Lolita | Goose Island Beer Co.
Brewed by:
Goose Island Beer Co.
Illinois, United States
gooseisland.com
Style: American Wild Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 9.00%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
Belgian-style ale aged in French oak Cabernet Sauvignon barrels. Each barrel receives 50+ pounds of fresh raspberries. Spontaneous secondary fermentation in the barrels. Aged 8 months or more.
Added by robbyc1 on 10-29-2009
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 2,144 | Reviews: 357
Reviews by DanH83:
3.25/5 rDev -19.6%
DanH83, Feb 14, 2013
More User Reviews:
4.79/5 rDev +18.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 5
Picked up a bottle of this on special at Butler's for $14. Great price. Decent looking beer with a great smell. Had not looked at it and did not realize it was a sour until I caught a whiff. Not as tart as some sours I have had, which I like, but it was wonderful. I enjoyed this beer very much and will certainly be going back to see if I can snag a few more while they are on special.
Had again, a 2013 bottle in Feb. 2016. It was even better than I had remembered. Unreal.
478 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 5
Picked up a bottle of this on special at Butler's for $14. Great price. Decent looking beer with a great smell. Had not looked at it and did not realize it was a sour until I caught a whiff. Not as tart as some sours I have had, which I like, but it was wonderful. I enjoyed this beer very much and will certainly be going back to see if I can snag a few more while they are on special.
Had again, a 2013 bottle in Feb. 2016. It was even better than I had remembered. Unreal.
478 characters
4/5 rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Belgian influence of the most artful kind plays out in the wooden vats of Good Island. A raspberry ale introduced to a slew of wild yeast and micro flora produces extreme complexity and dynamic flavor.
Mildly hazed with hues of plumb red and peach sculpt the impressions of fruit even with its appearance. Fizzy head character rises quickly, fueled by high carbonation, but then quickly falls as well. With no real lacing action, I would have preferred better foam character, but the sharp acidity to come would have nothing to do with that.
Tart aromas of fresh and lightly under ripened raspberries fill the nose with slight dominance above complementary notes of wine must, lime-like acidity, vinous white Zinfandel, green apple cider, white grapes, mild sulfur, white wine vinegar, musty sea air, and weathered sawdust. Low in sweetness, there persists a nutty, pithy, and vanilla like scent that reminds me of almond paste.
Stronger raspberry character comes to life in the flavor profile, but not without further complementary flavors of dried cherries, tart (shy of sour) vinous white zin wines, mineral salts and briny yeast that come together like sea water and sea shells. Again, the light sweetness of vanilla and almond seem like a rhythmic dance throughout the must and tartness that power ahead. Low in bitterness, only a mild taste of wood and cheddar create sharpness to complement the low spicy phenols, wood tannin and cinnamon nuances. Old sun dried wood, mild sherry and balsamic notes provide a succulent taste that keeps me coming back with rather rapid succession.
Light bodied due to it's spritzy carbonation, strong acidic, and highly attenuated malt character, but not without a calm velvety powder texture from wood tanning and soft dextrin and seemingly light nutty oils. Sharp in finish, the dryness of wood and alcohol play out in a very refreshing but highly acidic aftertaste.
With so much tart fruitiness and dry sweetness, this beer is ideally suited to win over lovers of all sorts of wines and I find notes of minerally Greek whites, robust Chilean merlots, and simplified white zinfindales sprinkled all over this beer.
2,161 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Belgian influence of the most artful kind plays out in the wooden vats of Good Island. A raspberry ale introduced to a slew of wild yeast and micro flora produces extreme complexity and dynamic flavor.
Mildly hazed with hues of plumb red and peach sculpt the impressions of fruit even with its appearance. Fizzy head character rises quickly, fueled by high carbonation, but then quickly falls as well. With no real lacing action, I would have preferred better foam character, but the sharp acidity to come would have nothing to do with that.
Tart aromas of fresh and lightly under ripened raspberries fill the nose with slight dominance above complementary notes of wine must, lime-like acidity, vinous white Zinfandel, green apple cider, white grapes, mild sulfur, white wine vinegar, musty sea air, and weathered sawdust. Low in sweetness, there persists a nutty, pithy, and vanilla like scent that reminds me of almond paste.
