Has Goose Island improved with Anheuser-Busch brewing?

I haven't had Honker's Ale (I've actually never even seen it around here--only the "312" series and Goose Island IPA), but if it really had something like a canned green bean-like flavor before, then I'd say losing that would be a definite improvement.

(Of course, maybe that flavor wouldn't be quite as nasty for other people. Green beans are just one of those things that's an instant nope-I-can't-eat-this for me... the absolute last place I want to be smelling or tasting them is in my beer!)

 

I recently had GI IPA at a bar I was dragged to. Normally I wouldn't have chose it but it was honestly the best choice. I was surprised how much better it was than I remembered. I forget offhand how long ago AB bought them out but it was probably a good three years since I've had it and I was pleasantly surprised. It was a touch watery but there was some nice bitterness balanced with a touch of citrus that I don't remember from before. i remember the beer being way strong on the malt side, but this was more balanced.

 

The Barrel aging program as more than tripled. Things available in Chicago from the new Barrel aging warehouse and in the Fulton & Wood series are awesome.

Goose Island is hilarious. You get obnoxious snobs who will refuse to drink it because they "sold out". But those same people will get in line at 6AM for Bourbon County.

 

I had Honker's a little while back and didn't like it as much as I remembered, honestly. Could have been a fluke or a palate change. But BCBS hasn't been adversely affected other than every schmo on earth trying to get some. Their biggest sin in my eyes was discontinuing Summertime. That was a great summertime beer.

 

The bars at the United Center, where the Blackhawks and Chicago Bulls play, are now Goose Island Bars. I can get Matilda at a Bulls game. (Along with Daisy Cutter and Sculpin if you know where to go). That's an improvement not only for Goose Island but for the craft beer movement in my book.

 

Absolutely not. 312 used to pass as an acceptable party beer, certainly better than a coors light or something similar. Now? Honestly, pass me the coors light.

Fun story: I didnt know 312 had changed brewing locations until I opened up a bottle and it tasted like a different beer. I examined the bottle and it was brewed in NY. A few weeks later I'm at a "craft beer bar crawl" and one of the stops was goose island only, with goose reps and everything. Chatting with a rep (who was a stereotypical ABinbev looking rep) and he tells me how they pride themselves that nobody could tell the beer was different. I tell him the story of how I told the difference, and he just looks at me and says "Nah brah, we spent millions making it taste the same"
Sorry brah, it doesn't taste the same.

 

Goose island is a 1 trick pony with the bcbs IMHO. Their sours are good but id seek cascade, cantillon, Casey, bruery, crooked stave, Russian river, or firestone walker sours before theirs. Idk just never been blown away by their brews. Aside bcbs and variants, which I camped out for.

 

I occasionally pick up GI IPA and Honkers. I haven't notced a change. If they ever start canning I would probably buy them more often.

 

I think if you're noticing a difference on the east coast, it's probably because it was never fresh prior to the InBev acquisition. I do not buy GI's regular lineup often but had a Honker's at the airport recently and it tasted the same to me. 312 I have never enjoyed. Had it at Jazzfest this past summer and it tasted like hay

 

I haven't had a ton of GI products, but from the ones I've tried I tend to feel like the IPA and 312 have lessened in quality and I wouldn't buy them now. I did, however, just really enjoy Ten Hills.

 

Sofie and Matilda are the only GI brews I regularly buy.

They are as good as ever and even better with a bit of age on them.

 

If using AB vast resources is going to make their sought out beers more available without messing their recipes and traditions that made them renowned then more power to them.

 

Summertime is coming back as well as will be available in the Summer Sampler pack, kind of like how the Nut Brown Ale is back in the Winter Variety.

 

The can both 312's and the IPA.

 

I haven't had Matilda recently, but bought a 4-pack of Sofie in November. Holy hell that was delicious.

 

It isn't anywhere near that simple. I don't buy GI anymore despite Sofie being the best domestic saison made today. It's got nothing to do with GI "selling out". It's got nothing to do with corporations being corporation-y. It's got nothing to do with them being too big. It's got everything to do with AB Inbev's war on smaller breweries. If they want to compete on price and quality alone, fine. But I won't help finance lobbying efforts like this one (and the one's that will inevitably follow).

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news...bill-creating-craft-beer-regulation/?page=all

To answer the OP's question, Sofie was as good as ever a year ago when I had it last.

 

Can't get BCBS in Ohio d/t abv. Their regular beers have always been meh at best for me even before the buy-out and IMO their sours are currently very overpriced. I'll still grab something of theirs from time to time if I see something interesting or on sale but in general, again IMO, things seem at best status quo.

 

While I would imagine that we'll really start seeing the gains from the buyout next year (when the new barrel warehouse will hopefully be pumping out lots of BCBS for everyone), aside from a larger footprint for GI's "standard" beers, there hasn't really been much gained or lost.

While GI makes some pretty solid beers (their IPA is a classic standard, and all the sisters are great, among others), their best stuff is still being done at Fulton & Wood, and at the Clybourn brewpub. As neither of these are being distributed, most people still aren't getting the chance to enjoy GI's best stuff, with the exception of BCBS (and I guess if you're gonna have an exception, that should be the one!).

 

Flavor-wise I dont' think there's any difference. The distribution seems different this year on the BCBS and I wonder if that has to do with InBevs direction. I can't tell you how many stores received 0 variants, but nearly all of the ones that did claimed they, ''had the biggest allotment in the state." That sounds like a sleazy salesman (as in InBev's salespeople made those stores feel all special) lie and I did have an InBev salesperson handing out the BCBS regular at the store I went to. I asked about Vanilla, Coffee and Barleywine and his response was "drink more 312." If I have to drink 10 cases of 312 to get one bomber of Vanilla Rye, I'd rather go without.