Conan The Red
Goose Island Beer Co.

 

After nearly two years of Beer Fanciness I finally got to have my first cask beer at the Goose Island brew pub near Wrigley Field.

And what a pretty pour it is. Dark amber orange, darker near the top, with an excellent creamy and foamy head.

I was worried, with the Pivo, that the marked coldness of the beer might have dulled the smell. That could not have been the case here, as the Conan was clearly over 50F, but the smells were still very dull. Mostly grain, with a slight hint of red ale sweetness.

Tasted slightly stronger than it smelled. There's nothing much up front except a gasiness mixed with water. There's a nice, almost woody spice in the middle, followed up by red ale caramel and a light hop finish.

A pretty beer that's otherwise unexceptional.

Served on Cask at the Wrigley location, the beer is served in an imperial Guinness style pint glass. It is a rusty amber with a dense chiffon like off-white head. Sheets of lacing.

The beer smells of pine, caramel and slightly toasted malts.

The taste is slightly sweet and a bit earthy. Nice underlying citrus taste adds a good balance. In the background lurks a hint of fruit and nice nutty taste. The nutty taste reminds me of a wheat cracker.


The mouth is extremely creamy and smooth. This is a nice session type beer. I had four!

What a difference the pour makes.
This version poured a hair darker than the regular draught version.
Aroma was very floral and fruity with some nuttiness also appearing.
Flavors of citrus and nuts really shown through as this version was quaffed. Delicious.
Mouthfeel was thick, chewy and creamy. Hard to believe it was same beer as the draught version. Very lively and full on the palate.
Drinkability was superb. Caramel base with some citrus and nutty highlights made this a really stunning version of what i thought was a rather bland offering. good stuff.