Marisa
Goose Island Beer Co.

 

Served on tap at December Goose Island BA gathering. Pours hazy golden straw yellow with a big bubbling foamy white head, good retention. Smell is dominated by lemons, yeast, pale malt and some wheat. Taste is overwhelming lemons, but I didnt find it was as artificial and putrid as everyone else seems to think. Reminds me of meyer lemons - not too tart but very citrusy. No malt in the flavor, or if there is it is totally overpowered by the lemon. Some hop bitterness in the finish, but its mild. Medium bodied with a very light carbonation that leaves it a bit syrupy and sweet like pie filling. This beer could definitely benefit from a more lively carbonation. This one was ok but I could not have more then my 3 oz pour - by no means was this the worst beer of the night (that is reserved for any number of the winter warmers). With some tweaking I think this could be a much better beer.

A - A nice looking, yellow, hazy beer, with a white head that rose about two fingers and left some decent lacing. Good looking beer.

S - This is one of the worst beers I have ever smelled. It smells like somebody threw up in a hospital, and the were only patially able to cover it up with a massive amount of lemon pledge. Gross fake lemon smell over stinky hops and cat piss, I am scared to drink this.

T - Tastes like an industrial lemon toilet cleaner, or at least my concept of one. If you manage to choke down more than one sip, you start to get the hops coming through. The combination of sorachi hops and lemon is beyond me, and tastes like bitter vomit you tried to wash out of your mouth but weren't quite successful with it.

M - Oily, lighter side of medium, some sort of biting acidity that adds to the trainwreck that is already this beer.

D - Anyone who can finish a glass of this is missing at least two of their senses, I'll let you pick which ones. This beer is a failure, and I would be embarassed to serve it to anyone. I appreciate GI donating beer to the BA monthly gatherings, but I could have done without this.

Had on tap at the BA Monthly Meeting. This was the first beer I sampled, and let's just say it made everything I tried after taste better by comparison.

Appearance: It starts out looking nice enough. A bit darker color than the golden color I am used to seeing in a saison, and a bit hazy. A nice fluffy white head forms out of the tap, and it leaves a web of lace down the glass.

Smell: Wow, tart lemon just overpowers. Actually, not really lemon, but more like lemon extract or a lemon cleaner. The sorachi ace hops and tea come through as well. It smelled nice at first, but with each whiff I like it less.

Taste: This is really the ultimate in processed flavors. I trust that they did make it with natural ingredients, but it tastes like extracts and chemicals were used for flavoring. The pale malt is noticeable up front, but I barely get any rye, either flavor or dryness, before a ton of tart chemical lemon, tea, and Sorachi Ace come through. None of these flavors really add to the flavor or complement each other. I tried to finish the glass, simply for the novelty of it, but it was pretty hard.

Mouthfeel: It feels all right, although a bit thick for a saison. Crisp carbonation, a bit of a creamy feel as well. Too sticky though, and the combination of lemon and the sorachi hops really give me an unwelcome puckering sensation.

Drinkability: This just was not very good. It did not have any real personality, more like just a bunch of disjointed concepts thrown together in a mop bucket.

On-tap at Goose Island for the December BA gathering. Served in a taster glass. "A Saison brewed with pale malt, rye, and a hint of wheat dosed with lemon peel, tea, and Sorachi Ace hops."

A - Pours with a late-rising finger of off-white foam that settles to a thin cap, leaving behind splotchy lace. The body is a slightly hazed golden straw color.

S - Lemon cough drops, medicinal, perhaps a kiss of rye. Reminds me of Pledge.

T - Tastes like iced tea with really strong and artificial tasting lemon syrup.

M - Medium-light body, crisp carbonation, could be refreshing if it tasted better. Finishes sticky and unfortunately lingers.

D - Poured most of this out. If you're into lemon cough drops give this a try. Not sure why they felt the need to add lemon peel to a beer hopped with Sorachi Ace.