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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 RomaniIteDomum:
Reviewed by RomaniIteDomum from Florida
3.52/5 rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.52/5 rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
2010 vintage.
Pours golden with a nice little white head and some happy carbonation. There is a little lacing, too.
Smells heavily of bananas with a touch of light grape and yeast. A little one-dimensional, but pleasing.
The taste follows the nose to the letter. Lots of banana up front followed by grapes, yeast and a banana blast in the finish. Tastes like a cross between real bananas and Runts. Kinda weird, actually.
The feel is light and creamy. Good feel for the taste and style.
Overall not bad, especially for the price. I'd try it again, especially on tap. I do wonder what it would be like with a little age, but I have a feeling all the non-banana Runt flavors may disappear. Worth a try, though.
Aug 17, 2010Pours golden with a nice little white head and some happy carbonation. There is a little lacing, too.
Smells heavily of bananas with a touch of light grape and yeast. A little one-dimensional, but pleasing.
The taste follows the nose to the letter. Lots of banana up front followed by grapes, yeast and a banana blast in the finish. Tastes like a cross between real bananas and Runts. Kinda weird, actually.
The feel is light and creamy. Good feel for the taste and style.
Overall not bad, especially for the price. I'd try it again, especially on tap. I do wonder what it would be like with a little age, but I have a feeling all the non-banana Runt flavors may disappear. Worth a try, though.
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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