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Honey Ma Gold

Great Leap Brewing
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🌍 China · Golden Ale · One of 27 Golden Ales in hopIQ

Great Leap's most distinctive beer and the one that defined Chinese craft brewing. Brewed with local Beijing honey and Sichuan ma (numbing pepper) for a unique sweet-spicy-floral character unlike anything else in the world. Honey Ma Gold is the beer that told China's craft scene it was allowed to be distinctly Chinese: not just copying American or German styles, but creating something genuinely new.

ABV
6%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
Malt-forward bitterness
SRM
pale gold4
How it drinks· Its pace, balance and relationship to the style.
Pace
sessionsipper
Balance
malt-ledhop-led
Style expression
textbookdistinctive
Taste structure· The backbone of the beer, regardless of style.
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
hopIQ take

Even from Body through Texture, the taste structure is evenly distributed.

Harmony over emphasis — the beer is built for each note to sit at the same volume.

Wider bands mean we're less certain about the exact position.
Character· What makes this beer itself — not just another Golden Ale.
Hop character
floral
herbal
Malt character
honey
malty
Fermentation & yeast
clean
fruity
Distinctive notes
spicy
Compare with another beer →

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Honey Ma Gold

Appearance

Honey Ma Gold presents a pale golden hue with excellent clarity and a fine, persistent white head. The carbonation is gentle and well-integrated, creating a delicate foam collar that clings to the glass with fine lacing as the beer is consumed.

pale goldenclearfine lacinggentle carbonation

Aroma

The nose leads with floral honey notes, soft and inviting, layered with the distinctive numbing pepper character that defines this beer's identity. Subtle fruity undertones and a light herbal quality complement the primary adjunct, while the clean malt base remains restrained in the background.

honey forwardSichuan pepperfloral and herbalclean malt

Taste

The palate opens with honeyed sweetness and immediate numbing spice from the ma pepper, creating a dynamic and unusual sensation. The mid-palate remains smooth and well-balanced, with light fruity notes and a crisp, dry finish that prevents the sweetness from becoming cloying. Bitterness is restrained at 20 IBU, allowing the floral and herbal elements to shine.

honey sweetnessnumbing spicesmooth texturebalanced bitterness

Finish

The finish is clean and moderately dry, with lingering honey and pepper notes that fade gradually. The numbing sensation from the Sichuan pepper persists pleasantly on the palate, leaving a distinctive and memorable aftertaste.

dry finishlingering pepperclean aftertaste
82
hopIQ score
Aroma
85
Taste
83
Appearance
80
Finish
78
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Serve & Enjoy

How to get the most out of Honey Ma Gold

Serve at 7–10°C
Refrigerate, then rest 2 min

Serve at 7–10°C. Light and refreshing — serve cold to keep the delicate hop and malt balance intact.

Pint glass
Recommended for this style

The classic — versatile, comfortable to hold and keeps the beer cool. No frills, no distractions: just the beer.

Store in a cool, dark place. Check the best-before date on the label for guidance.

Food Pairing

What to eat with Honey Ma Gold

About Golden Ale

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Golden Ale?

Golden Ale is a distinctive beer style with its own characteristic flavour, aroma and colour. Discover what makes it unique and find similar beers on hopIQ.

Finding a similar Golden Ale

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same honey, spicy, sweet character as Honey Ma Gold will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Other Golden Ales in hopIQ