Palm / Palm Speciale - Brouwerij Palm NV

jtierney89

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear orange glow with clingy and stingy bright white head. On the lighter side of medium bodied. Toasted hearty breads up front with an spicy and earthy hop finish. Hops cut up the malt bill a bit for a clean and pleasant lingering bitterness. A simple beer but with extremely clean and good flavors that I happen to enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 15:58:18 | More by jtierney89

lewzer99

Georgia

3.64/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

From a bottle at Walkers Pub in Athens. My nose is a little stuffy.
L: Pours a clear orange with a thin quickly vanishing head.
S: Not much (could be my nose a bit). Tangy malt, with very slight yeast.
T: Slightly tangy with a mild hoppy bitterness. Finishes with a malty butterscotch sweetness.
M: Very thin and crisp. Drinkable.
O: Good. Better than I had expected. Great for a warm summer day.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 02:18:47 | More by lewzer99

vetdoc1

New Jersey

3.89/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I first enjoyed this beer in a restaurant on the island of Aruba and looked for it when I returned home to the US - I found it at my local supermarket Wegmans - great beer selection.
I thought this beer was better than many of the other post - not my favorite but definitely one that I will keep stocked in my fridge. It has very a very good amber color, and nice clean, mild hoppy smell, nice crisp smell and taste - different from most of the belgium beers I have had (though difficult to compare this to Orval, Duvel, Corsendonk, Maredsous, etc etc. - not in the same class) but I would have it a more everyday beer that I can drink numerous of - unlike ones like Maredsous with the big alcohol content.

I am watching DRINKING MADE EASY while enjoying this beer. GREAT show as is THREE SHEETS! If you have not seen these shows - look them up on youtube or do as I have and purchase the DVDs - they are awesome and HILARIOUS! All beer drinkers (or drinkers in general) should see them all!

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 04:10:47 | More by vetdoc1

Lemke10

Wisconsin

2.56/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

This pours a clear, amber color with minimal head. The aroma is a cross between a grassy adjunct lager and a pilsner. The taste is a god awful grainy, grass flavor that tastes very similar to Red Dog. Thin texture, very little flavor, and cheap taste does not make this beer very desirable. I tried it once but never again.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 04:37:03 | More by Lemke10

nukem5

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a nice amber color with tan foam cap.

S: Aroma is slightly hoppy and a well balanced malt backing.

T: Taste buds are very pleased with the awesome balance between hops and malt, just the right amount of sweetness of malts and bitterness of hops.

M: Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a good carbonation.

O: Overall a great example of your typical Belgian Ale, nothing to extreme or awesome but good beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 02:08:02 | More by nukem5

tomdavistoronto

Ontario (Canada)

3.09/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Served at Bier Market in Toronto. Paired with chicken schnitzel and Belgian waffles. Very weak ale. Amber colored with a film of a head, just an average sweet malt taste. Would not recommend with a sweet food such as the honey drizzled waffles, however was a good match for the chicken schnitzel.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 18:34:34 | More by tomdavistoronto

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Into a snifter:

A: amber colored body, just a film of a foamy white head, no lacing, small streams of carbonation are seen rising

S: Belgian yeast, light malts and hops, some light fruits once the beer warms

T: slightly sweet through the malts

M: light to medium, sessionable, moderate harshness on the tongue

O: this is good for the style and good for me

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 16:07:22 | More by kangarooAdam59

StoutHunter

Michigan

2.21/5  rDev -33.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

I picked up a bottle of Palm's Palm Speciale last week for $1.69 at The Lager Mill. I've seen this beer around a lot, but I've always overlooked it for some reason, so i decided to finally give it a try, so lets see how it goes. Best by June 20th 2013. Poured from a brown 11.2oz bottle into a Belgian tulip.

A- The label looks ok, it got a clean classic look to it, but it's not that eye catching. It poured a darker golden yellow color that took on an amber hue when held to the light with a finger and a half of slightly off white head that quickly died down to a thick ring that stayed till the end and left some patchy lacing behind. This was an ok looking beer, nothing really stuck out as being well done, but it wasn't bad either.

S- The aroma starts off with a medium amount of sweetness followed by some malts that impart a stale caramel malt aroma along with some grainy and bready aromas. Up next comes a metallic like aroma followed by a pretty noticeable skunky aroma. I also get some orange zest towards the end and a little bit of Belgian yeast. This beer had a pretty disappointing aroma, the malts smelled stale and the metallic and skunky aromas were unwanted.