Stronger raspberry character comes to life in the flavor profile, but not without further complementary flavors of dried cherries, tart (shy of sour) vinous white zin wines, mineral salts and briny yeast that come together like sea water and sea shells. Again, the light sweetness of vanilla and almond seem like a rhythmic dance throughout the must and tartness that power ahead. Low in bitterness, only a mild taste of wood and cheddar create sharpness to complement the low spicy phenols, wood tannin and cinnamon nuances. Old sun dried wood, mild sherry and balsamic notes provide a succulent taste that keeps me coming back with rather rapid succession.
Light bodied due to it's spritzy carbonation, strong acidic, and highly attenuated malt character, but not without a calm velvety powder texture from wood tanning and soft dextrin and seemingly light nutty oils. Sharp in finish, the dryness of wood and alcohol play out in a very refreshing but highly acidic aftertaste.
With so much tart fruitiness and dry sweetness, this beer is ideally suited to win over lovers of all sorts of wines and I find notes of minerally Greek whites, robust Chilean merlots, and simplified white zinfindales sprinkled all over this beer.
2,161 characters
4.25/5 rDev +5.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
22oz Bomber
$10.99
Bottled: 11/12/11
Lolita is a flat out beautiful ruby hued beer with near perfect clarity. The ruby body is of gem quality and glows to no end. The raspberries have really made this beer beautiful. Tiny carbonation bubbles rush up the glass from everywhere and keep the thin crown alive. Lace is patchy here and there.
This beer is just over three years old and I could still smell the raspberries from two feet away when the top was popped. Raspberries burst from the glass, seeds and stems as well, freshly picked. Lactic qualities compliment the fruit, adding faint yogurt notes, while acetic acid brightens it up with some well integrated white vinegar. Good depth and complexity with a nice sweet and sour play.
The flavor profile follows the nose in stride. Raspberries are still big, bright, and bold. They're so fresh and real they have that sweet/sour play which when combined with the bright acidity really pops. The flavor does bring a good dose of woodiness from the barrels and a rich wine note that's a little tannic, astringent. Bueno!
The body is light and effervescent with carbonation that's still bright after these few years. The acidity bites at the inside of the cheeks and leaves some minor heartburn in it's wake if you're not careful, or old. The finish is nice and dry. Well built and highly drinkable.
Lolita is a gem of a beer. This batch is holding up like a champ. The raspberry is still vibrant, the acidity is bright, and the sheer enjoyment is sky high. I have always been a fan of this beer, this is the oldest I've drank and it holds up well.
1,602 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
22oz Bomber
$10.99
Bottled: 11/12/11
Lolita is a flat out beautiful ruby hued beer with near perfect clarity. The ruby body is of gem quality and glows to no end. The raspberries have really made this beer beautiful. Tiny carbonation bubbles rush up the glass from everywhere and keep the thin crown alive. Lace is patchy here and there.
This beer is just over three years old and I could still smell the raspberries from two feet away when the top was popped. Raspberries burst from the glass, seeds and stems as well, freshly picked. Lactic qualities compliment the fruit, adding faint yogurt notes, while acetic acid brightens it up with some well integrated white vinegar. Good depth and complexity with a nice sweet and sour play.
The flavor profile follows the nose in stride. Raspberries are still big, bright, and bold. They're so fresh and real they have that sweet/sour play which when combined with the bright acidity really pops. The flavor does bring a good dose of woodiness from the barrels and a rich wine note that's a little tannic, astringent. Bueno!
The body is light and effervescent with carbonation that's still bright after these few years. The acidity bites at the inside of the cheeks and leaves some minor heartburn in it's wake if you're not careful, or old. The finish is nice and dry. Well built and highly drinkable.
Lolita is a gem of a beer. This batch is holding up like a champ. The raspberry is still vibrant, the acidity is bright, and the sheer enjoyment is sky high. I have always been a fan of this beer, this is the oldest I've drank and it holds up well.
1,602 characters
4.78/5 rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
I took one sip of this and instantly did a backflip into a full kata routine. Then out of nowhere over 150 ninjas stormed my house, so I grabbed the broom (I was in the kitchen see) and broke it in half and, just like Bruce Lee in Enter The Dragon, I killed everyone of those ninjas with my broken broomstick pieces. I even made Bruce Lee sounds while I did it.
That's how sour this beer is.
Smells malty, looks like carbonated fruit punch. Tastes like
This is not a "smooth" beer. It's not hoppy, and the malt doesn't come as strong as it smells. You can't drink it quickly or gulp it. It must be sipped slowly and you must have plenty of room to move around after each sip (I kept going into "cat stance" from my Shorin Ru days).
