Bright Golding Ale
Brooklyn Brewery

Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Brooklyn Brewery
 
New York, United States
Style:
English Strong Ale
ABV:
7.5%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.77 | pDev: 10.88%
Reviews:
25
Ratings:
25
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 28, 2011
Added:
Nov 04, 2007
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by aerozeppl:
Photo of aerozeppl
Reviewed by aerozeppl from New York

3.89/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
On Tap at Mahar's

A: Golden color. Really pleasant. 2 fingers of head with some fairly decent lacing.

S:Had no conception this was a strong ale. I found the smell to be mild with some fairly noticeable hop notes.

T: Hoppy but not overpowering. The malt keeps it in check. Did not pick up the ABV at all on this one.

M: Nice solid medium body that was really crisp in my mouth. Well carbonated.

D: Another reviewer noted a "double pilsner" and I think this is dead on. I figured this to be about 5.5% when I was drinking it. Good thing I only had one.
Dec 18, 2007
More User Ratings:
Photo of scootny
Reviewed by scootny from New York

4/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A delicious ale that hides its strength well. Makes the sides of of a plastic cup look good. Lovely aromas of sweet malt and biscuit and floor malt. Goldings hops are floral and lovely. Taste follows suit and has no trace of alcohol. Biscuits and light butter showcase the floor malt. Light crisp feel hides the weight well and carbonation is spot on. So drinkable you can get in trouble quickly and smile all the way as it is so yummy. A great brew that redefines what I think of in strong ales.

From tasting notes 2008
Nov 28, 2011
Photo of hopdog
Reviewed by hopdog from Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
On tap.

Poured a deeper golden color with a smaller sized white head. Aromas of floral, buttery, and lightly fruity. The butteriness became stronger as I drank this one. Tastes of floarl, fruity, lighter butteriness, and some dough. Light alcohol finish.

Notes from: 1/18/08
Jan 07, 2009
Photo of thekevlarkid
Reviewed by thekevlarkid from Maryland

3.47/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Poured a clear golden color like straw. Nice white head displayed some decent retention and lacing. Very floral aromas of hops and some sweet maltiness. Odd flavor. Unlike the smell, the hops are herbaceous and rather biting. Honey undertones but the bitten sour character reminds me of vinegar. Sad but true. Light body. Ends with a crisp and refreshing note. It strikes me as indecisive, neither a Pilsner nor an Alt or Kolsh. What do you aspire to be, brew?
Aug 20, 2008
Photo of BeerFan
Reviewed by BeerFan from New Jersey

3.8/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
From notes. Was tapped in my basement in the beginning of the year. Only one hop was used - East Kent Golding. Poured a clear gold (pilsner malt was used) with a nice white head. Malt sweetness upfront, followed by the earthy, grassy hops. Slight hint of apricot. Medium-bodied. Doesn't taste like a 7.5% beer. I would like to see Brooklyn experiment more with single hop varierties, but with the current hop shortage it may be a while.
Jul 22, 2008
Photo of maddogruss
Reviewed by maddogruss from New Jersey

3.05/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Got this on tap at the Cloverleaf Tavern.

A: Pours a golden body with a nice, white head. Decent retention with a nice lacing along the top of the beer and along the sides of the glass while being consumed.

S: Sweet, malty smell with slight, honey undertones.

T: A slightly malty taste with some honey undertones. A biting, alcoholic aftertaste that was not very complimentary to the beer. Nice, orange zest finish.

M: A little watery and thin mouthfeel, but still pretty refreshing.

D: Pretty drinkable. Beer was refreshing, but the taste overall could have been a little bit better.
Feb 24, 2008
Photo of chinabeergeek
Reviewed by chinabeergeek from Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
on tap at deep ellum, allston, ma

served in brooklyn champagne style flute

nearly clear, pale golden color, decent head that slowly fades, some lacing.

some hoppy aromas (goldings, duh), grains, yeast

more plainly bitter plus acidity than i expected, but still okay, as i could still taste the malt. as such, slightly unbalanced. but at least the mediocre saffron chicken dish i ordered became more tolerable with this to wash it down.

a bit thin and fizzy. some acidic feel

this needs to be served less cold than it was given to me.
Feb 13, 2008
Photo of GPHarris
Reviewed by GPHarris from Alabama

4.15/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
a - poured a one finger thick bubbly off-white head into a nonic. the body was bright golden with some orange tints to it. it was dark in the restaurant and i'm sure that affected it some.
s - floral and sweet with just a touch of hops.
t - honey and apples with a mild malt sweetness.
m - creamy and smooth.
d - goes down so easily and it paired nicely with my hamburger.
Feb 12, 2008
Photo of ddarden
Reviewed by ddarden from Alabama

