Holy Mackerel Special Golden Ale

Brewed by Florida Beer Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Melbourne, Florida USA

nice beer not too sweet not too bitter. could use better head. Doesn’t taste like 8.5% but afterward HOLY MACKEREL! Fruity and spicy.

Good looking belgian straight out of the bottle, more on the dark side, but the flavor is not as heavy as the 8.5% ABV suggests. Is a little sweet at first but shapes up and leaves a nice refreshing after taste.

I am very proud to be a native Floridian and a Vero Beach, FL native. I’m all about beaches, wind, sand, surf, and a good tiki bar, or just bar. About a year ago, I was asked about Florida’s craft scene, and thus a new beer hunt was sparked. Since then, I have come across native beers that ranged from OK to OMG! A mystical revelation of deliciousness in a glass!
Holy Mackerel is the love child of Gordash of Gordash Brewing Company out of Fort Lauderdale, FL. that’s local enough for me.
At 8.5% ABV, this is no Ale to snub your nose at, but like any true Belgian gold, strength is a byproduct of the flavor which is achieved through careful brewing and fermentation. Holy Mackerel pours a bright golden orange, with a fine two-finger head foam floating on top like heavenly clouds. From the bottle and on draft, Holy Mackerel produced a beautiful head. Soft, airy, bursting in my mouth like a warm sunrise. Strong sour yeasts and slightly sweet orange flavors dance around my taste buds. Chewy, bready body, but not too heavy. Some nuts in the aftertaste as hops linger on the tongue and sides of my mouth. As she settles more into room temperature, more of the sourdough yeastiness and orange hoppy zing slakes my thirst. The ABV doesn’t faze me, though it does definitely make Holy Mackerel a strong beer compared to what the average drinker is used to. As I finish my Holy Mackerel, I am left completely satisfied and wanting another.
A damn fine craft beer in the Belgium golden ale style out of Gordash Brewing. A Florida beer for a native Floridian which transports me to a far away country where I have loft desires to visit and drink my way through. While I enjoy my Holy Mackerel with tiki torches glowing and flip-flops dangling, I get to partake of a little bit of Belgium, Florida style.

12oz bottle from Willow Bend Liquors (Tampa, FL). Rated on 3/1/08. Pours a honey-yellow-golden color with a think white head. Only minimal lacing of glass. Aroma is hops, ripe fruit, honey, fresh hay. Flavor is somewhat complex, with notes of tartness and bitterness initially that transition to ripe fruit and then end with a slightly sweet and sour taste. Medium bodied with a creamy, syrupy mouthfeel. We enjoyed this ale.

Pours a clear golden light orange with a medium white head. Aroma of honey, cloves, fruity malts and fresh yeast. Taste is of sweetened honey, malts fruit, yeast and cloves. Excellent !!

A wonderful cornucopia of taste of sweet malts, fruits and alcohol. The use of Belgian yeast, makes the spices of Belgian spice a real treat.

Comes out of the tap a beautiful clear golden with a crisp, malty, somewhat fruity aroma that has a hint of honey - very inviting. Flavor is crisp and fruity - mainly of pear - and has a sharp alcohol bite and a whisper of honey sweetness. Finish is smooth and satisfying.

Very tasty Ale! This was supposedly the winner of Sam Adam’s home brewing contest. This ale is strong and smooth. More golden than brown and just the right amounts of spice.