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Spezial Gold

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Strongly shaped by malt, with a balanced, malty character: Spezial Gold is a Lager at 5.6% that was once known as a builders' beer. It already stood in the lineup of founding father Johann Schmid. It is brewed with whole natural hop cones from Tettnang, Spalt and the Hallertau, barley malt from Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate, and water from five Black Forest springs.

ABV
5.6%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
Malt-forward bitterness
SRM
pale gold4
PaceA Few
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
Balance
malt-forwardhop-forward
What makes this beer itself
maltynoble hopbready
malty
noble hop
bready
clean
Aroma
The nose leads with gentle malt sweetness and soft cereal notes, underscored by herbal and slightly spicy impressions from the Tettnang, Spalt, and Hallertau hops.
not found:hoppy,caramel,fruity,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Spezial Gold

◎ Appearance

Spezial Gold presents a pale golden hue with excellent clarity and bright translucence. The head is stable and fine-bubbled, displaying good adhesion to the glass walls. Carbonation appears moderate and well-integrated, lending the beer a crisp visual presence.

pale goldencrystal clearfine lacingwell-carbonated

◌ Aroma

The nose leads with gentle malt sweetness and soft cereal notes, underscored by herbal and slightly spicy impressions from the Tettnang, Spalt, and Hallertau hops. A subtle floral quality emerges, balanced by the clean character imparted by the Black Forest spring water. No yeast-driven esters or phenols intrude.

malt-forwardnoble hop spiceherbal and floralclean water signature

◐ Taste

The palate opens with malty, bread-like character that defines the midpoint, supported by a light and refined noble-hop bitterness that sits at 22 IBU. The finish remains dry and smooth without harshness, allowing the malt's gentle sweetness to persist without cloying. Overall balance favors the malt profile while maintaining clean, refreshing drinkability.

bready maltsoft bitternesssmooth drinkingbalanced

◑ Finish

The finish is clean and moderately short, fading with a whisper of malt character and a dry, pleasant hop residue. No astringency or warming alcohol notes emerge.

dry finishmalt lingeringrefreshing
78
hopIQ score
Aroma
76
Taste
79
Appearance
80
Finish
77
Serve at 4–7°C

Serve well-chilled at 4–6°C. Carbonation and crispness are the main event — cold preserves both.

Stein

The sturdy German stein maintains temperature and keeps carbonation intact. Built for long, convivial drinking.

Store cold and drink fresh. Lagers are at their crispest within 3–4 months.

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Food Pairing

What to eat with Spezial Gold

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About Lager

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Lager?

Euro Pale Lagers are clean, refreshing lagers with 4–5.5% ABV and IBU 10–25. Soft malt sweetness, light hop bitterness and high carbonation make them supremely drinkable.

Finding a similar Lager

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same malty, noble-hop, smooth-drinking character as Spezial Gold will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Compare with another beer →Explore all Lager beers in hopIQ →Browse Germany beers →