Clark & Sheffield Selection
Goose Island Beer Co.

 

500ml bottle poured into a snifter. Sweet sweet caramel and dark fruits on the nose with nice oak and bourbon notes from the barrels. The taste is delicious. Big, malty, boozy, delicious.

500 ml bottle into a snifter. Bottled 1/8/19, had 4/24/20.

Pours a copper color, quite clear, with a quarter inch head and no lacing. Aromas of caramel, malt, bourbon, oak, a fruity aroma that’s maybe a little like strawberries or cherries, kind of an oat- like smell, some char. Flavors of bourbon, malt, caramel, oak, a general fruity flavor. It’s a little sweet, not overly. Smooth, a good medium body, appropriately carbonated.

This is decent, but could have and should have been better. No complexity, mostly straightforward in presentation. Have had a number of Binny’s collaborations, and all have been better than this. GI should be at the top of that list, not the bottom.

 

Semi-clear dark brown pour with no head, as it should be. Smells of molasses forward bourbon, with oak, brown sugar and slight dried fig, pretty mild in general though. Taste is more forward with the flavoring, especially the bourbon and a kick of toffee. Very light and smooth, but boozy in the finish. I would lay down for a tad more to help with the booze, but otherwise a very solid english old ale.

 

Butterscotch, caramel corn, raisin, bourbon, oak

 

 

Bottled 1/8/19; drank 3/22/19 @ the Yarchives.

See-through brown/orange appearance; champagne bubbles throughout.

A rough pour yielded a small, noisy khaki head; decent lace.

Cream soda, oak, mild burnt leaves & faint bourbon notes in the nose.

Thick, sticky mouthfeel.

Oak, pickle & cream soda flavors up front; mild bourbon heat on the finish.

The base beer is dominated by the barrel here; it's not terrible but I'd rather just have a bourbon.

 

Interesting look. No lacing in the pour and you can’t see any carbonation but it’s in the mouthfeel. I like the light brown color too. You can see straight through it. Tastewise the barrel is there although not as forward as in BCS. I recently had the latest Firestone Aniversary (22 I think?) which is an olde ale and I found that to be a bit too sweet for me (although still great and super complex.) This dials down on the sweetness which I like, but lacks some of that complexity. For the price I paid ($9 I think) this is a great buy and shouldn’t be passed up. It doesn’t quite match the best of the best though.

Pours a clear caramel color, small head fades quickly, no lacing.
Mild fruity aroma with a hint of bourbon.
Taste is similar to the aroma.
Texture is very thin.
Brewed by Goise Island for Binny's under their Clark & Sheffield banner.

 

16.9oz bottle, drink by January 8, 2021, poured into a 14oz oversized brandy snifter.

The beer pours a dark amber color, caramel and honey hues when struck by the light with a fairly clear complexion and a thin bone colored head that has minimal retention and yields no substantive lacing. The aroma is nice, lots of toasted grain and coconut, soft burnt oak, caramel and brown sugar, light stone fruits and a warm bourbon character. The flavors are good, heavily toasted grain, lightly toasted coconut, strong charred wood, mild bourbon character, light raisin and stone fruit at the finish. The mouthfeel is good, a bit thinner and more medium bodied but it coats well and has a nice lively texture and a warm finish.

Verdict: A good Olde Ale from Goose Island and Binnys. It's extremely toasty, lots of cereal grains in this one with a nice barrel presence and a fair balance of flavors. Not quite into the BCBS realm but this is a good Olde Ale and if you like toasted grains, this beer will be a hit.