T- The taste seems to be pretty similar to the aroma and it starts out with a lower amount of medium sweetness followed by some malts that impart some stale malt flavors along with grainy and bready flavors. After that comes a pretty heavy metallic flavor followed by a medium skunky flavor that wasn't as bad as the aroma led me to believe. On the finish I get a slight bit of Belgian yeast followed by a light amount of bitterness with a grainy and metallic aftertaste that was slightly skunky. This beer didn't taste good, the Belgian Pale Ale flavors didn't show up as nicely as I would like and there were far too many off flavors.

M- Smooth, sharp, crisp, on the lighter side of being medium bodied, with a higher amount of prickly carbonation. The mouthfeel was nice and it seemed to be fairly true to style.

Overall I thought this beer was pretty disappointing and I don't think it's a good example of the style, the Belgian Pale Ale aspects that I like about this style were on the light side and there were just too many off flavors for this to be a decent beer. This beer had ok drinkability, it went down smooth and the body was on the lighter side, but the flavor didn't hold my attention and I was over it after the first couple sips, if I had to I could drink a few of these, but there's nothing about this beer that makes me want to grab another, so one is more than enough for me. What I liked the most about this beer was the mouthfeel, it was the only aspect of this beer that I thought was fairly true to style. What I liked the least about this beer was the flavor and aroma, they both weren't good with too many off flavors and aromas. I wouldn't buy this beer again, it's pretty easy to find a much better Belgian Pale Ale, it was pretty inexpensive and now I know why, not recommended to anyone. All in all I was pretty let down with beer, it wasn't what I expected and the added metallic and skunky flavors and aromas really hurt this beer. This was my first experience with Palm and it made for a poor first impression, I'm still down to try more of their brews, but after this one I for sure won't be in a hurry to. So far this is my least favorite Belgian beer, it needs a lot of work.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 04:46:50 | More by StoutHunter

Beerstorian

District of Columbia

3.35/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aroma: Malty and thin, but crisp. Low hop aroma, but definitely in the background. A bit of floral grass. Aroma was not strong.

Appearance: Copper color as per style. Very bright and clear, also as per style. Very little head that dissipated almost immediately. No lacing. Points off there.

Taste: Malty, some caramel, a bit of earthiness, moderately sweet with a hint of hop flavor. The taste was "thin," and did not linger. This is not the "big" flavor one normally associates with e Belgian Pale.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, light-bodied, and easy to drink.

Overall: Well, I have something of a soft spot for this one. When I went to Belgium last year I checked into the flat we rented and walked straight out to find beer. This was the first one I came across. Yes, it's like the Budweiser of Belgium, but you never forget your first. I like it in part for the nostalgia.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 15:23:55 | More by Beerstorian

MUSHROOMCLOUD

Texas

2.86/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

Copper penny, clear...1 inch white to off-white head that faded to a cap over a minute. Wispy lace.
Malty with a slight grassy hop background.
Very one dimensional - - not alot going on in the flavor...some malt and a little iron/metal type of twinge to it. Dissapears quickly but doesn't leave a cloying sweet after taste, that is a plus.
Somewhat thin mouthfeel - clean though.
Overall - not very impressive, I had never had it before today and I think I had higher expectations. Could be a pizza, burger beer - - something to not think too much about as it washes down the chow.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 01:52:36 | More by MUSHROOMCLOUD

smokinyodas

Florida

3.35/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle looks nice with the red, green and horse art. This beer is amber clear color, foamy head, hint of sweet honey, medium carbonation, bit dry aftertaste and slightly skunky. Notes of caramel, grain and light hops in taste, overall decent average beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 09:12:21 | More by smokinyodas

Mitchster

Michigan

2.15/5  rDev -35%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Part of a mixed 12 pack called "Belgium's finest" for $19.99 @ Bevco. 11.2oz bottle labelled "Speciale Belge Ale. ...the complexity of an ale, brewed to be refreshing like a pilsner or lager." BBF 9-10-2013. Pours out to a brilliantly clear, apparently filtered, very pale caramel, forming a modest white head with ok retention and some lacing. Carbonation is moderately brisk, ~3.0 carbs. The aroma doesn't have much to describe...a little malt, a little corn (adjuncts or DMS), a faint whiff of fruity esters, and no appreciable hop aroma. The mouthfeel is crisp, clean, lightly acidic, with a medium-light body. The taste recaps the aroma...not much of anything, but it has a "beer-like flavor" with a touch of caramel (crystal malt) and fruit esters. Mild bitterness. Tastes like a domestic malt liquor...it really does.

