Berkshire Gold Spike Ale

Brewed by Berkshire Brewing Co.
Style: Kölsch
South Deerfield, Massachusetts USA

Sold in 22 ounce bottles (is that called a bomber?) with an attractive label. The beer is straw colored with a light head and a mild aroma of sweet malt. It is medium bodied and pleasantly fizzy, with a taste of mellow, good quality hops. I am not rating it as high as I thought I would. The freshness may have been off - the label says keep refrigerated, but I had it in a cupboard for a month. Berkshire Brewing Co. will always be something special for me because it reminds me of relaxing on a porch in the Berkshires, talking with friends and looking out at the trees.

Mildly sweet aroma, filled with wheatiness and slightly malty. Mild citrus flavor. Not complex, but clean and very easy to drink as a summer, hot weather beer. I don’t think its as bad as some others seem to think, but this is all IMHO, of course.

Hurray bomber under four bucks! - boo crappy beer inside! - I wanted something light and refreshing, but not like this - cloudy yellow pour with no head - faint aroma of herbs and lemon-scented hand soap - tart flavor, with lemon dominating, along with some background grain/malt flavor - there is really nothing else happening - tastes like sparkling water with a wedge of lemon thrown into it - down the drain with this - good thing I bought another beer for tonight.

Pour is a golden yellow. Barley any head except a few streamers of tight white bubbles. Aroma is slightly sweet. Clean fresh sweet taste. Not too bad.

I ordered this after being told that it was a Pale Ale. Well, it is extremely pale in color, so I guess they weren’t completely lying. Not much flavor, a hint of hops with a little bit of sweet malt flavor. Some grassy notes in there too. Certainly not a PA.

On tap at the Connecticut Brew Fest. Urine yellow pour, slight white head. Grainy nose. Grain flavors, some floral hop bitter. OK.

(22 oz bottle: Obtained 24-Feb-06 in trade with Eyedrinkale, thanks Mike!) Slightly husky graininess fades off the palate quickly, leaving an aftertaste that’s pushing American BMC territory. I guess that makes this a beer you should chug to prevent the bad adjuncty aftertaste from settling in. Otherwise, it’s crisp and clean and light with hints of grassy, lemony hops and fruitiness. Body is light, carbonation is moderate. The best part of the Gold Spike experience is the pleasant, lightly husky grain aroma that shows hints of grassy hops and lemon. The pale straw color is getting close to BMC territory as well, though there is a slight haze. Small, white head dissipates rapidly, leaving the tiniest of rings around the edge of the beer. No lacing. I really can’t imagine the people who like this beer would also pay this price. It’s twice the price of a BMC and the unpleasant aftertaste makes sure that the beer’s really not that much more enjoyable.

i heard this was the lightest of the bbc fleet and it definately is. tastes like busch light with a little more flavor. would probably be good for beer pong, but there are much cheeper options. not exciting at all, i would never purchase this. but happy to drink this at the end of the night while watching team america world police. Thanks Morgan!