Special Golden Ale
Holy Mackerel Beers

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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:
247
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.
Photo of hman43
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
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, 2023
 
Rated: 3.56 by Chipwells from Georgia

May 09, 2021
Photo of Rennoc_stl
Rated by Rennoc_stl from Florida

3.19/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Malt flavor is overwhelming
Feb 10, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by Bryan12345 from Texas

Nov 20, 2017
Photo of chinchill
Reviewed 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
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, 2017
 
Rated: 2 by Nichols33 from Massachusetts

Jan 22, 2017
Photo of ordybill
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
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, 2016
 
Rated: 3.74 by DenverHopHead from Colorado

Oct 28, 2016
 
Rated: 2.73 by Jodio from Texas

Jul 17, 2016
 
Rated: 3.14 by CBrodbeck from Florida

May 19, 2016
 
Rated: 3.34 by NelCet from Massachusetts

Apr 13, 2016
 
Rated: 3 by fakedeadgirlfriend from Florida

Jan 21, 2016
Photo of DavesBeerReviews
Rated by DavesBeerReviews from Florida

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, 2015
Photo of thebeers
Reviewed by thebeers from Pennsylvania

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, 2015
 
Rated: 3.09 by Coorsy from Massachusetts

Oct 04, 2015
Photo of Myotus
Reviewed 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
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, 2015
Photo of papat444
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
Flashback #71
Aug 17, 2015
Photo of SaisonRichBiere
Reviewed by SaisonRichBiere from Michigan

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
 
Rated: 3.42 by IckyT2012 from Florida

Jul 14, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by Bloodbuzz99 from Georgia

Jul 03, 2015
Special Golden Ale from Holy Mackerel Beers
Beer rating: 76 out of 100 with 247 ratings