Goose Fest Bier
Goose Island Beer Co.

4/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a good solid domestic Oktoberfest in my opinion. Not going to break any world records or win any medals but it's a good beer. Caramel malt sweetness with a touch of hops... I'm definitely getting the rye bread aspect here. I picked this up in lieu of Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest which the store was out of. I don't like it quite as well but it is still a good beer to watch football with on a chilly Saturday night.

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4.19/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This one pours a light orange-ish/amber color, with a small head, and lots of lacing.

This has an interesting orange jam aroma, with some more typical crusty bread, grassy, and honey-like aromas.

This doesn't feel exactly to style, but it's still pretty tasty. There's orange and spicy hop character, maybe a touch too high for the style, along with a great bready and just slightly sweet malt backbone.

This is light bodied, crisp, and really drinkable, with a typical amount of carbonation.

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3.42/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

Appearance: Pours a deep bronze, golden color with a white head. SRM of 12 (3.75)

Aroma: Light aromas of grass, honey, and fresh baked bread. (3.50)

Flavor: Flavor is similar to the nose. There is grass with a hint of lemonflower. Then fresh baked bread. Yet, it's dry and finishes light and clean. (3.25)

Feel: Lighter-bodied. Decent carbonation. Crisp and clean. Representative of the German style. (4.0)

Overall: This beer doesn't quite hit it for me. It is just right in terms of body and crispness. It nails the body of a German festbier, but it does not back it up with flavor. Ultimately, it lacks flavor and falls sort of flat in my mind. Not bad, but just misses the mark. (Final Rating: 3.42)

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2.7/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75

12 ounce bottle with a BB date of 19JAN20. So this is pretty fresh. As for the style, its one of the worst Marzen's I've had. Ever since GI was bought out, the quality of their beers have suffered. The best attribute with this one was probably the mouthfeel. Vey light bodied. It's not an offensive beer at all, but the nose and flavor profiles are extremely subdued. Would not buy again.

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3.3/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Clear deep golden color with off-white head. Aroma is mostly malty and bready. Taste follows with grainy malts, bread crust, a bit of honey and floral hops on the finish. Medium to light body with medium carbonation. Decent, well made märzen.

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3.76/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Straight reddish amber look with no head and a nose based on caramel malt, bread notes , and a touch of yeasty funk. Broad, balanced flavor, with surprising hop presence, but also plenty of buttered biscuit. Chewy body, especially for the style. I kind of liked this despite mediocre expectations.

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3.4/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

(12 oz bottle, bottled on 21JUL18, code 8K2055... poured into a simple 14 oz glass mug)

L: crystal-clear amber-colored liquid - strange yet limited mobile of lil speckled/flaked sediment swirling about; foam sizzles out during the pour, leaving no collar

S: bit of caramel on the nose... later a vaguely honey-graham note unravels; subtle herbal hops, faint alcohol... big cakey maltiness, but weak overall

T: lightly toasty, cereal-grainy malt; hint of bread crust and lingering caramel in aftertaste... of pleasant character, yet feeble degree of hop flavor/bitterness - the pervasive cheap doughy malt aftertaste could be better reigned in with a little more lupulin umpf

F: little bit of fat to its body up front, finishes with a drop, thin spongy film lingers... drinkable enough, but longing for more length and pull to its finish, not a dull watery wash

O: last of three o'fests sampled this evening, this well after the previous two - maybe it's a touch of palate fatigue, but this was relatively bland, relatively American in its flavors and textures... I may give in to trying it again on tap soon, but not seeking another bottle; kinda lame

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3.77/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Bottled on 7/2/18. 12oz bottle poured into a tulip. Pours a burnt golden with great clarity and transparency with bubbles racing upwards; creamy off-white head that falls leaving nice retention and solid lacing. The aromas are malt forward. Lots of fresh bread. Hints of caramel. The flavors are very clean, crisp and refreshing. More fresh bread along with some corn. More hints of caramel. Moderate bitterness. Finishes clean and dry. Malts do their thing. Alcohol goes unnoticed. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with sharp active carbonation. It's very smooth and easy to drink.

This is a nice Oktoberfest. It's very crisp and clean. It's a traditional example of the style. Well done.

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3.87/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

Wholly decent American versions of the classic style - pretty balanced, not super malty, nice little hop kick at the end, sure it isn’t bursting with layers but that isn’t really the style

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3.06/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Part of a Kroger pick six. Not particularly memorable but true to the style. Probably better if you're day drinking at a Germanfest, but then again that's true of just about everything.

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3.95/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

LOOKS: A crystal clear, light amber, with a small white foam that fades quickly.
AROMA: Caramel/toffee, and a bit of an earthy smell. Nice.
TASTE: Same; Nice because this one is not overly sweet and cloying, but, you get that nice bready caramel vibe.
FEEL: Medium full carbonation...nice! Overall, dry, medium-ish body, just right.
OVERALL: No complaints, really. Not as tasty or interesting as the top shelf, but, I'd pick up a six pack again.

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3.44/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Part of a Kroger mix a six. Was bottled late into the season so it should still be in good shape.

Look - Copper golden with a finger and froth atop. Moderate levels of carbonation.

Smell - Bready and malty as you'd expect with a kiss of hop.

Taste - Bit more hop profile than your typical Oktoberfest. Malts all remain the same as you'd expect BUT there is a slight hint of that weird slightly stale grape flavor coming through. This was bottled in October so I don't think the day plays much in that.

