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Hexnut
Goose Island Beer Co.
- From:
- Goose Island Beer Co.
- Illinois, United States
- Style:
- English Brown Ale
Ranked #47 - ABV:
- 5.5%
- Score:
- 85
Ranked #22,543 - Avg:
- 3.75 | pDev: 10.93%
- Reviews:
- 462
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Apr 03, 2022
- Added:
- Aug 08, 2001
- Wants:
- 54
- Gots:
- 70
SCORE
85
Very Good
85
Very Good
Chocolate color, honey and tobacco aromas, nutty flavor, medium body.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by chum_husk from Minnesota
2.96/5 rDev -21.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.25
2.96/5 rDev -21.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.25
12oz can, review from notes
This was a decent brown ale. Lots of hazelnut flavor, honey sweetness, and with little kick of pepper and tobacco. Kinda oily and overcarbonated, but not too bad overall
Apr 03, 2022This was a decent brown ale. Lots of hazelnut flavor, honey sweetness, and with little kick of pepper and tobacco. Kinda oily and overcarbonated, but not too bad overall
Reviewed by BloodSoakedAleMug from New York
4.04/5 rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.04/5 rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Look: Pours a cola colored brown shade with an off white/khaki colored head of foam. Excellent head retention, minimal lacing unfortunately.
Aroma: Tobacco, chocolate candy, caramel.
Taste: Sweet milk chocolate balanced against a predominantly dry and nutty flavor. Savory notes of toasted pecan and slightly peppery earthy hop note. Clean and easy drinking.
Feel: Mouthfeel is just right for the style, moderate carbonation. Refreshingly dry and bitter yet savory thanks to the malt bill.
Overall: I'm not the biggest fan of Goose Island but this one impressed me. This is a really nice cold weather beer, we were just hit with a blizzard a few days ago and I've been enjoying these while we were snowed in. There's just something about snow that makes a good Brown ale so much more enjoyable (or stout or porter for that matter). This is substantial and hearty enough to satisfy your palate and light enough so as to be refreshing. I've only tasted a handful of English brown ales but for what it's worth I think this is a good, although maybe aggressively hopped, representation of the style.
Feb 04, 2021Aroma: Tobacco, chocolate candy, caramel.
Taste: Sweet milk chocolate balanced against a predominantly dry and nutty flavor. Savory notes of toasted pecan and slightly peppery earthy hop note. Clean and easy drinking.
Feel: Mouthfeel is just right for the style, moderate carbonation. Refreshingly dry and bitter yet savory thanks to the malt bill.
Overall: I'm not the biggest fan of Goose Island but this one impressed me. This is a really nice cold weather beer, we were just hit with a blizzard a few days ago and I've been enjoying these while we were snowed in. There's just something about snow that makes a good Brown ale so much more enjoyable (or stout or porter for that matter). This is substantial and hearty enough to satisfy your palate and light enough so as to be refreshing. I've only tasted a handful of English brown ales but for what it's worth I think this is a good, although maybe aggressively hopped, representation of the style.
Reviewed by BeerAndGasMasks from Virginia
3.57/5 rDev -4.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.57/5 rDev -4.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
From the can, it pours a clear brown with a modest, soon diminishing, light tan head. In the nose, it is light caramel and toffee. In the mouth, the caramel malts come through, with a slight bitter chocolate taste added in.
Jan 14, 2021Reviewed by hoptheology from California
3.42/5 rDev -8.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.42/5 rDev -8.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12 oz can from Tony, best by 3/23/21, into label-less pilsner glass.
Body is a mild coffee color, with streaks of ruby and chestnut towards the bottom, getting slightly muddier towards the top. The head is off-white and 1/4 finger, receding to a stable creamy thin ring. Lacing does not stick to the glass when swirled.
Aroma from the can is piney and nutty, with hints of brown bread and damp pine needle. Aroma from the glass is nearly non-existent. I get a hint of brown malt.
Flavor is likewise piney and nutty. A little bit of chestnut lies underneath the grassy and floral assault, with some raw tobacco shreds and moldy brown bread. Faint suggestions of caramel and coffee lie underneath - but they're merely suggestions. You get used to it the more you drink it, and the moldy bread compounds on the palate into mustiness ad infinitum. This is also the first brown ale that I could see suffering from hop spoilage if you don't drink it soon enough.
