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Special Ale

Spitting Feathers Brewery
United Kingdom·Golden Ale
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A malty, chestnut-gold ale with a full malt taste, a biscuity edge, fruit flavours and hop bitterness. Brewers Gold hops add aromas of blackcurrant, stone fruit and spice. It was gyle number one in 2005; for the 3,000th brew in 2025 the strength went from 4.2% to 4.7%, with carapils for a deeper malt backbone.

ABV
4.7%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
Malt-forward bitterness
SRM
golden8
PaceSession
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
Balance
malt-forwardhop-forward
What makes this beer itself
maltyfruitydark fruit
malty
fruity
dark fruit
spicy
bready
peach
Aroma
The nose leads with ripe blackcurrant and stone fruit from Brewers Gold hops, backed by warming spice notes.
also:hoppy
not found:juicy,caramel,clean,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Special Ale

◎ Appearance

A bright chestnut-gold ale with excellent clarity and a pale, persistent head. Fine carbonation supports steady lacing down the glass, giving the beer a clean and inviting visual presence.

chestnut-goldclearpersistent headfine carbonation

◌ Aroma

The nose leads with ripe blackcurrant and stone fruit from Brewers Gold hops, backed by warming spice notes. A soft, biscuity malt base emerges beneath, grounding the fruit-forward character without overwhelming it.

blackcurrantstone fruitspicebiscuity malt

◐ Taste

The palate opens with gentle malt sweetness and biscuit character, deepened by the carapils backbone. Moderate hop bitterness arrives mid-palate and resolves cleanly, while stone fruit and subtle spice flavours carry through without harsh edges. The body remains full yet sessionable.

malty sweetnessbiscuitmoderate bitternessbalanced

◑ Finish

A dry, clean finish with lingering hints of stone fruit and gentle spice. The aftertaste fades smoothly without astringency or residual sweetness.

dry finishfruity aftertasteclean
78
hopIQ score
Aroma
80
Taste
78
Appearance
80
Finish
75
Serve at 7–10°C

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

Pint glass

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

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Food Pairing

What to eat with Special Ale

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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 malty, bitter, fruity character as Special Ale will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

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