Goose Fest Bier | Goose Island Beer Co.
Brewed by:
Goose Island Beer Co.
Illinois, United States
gooseisland.com
Style: Märzen / Oktoberfest
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.70%
Availability: Fall
Notes / Commercial Description:
Formerly Goose Oktoberfest
Märzenbier inspired by the classic Festbier style. Hallertau Tradition hops. Toasted, bready malt. Noble hop character.
23 IBU
Added by Mitchster on 09-06-2001
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 929 | Reviews: 259
3.42/5 rDev -6.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a super clear, light amber color with a little bit of white head that leaves a small amount of lacing. Smell is a little bit of caramel and toasted malts. Taste is sweet, caramel, a little bit of bread, some notes of grassy hops flavor. A little bit of sharp bitterness. Not bad, a little thin for my tastes and too sweet, to the point it tends to mask the other flavors unless you're really looking for them.
415 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a super clear, light amber color with a little bit of white head that leaves a small amount of lacing. Smell is a little bit of caramel and toasted malts. Taste is sweet, caramel, a little bit of bread, some notes of grassy hops flavor. A little bit of sharp bitterness. Not bad, a little thin for my tastes and too sweet, to the point it tends to mask the other flavors unless you're really looking for them.
415 characters
3.83/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.73/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
2.94/5 rDev -19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
12oz bottled 7/1/17 poured into a.5L krug at fridge temp 5.7% ABV 23 IBU. The beer mostly bright honey colored amber with short lived off white head. The head recedes to a thin ring (barely) and no lacing. The aroma is semisweet caramel bread with maybe a hint of hops. The label calls out Hallertau Tradition hops. The taste is pretty sweet and caramelly(I made up this word but it seems fitting). There is is somewhat vague hoppy finish. Mouthfeel is medium to thin bodied, well carbonated and the finish is undry with a definite oily/soapy aftertaste reminiscent of cheap AAL. Overall, not good. Another amber beer masquerading as a Marzen. If you're going to buy noble hops, lager the beer properly so they are not covered up in off flavors GI.
757 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
12oz bottled 7/1/17 poured into a.5L krug at fridge temp 5.7% ABV 23 IBU. The beer mostly bright honey colored amber with short lived off white head. The head recedes to a thin ring (barely) and no lacing. The aroma is semisweet caramel bread with maybe a hint of hops. The label calls out Hallertau Tradition hops. The taste is pretty sweet and caramelly(I made up this word but it seems fitting). There is is somewhat vague hoppy finish. Mouthfeel is medium to thin bodied, well carbonated and the finish is undry with a definite oily/soapy aftertaste reminiscent of cheap AAL. Overall, not good. Another amber beer masquerading as a Marzen. If you're going to buy noble hops, lager the beer properly so they are not covered up in off flavors GI.
757 characters
3.62/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.42/5 rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.52/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Got a sample to see if I can get another fall beer rather than going to SA's Octoberfest. The color is a red amber with a small white head that dissipated quickly with some lacing on the glass. The nose is one of dark roasted grain, caramel, with dried fruit. The hops are a little too bitter and flowery for the style in my opinion. The taste somewhat follows the nose as I got elements of dark roasted grain. The feel is good. Herbal bitterness from the taste and a light body. Overall this is a drinkable beer that I will try on tap and see how it does with the locals.
572 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Got a sample to see if I can get another fall beer rather than going to SA's Octoberfest. The color is a red amber with a small white head that dissipated quickly with some lacing on the glass. The nose is one of dark roasted grain, caramel, with dried fruit. The hops are a little too bitter and flowery for the style in my opinion. The taste somewhat follows the nose as I got elements of dark roasted grain. The feel is good. Herbal bitterness from the taste and a light body. Overall this is a drinkable beer that I will try on tap and see how it does with the locals.
572 characters
3.54/5 rDev -3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.75/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
My father-in-law and mother-in-law were both in town this weekend so I wanted to pick up some local brews to try since he and I tend to trade and taste back and forth. I wanted a lighter option and happened to come across this one.
This beer pours a light amber hue that is ultra clear and seems to glow in the light quite nicely. The carbonation is quite high and the head is white, frothy, and dissipates somewhat quickly to a thin lacing that is retained. 3.75/5 The aroma is full of malt and is fairly sweet, although quite grainy as well. The hops bring an herbal and clean note to the aroma that comes across as a bit sharp. This helps balance the aroma a bit since the malt comes through quite well. 3.75/5 The flavor profile is full of malt as well with a good caramel sweetness up front that brings along with it some fresh breadiness. This actually disappears quite quickly to the hop profile with the hops providing a good dose of flavor in the form of an herbal bitterness that builds after swallowing and sticks around for a good while. A bit of grassiness and hay comes through as well although it is not musty at all. The bitterness is almost like that of black tea that has been steeped too long or straight up Earl Gray tea. 3.75/5 This is a medium bodied beer that has moderate carbonation and a good bit of drying to it that somewhat parches the tongue. This dryness sticks around for a while after swallowing too. 3.75/5 This is a good Marzen that is on the drier side of the American Marzen style. It still has a decent amount of sweetness (mainly up front) but really brings in the dryness and hoppy nature of the German fest biers. 3.75/5
1,680 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
My father-in-law and mother-in-law were both in town this weekend so I wanted to pick up some local brews to try since he and I tend to trade and taste back and forth. I wanted a lighter option and happened to come across this one.
