Sprecher Special Amber
A delicate balance of toasted malt and fresh hops give this medium-bodied German style lager an intriguing complex flavor. A creamy head, deep golden color and an impressive hop bouquet make this a very special beer.
3.2
355 reviews
Glendale, United States
Community reviews
Bottle - fair size foamy head, clear medium copper/amber color, sweet malt aroma and flavor, mild hop balance, not bad overall
Appearance: Light bronze color with ample visible carbonation. A fluffy white head that leaves excellent lacing on the glass. It looks almost identical to the can that it is served from, excepting that it has a nice opalescence that transforms the hues from bronze to gold in the light.
Aroma: It’s a bit hard to describe, but the best way to put it is ground pepper. There is a noble hop smell but I have to get right up to the head do smell it. It’s a lovely smell but it is very faint and I get nothing else from the beer, and it doesn’t reach very far from the glass.
Taste: I get two very nice complementary flavors from this beer. At first I am greeted by the clear and obvious flavor of fresh hops. It really is a lovely hop flavor. It is slightly bitter but a majority of it is noble spicy hop flavor. This gives way to a sweet tasting caramel. It’s a bit strange because I don’t get the caramel flavor in every sip, but when it comes through it is pleasant. It is very well done.
Palate: The beer has a slight rough edge given by the hop bitterness, that along with the dryness of the beer, cuts pretty deep into the palate. It’s not quite as smooth as I would like.
Overall: So this beer is very fresh tasting, and I think this might be attributed to the fact that it is in a can. I can’t know for sure, but given the choice between a bottle or can, I would take a can based on this experience alone. I think this beer has a little more hop character than most would probably expect from a Vienna Lager, but it really works in this beer. I would buy this beer again and I would recommend it.
I drank it straight from the can so couldnt really judge apperance. I wouldnt quite call this a vienna lager its not really malty enough. Nice on a warm day though
Can from Miller Park. Brewers vs. Nationals.
The beer has an amber body with a half inch of soft, off-white head. Aromas of toast, mild sweetness, perhaps a touch of fruit (apple). Nice flavor. Easy drinking and smooth on the palate with a simple, well-balanced blend of toasted grains, fruit sweetness, caramel malt. Enjoyable.
Pours a deep amber color with off-white head. Caramel malt, roasted malt, and some floral notes on the nose; follows onto the palate. Finishes with more malt.
You can't proclaim it "medium bodied" and "special". Maybe I'm just jaded, but special is big and unique. Medium is good, not great. In fact, it's rated right down the middle.
16oz bottle 3/00 (Old Notes)-Pours a medium amber with a small head. Aroma of malt, caramel, and sweetness. Taste of the same. This medium bodied brew is well balanced and one of the better amber I have had.
16 ounce bottle into lager glass, bottled on 6/28/2012. Pours lightly hazy deep golden amber color with a 1 finger dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a good amount of streaming carbonation retaining the head. Aromas of caramel, biscuit, toast, brown sugar, pear, apple, raisin, herbal, floral, light pepper, and yeast earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance of bready malt and fruity yeast ester notes; with solid strength. Taste of caramel, biscuit, toast, brown sugar, brown bread, pear, apple, herbal, floral, light pepper, and yeast earthiness. Lingering notes of caramel, biscuit, toast, brown sugar, pear, apple, herbal, light pepper, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Good balance and solid robustness of bready malts with fruity/earthy yeast ester flavors; with a good malt/yeast balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish, Medium carbonation and body; with a smooth, crisp, and lightly bready mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a nice vienna lager. Good balance of bready malt and fruity yeast ester flavors; and very smooth to drink. A nicely enjoyable offering.
Bottle - Dark gold with a medium head. Malty and sweet up front with a biscuit flavor. Decent but not spectacular.
Appearance: clear caramel amber with one finger of tight, creamy, light tan head that sticks around and leaves good lacing. Aroma: malty, slightly sweet, with a bit of honeyed cereal grains and some slightly earthy hops. Taste: light toast, caramel malts, cereal, light but present hops, hint of creamed corn. Finish: clean, crisp, with lingering malts and a hint of roasted nuts. Notes: Outstanding beer. Extremely drinkable with balanced flavors that are assertive for the style. One of my new favorite amber lagers.
Pours a clear orange/gold color with 2 inch foamy head that sloooowly recedes - very attractive in the glass. Nose is mostly malt with some sweetness/breadiness. Taste is very pleasant - predominantly malt, but with some caramel and a touch of bitterness on the finish. Seems like this would be a great "go-to" beer for everyday drinking.
