Special Amber
Sprecher Brewing Company

Special AmberSpecial Amber
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From:
Sprecher Brewing Company
 
Wisconsin, United States
Style:
Vienna Lager
Ranked #81
ABV:
5%
Score:
82
Ranked #25,065
Avg:
3.61 | pDev: 13.02%
Reviews:
193
Ratings:
391
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 21, 2023
Added:
Jan 13, 1998
Wants:
  21
Gots:
  35
A delicate balance of toasted malt and fresh hops give this medium-bodied German-style lager an intriguing, complex malt flavor. A creamy head, deep golden color and an impressive hop bouquet make this a very special beer.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of mcm180
Reviewed by mcm180 from Ohio

3.42/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Gusher from the can. Generous head indeed.

Pours just a little cloudy, otherwise basic beer gold.

Smells biscuity and a tiny bit lager-skunky.

Tastes quite hoppy. Not bad; and not bitter, but more like what I think of as a marzen. Bold. Strong. Nice.

Decent mouthfeel. Just right carbonation.

Overall, better in total than each component individually. Me rikey more as me drinky.
Nov 21, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by MeIquiades from Illinois

Aug 02, 2023
Photo of Skywave
Reviewed by Skywave from Oklahoma

4.02/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Appearance:
Golden-amber, clear, generous white head that falls to a 3mm layer, moderate lacing

Aroma:
Nutty, toasty decoction-mashed smelling German malts, medium floral/spicy noble hops

Flavor:
semi-sweet and toasty/nutty malts up front, moderate bitterness and earthy-spicy noble hop flavor in the middle, pleasantly acidic bitterness balancing out the malts in the finish

Mouthfeel:
Light to medium, nominal CO2 and mouthfeel. There is a very slight touch of astringency that is within tolerance

Overall:
Old-world, old-school Vienna lager flavor. Tastes the way the best microbrews and imports did 25-30 years ago. Love it.
Jun 22, 2023
 
Rated: 3.48 by 10Crumra from Texas

Apr 04, 2023
 
Rated: 3.97 by craigbelly from Iowa

Mar 13, 2023
Photo of Papercut4
Reviewed by Papercut4 from Wisconsin

3.35/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Pours out of the can an ever so slightly opaque amber gold with a good head and good lacing. Smells like roasted malts and maybe carmel. Taste follows that initially but after a second it's like a hop forward brew. Bitterness flies into action at the end. Not quite a hit for me but not bad.
Jan 20, 2023
 
Rated: 3.73 by Jaimetecza

Oct 29, 2022
 
Rated: 3.5 by Hellpop65 from Kansas

Aug 07, 2022
Photo of magikbagel
Rated by magikbagel from Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
A well balanced amber. It leans towards a hoppier character rather than malt and definitely not in a bad way. This is an underrated beer.
May 18, 2022
 
Rated: 3.69 by LesDewitt4beer from Minnesota

Nov 27, 2021
Photo of BrendanStoehr96
Reviewed by BrendanStoehr96 from Wisconsin

3.93/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A very nice Vienna lager. Far too many I have from American craft brewers are too sweet. This one has a nice noble hop presence that brings a nice balance to the beer.
Jun 04, 2021
Photo of hopsputin
Reviewed by hopsputin from New Jersey

3.62/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
a: dark golden amber color with a bit of chill haze. some light brown in here along with some copper

s: caramel malts, sweet honey. grass and sweet grains. a bit of sweet berries as well. a bit of lager crispness at the back end. not a lot going on, but smells pretty on-point for the style. the malts have a nice depth

t: sweet caramel malts and grain, with a touch of astringency..almost medicinal. berries and a bit of sweet grass and light honey. a touch more grass at the end with some of that astringency

m: solid medium mouthfeel with medium carbonation

o: overall, the nose on this is quite a bit better than the taste IMO. the little bit of medicinal in the flavor hurts it a bit for me. not undrinkable, but there are better options out there for the style
Apr 30, 2021
 
Rated: 3.26 by mattreitz49 from Florida

Mar 29, 2021
 
Rated: 3 by prisdefer from New York

Mar 28, 2021
 
Rated: 3.57 by cgrunin from Texas

Mar 27, 2021
 
Rated: 2.5 by matt-evans2 from Wisconsin

Jan 26, 2021
 
Rated: 4.09 by BD3 from Wisconsin

Nov 08, 2020
Photo of cyclonece09
Reviewed by cyclonece09 from Wisconsin

3.78/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Pours red orange with a fluffy white head. Smells of sweet caramelized grain with some hop notes. Tastes of caramelized grain, nice and sweet but not overly so. Beer is light bodied and easy drinking, good carbonation. Overall, a very good beer.
Sep 30, 2020
Photo of chum_husk
Reviewed by chum_husk from Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
12oz bottle, no date but a code

Super clear, beautiful looking. Smells and tastes like a really clean, authentic german lager. Leans into the earthy bittering hops, but the malt is delicious as well, like baked butter bread. Well carbonated and goes down smooth

This was way better than expected. If their vienna lager is this good, then they should be able to easily step up their root and ginger beer game
Aug 23, 2020
Photo of HopHippie
Reviewed by HopHippie from Wisconsin

4.08/5  rDev +13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
L: Amber orange color with a rocky airy head.
S: Sweet grains, balanced hops.
T: Sweet malt with an almost pepper-y type spicy hop.
F: Light body, good carbonation, not too bitter or watery.
O: A good Lager with a lot more complexity and flavor than competitors.
Jul 20, 2020
Special Amber from Sprecher Brewing Company
Beer rating: 82 out of 100 with 391 ratings