Alhambra Especial
Grupo Cervezas Alhambra, SL

Alhambra EspecialAlhambra Especial
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From:
Grupo Cervezas Alhambra, SL
 
Spain
Style:
European Pale Lager
Ranked #199
ABV:
5%
Score:
71
Ranked #27,907
Avg:
3.02 | pDev: 18.87%
Reviews:
58
Ratings:
121
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 29, 2024
Added:
Sep 17, 2006
Wants:
  5
Gots:
  23
No description / notes.
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Ratings by Squire:
Photo of Squire
Rated by Squire from Mississippi

3.07/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

May 22, 2016
More User Ratings:
Photo of BurtonRed
Reviewed by BurtonRed from England

3.22/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Had on tap in Manchester tapas bar. Very nice looking pale lager in the glass to wash down some patatas bravas and chorizo, and definitely not brewed in the UK under licence in a macrobrewery with that trademark metallic cheap taste. Goes down well, nothing remarkable just a solid Spanish lager
Feb 29, 2024
Photo of RonaldTheriot
Reviewed by RonaldTheriot from Louisiana

4.27/5  rDev +41.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Alhambra Especial has a thick, white head and a golden appearance, with fine sediment, evident under strong light. The aroma is of white bread crust. The flavor is of white bread crust, with nearly no bitterness. Alhambra Especial has a medium body and a fairly-crisp finish.

RJT
Dec 13, 2023
Photo of mikeg67
Reviewed by mikeg67 from New Jersey

1.36/5  rDev -55%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
330 ml bottle. Pours golden with white head. Aroma is of some hops and some sweet malt. Body is light and crisp. Taste is slightly bitter water. Hard to drink brew.
Nov 28, 2023
Photo of NeroFiddled
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

3.72/5  rDev +23.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Groupo Cervezas Alhambra, SL “Alhambra Especial”
€2,80/copa al grifo @ La Picateria, Mercado San Martin, Granada, ES

Look: Clear golden beneath a finger’s width of white foam. The head retention could be better but the lacing is good, and perhaps even very good.
Smell: Sweetish and grainy malt is backed by a smear of herbal hops.
Taste: The taste follows with a fuller maltiness although it’s not complete. There’s some corn in use and you can discern that it’s not 100% barley. A touch of yeasty apple-like fruitiness rounds it out, and a moderate to medium bitterness balances it and it finishes mainly dry with some sweetish malt fading to leaves some herbal hops lingering.
Feel: Medium bodied and gently crisp.
Overall: I didn’t find much difference between this beer and the Alhambra Singular although I don’t have the option right now to taste them side by side. They’re both decent beers but they’re not really impressive, however, they’re certainly a whole lot better than quite a bit of what’s on the market.
Nov 24, 2023
Photo of jonmikel
Reviewed by jonmikel from Spain

3.93/5  rDev +30.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bought at a Supermarket in Algorta (Getxo, Spain). 25 cl bottle poured into a Pilsener glass.

-Pours a dark yellow colour. Darker than the usual Pilsener.
-Herbal smell.
-Bready taste of a Pilsener.
-Bubbly and crispy feel. I like it

Quite a good Spanish brew.
Nov 16, 2022
Photo of WoodBrew
Reviewed by WoodBrew from Ohio

3.69/5  rDev +22.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
I tried a half liter of this beer off the tapper at Cafe Bib-Rambla in Granada. It poured a clear golden with white head that left some lace. The scent had grain notes. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink with semi sweet malt base and good grain presence with subtle corn highlights. The mouthfeel was lighter in body with good carbonation. Overall it is a good beer.
Jun 06, 2022
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

2/5  rDev -33.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.75
On tap at Tenerife, served ice cold. Pale golden colour, creamy white head. Very moderate aroma, a little malts, citrus and a hint of vomit. "Neutral" pale lager flavour, nothing offensive but not much to make you happy either, some weak hops in the finish.
Jun 04, 2022
 
Rated: 3.18 by chicagoish from Pennsylvania

Mar 12, 2021
 
Rated: 3.25 by lhwjanssen from Netherlands

Feb 13, 2020
 
Rated: 3.03 by jakea from Wisconsin

Oct 31, 2019
Photo of FLima
Reviewed by FLima from Brazil

2.27/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.25
Golden color with a thick thin head with decent retention.
Aroma with notes of adjuncts and some booze.
Flavor with notes of sulfur, mild spicy and earthy hops, malt sweetness, adjuncts, lime peel and faint booze. Dry aftertaste with a mild to medium bitterness.
Light body with good carbonation.
Adjunct Lager with different recipe than usual, but with some off-flavors.
Sep 23, 2019
 
Rated: 2.76 by barnzy78 from Illinois

Jun 30, 2019
 
Rated: 3.5 by paulish from New York

Apr 22, 2019
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

3.44/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
had this one tap, almost certain it was the especial not the lager, but now i am doubting myself a little bit. in any event, its always a joy to try the yellow beer people drink in other parts of the world, its a favorite past time of mine really! this one comes out clear and real heady from the artful draft tower, a shade richer looking than many of these, and real lively on the carbonation. the aroma is clean enough for what it is, a little sweetness, but not immediately adjuncty or cheap to me, in fact some real grain character permeates, and it seems like the lager yeast has some character too, already ahead of the standard. the flavor is fine, not as light as some, longer finishing and thus a bit less drinkable, especially with a belly full of craft beer, but the carbonation helps wash it clean at the end of each pull, and the fuller body is actually a welcomed change of pace in one of these. it doesnt warm up well, so drink cold. i also feel like this beer needs a context, some spicy seafood, a flavorful rice dish with grilled veggies, something to entertain the palate and have this as an aside. in the spotlight, its just okay. still better than the global average though i reckon. ill have to try this and the lager at the same time to compare and confirm...

edit: revisited this quite a few times while in spain, almost always on tap, and its cleaner and fresher and indeed lighter than i took it for the first time i had it, its golden and slightly fuller than many yeah, but its tidy and crisp, thirst quenching and full of minerals, definitely a food beer as suspected, seems built for that, but refreshing when good and cold, and better than many others we encountered on our trip in this category. raising a couple of scores here to reflect it at its best.
Apr 03, 2019
Photo of elnachooo
Reviewed by elnachooo from Spain

1.94/5  rDev -35.8%
look: 2 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Cerveza dorada con una pequeña cabeza espumosa. Ligera y de carbonatación baja. Su aroma es débil pero se puede percibir malta y cereales. En boca es una cerveza dulce.
Jan 04, 2019
Photo of monkist
Reviewed by monkist from Hungary

3.29/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
This isn't as impressive as the last couple of Saaz-infused Spanish beers, this is more malty as is grainy, less refreshing, a bit heavier taste. I guess I would prefer the hoppier to the maltier/sweeter stuff. I enjoyed it a slightly less than the Saazy lagers.
Sep 19, 2018
 
Rated: 2.98 by Lulu525 from Spain

Mar 21, 2018
 
Rated: 2.64 by hairnic from District of Columbia

Mar 14, 2018
 
Rated: 3 by hockeypuck from Maine

Feb 17, 2018
Alhambra Especial from Grupo Cervezas Alhambra, SL
Beer rating: 71 out of 100 with 121 ratings