Batch 5000 (Porter)
Goose Island Beer Co.

 

A - pours a dark roast brown, near black with half a finger of rich caramel brown head, solid retention and decent lacing

S - super sugary, almost old ale like nose. Some kind of fruity minimally tart sweetness

T - Slightly rosary, rich dark chocolate and sugary sweetness. Almost buttery

M - Light bodied decently carbonated.

 

 

The Batch 5000 was a pleasent surprise in the locker room after a hockey game. The beer poured a opaque deep rich black with foamy ecru head that is lacing like a Fredrick;s of Hollywood catalog. The smell has some sweet malt and roast. The taste is a well balance beer with sligth bitterness....but very easy to drink. The mouthfeel is medium to full body with smooth carbonation. Overall it is a very nice easy drinking porter.

 

 

 

 

12oz bottle poured into a Goose Island wine glass. Thanks to russwbeck for this!

A - Pours a dark amber or ruby, bordering on brown earthy tints. It builds about 1.5-fingers of tan head that has some good retention. The lacing is beautiful, displaying a curtain that covers nearly every inch of glass.

S - The nose is malty and earthy, giving off a slight coffee roast but balancing this with a sweet chocolate note. A little bit of nuttiness and sugar, before finishing with a dash of spicy hops.

T - The flavor isn't swaying in any one particular direction, as the low-key roast continues. It isn't so much a strong coffee flavor, but it helps in the transition to the other flavors. The chocolate comes across as a little more dry, like a cocoa. It picks up a spike of sweetness in the middle, right before the earthy hops come in.

M - Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with decent carbonation. It's definitely more dry than I am used to for the style, and although not exactly full-bodied, it doesn't suffer from the watery feel that a lot of porters do.

D/O - Drinkability is moderate. I'm not sure what this beer is totally about since there's not a lot of information regarding it out there and the label is just a white piece of paper with the batch number and date on it. This would be a nice porter if it was regularly released, but it's certainly nothing special.

A: Brown pour with a creamy light brown head. The lacing on the glass is very nice.

S: Huge notes of chocolate and roasted malts. A bit creamy with underlying hops.

T: A lot of very dark chocolate really dominates the taste. Molasses provides some balance to the strong hit of chocolate, and a smokiness finishes the beer off. A very interesting tasting beer, but the chocolate is a bit too harsh for my tastes.

MF: Heavy, not as light as most porters I've come across. Very dry throughout. No hints of booze.

O: The flavor on this beer was so strong that it put me off a bit, the drinkability is not very high. Perhaps if the chocolate and molasses blended a bit better with other flavors, this could have been a hit. I have no idea what the ABV is, so I'm not sure whether or not to age a bottle. I guess we shall see!

Apparently I get to do my review #1700 twice, due to some merged entries. Served in a Goose Island tasting glass at the newly resurrected SECOND Thursday of the Month Gathering.

A - A finger of tan foam settles to a thin cap and thicker collar, leaving spotty lace behind. Good head retention. Transparent dark brown with ruby glints.

S - Roasty and dry, with notes of molasses, baker's chocolate, dough, sugar, and light floral hopping.

T - Taste has a bit more char and smoke, with toasted grains, light sugar and chocolate notes, and some roasty bitterness in the finish. Again, quite dry.

M - Medium body, moderate-to-low carbonation, slightly sticky finish, and no obvious alcohol. Guessing this is probably in the 5-6% range.

D - A very easy to drink porter. Reminds me of Port Brewing Back in Mak. I could have a couple glasses of this one in an evening. Hard to believe that after 5000 batches at their main Fulton production facility Goose Island hadn't actually made a porter before.

Pours into the glass a deep dark brown with some garnet highlight and a couple fingers of tan foam. Aroma starts off with a nice healthy mix of roast and chocolate. Smooth malts with a hint of creaminess. Seems well balanced.

First sip brings a good mix of dark malts, roast and caramel tones along with a roll of chocolatey goodness. Smooth with some mild burnt undertones. Touch of bitterness on the way down with a hint of hops. Tasty brew.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with well placed carbonation. It's not as dense as some porters but it is extremely drinkable! Overall, a tasty porter that I'm glad to have been able to sample for sure. Here's to many more Goose batches!