Cherry Run
Goose Island Beer Co.

 

 

 

Khaki head. Clear copper color.

Lots of sweet cherries. Cherry pie flavor. Caramel and toffee malt. Bourbon and oak flavors. Wheat wine is kind of hard to find.

Very unique beer. Worth a try.

 

Highly imaginative yet refreshingly simplistic, the venture into imperial wheat beer bodes well for Goose Island brewers with the aid of tart cherries and sultry bourbon barrel influence.

Cherry Run pours with an appetizing tawny bronze with peach and camel ribbons tethering through. Bright upon the first pour, its peachy eggshell froth rolls over the nose with the sweet tobacco, leather and jammy scent of olde ale. But its caramel, simple syrup and light honey provides the early palate with the same unmistakable taste of circus peanut candy as do most wheatwine.

As the ale ventures over the middle palate, nuances of earthen tartness emerge- leading cherries are a mix of bing and green flavors with a currious tang to invite cider and rosé wine. Remaining sweet but relaxing in body, a balance of cinnamon, nutmeg and spice cake suggest something more of gingerbread. Lightly bitter in finish, the peppery hops link up with the oaky tannins from the bourbon barrel for a spicy, lightly medicinal closure.

Full but trending dryish, the beer's oak spices and cherry tartness offer a mild astringency that lightens the body, balances the wheaten sweetness and breaks up the body with its moderate acidity. Finishing with light caramel, vanilla and nutty, charred wood, the beer's bourbon-soaked cherry taste provides echoes of flavor wafting over the late palate.

Finally cracked this one open. One note, the crown appeared not to be sealed and when the wax was removed, the carbonation was released. Not sure if this affected the flavor or not, just worth noting.

Hits the glass in a mostly red, deep caramel color. The carbonation is there for an instant and then gone again. No lacing or retention, just some alcohol legs. The nose is of medicinal cherries and light barrel notes. Some booze and hints of the wheat at the end with just a bit of sweetness. The beer hits the tongue with some light cherry tartness up front then moves straight into the maltiness and booziness of the wheatwine base beer. The malts and barrel flavors come next with a bit of sweet and malty caramel flavor. Vanilla and very light char from the barrel mix in as well. The lingering flavor on the tongue is a combo platter of somewhat medicinal cherry (cough syrup) and bourbon barrel booze. On the palate, this one is warming from the alcohol and smooth from the low carbonation. Both the alcohol and sweetness make this a slower drink.

Overall, this one confused me a bit. The cherries are there, but not quite as forward as I was expecting. I'm undecided if the broken crown seal played a factor in the taste of the beer or not, but for the most part, I don't think it did. At the very least, this is a unique take on an uncommon style.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have to admit being surprised by this one. I was expecting it to either be more sour (ala Goose's Sisters) or to have a weird imbalance of barrel-aging creaminess with fruit (like 4 Hands Downfall). I'm pretty pleased to say neither was the case. The beer itself is very cherry forward, and you get a little bit of cream and oak on the taste, but mostly it's just a great balance of fruity sweetness. Wouldn't necessarily drop $40 for a bottle of this (not that I doubt it's worth the money), but I can definitely see why it medaled at FoBAB. I'm not sure why I'm surprised when GI Clybourn kills it with one of their barrel-aged beers, but as usual, they have.