Highly recommended.
758 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
I took one sip of this and instantly did a backflip into a full kata routine. Then out of nowhere over 150 ninjas stormed my house, so I grabbed the broom (I was in the kitchen see) and broke it in half and, just like Bruce Lee in Enter The Dragon, I killed everyone of those ninjas with my broken broomstick pieces. I even made Bruce Lee sounds while I did it.
That's how sour this beer is.
Smells malty, looks like carbonated fruit punch. Tastes like
This is not a "smooth" beer. It's not hoppy, and the malt doesn't come as strong as it smells. You can't drink it quickly or gulp it. It must be sipped slowly and you must have plenty of room to move around after each sip (I kept going into "cat stance" from my Shorin Ru days).
Highly recommended.
758 characters
4.16/5 rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2011 vintage. Big thanks to Mike for the share. Upon pouring, I'd say that Lolita is a dense shade of copper and nothing more, but holding it up to the sunlight reveals a nice ruby red color that beams through the entire beer. The fizzy white head doesn't last for long, but seems pretty volatile and active while it's here. No lacing left behind, but that's almost to be expected for this style.
The aroma is packed with tart raspberries, cherries, and heavy grape skins - a cloud of vinous notes crawls over everything, packed with some wet wood and heavy tannin. Yeast and musty funk are very prominent here, as well - there's no hiding the Brett in this one. White wine vinegar notes start to peek through as it warms up, getting stronger all the way through. Very fruity, but definitely leaning more towards tart than sweet, which is usually a good thing.
Following the aroma closely, the taste leads off with lots of ripe, tart raspberries right out of the gate. And when I say tart, I mean puckeringly so. The fruit profile is quite nice; raspberry, cherry, strawberry, grape... They all have their own impact, yet blend together so well. Barrel notes are heavy and do a great job of backing up the fruit; barrel, oak, light faint vanilla, and some dry wine notes.
The funk is no stranger, either. Clumpy yeast elevates big-time in the aftertaste with some cheesy, musty, wet-barnyard funk. It goes without saying that the finish also contains a decent amount of fading raspberry tartness and a touch of barrel. The light mouth feel and the crisp snap of the heavy carbonation makes this beer delicately drinkable.
I was salivating from start to finish from the pungently tart aroma and the flavor definitely helped to quench my senses. A very nice sour brew from Goose Island with plenty of fruitiness that never really comes off as sweet; rather, it remains mostly tart and juicy for the entire duration of the beer. Barrel was heavy yet subtle enough to let the fruit work its magic. Great beer all around.
2,020 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2011 vintage. Big thanks to Mike for the share. Upon pouring, I'd say that Lolita is a dense shade of copper and nothing more, but holding it up to the sunlight reveals a nice ruby red color that beams through the entire beer. The fizzy white head doesn't last for long, but seems pretty volatile and active while it's here. No lacing left behind, but that's almost to be expected for this style.
The aroma is packed with tart raspberries, cherries, and heavy grape skins - a cloud of vinous notes crawls over everything, packed with some wet wood and heavy tannin. Yeast and musty funk are very prominent here, as well - there's no hiding the Brett in this one. White wine vinegar notes start to peek through as it warms up, getting stronger all the way through. Very fruity, but definitely leaning more towards tart than sweet, which is usually a good thing.
Following the aroma closely, the taste leads off with lots of ripe, tart raspberries right out of the gate. And when I say tart, I mean puckeringly so. The fruit profile is quite nice; raspberry, cherry, strawberry, grape... They all have their own impact, yet blend together so well. Barrel notes are heavy and do a great job of backing up the fruit; barrel, oak, light faint vanilla, and some dry wine notes.
The funk is no stranger, either. Clumpy yeast elevates big-time in the aftertaste with some cheesy, musty, wet-barnyard funk. It goes without saying that the finish also contains a decent amount of fading raspberry tartness and a touch of barrel. The light mouth feel and the crisp snap of the heavy carbonation makes this beer delicately drinkable.
I was salivating from start to finish from the pungently tart aroma and the flavor definitely helped to quench my senses. A very nice sour brew from Goose Island with plenty of fruitiness that never really comes off as sweet; rather, it remains mostly tart and juicy for the entire duration of the beer. Barrel was heavy yet subtle enough to let the fruit work its magic. Great beer all around.
