Monty Python's Holy Grail Ale
Black Sheep Brewery PLC

Monty Python's Holy Grail AleMonty Python's Holy Grail Ale
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From:
Black Sheep Brewery PLC
 
England, United Kingdom
Style:
English Pale Ale
Ranked #176
ABV:
5%
Score:
76
Ranked #27,349
Avg:
3.33 | pDev: 16.82%
Reviews:
622
Ratings:
1,298
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 08, 2023
Added:
May 24, 2002
Wants:
  36
Gots:
  155
Draught 4.0% / Bottle 4.7%
Another fine addition to the Black Sheep flock of premium bottle ales. This ale was specially commissioned to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Monty Python in 1999.

Ten years later on the 40th anniversary Holy Grail is still going strong. With more hops than a killer rabbit, it's a full-flavoured golden ale with a distinctively fruity flavour followed by the Black Sheep signature dry finish.

We brew Holy Grail with Maris Otter malt, an old and expensive variety that is renowned for the taste and the quality of the beer it produces.

A mixture of old English Hop varieties including a touch of WGV hops gives Holy Grail its lovely fruity nose.

We use a touch of wheat which helps deliver the lovely creamy head and lacing down the glass - just what you would expect from a proper Yorkshire beer!
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of TheSixthRing
Reviewed by TheSixthRing from California

3.79/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Code date of J012 (September 01, 2022??)

Appearance - Poured at a bit warmer than cellar temp, clear and gold in color with a slight amber tinge. Sudsy, off-white, one-finger width head that dissipates in fair time, leaving a thin but consistent film across the surface, thickening slightly at the edge of the glass. A few broken lines and some spotting make up a minimal lacing.

Smell - Fruity esters hinting at overripe apple, fig, and even lesser raisin. Malts bring notes of biscuit and toffee.

Taste - Follows the nose. There's definite fruity esters at play here, bringing to mind apple, fig and raisin. Malts touch on light biscuit upfront, and then moderate toffee sweetness as it rounds out. Some light floral hoppiness. Fairly clean finish.

Mouthfeel - Light-to-medium in body with fair, lightly tingly carbonation. Smooth, silky drinker before a lightly dry finish.

Overall - Very solid English pale. I was worried the tie-in with Monty Python would be the selling point of this beer and the actual brew itself would be lackluster, but that is not the case. I suspect the date code may put this beer well over a year past the suspected code date, or maybe not, because I'm not 100% certain how to read that code. I wish some breweries would be a little more clear with the date codes, otherwise what's the point of them?
Dec 08, 2023
 
Rated: 4.1 by KeithGreatNorth from Canada (BC)

Dec 03, 2023
Photo of jkblr
Reviewed by jkblr from Indiana

3.49/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
16oz can stamped JO1 2 16:02 poured into a nonic pint glass at just above fridge temp 5% ABV per label. The beer pours bright copper tinted amber with very light khaki colored head. The head recedes to a thin ring and cap. Minimal lacing. The aroma is mild with Maris Otter malt and not much else. The taste is semisweet pale and toasted malt with a hint of sour and cardboard. Negligible bitterness. Maybe a bit of black tea from hops. The mouthfeel is thin to medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, looks and smells great, but the taste is a significant downer.
Jul 01, 2023
Photo of ThrewRedButter
Reviewed by ThrewRedButter from Massachusetts

2.94/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
LOOK
Dark orange color with a transparent body. The pour produced a frothy three fingers of off-white head
AROMA
Smells woodsy and kind of dank with maybe some grape or honeydew.
TASTE
Lots of sweet fruit on the tongue and citrus. Not much in the way of bitterness up front but it has quite the bang on the finish. Lots of malt here too.
MOUTHFEEL
Considerably dry with medium carbonation. Still relatively smooth-drinking.
OVERALL
Low abv ale with a bitter, dank pop.
Jun 04, 2023
 
