XL
Goose Island Beer Co.

 

 

 

 

Enjoyed on tap at the Goose Island pub on Clybourn- poured into a 10oz snifter.

A - Jet Black. Mocha colored head- pencil thin, dissipates very quickly.

S - Oatmeal, vanilla, chocolate- maybe some cherry? but that could also be the dried fruit.

T - sweet flavor. may need more complexity. some dried fruit. oatmeal, chocolate, vanilla. initially a burn of alcohol.

M - not real carbonated. also a bit thin. more froth is needed.

O - Head was completely gone just a few minutes after pour. good flavor but just a bit too thin.

 

From 01/21/13 notes. Had this on tap at the Clybourn brewpub.

a - Pours a dark brown, almost black color, with one inch of dark tan head and low carbonation evident.

s - Smells of chocolate, roasted malts, coffee, vanilla, and some toasted malts. Pretyt nice nose, lots of roasted notes and chocolate.

t - Tastes of sweet milk chocolate, roasted malts, sweet vanilla, dark chocolate, some coffee, caramel, light bitter cocoa, and toasted malts. Taste is sweet than the nose and a tiny step up for me.

m - Full body and moderate carbonation. Thick but not a lot of alcohol coming through it.

o - Overall a pretty nice oatmeal stout. Sweet in the tatse and a lot of chocolate, doesn't feel like it is 10% ABV. Would definitely like to have it again, one of the better beers I had at GI.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On-tap at the Clybourn location.

A: Good looking, dark looking, mean looking, high-octane looking, sludgeliciously looking brew. The head was pretty sticky.

S: Definitely not a coffee or chocolate-based beer. This was of the dark fruit variety. Definitely some thing grainy poking through, but the oats didn't make their subtle appearance until later.

T: Roasty, for sure, and definitely more than a tinge of sweet barley. Like I stated before, no Starbucks or Dagoba here. More like prunes and raisons.

M: Slippery, hslimy even as a result of the oats. Thick, slightly boozy, and with lots of sticky lacing. The carbonation was about right, considering the octane and disposition of this beer overall.

O: While this was good, I wish there would have been maybe a hint of chocolate or cocoa, but maybe that's just me. Still, good brew.

 

 

On-tap at Goose Island Clybourn. Served in a snifter.

A - Tan-mocha foam settles to a collar, with no lace. Pitch black body. Pretty imposing stuff.

S - A classic RIS aroma, with big roasted malts, dark chocolate, molasses, dark breads, and a bit of char and anise as well. Perhaps a hint of alcohol as it warms up.

T - The taste is a bit sweeter, with more of a baker's chocolate, vanilla, and molasses vibe. There's some of the aforementioned roast and char, and the (perhaps imagined) flavor of oats.

M - Full-bodied, chewy and soft texture that's typical of oatmeal beers. Somewhat higher than expected carbonation, but otherwise it's sticky mid-palate before ending roast and a tad smokey. Well-hidden booze.

D - A nice, classic, well-executed Imperial Stout, but with some oatmeal creaminess as a twist. Nothing mind-blowing, but pretty easy to drink and pretty tasty. Would do really well in a bourbon barrel. I'd order another glass if it was still on next time I'm at Clybourn.

Served in a snifter at the Clybourn brewpub.

This imperial oatmeal stout is just my size... Anyway, this stuff pours a straight obsidian topped by over a finger of light brown foam. The nose comprises roasted malts, light booze, and plenty of chocolate syrup. The taste brings in more of the same, with some sort of plum/anise flavor pervading the background. The body is a hefty medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a smooth feel. Overall, a pretty nice impy oatmeal stout, not the best of the genre I've had at this particular establishment, but it's pretty good stuff.