Brains SA Gold
Brains

Brains SA GoldBrains SA Gold
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From:
Brains
 
Wales, United Kingdom
Style:
English Pale Ale
Ranked #165
ABV:
4.3%
Score:
79
Ranked #26,556
Avg:
3.33 | pDev: 16.52%
Reviews:
14
Ratings:
28
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 18, 2024
Added:
Mar 17, 2006
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  2
The latest shining addition to our cask ale range, SA Gold was launched in 2006. Its refreshing and clean taste instantly proved popular with both consumers and industry experts winning awards only a year after being launched.

SA Gold is a full-flavoured, hoppy and refreshing golden ale. Careful use of hops creates a satisfying bitterness, perfectly balanced by vibrant citrus aromas and complex hop flavours from late-hopping using Cascade and Styrian Goldings. A deliciously satisfying and refreshing pint!
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Ratings by 123321123321:
Photo of 123321123321
Rated by 123321123321 from Alabama

3.75/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Sep 01, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.81/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Cask conditioned at The Barony Bar, Edinburgh. Got my half pint for free, as this was the end of the cask. Still quite drinkable! Golden coloured beer, creamy head. Very nice aroma of zesty and citrussy hops, notes of tropical fruits. The flavour is also quite fruity (with a hint of alcohol), moderate bitterness.
Mar 29, 2022
 
Rated: 3.75 by paulish from New York

Oct 08, 2021
Photo of Steve555
Reviewed by Steve555 from Wales

3.46/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Body is gold with a small white head (classic case of minimal head on Welsh beers). Smell is slight sulphur sweet biscuits. Taste is quite sweet malts with a slight but assertive fruity bitterness. Texture is medium bodied and finish is quite dry. This is a decent beer and more enjoyable (in my opinion) than their regular SA
Aug 04, 2020
 
Rated: 3 by Fettpopps from Massachusetts

Dec 07, 2017
 
Rated: 3.17 by dandy14 from Brazil

Nov 30, 2017
 
Rated: 2.71 by Xaldos from Ukraine

Mar 10, 2017
Photo of EmperorBevis
Reviewed by EmperorBevis from England

3.49/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Bottled and sadly clear glass
Golden clear body with splattered white head
SMells of slight skunking slight hops slight malt slight syrup
That's the flavour too
I think given a bit more care this would be a half decent ale
Oct 09, 2016
Photo of doktorhops
Reviewed by doktorhops from Australia

3.35/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Well I’m back for more Brains, like the incessant beer zombie I am, this time I received a recommendation from a Welshman (those people from Wales), and I work in a bottleshop now - imagine that - the bottleshop attendant receiving a recommendation from a customer! Anyway I thought I would give it a go as I have a tendency to neglect Wales (don’t we all) and her lovely names with multiple consonants like: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, which is the second longest place name in the world after: Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu (in New Zealand, I kid you not).

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a nonic pint.

A: Hazy light honey coloured body with a nice compact 2cm white head on top, tis a Pale Ale in more than just name. 7/10.

S: Light citrus (lemon drops) mingles with a broad toasted biscuit base and some tea leaf in the background, it’s a very Oxfordshire Pale Ale aroma then, and quite strong for a 4.7% ABV brew. Nice, not outstanding, just nice. 7/10.

T: Not as sweet as expected, that lemon drop flavour is more bitter than sweet and the toasted biscuit provides a hint of sweetness with a dry cracker note. Finishes with that much expected, and perhaps maligned - depending on your stance on tea, black tea leaf character. Hint of sour in there from the citric note gives this brew some intriguing complexity, but ultimately there are some outstanding English Ales out there, and competing against them is a challenge. 7/10.

M: Mid to light bodied with a light English (or should I say “Welsh”?) pub carbonation. 6/10.

D: It’s a good drop this, not Bishops Finger or Landlord great, but nonetheless decent. I did however keep reminding myself that I have the new and exceedingly well-priced cans of Bishops Finger beckoning in my fridge (from Plonk)... Plonk also have Hobgoblin cans, a different style yes but also excellent (and on my mind)... too many great English Ales, too little time. Oh and the flavour of this is a little more dry than I like. 6/10.

Food match: Label says: White fish and cheese, obviously not together on the same plate, I agree with this recommendation.
Dec 19, 2014
 
Rated: 3.6 by Flashbac from Germany

Oct 06, 2014
 
Rated: 2.5 by spycow from Illinois

Sep 29, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by endless1408 from England

May 31, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by mdavidson from Washington

Mar 05, 2014
 
Rated: 1.5 by Kirk from England

Dec 24, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by ILiveOffHops from New Hampshire

Aug 23, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by JohnQVD from New York

Aug 21, 2013
Photo of FLima
Reviewed by FLima from Brazil

3.58/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Golden color with apparent carbonation on the walls with a three finger head with medium retention and leaving laces.
Lemon citrus aroma and biscuit malt notes.
Taste follows nose, lemon citric, biscuit malt with some earthy notes. Dry and mildly bitter aftertaste.
Light body with good carbonation.
Very refreshing taste, being very citric, lemon like. Needless to say it has a huge drinkability and it is more than welcome one a warm day.
May 12, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by CwrwAmByth from England

Dec 29, 2012
Photo of metter98
Reviewed by metter98 from New York

3.47/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A: The beer is crystal clear dark yellow in color and has a slight amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin bright white head that quickly died down, leaving a thin layer of bubbles on the surface and a small collar around the edge of the glass.
S: There are aromas of biscuit malts in the nose along with faint hints of citrus. The citrusy hops become a little stronger as the beer warms up.
T: The taste has flavors of biscuit malts along with some subtle hints of citrus. There is a slight amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a bit thick and dry on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The use of American hops imparts interesting aromas and flavors to this beer, which is also very easy to drink.
Sep 17, 2012
Brains SA Gold from Brains
Beer rating: 79 out of 100 with 28 ratings