rusty golden color with a quickly forming head, that died about as quickly. Looks flat and boring.
Sweet aroma from malt and candied sugar, some lemon and light clove. Some florals
Taste isn't so bad. Lemony and floral with a strong malt backbone. Faint caramel on the back end gives the sweetness something to hitch onto.
Syrupy feel to it. Carbonation dies quickly and can't fluff up the malt to accentuate the citrus parts. I think a BSPA is a good name, b/c it doesn't really match anything else.
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)
3.55/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
3.55/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
A strong yeast aroma. Brownish colour, darker head. More like a Belgian strong. Not so sweet, some spice including ginger, dark fruit,kitchen sink. Above average mouthfeel in body, but above average carbonation, some acid. Not too drinkable.JMBSH extra.
May 21, 2010
Reviewed by Gueuzedude from Arizona
3.22/5 rDev -13.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
3.22/5 rDev -13.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Sampled March 2009
A regular pour into my 25cl tulip glass produces two-fingers of lightly tanned froth. The beer is quite a bit darker than I would expect from a Golden Ale and has a reddish, full amber color to it. When held up to the light the beer shows a lightly hazed, pale amber hue with lots of carbonation that seems to meander up through a beer that is viscous. The aroma has a certain sweetness to it that accentuates notes of ripe pear, some tart plum as well as some caramelized grain notes. There is also a lightly toasted, biscuit like maltiness to this beer as well as a bit of sweet-tea crystal malt character. There is a light spiciness here that reminds me of wild flower, black pepper and perhaps a touch of ginger.
Sweet tasting and full bodied, this beer gets sweeter as the beer rolls across the tongue and it is quite heavy bodied for a beer of this style. This has a creamy, viscous texture to it that seems a bit out of place. Having said that, this beer is certainly not cloyingly sweet or stickily heavy bodied, I was just expecting something a bit lighter and drier (not to mention actually golden colored). This is quite malty up front with notes of sweet grain, toasted whole grain cracker notes, and a certain, seemingly caramel malt influenced, sweet-tea like flavor. The finish has a bit of spiciness to it that tries to balance the up front malt and sweetness with some flavors of white pepper, something a bit like spicy oak, some lemon-ginger as well as an earthy spiciness that reminds me a bit of coriander.
This is a fascinating attempt at a Belgian Style Golden Ale, really makes you wonder what the person who put together the recipe was thinking; this is way too dark, a bit too sweet, and a bit too heavy bodied to be a great example of the style. Not a bad beer, in fact I would likely have enjoyed it a bit more if the label hadn't stated that this was a "Belgian Style Golden Ale," as it is though, I definitely wishing I had a good example of the style in my glass instead of what I had.
May 03, 2009A regular pour into my 25cl tulip glass produces two-fingers of lightly tanned froth. The beer is quite a bit darker than I would expect from a Golden Ale and has a reddish, full amber color to it. When held up to the light the beer shows a lightly hazed, pale amber hue with lots of carbonation that seems to meander up through a beer that is viscous. The aroma has a certain sweetness to it that accentuates notes of ripe pear, some tart plum as well as some caramelized grain notes. There is also a lightly toasted, biscuit like maltiness to this beer as well as a bit of sweet-tea crystal malt character. There is a light spiciness here that reminds me of wild flower, black pepper and perhaps a touch of ginger.
Sweet tasting and full bodied, this beer gets sweeter as the beer rolls across the tongue and it is quite heavy bodied for a beer of this style. This has a creamy, viscous texture to it that seems a bit out of place. Having said that, this beer is certainly not cloyingly sweet or stickily heavy bodied, I was just expecting something a bit lighter and drier (not to mention actually golden colored). This is quite malty up front with notes of sweet grain, toasted whole grain cracker notes, and a certain, seemingly caramel malt influenced, sweet-tea like flavor. The finish has a bit of spiciness to it that tries to balance the up front malt and sweetness with some flavors of white pepper, something a bit like spicy oak, some lemon-ginger as well as an earthy spiciness that reminds me a bit of coriander.
This is a fascinating attempt at a Belgian Style Golden Ale, really makes you wonder what the person who put together the recipe was thinking; this is way too dark, a bit too sweet, and a bit too heavy bodied to be a great example of the style. Not a bad beer, in fact I would likely have enjoyed it a bit more if the label hadn't stated that this was a "Belgian Style Golden Ale," as it is though, I definitely wishing I had a good example of the style in my glass instead of what I had.
Reviewed by brewjones from Colorado
3.31/5 rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
3.31/5 rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Got this bottle from a cooler at supermarket liquors in Fort Collins. Came in a 22oz. bomber. Poured a little dark for a Golden but that didn't sway me too much. A nice complex nose of fruit and spices. Good rounded sweetness and spiciness and full bodiness in the mouthfeel. Easy to palate and did get a little better as it warmed a bit.
Jul 22, 2008Reviewed by Crosling from Colorado
3.8/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.8/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Fresh batch bomber. Orange/bronze color with a long lasting head. Nose has a lot of Belgian character, with a lot of fruit character and the illusion of some coriander and other spices. Flavor is well balanced with an authentic Belgian character. A variety of fruits and again, it's either spiced or the yeast gives the illusions of spices. Very well hidden alcohol with a nice finish. It's a nice beer.
Jun 28, 2008
Reviewed by russpowell from Arkansas
4.02/5 rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
4.02/5 rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Found this up at liquor mart in Boulder, good find!
Pours an effervescent honey with 3 fingers of pearl white head. Good lacing & average head retention
S: Bubblegum, phenols & white pepper
T: Phenols, lemons, coriander, apricot, apples & pears up front. Honey malt, pears & lemons as this warms. Finishes with booze, fruittyness & citrussy hops. Almost pulled a 4.5
MF: Medium bodied with low carbonation, great balance
Drinks pretty easy, despite my the 9.0% abv. My first from this brewery, I will seek out others to be sure!
Jun 19, 2008Pours an effervescent honey with 3 fingers of pearl white head. Good lacing & average head retention
S: Bubblegum, phenols & white pepper
T: Phenols, lemons, coriander, apricot, apples & pears up front. Honey malt, pears & lemons as this warms. Finishes with booze, fruittyness & citrussy hops. Almost pulled a 4.5
MF: Medium bodied with low carbonation, great balance
Drinks pretty easy, despite my the 9.0% abv. My first from this brewery, I will seek out others to be sure!
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