Chicago Saison
Goose Island Beer Co.

 

Review from notes as I'm getting through the backlog.

A - Straw colored beer that poured with a nice head and had decent retention. Nice lace on this one.

S - Floral hops with some citrus and lemon zest. Nice spices and a bit of a fruity flavor. This smells surpringly good considering most of the stuff I find here.

T - Spice, clove, citrus, floral hops, tiny bit of yeast. The hops tend to be the focus of this as it is a pretty hop-forward saison. Not bad at all.

M - Crisp, medium bodied, lower than medium carbonation. Nice.

O - Surprisingly good beer from GI on tap. I dislike most of them, but this was quite drinkable and refreshing.

Had a glass on a trip to Goose Island Clybourn, reviewed from notes Served in a tulip, it was a pleasing sunny gold and held great lacing.

Lot of citric American hops in the aroma....tangerine, grapefruit.

This is a credible saison with some rustic spiciness, but what really made this beer for me was the fact that I was having it close to the source; it had great fresh green hop character. Decent saison with an awesome American hop twist.

Good mouthfeel too - bracing and refreshing on a warmer Chicago day.

I could have had another, but I wanted to try more beers on my short trip to Goose Island.

On tap at GI-Clybourn

Pours 1/2 finger of fizzy white head. Colo is a hazed pale dark straw yellow.

Aroma: Fresh peaches with some orange peel. Lots of spices, lemon zest, coriander, grapefruit citrus, and a floral hop profile.

Taste: More spiced here. Crushed black pepper, cloves, orange peel, peaches, coriander, sweet citrus, and a floral hop bite.

Mouthfeel: Crisp and bitter, yet creamy and smooth. Great saison feel to it. Medium bodied with a low to medium amount of carbonation. Ends dry and spiced.

Overall, a great saison that is very drinkable. Lots of great flavors that blend well together. Very impressed with this one.

Pours a clear, golden color. 1/3 inch head of a white color. Good retention and great lacing. Smells of sweet malt, yeast, hint of citrus, hint of tart malt, and a hint of hops. Fits the style of a Saison / Farmhouse Ale. Mouth feel is smooth and clean with an average carbonation level. Tastes of citrus hops, sweet malt, slight spice, and slight yeast. Overall, better than average, but nothing to brag about. Not complex or strong bodied.

I had this one on tap at the Clybourn pub on 7/3/2010...served in a stemmed tulip glass.

A= This ale poured a hazy/cloudy pale gold color with a persistent 3/4" white head. The head settled slowly and left some clingy lace-foam down my glass.

S= Funky and complex aroma blend of grapefruit, lemon, pepper, banana, and a host of other phenolics. Hops were detectable but light...possibly saaz.

T= Like the aroma, the flavor profile was complex and fruity/funky. The big winner of the flavor battle was the grapefruity esters and the chalky yeast. Some tropical fruit, lemon, barnyard funk, and spicy hops combine to add layers of flavor. Finished lightly tart and refreshing.

MF= Medium bodied, fairly dry, with an effervescent carbonation.

D= A very good saison...maybe not Saison DuPont caliber but its freshness and locality allow this to stand up to the European saisons.

Chef Collaboration Series; Pours a golden orange amber with a rich, thick and full solid white head. Great looking.

Floral full nose that is both perfumy and yeasty/white bread in character.

Mouthfeel is medium creamy but with a rich well balanced character.

Flavors are malty yeasty and has a flavor profile that is appealing with a yeasty/grapefruity character and a papaya finish.

A complex drink that is very appealling.

Purchased at the brewery.

A: very nice light brown color
S: traditional saison nose with a bit of piney hops, Belgium meets America!
T: very, very good, all the saison qualities with a kick of hops, spicey, floral, with a good smattering of mustiness that is traditional to saisons
M: great mouthfeel, hops tickle the tongue and saisons are perfect for a warm summer day (85 degrees today)
D: very drinkable, alcohol is only aspect that might knock it down a bit from being a "quaffer"

On tap at Clybourn...
Appears a hazy, semi transparent light gold with a small white head that slowly fade into a film and collar. Scaatered blotches are left around the glass.
Smell is of floral notes, perfume, earthy mineral notes, and white grapes.
Taste is of the aromas with tropical flavors and hints of Sauvignon Blanc white wine. They used the Sofie yeast which dried it out to a apricot flavor.
Mouthfeel is medium-full bodied, tart, dry, and refreshing.