4.27/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Had this beer served on cask at J Clyde in Birmingham AL. Puffy white head and bright yellow in color. The smell was very pleasing with flowery hops and pilsner malt sweetness. The beer had the smell of a really nice English bitter and but I guess due to the abv it doesn't really qualify. The taste is a nice clean pilsner with a good hop bit. The hops in the beer was really the showcase here. The Goldings hops were very floral and clean. The balance was very nice and complex. The malt came in crisp had the backbone to complement the hops. The mouthfeel was very creamy due to the cask serving and no alcohol was really present. This is a very drinkable beer especially at this abv. I would be curious to try this on tap vs cask to see how they differ. Thanks to J Clyde for bringing in such a unique beer.
Feb 11, 2008
Photo of Nipitato
Reviewed by Nipitato from Massachusetts

4.52/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
Had a couple or three pints at Sunset Grill and Tap in Allston, MA.

A: Nice copper hue with good dense 1/2 inch plus white head with good retention.

S: Great biscuit malt aroma with a nice fruity and subtley bitter hop aroma. Well balanced. Smells very fresh. The clean grainy pilsner malt is also very noticeable.

T: Taste is like the nose with a slightly sweet grainy/biscuit malt flavor providing balance to slightly fruity and bitter hop flavor. Overall quite clean, excellently balanced, and very fresh.

MF: Medium light mouthfeel with low carbonation.

D,notes: A perfectly sessionable beer. Well made, very well balanced. a pitch perfect take on what I would describe as a English pale ale or an ESB with a little extra alcohol kick. This beer is far too well balanced and does not have any alcohol taste to consider it an English strong ale.
Feb 02, 2008
Photo of oberon
Reviewed by oberon from North Carolina

4.07/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
On tap at the Pizza Plant on Transit,poured from the tap a clear light golden with a thinner wispy head,very floral aromas just pleasant all the way around a little "green" herb in there as well.I had no idea that this was so high in alcohol, the flavors were mild with light honey-like sweetness and herbal earthy hop dominating but its more mild in character.This beer went down way to easy and its very sociable even at its ABV at 7.5% a pretty nice brew.
Feb 01, 2008
Photo of boulevard2
Reviewed by boulevard2 from New York

4.18/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
January 2008

Pours a nice golden ale with no head and some retention that clings to the glass. Very crisp and clean on the palate. Some alcohol in the nose . Almost pilsner like with some floral taste at the back along with some hop bitterness. A great beer and another chalked up by Garret Oliver nice job guys!
Jan 27, 2008
Photo of Shiredave
Reviewed by Shiredave from New York

4.14/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
This one seems to keep hanging around - not here one day and gone the next like most of the Reserve beers. Ive seen it pop up at unlikely places - and stay there way too long. The last glass I had was getting pretty cidery in the nose and a bit sharp so I'll base this review on earlier tastings - like well before christmas.

Bright gold is a very good description, slow bubbles rising through a clear liquid. Low and sparse white head with a few specks of lace.

Aroma is wonderful, a big but not aggressive blast of earthy / floral hop with notes of apples and glazed dougnuts.

Up front sweetness blends nicely into mellow hop flavors of hay and leather. Great balance with the white sugar sweetness coating the mouth and the herby hop working in harmony.

Body is medium but somehow seems a bit thin and session like, keeping the alcohol well hidden till the finish. The finish is well bittered but not biting with some fruit and malt lingering at the edges.

One of my favorite BR beers to date. (when fresh)
Jan 22, 2008
Photo of PBoegel
Reviewed by PBoegel from New York

3.63/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
On draft at Mahar's

Served in an imperial pint glass, beer is a spectacular clear bright and light gold, with a light white head.

Aromas of slight pear and apple esters and some noble hops grassy notes.

Taste, clean, light esters, slightly sweet reminscent of a very big kolsch.

Carbonation is lively, smooth body more balanced toward the malt with a hop bitterness but not biting.

For a sizable ale, very drinkable.
Jan 18, 2008
Photo of AlexJ
Reviewed by AlexJ from North Carolina

3.97/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Clear golden honey with a short, dense head of pure white. It forms a nice lasting veil, leaving delicate streamers of lace.

Aroma is judiciously English in nature. Sweet golden and honey-grain malts with floral and grassy hops. Freshly baked biscuits drizzled with orange-blossom honey.