This beer surprised me. It had a nice aroma, but the malt jumped out. It was NOT sweet. Just nice malt flavor balanced with a bitterness that is seems small but builds up on your palette. There is a bit of mineral flavor as well.
I have to say, I will buy another six pack and re-taste this beer
One a free 4 pack at Steve’s on University. Thanks! Lite amber color, two inch head. Has a malty funny sour smell. Nice mellow, smooth flavor. Decent bitterness. The funky sour smell doesn’t translate to the taste, which us good. Would without a doubt take another free 4 pack if given one.
A very palatable lager. Nice amber color with a good-looking head. Smooth toasted malts with hints of caramel and biscuit. It has a good hoppiness, as well. In a style as vast as this one, this beer doesn’t particularly stand out but it’s still a solid performer. Definitely would be happy to drink it again.
This is one of my favorites. Local Milwaukee brew. Toasted flavor with just the right amount of hops. Clean appearance and very smooth. One of my go to beers.
can. cloudy amber under a medium sized beige head. malty, toasty, buttery aroma. floral hops with a big malty lager beer. medium bodied. a bit creamy. very drinkable.
Nice clear reddish pour with a modest soft head. Aroma and taste blend for caramel sweetness in nose and mouth. Hops are prevalent and end well.
Had this one on tap at Mama Mia’s in Mequon. Reddish color with no head. Has a nice sweetness and malty flavor. Good.
On tap @ the Über Tap Room in the Wisconsin Cheese Shop, Milwaukee. Bland sweetish caramel with wintergreen notes. Odd.
Bottle in my hotel in Omaha. Pour is clear amber with a small white head that quickly dissipated. Husky, grainy, sweet caramelly, somewhat grassy, rough, lightly buttery aroma. Taste is a little smoother - bready, caramel, grainy, grassy, light corn, and cereal with a light bitter finish. Meh.
Orange-amber with a thin, off-white head.
Aroma of crackers, a little caramel.
Taste is strong breads, toast, malt...
Caramel, a slight grassiness.
Amazingly bready...
Tasty.
Sprecher Special Amber has a thick, creamy, spongy, head, a clear, amber, somewhat bubbly appearance, and a lot of heavy lacing left behind. The aroma is subdued, but one can pick up pungent, bready, medium-toasted malt, and the flavor is of sweet, bready, malt, white bread crust, slight toffee, and elevated, punchy hop bitterness. There is a medium mouthfeel, and Sprecher Special Amber finishes crisp, clean, refreshing, and quite drinkable. Overall, this is an almost perfect, flawless lager, and I rate it outstanding! RJT
Draft at Sprecher's in Lake Geneva. Pours a copper-amber color with a thin white head. Aroma is malty, bready, a little fruity. Medium on the palate with average carbonation. Flavor
Is sweet, malty, bready, a little nutty, a little caramel, with a light clean bitter finish. A nice Vienna.
Slight, roasty, caramel aroma with mild, spruce accent cloudy dark amber color with a quickly disipating frothy thick head light tan in color. Floral spruce hopp taste that finishes quickly making it light and refreshing. Probably not for the "hop head" but a good tasting decent brew.
12 oz can pours an amber color with a white head. Aroas of caramel, light hops Medum bodied, smooth.
12 oz can pours amber with a off white head. Aroma of caramel malts and a hint of citrus. Taste of caramel, grains and a bitter finish.
Clear light copper with a thin but persistent white head. Nice vienna style aroma of toased bread and lager-y caramel. Flavor is nice and crisp with a satisfying toast and earthy caramel flavor with a kiss of olde world grassy hop kick. Very balanced and toasty, and just a little leafy.
Thanks to Cavie for sharing this bottle. Gold with a white head. Aroma is not too great. I get some grain notes as well as some dirt. Flavor is similar with grain and grass notes. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.
DRAFT at Sprechers in Lake Geneva. Pours a hazy yellow (honey like) with white head. Good example of how Sprecher does European lagers ’right’...mild hops in initial taste; a little caramel; a little toast; a bit of a bitter edge...very tasty....
On tap at the North Lake Inn. Pours a clear orange with a white head. Aroma has caramel and toast, with some citrus. Taste is of toast and slight caramel with some oranges. Somewhat sweet and somewhat thin. Shrug, my brother homebrews everything better than any of the Sprecher offerings.