A beer that could only be dreamed up in a lab after copious tasting panels and adjustments to ensure that it appeals to the market...which is to say...a lame market. Not something that I would ever buy, but hey, this is "the finest of Belgium". Ummm, ok. Not much above a drain-pour unless it's ice-cold.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 01:04:32 | More by Mitchster

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

3.5/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

250ml bottle served in its own tulip glass.

A: Pours a dark orange to amber color. Clear. Forms a medium bubbled white head with medium to low retentions and some lacings formed and left

S: Sweet caramel and malts in upfront. Very grainy. Notes of corn. Followed by bready yeasts and flowery hops. Hops are a bit citrus reminding a British Bitter somehow. Very light notes of sourness in the end and a bit metallic too

T: Slightly sweet upfront. Again, very grainy in the mouth with a light sourness in the background. Interesting. Corn. Toffee. The hops are quite citrus giving it an air of a British Bitter. By the way, bitterness is quite light too. In overall, a quite balanced taste

M: Light to medium body. Slightly molasses. Medium carbonation and grainy/toffee aftertaste

O: Easy-drinking. Smooth and pleasant. Nothing special but, at the same time, an "above the average" Belgian session Ale. Recommended

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 20:14:50 | More by eduardolinhalis

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

2.8/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12oz Bottle from the Ottawa LCBO for 2$

Appearance - Clear gold colour with an average size fizzy white coloured head. There is an above average amount of carbonation showing and there is some faint lacing. The head lasted for 5+ minutes.

Smell - Malts, skunk, breads/grains, metallic, corn

Taste & Mouth - There is an above average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts and corn mixed with some slightly harsh herbal/metallic notes. It ends with a grainy corn syrup type aftertaste.

Overall - It's been a while since I've opened a beer and smelled such a high amount of skunk. The scent seemed to die down and the beer got better as I progressed through my glass, but this is still nothing that warrants drinking again.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 16:45:11 | More by spinrsx

Fairwin

Tennessee

3.38/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The quote from the US distributor describes Palm as, “a great alternative to traditional pilsners and lagers for the beer drinker looking for something a little different.” If you have this little bit of knowledge before assessment, the beer actually grades a little bit better, in my opinion.

The aroma of this beer is very mild with the subtle hint of grassy malt and spicy undertones. In the glass, Palm Amber Beer appears as advertised. The beer pours light amber with a creamy head that dissipates quickly. It displays good lacing that remains in the glass until the last sip. The taste is somewhat more watery than anticipated, but nice malty tones and pepper elements prevail. The finish is quite dry and warm.
Palm has a medium body mouthfeel with good effervescence, but has more alcohol warmth than anticipated.
Overall, I enjoyed this beer as an “alternative to pilsners and lagers”, and found it to be a pleasant easy-drinking beer that deserves more than a single try.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 02:07:38 | More by Fairwin

srv33

2.78/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a medium amber with a creamy head, good lacing. Scent of grassy malt, a bit of oak, and some earthiness, with a touch of hops. Taste is somewhat weak for the style, tastes kind of watered down, with some light hoppiness and a sourdough taste. Light mouthfeel, the carbonation is somewhat strong and detracts even more from the taste. Has a sharp aftertaste too. Wouldn't recommend when theres so many more in this style that are arguably far better. There might even be a few mass produced beers I'd consider over this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 19:41:26 | More by srv33

JMad

Texas

3.33/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark golden/ copper color with about a one finger white head that reduced into a filmy layer. The aroma has just a hint of caramel malt with some grassy hop in the background, some earthy tones as well along with bread. The taste is smooth, nice and easy drinking with some more of that caramel malt and a hint of lemony hops, more bread and a slightly metallic finish. The beer is light/ medium bodied with nice carbonation and a slightly dry finish. I honestly thought this beer would have more flavor, it didn't but nonetheless it is a simple easy drinking beer that I could enjoy again.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 01:09:18 | More by JMad

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

2.65/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

330 mL bottle purchased as a single from the LCBO; best before Oct 18 2012.

Pours a bright, clear orange-amber colour, topped with a modest off-white head, one finger in thickness. Poor retention; it thins out before a few minutes have passed, and other than the collar, it produces little lacing. Malty, grainy aroma, with some honey sweetness and the distinct note of corn syrup. Not especially enticing, and not what I am looking for in this style.

Approachable, simple flavour. As with the nose, the malts are the dominant force on the palate, providing a bready, sweet backbone with some pear, appleskin and corn notes. Not much hop presence, and very little yeast for a BPA. The finish is fairly neutral, with a slightly malty aftertaste that lingers briefly. Light-bodied and pretty watery, with carbonation that feels a bit flat. Reasonably drinkable, but if I'm going to have something of this ilk I'd rather just have a pale lager.