Rated: 3.29 by shelby415 from Oregon

Jan 17, 2023
Photo of klarcbarr3
Reviewed by klarcbarr3 from Michigan

3.17/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Monty Python's Holy Grail pours an amber waves of grain, slightly darker than a typical American lager. A Canadian pint sized can (slightly wider, hence larger than a USA pint) creates a three inch head in a pint glass, and leave plenty of brew for a second pour. The nose is slight, and faded... wheat and yeast, a tad toasty, and sweet. A taste is a bit of a surprise... I was expecting an American lager taste, but it is clean and sweet, a very mild hops mingling with the wheat, and the sweetness of the nose amplified. There is not an abundance of flavor. But for the stickiness expected from a beer, you could almost think you were drinking a light mineral water. It is pleasant, it is thirst quenching, at 4.7% it has a light ABV, and it is inoffensive. It is a shy and reclusive amber ale. I'll save the other three cans for summer... this is great for a parched throat in 95 degree heat. The mouthfeel is a bit light, like every other aspect of this brew. However, it does leave generous lacing. If you like to imagine objects when you look at clouds or into a beer glass, your ship just came in! Otherwise, there is nothing to celebrate here, aside from the Python quips that adorn the can, like 'Your Mother Was A Hamster', and 'Tempered Over Burning Witches'. For Serious Monty Python fans, only.
Dec 29, 2021
Photo of Viaduck
Reviewed by Viaduck from California

3.47/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 3.75
As a big fan of the pythons, I had to review this beer. It’s been a while since I tried it last. Dark reddish brown with minimal head. Sweet aroma: caramel, brown sugar, roasted malt, coffee. Sweet taste of malted grain, chocolate, coffee. Feel is thin with weak carbonation. Not as good as I remembered but as a fan, I have to give it a nice rating.
Nov 25, 2021
 
Rated: 3.19 by h4ger from Connecticut

Sep 02, 2021
Photo of Elemental19xx
Rated by Elemental19xx from Illinois

3.54/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Its not bad, not super flavorful, but makes for an easy drinker
Jul 18, 2021
Photo of oldmankoch
Rated by oldmankoch from Tennessee

3.89/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This is a quality English style Ale. While its not at the level of Fullers output, it is a solid beer.
Jul 16, 2021
 
Rated: 3.48 by Daneve76 from Australia

Jun 21, 2021
 
Rated: 3.97 by Mustela_Man from California

Jun 18, 2021
 
Rated: 3.25 by Chipwells from Georgia

Feb 02, 2021
 
Rated: 3.07 by DvdP from Netherlands

Oct 26, 2020
 
Rated: 3.61 by Sayb from Arizona

Sep 17, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Aug 02, 2020
Photo of TheRougeBastard
Reviewed by TheRougeBastard from North Carolina

3.03/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Draught 4.0% / Bottle 4.7%
Another fine addition to the Black Sheep flock of premium bottle ales. This ale was specially commissioned to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Monty Python in 1999.

Ten years later on the 40th anniversary Holy Grail is still going strong. With more hops than a killer rabbit, it's a full-flavoured golden ale with a distinctively fruity flavour followed by the Black Sheep signature dry finish.

We brew Holy Grail with Maris Otter malt, an old and expensive variety that is renowned for the taste and the quality of the beer it produces.

A mixture of old English Hop varieties including a touch of WGV hops gives Holy Grail its lovely fruity nose.

We use a touch of wheat which helps deliver the lovely creamy head and lacing down the glass - just what you would expect from a proper Yorkshire beer!
Jul 12, 2020
 
Rated: 3 by craigbelly from Iowa

Apr 01, 2020
 
Rated: 3.59 by Valdez_Mescalito from Michigan

Nov 03, 2019
 
Rated: 3.25 by jprudhomme7 from New Hampshire

Oct 13, 2019
Monty Python's Holy Grail Ale from Black Sheep Brewery PLC
Beer rating: 76 out of 100 with 1298 ratings