Old Clybourn Porter
Goose Island Beer Co.

7/3/18: Now 6.4% ABV, drafted at Goose Island Clybourn. $5 16 ounce pitch black pour into nonic glass, light tan lacing. Nice chocolate roast coffee aroma. Taste matched aroma, nice malt blend. Carbonation holds. creamy mouthfeel. Overall very good offering.

Had on tap. Solid throwback all around. Dark and with a hint of light coming through. Smells of dark chocolate, roasted malt, and light coffee, like decaf I guess. The taste is malt heavy with slight hints of the coffee and chocolate. Little watery

 

 

 

 

 

 

Served in an imperial pint glass at the Clybourn brewpub.

And the Pre-Gold Box Excursion refuses to stop, this time making a brief sojourn at this porter. It pours a deep black-brown topped by a finger of khaki foam. The nose comprises roasted malts, dark chocolate powder, and very light coffee. The taste brings in more of the same, with the roast dominating all else and a twinge of dark greens creeping in near the rear exit. (Gotta throw this in there: "The question mark was emphasized." Those who know know...) The body is a light-leaning medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a sorta/kinda drying finish. Overal, a solid porter, nothing earth-shattering, really, but a tasty offering nonetheless.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fresh pint served in an imperial nonic tumbler glass (the British version of the tall pint glass).

Appearance: A thin quarter finger of creamy cream-colored head. Dark black colored body that is mostly opaque with ruby highlights around the perimeter of the beer. 3/5

Smell: Subtly creamy coffee aromas. Unsweetened cocoa powder. 3/5

Taste: Very creamy, subdued-flavor beer (most British-style porters are). Faint coffee with a roasted malts. Hints of smokiness. 3.5/5

Mouthfeel: Light bodied, medium carbonation. Creamy-smooth mouthfeel. Finishes very dry. 3/5

Overall: A very average, disappointing Guinness-like brew.

 

 

Poured from a 750ml wax sealed "20th Anniversary Cellar Collection" bottle into a 20oz imperial pint.

The label clearly states "Goose Island Clybourn Brewpub, Chicago, IL 60614" so that's why this review is here and not in with the Fulton St. brewery reviews.

A: Pours, with a typical Porter thinness, a dark brown almost black color with a very bubbly light-tan head. The recedes from about three fingers to a whispy skim in no time at all and leaves no lace behind.

S: Hard to get much aroma from this but I was able to squeeze out some roasted malt, tart grain, chocolate, and citrus.

T: Oddly appealing interplay between dark roasted malt and slightly tart graininess. Also found some tangy citrus, bitter dark chocolate, spicy hops, toasted sourdough, and a pinch of espresso.

M: Starts out quite roasty and thin but thickens considerably during the second half of the bottle. Cool mixture of roasty, tangy, toasted, and creamy.

D: Excellent drinkability! I enjoyed this bottled version a lot more than the draft versions I've had of this over the last 15 years.

Another wonderful 20th anniversary bottle that I was able to secure from a most generous BA. This was my second foray into the series and I was much looking forward to opening up the 750 ml bottle. Very nice and tough to open wax seal greeted me. Served at cellar temperature in an oversized wine glass. This was consumed on 09/15/2008.

Poured into the glass with a very dark brown color. This one was nearly opaque in its color. Nice two inch head of light tan came up over the top and quickly settled down into a soft layer about a quarter inch high that stayed across the top of the glass throughout the rest of the session.

The aroma was rich with roasted malts. Semi sweet with a noticeable amount of caramel coming through, but at the same time, a very noticeable amount of bittering hops as well. Light touch of peat as it warmed gave it that nice smoked touch. This carried over very well into the flavor. Rich and smoky, the roasted malts stole the show here for at least the first good bit of it. Lots of caramel touches as well as a decent smack of peat and smoky flavors, especially in the finish where it took on a good deal of a dry and bitterness as it washed down. Very nice consistency here, with a subtle, yet noticeable carbonation profile that was just enough to take notice of. Easily a session able porter, there was no trouble at all here with enjoying this one repeatedly without issue.

Overall this was definitely a very solid sample of the style. Was it a knock, no, but it was good in every conceivable way. This is another fine example at how to make an interesting, yet not over the top brew. I was quite impressed by it to be honest, and would love to try it on tap. Score another one for Goose Island.