Feel is starchy and clingy, with lots of carbonation and palatable alcohol heat. Dry, clinging finish with buzzing heat.
Overall, the English influence is present, with its floral and nutty notes, but the beer overall is not executed well. It's too hoppy, too musty, and nearly bizarre. You can finish it, it's not disgusting, but It's not something I'd be likely to return to.
Dec 25, 2020Body is a mild coffee color, with streaks of ruby and chestnut towards the bottom, getting slightly muddier towards the top. The head is off-white and 1/4 finger, receding to a stable creamy thin ring. Lacing does not stick to the glass when swirled.
Aroma from the can is piney and nutty, with hints of brown bread and damp pine needle. Aroma from the glass is nearly non-existent. I get a hint of brown malt.
Flavor is likewise piney and nutty. A little bit of chestnut lies underneath the grassy and floral assault, with some raw tobacco shreds and moldy brown bread. Faint suggestions of caramel and coffee lie underneath - but they're merely suggestions. You get used to it the more you drink it, and the moldy bread compounds on the palate into mustiness ad infinitum. This is also the first brown ale that I could see suffering from hop spoilage if you don't drink it soon enough.
Feel is starchy and clingy, with lots of carbonation and palatable alcohol heat. Dry, clinging finish with buzzing heat.
Overall, the English influence is present, with its floral and nutty notes, but the beer overall is not executed well. It's too hoppy, too musty, and nearly bizarre. You can finish it, it's not disgusting, but It's not something I'd be likely to return to.
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois
4/5 rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From old, undated notes. Poured from the bottle.
Dark brown in color; ruby when held to the light.
Nice khaki head; decent lacing.
Smells like nuts & high quality unsmoked tobacco. Nice!
Medium thick mouthfeel.
Tobacco & nuts; truly a unique brew.
Not a complete home run but definitely one to try.
Jun 06, 2019Dark brown in color; ruby when held to the light.
Nice khaki head; decent lacing.
Smells like nuts & high quality unsmoked tobacco. Nice!
Medium thick mouthfeel.
Tobacco & nuts; truly a unique brew.
Not a complete home run but definitely one to try.
Reviewed by q33jeff from New Jersey
3.34/5 rDev -10.9%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
3.34/5 rDev -10.9%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
**
06/17/2012
Bottle to pint glass.
AROMA: light grains, nuts... weak
LOOK: deep dark brown color, small head
TASTE: caramel first, then some Raisin and hazelnut. good flavor
FEEL: a bit flat
**
7/15/23
Goose island taproom.
Forgot I had this. Been over 11 years
Similar thoughts.
**
Jan 13, 201806/17/2012
Bottle to pint glass.
AROMA: light grains, nuts... weak
LOOK: deep dark brown color, small head
TASTE: caramel first, then some Raisin and hazelnut. good flavor
FEEL: a bit flat
**
7/15/23
Goose island taproom.
Forgot I had this. Been over 11 years
Similar thoughts.
**
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada
3.52/5 rDev -6.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.52/5 rDev -6.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Dark brown in color but not thick, heartier than most nut brown ale appearances, light brown head 1/2". Aroma hit those predictable nuts and bread kind of vibe.
Taste is ample for a brown ale. Very smooth mouthfeel, mild sweetness. Easy to drink. Good format, good price. Not my thing, but you know when its good for style and affordable.
Oct 02, 2016Taste is ample for a brown ale. Very smooth mouthfeel, mild sweetness. Easy to drink. Good format, good price. Not my thing, but you know when its good for style and affordable.
Reviewed by Beric from Massachusetts
3.76/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.76/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Served on a mid-July brewery tour. This is a pretty solid brown ale and one that I believe represents the style decently. The malts are like somewhat darker, fresh baked bread with a pinch of instant coffee flavor and acidity. Subtle caramel notes as well. Muted hops. Very drinkable.
Aug 28, 2016
Hexnut from Goose Island Beer Co.
Beer rating:
85 out of
100 with
1096 ratings
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