Halia
Goose Island Beer Co.

 

Feb 2016 release. Drank 12/29
Pour is crystal clear. White head that is fizzy and quickly fades to nothing
Nose is straw, hay, funk
Initial taste is straw, hay, light lemon acidity. Not overpowering, nicely balanced. A bit of a champagne taste. Buttery white wine, a bit of tannins. Dry finish. Subtle peaches

I found a bottle of the 2017 vintage recently at a grocery store in Los Alamos, NM.

Poured into a tulip glass. Bright, slightly hazy yellow color with effervescent head and little lacing. Smell is pleasant with white pepper and lemon. Taste follows the smell with a bit of funk. Crisp and slightly tart. I enjoyed it with homemade chicken soup.

Faint head, light straw color. Vague funk on the nose. Champaign with slight funk, lingering vanilla notes. Not their best showing.

Pours a very clear straw color with a small head. Head retention is very mild. Lacing is as well. Has an aroma of Belgium yeast, Brett, white grapes, and hay. The same thing goes with the taste with a nice amount of funk. Light bodied with moderate to heavy carbonation.

4/4/22: Drinking from a bottle from 2017

Appearance: Pours a completely clear, light golden color with almost no head. SRM of 5. (3.50)

Aroma: Strong aromas of yeasty funk and Brett. Some citrus underneath.

Flavor: Strong and intense flavors of wild yeast and Brett. Some citrus underneath before a strong yeasty and funk finish mixed with intense fruity tartness.

Feel: Medium-bodied. Strong carbonation. An intensely tart and bitter finish and very astringent

Compared to Goose Island Sofie 4/4/22 Pours a lighter color. Stronger aromas. More intense yeast and funk. Less stonefruit and vanilla. Much more tart and intense.

Overall: A whopper of a wild ale here. Strong funk and brett with intense tartness and astringency off the end. Packs a bite and not for the faint of heart or if you rarely drink wild ales like me. The intensity may have increased since this one is 5 years old. (Final Rating: 3.62)

Poured into a tulip.

Pours shimmering but slightly hazed light gold. No head or lacing.

Aromas of yeast, funk, lactic acid, lemon, and white stone fruit.

Modest honey-kissed white stone fruit sweetness on the tip of the tongue. And then holy cow. Lactic tartness, oaky barrels, horsey funk, grass, white pepper. Sneaky good brine notes at the finish.

Medium bodied. Very light and bubbly. Crisp short finish.

Is it worthy of the price? I'm not sure. But it's really tasty. The brine notes are what take this one up to the next level.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Large capped bottle, "12Jan17" printed on the rear label. "Develops in the bottle over 5 years". So the store aged this for me for just over 3 years and its got a few years to develop...hmm interesting stuff.

The pour here is fully hazed orange infused amber, no head, film or lacing left on the glass.

Subtle sniff with earthy and and yeasty qualities with lightly sour underlying and back note.

Super tasty wild/sour ale, with more earthiness, yeasty notes, yes the advertised peaches and apricots. More then a little bit sour/tart, but not at all over the top...delicious creation, soft, tasty, complex....highly worthy creation.....gotta pick up a for more (nicely aged) bottles next time...

A-Pours a nice golden color with a slight head and lacing
A-Aroma has a generous peach and yeast hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a well balanced peach and yeast sour flavor
M-A light bodied decently carbonated beer
O-A good Belgian Saison