This beer pours a light amber hue that is ultra clear and seems to glow in the light quite nicely. The carbonation is quite high and the head is white, frothy, and dissipates somewhat quickly to a thin lacing that is retained. 3.75/5 The aroma is full of malt and is fairly sweet, although quite grainy as well. The hops bring an herbal and clean note to the aroma that comes across as a bit sharp. This helps balance the aroma a bit since the malt comes through quite well. 3.75/5 The flavor profile is full of malt as well with a good caramel sweetness up front that brings along with it some fresh breadiness. This actually disappears quite quickly to the hop profile with the hops providing a good dose of flavor in the form of an herbal bitterness that builds after swallowing and sticks around for a good while. A bit of grassiness and hay comes through as well although it is not musty at all. The bitterness is almost like that of black tea that has been steeped too long or straight up Earl Gray tea. 3.75/5 This is a medium bodied beer that has moderate carbonation and a good bit of drying to it that somewhat parches the tongue. This dryness sticks around for a while after swallowing too. 3.75/5 This is a good Marzen that is on the drier side of the American Marzen style. It still has a decent amount of sweetness (mainly up front) but really brings in the dryness and hoppy nature of the German fest biers. 3.75/5
1,680 characters
3.49/5 rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
This beer kind of tastes more like a whit beer than most oktoberfest beers that I've tried, almost like a mixture of the two styles which isn't bad at all.
155 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
This beer kind of tastes more like a whit beer than most oktoberfest beers that I've tried, almost like a mixture of the two styles which isn't bad at all.
155 characters
3.72/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Had this on 2017-08-11 in Columbia, PA from a 12oz bottle
A - Very clear golden-caramel color with a 1-finger light tan head and mild lace.
S - Lightly-toasted nutty-bread with some apple butter sweetness.
T - Much like the aroma with the light bread and nut flavors followed by a slight dash of caramel. It finished with some spice and appropriately bitterness. There's not much malt complexity but the malt flavors is good and it's well balanced to boot.
M - Light-medium body and medium-plus carbonation. Fairly smooth and then mostly dries out.
O - This is an easy to drink and enjoyable brew. Had it side-by-side with the 2017 Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest collaboration, which has a much deeper malt complexity
723 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Had this on 2017-08-11 in Columbia, PA from a 12oz bottle
A - Very clear golden-caramel color with a 1-finger light tan head and mild lace.
S - Lightly-toasted nutty-bread with some apple butter sweetness.
T - Much like the aroma with the light bread and nut flavors followed by a slight dash of caramel. It finished with some spice and appropriately bitterness. There's not much malt complexity but the malt flavors is good and it's well balanced to boot.
M - Light-medium body and medium-plus carbonation. Fairly smooth and then mostly dries out.
O - This is an easy to drink and enjoyable brew. Had it side-by-side with the 2017 Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest collaboration, which has a much deeper malt complexity
723 characters
3.6/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
4.98/5 rDev +35.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
Overall the Goose Oktoberfest is an excellent beer in my opinion; it's got a nice amber look, smells inviting, has a very crispy taste and if i remember correctly, has a somewhat high carbonation but is smooth at the same time. It's as perfect as a beer gets for me and I always look forward to having it every fall.
316 characters
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
Overall the Goose Oktoberfest is an excellent beer in my opinion; it's got a nice amber look, smells inviting, has a very crispy taste and if i remember correctly, has a somewhat high carbonation but is smooth at the same time. It's as perfect as a beer gets for me and I always look forward to having it every fall.
316 characters
3.36/5 rDev -8.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.54/5 rDev -3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Pours reddish amber with a small white head. Smells of darker roasted grain and slight caramel, much like the style should. Tastes of dark roasted grain and slight candy. Beer is light bodied and very drinkable, good carbonation. Overall, a good beer.
296 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Pours reddish amber with a small white head. Smells of darker roasted grain and slight caramel, much like the style should. Tastes of dark roasted grain and slight candy. Beer is light bodied and very drinkable, good carbonation. Overall, a good beer.
296 characters
2.75/5 rDev -25.1%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
3.45/5 rDev -6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
3.74/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Copper colored with excellent clarity. There's a fingernail of beige on top. The aroma is of caramel and bready malt. I'm tasting lots of bready malt with just a gentle hint of grassy hops. It's very smooth, quaffable, and crisp. Perhaps a touch thin.
256 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Copper colored with excellent clarity. There's a fingernail of beige on top. The aroma is of caramel and bready malt. I'm tasting lots of bready malt with just a gentle hint of grassy hops. It's very smooth, quaffable, and crisp. Perhaps a touch thin.
256 characters
Goose Fest Bier from Goose Island Beer Co.
Beer rating:
47.4% out of
100 with
929 ratings
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.
907 characters