Dead Goat Porter
Goose Island Beer Co.

 

 

Let me say first that it was great to see the cask working at Goose Island - Wrigleyville. It seems like whenever I go there it's not in operation. Served in a pint glass.

A - This is a cask beer? Really?! Two fingers of tan foam that just don't go away - I had to give up and start drinking the brew after a while. Even when my glass was half-empty there was still one finger of foam. The brew itself was a very dark brown that reveals slight transparency and reddish highlights when held up to the light. Looked a lot like a Guinness, but without the weird grey colors...

S - Not a huge nose on this one - very nutty with maybe even a touch of diacetyl (wait, doesn't that mean it smells like almond butter?). There's also a touch of floral hoppiness to it. As it warms the toffee and bread malt character come alive. They served it much too cold, so let this one sit for a few minutes (while admiring its beauty, I guess).

T - Almost dry stout-like. I had to get up and double-check that the server was correct and that I didn't get Dublin Stout by mistake. Notes of peat, caramel, milk chocolate, smoke, and fennel. Again, it's not uber-strong, but the combination of flavors is quite nice.

M - Soft, smooth, velvety, light carbonation. It's like drinking a satin pillow served on a cloud. There's a nice dry finish with a touch of residual stickiness.

D - I don't know if this will break the curse, but it's a really nice session porter (at least when served on cask). The wonderful mouthfeel keeps me sipping, and the lowish ABV (5.6%, according to the menu) had me ordering multiple glasses. This might serve as a nice gateway craft beer to a friend who likes Guinness.

This is an excellent example of the cask taking a sold B+ brew and elevating it to a much higher level by amplifying all the positive attributes.

(Served in an American pint glass)

Originally brewed at the Wrigleyfield G.I. in is now brewed at the Clybourn G.I.

A- This beer pours a dark brown opaque body with a light reddish-brown glint of light glowing at the base of the glass. This beer is to dense to see any carbonation through. The thin creamy tan film last a good bit and sticks to the side of the glass for a few seconds with each sip.

S- This beer has some chocolate malt smell with some darker roasted malt notes in the background.

T- The nice roasted malt flavors have some hints of coffee roasted malt with chocolate malt and cream in the background. There are nougat and cola notes that come through as the beer warms and are a bit off. The finish has a soft bite of hops but it is pretty light.

M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel with a hint of slippery texture when it is cold.

D- This beer has some nice malt flavors with good depth but the nougat and cola flavor are a bit off. It is a pretty smooth porter.

The beer as pored was jet black with red highlights. Nice tan head and good lacing.

The smell was of roasted (almost burnt) malts, bread and alcohol. A little to overpowering and unbalanced.

The taste was better than the smell as the alcohol was pushed on the background. Lots of roasted/toasted malts and just a subtle bit of bitterness from the hops. Needs a little better balance.

The mouthfeel was very smooth & velvety. It had almost a perfect sensation for a porter.

Drinkability is a little tougher. Why not a bad beer, Goose has so many better offerings that I would rather have.

Appearance: Black beer with an almond colored head. Very opaque.

Aroma: Burnt. Roasty with hints of sweetness. The roasty smells are very sharp. Harsh.

Taste: The burned roastyness hits hard and fast. The bitter coffee flavor lingers through the finish. The flavors seem slightly harsh, and the mouthfeel seems a bit thin. The beer is very drinkable though. It just seems a little watery.

Notes: Don't shy away from this one, but don't expect a superb experience either. The beer didn't seem to be on the same level as some of the other beers offered at this establishment.