Flavor is mild and bold at the same time. Creamy honey and biscuits with butter cookie undertones. There are hints of bubblegum and very light clove, followed by sweet floral and grassy dryness. The Golding hops notes are certainly amped up, resulting in a fruity finish that is bittersweet.

Body is medium, creamy, and sparsely carbonated. Has a cask-like mouthfeel and would be excellent served that way. The alcohol is rather evident in this one but overall drinkability is good.
Jan 14, 2008
Photo of blackie
Reviewed by blackie from Oregon

4.3/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
If I had entered this one, it would probably have been as a pilsner. "Belgian Pilsner" makes sense. On-tap at Tyler's Durham.

a: The beer is, well, bright golden in color. Served in a sweet Brooklyn sandblasted snifter that I'd like own, a big white head recedes slowly and shows good retention and lacing.

s: So this is what Kent Goldings smell like. A solid base of clean pilsner malts give notes of light grain. The hops make themselves known with an aroma that I can only describe as honeydew melon. The grains and hops blend with an interesting doughy aroma to create a pleasing complexity.

m: Very smooth, medium carbonation and a lighter, silky body.

t: Very similar to the aroma, but without much of the melon complexity created by the hops there. Clean, flavorful pilsner malts are complimented by a doughy, maybe yeasty flavor. The hops still taste of melon, and give a gentle bitterness.

d: Could drink these all night
Jan 13, 2008
Photo of Philabeerphia
Reviewed by Philabeerphia from Pennsylvania

2.95/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
on tap at Bridgid's in Philadelphia; all Brooklyn offerings are a must try for me. served in a pint glass.
Appearance was straw, golden and clear with a vanilla head that didn't hold.
The smell was subtle for me, a balance of floral and hoppy going on.
It was served too cold, up front the tastes seemed masked, starting off light and crisp. I had a problem with the finish of this beer. the hop finish tasted "off". yes earthy and grassy but just on the other side of the fence from a pleasant taste. not overly hoppy, just off. really resembled the acrid taste of beetlenut or binlan (tree nut chewed in Taiwan/Guam/etc that gives a strong buzz but leaves the mouth orange and full of shards of plant matter).

Because of this the drinkability was not there. I will say the alcohol is masked extremely well. hmmm... maybe the keg was a little skunky? or maybe its just me, or maybe its the beer??
Jan 12, 2008
Photo of Kendo
Reviewed by Kendo from New York

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Got it on tap at Lionheart in Albany on 12/26/07.

A: Light golden body with a small ivory head. Some lacing.

S: Fairly faint -- I get cereal grains, a faint floral hop bitterness and a bit of spice.

T: Cereal malt with a florally sweetness and some grassy hops as well. Finishes with a spicy alcohol bite that reminds me of a pilsner finished with Noble hops. At one point I thought I tasted (and smelled) cloves. Lingering slightly metallic taste.

M: Fairly light in body -- call it between light and medium.

D: Not bad, not great.

Notes: Someone else wrote that this is like a "Belgian Pilsner" and I can understand the sentiment. Worth checking out as something different.
Dec 27, 2007
Photo of CWiggins
Reviewed by CWiggins from North Carolina

3/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
On-tap at Tyler's Taproom in Durham as of last night. It's served in a Brooklyn snifter. Tyler's menu contains the following description: "Brooklyn's first single hop varietal beer, brewed from pale European pilsener malt and 100% Golding hops from the best farmers of the area of East Kent, England. Golden, briskly bitter and deliciously resinous with golding flavor."

It pours a dark, hazy gold with a light beige head that wasn't sustained for very long. Light aromas of sweet fruit, malts, and hops waft up from the brew. It has a sweet front, followed by a mellowing middle; the finish focuses on bitter, piney hops and a biscuity character. The lingering aftertaste is slightly sweet, but the hops persist and is sustained to the "bitter" end.

English Strong Ale is a new style to me, which explains the 3.0s across the board.
Dec 19, 2007
Photo of Brad007
Reviewed by Brad007 from Vermont

3.88/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Saw this on tap and had to try it because I enjoy the quality of Brooklyn's offerings.

Pours a golden-copper color with a thin head and decent carbonation. Some lacing as well. Aroma is malty and chewy upfront. Taste is the same but with a decent hop bitterness (Goldings) and sweetness from the malt. Strong but you wouldn't know it from drinking it. Lightly fruity as well and very drinkable.

A "strong ale" without actually tasting too strong on tap. Deceptively drinkable.
Dec 14, 2007
Bright Golding Ale from Brooklyn Brewery
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 25 ratings