2,020 characters
4.44/5 rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
3.56/5 rDev -11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
4.11/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
This beer was a garnet color with a medium-sized white head. The head dissipated quickly.
Aroma of sweet fruit, oak, and red wine.
Taste of raspberries and red wine. A lot of oak tannins.
Sweet/tart mouthfeel. A good beer to drink. The only drawback, for me, was the price. $17 for the bottle seemed a little steep.
318 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
This beer was a garnet color with a medium-sized white head. The head dissipated quickly.
Aroma of sweet fruit, oak, and red wine.
Taste of raspberries and red wine. A lot of oak tannins.
Sweet/tart mouthfeel. A good beer to drink. The only drawback, for me, was the price. $17 for the bottle seemed a little steep.
318 characters
4.05/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pours a clear, light brick red with a few yeast chunks and a thin off-white head that fades fast. Aroma is raspberry, jammy, wine, vinegar. Tatste is led by raspberry, a bitter fruit bite, funk, red wine and a lingering bitter. Mouthfeel is medium and well carbonated. Palate cleansing and tasty.
296 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pours a clear, light brick red with a few yeast chunks and a thin off-white head that fades fast. Aroma is raspberry, jammy, wine, vinegar. Tatste is led by raspberry, a bitter fruit bite, funk, red wine and a lingering bitter. Mouthfeel is medium and well carbonated. Palate cleansing and tasty.
296 characters
4.11/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
3.97/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle dated 12/4/10 poured into a tulip
A - Pours a clear red-tinged with maybe one finger of off-white head. Head fades, but maintains a nice collar. No lacing.
S - Tart raspberries and quite bit of earthy funk. The red wine and oak characters from the barrels come through pretty nicely as well.
T - Taste is quite tart up front, with a big raspberry presence. No sweetness t speak of. The funk become prominent early on and continues throughout the taste. Like in the smell, the red wine notes come through midway. Finishes with a nice combination of earthy funk and red wine. I am pleasantly surprised with the amount of funk.
M - Relatively light bodied, with good carbonation and a very pleasant dry finish. There is definitely a red wine presence, but not much in the way of tannins. Finishes earthy, tart and dry, but not overwhelmed by any of those characteristics.
O - A good wild ale. I think I enjoyed Madame Rose slightly more, and haven't had Juliet yet. Would like more tartness, but the amount of funk here is pretty nice.
1,045 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle dated 12/4/10 poured into a tulip
A - Pours a clear red-tinged with maybe one finger of off-white head. Head fades, but maintains a nice collar. No lacing.
S - Tart raspberries and quite bit of earthy funk. The red wine and oak characters from the barrels come through pretty nicely as well.
T - Taste is quite tart up front, with a big raspberry presence. No sweetness t speak of. The funk become prominent early on and continues throughout the taste. Like in the smell, the red wine notes come through midway. Finishes with a nice combination of earthy funk and red wine. I am pleasantly surprised with the amount of funk.
M - Relatively light bodied, with good carbonation and a very pleasant dry finish. There is definitely a red wine presence, but not much in the way of tannins. Finishes earthy, tart and dry, but not overwhelmed by any of those characteristics.
O - A good wild ale. I think I enjoyed Madame Rose slightly more, and haven't had Juliet yet. Would like more tartness, but the amount of funk here is pretty nice.
1,045 characters
3.71/5 rDev -8.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured into wide champagne flute. Slightly hazy peachy amber color with tons of bubbly whitish pink head that faded immediately. Some bubbles cling to the side of the glass within the beer. Aroma is of sweet raspberry and dry woody wine. Taste is exactly the same as the aroma. Quite sweet. Decent, but nothing outstanding about this beer. High carbonation makes this fun to drink. I enjoy the bubbly feeling. Body is light, borderline thin.
441 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured into wide champagne flute. Slightly hazy peachy amber color with tons of bubbly whitish pink head that faded immediately. Some bubbles cling to the side of the glass within the beer. Aroma is of sweet raspberry and dry woody wine. Taste is exactly the same as the aroma. Quite sweet. Decent, but nothing outstanding about this beer. High carbonation makes this fun to drink. I enjoy the bubbly feeling. Body is light, borderline thin.
441 characters
4.21/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Lolita from Goose Island Beer Co.
4.04
out of 5
based on 2,144 ratings.