Gillian
Goose Island Beer Co.

4.21/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
by Reef from South Carolina

12 oz. Bottle dated Feb. 21, 2017.

Quick pour resulted in 5 mm fine white head which quickly dissipated. No lacing. Hazy orange amber. Light sediment.
Wonderful strawberry, light floral, and brett scents.
Prominent strawberry, along with Brett, honey, light pepper zing.
Light, bright feel, dry finish. No heat from the ABV.
Refreshing saison, great for warm weather sipping.

Feb 28, 2021

4.19/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

Goose Island Beer Co. "2017 Gillian"
$6 / 5 oz. @ Goose Island Brewhouse Philadelphia on 06/02/18

Notes: Slightly hazy. Deep golden beneath a bright white head. Sweetish, fruity, floral aroma. Some strawberry actually comes through. Sweetish to sweet in the taste. Golden malt. Not that funky. Moderate to median bitterness balances it. Mild oaky dryness in the finish with some sweetish malt and strawberry lingering. Medium to medium-light in body. Gently crisp.

Feb 26, 2021

4.5/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
by brendanbeer from New York

This is another great option in the wild ale line from Goose Island. I'm having the 2018 vintage. It's a beautiful color with a light fizzy head. Up front is the white pepper, which provides a good bright kick and a little bitterness which surprisingly compliments the fade into strawberries. Fresh strawberries is the dominant mid-palate taste, which isn't overly sweet, and balanced by a lot of carbonation. The ending note is honey, not thick, or strong, just subtly sweet and a nice way to finish a bright and exciting ride of flavor. This is probably my favorite wild ale from them so far, along with the raspberry one. There's a pleasant bitterness that lingers with the strawberries which lends some complexity to the bubbly treat.
Thanks and cheers!

Jul 04, 2020

4.24/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
by Billolick from New York

Large capped bottle, 765 ml. "bottled on 15FEB16" "Develops in the bottle over 5 years"

Pours hazed, lighter amber, with a soft orange hue. Lifts a lasting khaki cap. slowly fading to a thicker film and leaving slippery strands and bits of lacing.

Faint floral, sweet and perfume notes on the nose.

Simply over the top delicious offering, deeply flavorful, complex and highly enjoyable. Notes of yeasty funk, earthiness, crisp and tart lime, fruity berries. Super yeasty and nutty final pour.

Thank you to the bottle shop for aging this one nicely for over 4 years for customers like me...drinking great and well worth the $8.99 (!) it was marked down to.

May 22, 2020

4.25/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
by VABA from Virginia

A-Pours a hazy golden color with a slight head and lacing
A-Aroma has a strawberry, honey and Brett hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a well balanced strawberry, honey and Brett sour flavor
M-A light bodied well carbonated beer
O-A good Belgian Saison

Mar 01, 2020

4.21/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
by MonDak_Joe1953 from Minnesota

12oz bottle. Bottling date marked on label as '21FEB17'.
Cloudy, deep gold colored body. Minimal fizzy head dissipates rather quickly. No lacing. Active surface.
Aroma of yeast funk and strawberry. Overall has a sweet smell.
Taste has lots of funk, mixing in leather, rubber eraser, and horse blanket. There is a sweetness from the honey and a fruitiness from the strawberry. The funk wins out in the end. The end is dry, with pepper.
Medium mouth feel. Excellent carbonation which bubbles in the mouth.
Interesting concoction of a saison with honey and berry.

Jan 28, 2020

4.3/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
by Victory_Sabre1973 from Minnesota

Pours a murky, but semi clear golden color. 3 finger white foamy head. The retention isn't the best, and it forms a nice fomay ring around the glass.
The nose hit me as I opened the bottle, and looking at it from a distance. It's wild and quite funky smelling. Up close it is like a sweet, but yet, wild and funky. Very pleasing.
The taste is kinda sweet. I was expecting more wild and funky based on the nose. It is, but more sweet that I was expecting. There's a lot more going on with this beer than I can accurately describe.
Bubbly, and champagne feeling. It's a 9% beer, but not feeling like it.
Wild and funky ale. Damn tasty, and recommended.

Dec 15, 2019

4.25/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
by npolachek from New York

Strawberry, pepper, and honey permeate this barrel aged beer. It’s a bit sweet and also has some good complexity. Effervescent with a golden color to it.

Sep 13, 2019

4.11/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
by Tucquan from Pennsylvania

Had this on 2019-06-21 in Columbia, PA from a 750ml 2016 bottle.


Pale orange with little head. Belgian yeast, strawberry, light wine barrel and touch of white pepper. Light body and effervescent.Very dry. No way to tell it is 9.5% ABV. Enjoyed it.

Jun 21, 2019

3.83/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
by keithmurray from Connecticut

12 oz bottle bottled in February of 2017

Appearance - dark golden amber color with white head

Smell - apple cider, pear, strawberry , white wine, vinegar

Taste - Cider like, apple, pear, strawberry, lime, white wine, vinegar

Mouthfeel - medium bodied, medium carbonation, tartness upfront, wine and cider qualities in the middle, moderately sour on the finish, dry finish

Overall - decent wild ale here, would be great on a hot summer's day

Price Point - $2.50/12 oz single

Apr 08, 2019

4/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by GuyFawkes from Illinois

Bottled 9/12/13; drank 8/16/14 @ the Palace.

Murky mango hue.

Fizzy white head which quickly dissipates; no lace.

Funk, strawberry & mango nose. Nice!

Medium mouthfeel.

Strawberry, mango & mild pepper heat up front; a dry soda/champagne finish. Unique & effervescent.

Apr 01, 2019

4.37/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
by drtth from Pennsylvania

Bottled 21 Feb 2017, so just over 2 years of bottle age.

The bright clear golden amber colored beer is poured gently out into a Duvel glass with a 1/2” white head that begins to visibly recede to a cap and then a ring and an irregular island of foam while leaving no lacing on the sides of the glass. Sipping creates a couple of arches and some scattered small patches of foam, most of which slide back down to the liquid.

The aromas include some light tartness along with some strawberry and some light floral character up front. In the background there’s a touch of barnyard funk and some light white pepper notes.

The flavors are much as expected from the nose with some light but definite strawberry tartness blending well with some sweetness from the malt. The other flavors include some floral notes, a bit of funk and some white pepper, but no bitterness.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied and both smooth and lightly prickly with the moderate persistent finely bubbled carbonation. The finish begins as the sweetness, the floral, the strawberry and most of the tartness recede to leave the long dry finish showing some light tartness, a bit of funk and some white pepper notes.

Overall the aromas/flavors are fairly complex and enjoyable in that none of them dominate the others and each shows in its own way. I’ve enjoyed drinking this unusual beer and I’m glad there is another resting quietly in the fridge.

Mar 31, 2019

3.75/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
by Jhfinn from New York

2016 bottle just over 2yrs old. Somewhat acidic but nice beer

Nov 27, 2018