Feel - Moderate carbonation, drying feel, swallows a tad sweet and causes a burp or two.

Overall - Pretty typical more traditional style Oktoberfest. Not much in terms of frills but it's easy to drink and easier to find during the season.

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3.44/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Amber color with a thick beige head with good retention.
Aroma with notes of caramels, some earthy and herbal hops, oranges and grains.
Flavor with notes of earthy and herbal hops, some orange citrusy, caramel, bread crust, slightly toasted malts and biscuit. Dry aftertaste with a medium bitterness. Starts sweet but finishes dry.
Medium body with appropriate carbonation.
Decent Marzen; well balanced (hop wise), faithful to style (considering it as a Marzen, not a modern golden Festbier) and finishes quite dry and earthy.

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3.5/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 OZ bottle into a pint glass. The appearance is an Amber gold color with a hint of red tint. The brew has a medium sized off-white head. The aroma is malt and toffee. The taste follows the nose but the flavor just seems off.

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3.29/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

12 oz. Bottle serving poured into a stein

A clear and bright amber color with a sea foamy, clumpy and bubbly, off white foam cover. Thevdissipation is rather quick.

The smell of toasted grains and amber malted barley permeates from the nose. Buttery toffee, herbs and spice blend and a hint of root beer round out the aroma.

This is certainly a delightful malt flavor, toasted oak, charred molasses, smokey herbs and spice blend rounds it out. A bitter, leafy and herbal hop bite in the finish. Toasty grains with a sweet edge to the barley malt, good balance, medium complexity.

The mouthfeel is eather light with a medium feel from the malt, slightly dry finish and a bit flat, but certainly malt forward.

Overall, its a pretty" run of the mill " version of a festie.

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3.49/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Dark copper body, or light umber as the GI website will tell you, clears as it settles. 1 1/2 finger soapy eggshell head settles in to wisps of a cap.
Bready aroma with hints of dried fruit and grass.
The taste is of toasted bread, grains, light caramel, some dried fruit and grassy, floral hops. A spicy, graininess runs throughout.
Immediately smooth and soft mouthfeel but quickly turns crisp and dry. Medium in body and carbonation.

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2.89/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

12 oz bottle. Pous a clear golden orange color, short lived small white head. Good carbonation. Some malty flavor a few hops. Overall pretty sweet. An ok example of the style.

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3.88/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Caramel sweetness, with light spices, and a dryness into the finish.

Taste Rating in Words: It's going to a slightly watered down Oktoberfest festival. Which is basically a fair or carnival.

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3.6/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Light copper really see through with almost no head and a slight amount of bubbles seen rising. Scent of slight caramel malt, slight grassy (noble) hops scent. This has a decent flavor but not one I normally associate with a Festbier without any of the toasty/ nutty flavors. Some spicy hops and a bready finish much like a pils with some slight bitterness. Medium/thin in mouthfeel with ample carbonation. Decent flavor

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4/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

L: brilliant copper amber with streams of fast rising bubbles under a 1" cream cap with good retention.

S: rich beady smell with bread crust, bread crumb and very light toast, traces of light caramel and a dash of earthy herbs from the hops

T: mild caramel sweetness, bread crust and bread crumb. It dries on the finish with a little grainy tang. A low level of Hallertau spicy earthy flavor shows up on the finish with a moderate balancing bitterness

F: creamy, smooth medium body and medium high carbonation.

O: the carbonation is a little high which detracts slightly from the malt flavors and the use of the caramel malts gives it a little extra caramel character that it does not need

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3.75/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Dark amber medium carbonation. Aroma is malt,bread,and hops. Taste is malt strong,bread, with a hop backbone. Decent version of the style,I would definitely try it again

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4.22/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A beautiful amber color with a nice head. A really enjoyable taste. Great flavor and not too strong. Very easy to drink. I’m surprised this isn’t rated higher.

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4.09/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Nice amber color with a thin head on it. The smell is "warm bready". Some ting in the feel with an above average taste. Say what you want about some of their other beers, this is the best seasonal offering in my book.

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3.55/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle from the 2017 release, poured into a Goose Island Brewpubs snifter glass.

The beer pours a dark copper color, amber hues, very clear with a finger or so of bone colored head, little retention with soapy lace. The aroma is pleasant, dark brown bread, caramel malts, light piney noble hops, a bit nutty almost with lingering earthy undertones. The flavors are simple and enjoyable as well, strong caramel and amber malts, light noble and earthy hops, a hint of bitterness with a touch of fruitcake flavor. The mouthfeel is good, lively and prickly with a coating medium body and a mildly dry finish.

Verdict: A decent Märzen from Goose Island. Not the most complex or balanced example of the style but refreshing and perfect for a crisp fall day.

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3.44/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a light almost orange amber color. Completely clear. Thick bubbly tan head dissipates leaving a ring of sudsy tan bubbles along the outside of the beer and a couple lacey spots of tan bubbles on the glass.

Aroma is sweet - caramel and bread notes up front. Maybe a touch of grassy hops, but its mostly sweet caramel.

Taste is sweet up front - caramel and sweet bread transitioning to a more toasty flavor that brings with it the spicy hop finish. More spicy than bitter. Herbal lingering flavor is left behind on the finish. There is also some red wine grape and dark fruit notes that I get as the beer warms.

Feel is light and drinkable but not thin. Mild to moderate carbonation.

Overall a solid oktoberfest. Generally a solid American take on the style, but it does nothing to move it from just an average example of the Americanized style to the better more traditional takes on the style.

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