R.I.P. Ale
Goose Island Beer Co.

 

 

 

Had this on tap at Goose Island, one of my favorite stops while traveling through Chicago.

A - Pours a nice, clear amber/copper color with a one fingered very CREAMY white head, tight bubbles, and very mild carbonation.

S - Dry caramel malt with a nice amount of pine and citrus hopping. The aroma comes through as "crisp". The citric portion smells like citrus rinds...very, very nice.

T - The malt comes through as a little earthy and grainy with mild caramel backing throughout. A little bit of rye, and a decently balanced dose of pine and citric hops to finish the sip. The rye and hops play the main stage with the malt being a distant second. Has some lingering rye and snappy, crisp citric bitterness that moderately lingers.

D - Perhaps this beer's best quality. Not my favorite from Goose Island, I like their regular IPA far better. But still, it's a well brewed and flavorful beer.

M - Mildly grainy, a little prickly on the tongue.

Had this when I was in Chicago for the weekend.

Poured from the tap into a tasting glass.

The color is a darker orange with a little foamy white head and some lacing left on the glass.

The smell is citrus fruit flavors. There is a bit of a grapefruit flavor and is a little sweet like a Now & Later.

The taste is a slight toch of caramel with a bitterness that eclipses everything fast and holds you in a hoppy shell before letting go and allowing some malt flavor come out before the finish.

This beer does have a medium body on it and is not as heavy as I first thought. A hopheads beer for sure.

An IPA according to Goose
http://twitter.com/GooseClybourn/status/26681038719

Deep orange with bright clarity, about a half inch of foam that settles and coats the glass in concentric rings.

Big citrusy aroma, grapefruit rind, orange and resiny pine. Fresh hop aroma dominates and is very pleasant.

Resiny bitterness lingers into the aftertaste, citrus rind upfront, leafy and green middle with underlying pale malt. Rye doesn't add much that can be detected, just some complexity to the malt bill. Supple feel on cask though some carbonation was noticeable.

A few pints or a growler would be no problem. Hope this goes into regular rotation, it's a solid IPA.

Second beer of the night at Goose Island. Released it Thursday and had it in small pint glass.


A- Grapefruit juice with a ruby two-toned body. Sunrise with pollution if you'll allow me that. It generates an acceptable head that is predominated with tiny bubbles mingled with a twice-blended cream. In short, a milkshake on top of my beer.


S- Mixed berries, floral notes, mild pine hops, some spicy rye notes do come out, but the backbone of this beer is strongly citrus.


T- This opened up subtly sweet that mirrors caramels. There is a mysterious mixture of flavors in the middle that is muddled by a spicy note that must be the rye coming out again. The finish is faintly bitter. It is very unusual how well the spice and hops in this particular rye.


M- Decent build, very carbonated, lingers almost like a ghost. Smooth but not creamy.


D- I'd put this one as a fantastic addition to the line-up. Nothing to complain about and only a minor alcohol presence. Something to mix things up in the middle of drinking.