... I'm A Bird
Goose Island Beer Co.

 

 

 

 

 

Part of the midwestern madness sent my direction during NBS BIF #13 by @FBarber.

Beautiful in the glass: crisp ebony, with a velvety dark brown head that retains at least a fuzzy presence, with a dark ring around the edges.

Pouring, the first impression is fake strawberry, like cheap neapolitan ice cream. Letting it settle a bit, the fake strawberry character itself fades a bit, though not completely, and is replaced instead with a much more intriguing melange of creamy coffee, dark fudge, some deep roast, and a thick sweet character that I can only assume is attributable to the panela, though I'm not intimately familiar with that particular sugar so I'm not sure. First half, especially the fake strawberry would be like a 3.25, second half where it leans more into the rich dark malts would be more 4.25-4.5.

Flavour leads in with more of the dark espresso and dark chocolate. There's a touch of spice that almost reminds of barreling, though this did not spend any time in a barrel, as far as I'm aware. The strawberry is, thankfully, more of an afterthought at this point, leaving just sweet suggestions on the finish.

Body is velvety smoothe and just coats the mouth. Finish offers a bit of bitter bakers chocolate.

I'll be honest: I like this one a lot more than I expected to. I will admit that I'm biased against GI since the buyout, and I'm not a fan of pastry stouts, and especially of artifical flavours and sweetness. While the initial impression was not promising, with the fake strawberry dominating the glass at first, once that fades a bit, this is a fantastic velvety luxuriant stout, that has some sweeter characteristics, but is not overly sweet in and of itself. What it is, is decadent and rich, with a nice balance of chocolate and espresso, while the 'strawberry' kind of fades into an afterthought.

Thanks Frank! This is a perfect nightcap.

 

5 oz serving tasted in a long stem glass from draft at Phase Three Brewing on April 17, 2021.

Medium black viscous body with some brown highlights and head. Strawberry ice cream sits atop brown sugar, semi-sweet chocolate and gentle booze in the nose, pleasant. Taste is a taproom delight, after a few ounces the diabetic coma is setting in, strawberry gets somewhat artificial as it warms. Feel is syrupy, sweet, heavy and warm, adding to the imposing sweetness. The other of the two was better

Released 3/11/21; drank 3/30/21 @ the Yarchives.

Midnight black appearance.

An even pour yielded a big dark tan head; strong, frothy tree-rung lace.

Sweet strawberry, milk chocolate & sweet cream notes in the nose.

Thick, slightly chalky mouthfeel.

Strawberry syrup & chocolate syrup flavors up front; mild booze heat & sweet cream notes on the finish.

A few ounces of this is nice enough, but it is entirely too sweet to really enjoy. Not one I'll return to.

Not sure the canning date but released 3/11/21

Consumed 3/11/21

Goose and Phase 3 know their stouts and their collaboration does not disappoint. It’s a pastry stout but crucial for me, it’s not overly sweet. Strawberry isn’t one of my favorite adjuncts normally, but the balance here is perfect. The feel is super thick and coats the mouth. It looks thick and gorgeous in the glass too. If you love the super sweet stouts, this may not be word class for you. For me though, the balance is there and it’s a great beer.