I can accept the categorization only because it's made in Belgium and the yeasty fruitiness does seem to support the idea that it is an ale. It's a little less drinkable than your average imported lagers, and not much tastier. Honestly, it has more in common with American blondes than most of the BPAs I have tried, and that is probably what I'm going to remember it as.

Final Grade: 2.65, an unmemorable C minus. To be fair, Palm's label admits that there is corn in here, so it was a bit doomed from the start. There are so many high quality Belgian pale ales out there to compare it to, and the ones I have tried all compare favourably to this. The relative blandness makes it easy to throw back quickly, but most people who bother will probably find it to be an almost completely forgettable glass of beer. I would drink this again if it were being offered, but I don't plan to revisit it.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 06:53:05 | More by thehyperduck

brureview

Massachusetts

2.75/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

I recently tried this in an airport. Not bad. Served in a tulip glass. There is no head. The copper color is okay and there isn't much of a smell. It's a bit bitter and very carbonated.

It's a decent beer when nothing else is available. It's certainly better than Heineken. Certainly better than the average American-adjunk offerings.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 17:20:24 | More by brureview

Giggy

Michigan

3.4/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I would rate this as a very average beer. A lot better than American domestics but fails in comparison to all of the specialty beers. Would put this in the same line as Heineken, Stella, or
Becks.

A: very attractive amber pour with a slightly off white head. It is very clear with very small carbonation bubbles that continue to rise up the side of the glass.

S: not much in this category. Some toasty malt, bread, caramel and honey. Very faint floral from hops that doesn't appear until beer warms up a few degrees.

T: very fresh and crisp. Dry with a slight bitterness in the finish.

M: medium body with a moderate amount of carbonation.

O: very drinkable and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 19:13:53 | More by Giggy

CFHMagnet

Ohio

3.08/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

An average pour yields a finger of cream colored head. Body is a nice amber color with a little bubble action going on. Head keeps a ring and dusting and lacing slowly crawls its way back down the glass to the body.

Sweetgrass immediately greets the nose. Yeast, mild cracker aroma and a bit of bitter green apple compliment.

Grass, yeast and crackers make up the bulk of the flavor. There is a nice green apple finish.

This beer is light bodied. Goes down easy. Makes me feel like I should be mowing the lawn.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 20:45:57 | More by CFHMagnet

Mora2000

Texas

3/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The beer pours an orange-amber color with a white head. The aroma is heavy on the grain with some toffee, honey and graham cracker notes. The flavor is similar, with the grain coming through the strongest. I also get some sweetness and a touch of toffee and bread. Thin mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Fairly bland, but nothing offensive. Easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 03:46:33 | More by Mora2000

jsprain1

Minnesota

3.3/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Dark Amber, head is thin and white, retains decently, a little lacing.
S- The aroma is kinda bland, with generic pale malt being about the only thing I get. A touch of Belgian yeastyness.
T- The taste is green apple, pale grain, a bit of light malty sweetness and a faint Belgian yeastyness in the finish.
M- Medium-light body with a fairly crisp carbonation.
O- Pairs well with food but is generally uninteresting on its own. Not terrible, but not worth the price.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 22:39:17 | More by jsprain1

Gmann

New York

2.7/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a Palm snifter. Pours a golden copper color with a short dense head that quickly settles into a light ring.

There is a general fruitiness to the aroma; perhaps some ripe and tart apples and lemon. Kind of has the Euro Lager grainy aroma. Not much in the way of phenols from the yeast. Meh.

Taste is very much in line with a Euro Pale Lager. There is some fruitiness from the assumed ale yeast but everything else is screaming lager. A lot of grass and hay notes. The malt is dry and cracker like. Again no traditional Belgian notes from the yeast.

The feel is light and crisp. Quite dry. Drinks very much like a lager.

Not sure if they were going with a beer to compete against Stella. As a BPA, I find this beer to be extremely boring. I guess I am not digging the yeast that they used. Perhaps a good alternative to a Heineken or Euro mass produced lagers.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 19:44:29 | More by Gmann

FickleBeast

New Jersey

3.13/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

Pours clear amber with a finger of foam that dissipates quickly. Aroma is malty, slightly phenolic, with a hint of fruitiness.

First sip is quite malty, with a harsh middle twinge of phenols, finishing sweet, with a metallic twang. Overall not great. Something just doesn't strike me a right, but I'd prefer a crisper finish and maybe some more pronounced contributions from the hops or yeast.

Overall, a very average beer. No reason to seek this out.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 04:11:37 | More by FickleBeast