Thoughts on Gose

I happen to like it a lot(one of my favorite lawnmower beers), that being said, I can understand some people being put off by the flavors. It does say right on the can that it is salty and sour, so I don't know why you would think it would be anything but that. I would say to revisit it maybe next summer and see if you like it, if not move on.

 

Try combining it with heavy or fatty foods. I think goze goes great with hamburgers, grilled cheese, or disco (cheese and gravy for the unenlightened) fries. Sometimes the intensity of the flavor of these beers can be a little too much on its own. That being said I love westbrook goze w or w/out food.

 

In my experience, Westbrook's version is, like many American versions of originally-European styles, is pretty extreme, particularly in salty and tart flavors. I think you'll find in German versions such as Ritterguts and Leipziger that the flavor isn't so extreme.

As a sidenote, do you otherwise enjoy sours, particularly American wilds and Berliners as opposed to lambics. That's an important factor.

 

You aren't kidding these things I really have to try before I buy. Thet are really hit and miss IMO

 

If you get a chance, try the Lost Nation Gose. Much less extreme than Westbrook. They have bottled it twice and always have it on tap at the brewery and elsewhere in VT.

 

It is a style that you either love, or spit out like my wife who has zero tolerance for Gose or Sours. I have little tolerance for IPA's, I tend to spit them out. So it is all relevant, don't feel bad if you don't like Gose beer, just move along to a style you like, its all good.

 

I love it and long for the day that Cigar City starts canning a gose year round. Or Westbrook could start shipping theirs down here. Either one would be acceptable to me.

 

I love sours, but they aren't always super, super drinkable.

However- Gose is the one style that is super drinkable, low ABV, sour, and refreshing.

I can't think of a single beer, I'd rather knock back in the summer time than a Gose, specifically the Westbrook version.

I think I bought 5 cases this summer, actually.

 

Lost Nation Gose

 

Had my first Gose this year... and second, third, fourth. There is as much variation with them as any style, though the core sour flavor is there with all of the ones I've had. Anderson Valley's Route 128 The Kimmie, the Yink and the Holy Gose was my least favorite and first (their Blood Orange Gose is much better). Boulevard's Hibiscus Gose may have been the best, Off Color's Troublesome was also very good. It is a style that you may prefer with food - it is a "savory" style, if not quite as much as a rauchbier. If you don't like one I'd at least try a couple of others before writing off the style. And sours generally are an acquired taste, I think.

 

I love gose and would like to see more brewers producing them. Westbrook was good, but it's not my favorite. There's at least one German Leipziger gose available here in the US; the one I had is super delicious.

I even tried my hand at brewing a gose myself. I put maybe 4 times as much salt in it as it needed -- it really only takes a little to affect the flavor a lot.

 

I've liked Leipziger for a long time, knowing it to be idiosyncratic and truly food friendly (baked cod). The Westbrook version on a hot day can disappear in three sips; it's very sneaky! I would never have thought beer faddishness to have ever caught up with Gose, but what the hell do I know? Still, more than two is tough for me. I would rather have a cooler full of SNPA than one full of Westbrook Gose!.

 

I have found Kimmie to me more sour (Berliner weises-like), and thought Boulevard's Hibiscus was medium on the sour levels. I rated Westbrook Gose when I was in SC, but I honestly don't recall anything about it. I've had some interpretations that were much more subtle on salt and sour.

I also must say my first real interesting entry into sours (in general, expanding from Gose for a second) was at a smaller brewery that was experimenting with the style (Strangeways in Richmond, VA), and initially thought "WTF?!? Wait... give me another try." Wasn't an immediate love affair, but piqued curiosity led to some more adventurous beers in the future. Not everyone will have the same experience, obviously, but at least give any style a few tries before deciding. Then a year later, try it again. You never know.

 

I find a cold Westbrook Gose fantastic with salt and vinegar chips on a warm sunny day

 

I have an Anderson Holy Gose to try for NBS. I too am not a complete fan of the Gose style, but willing to try some before I accept the notion that it's just not for me.

 

I'd say the opposite: US versions often aren't sour enough.

 

The biggest thing I seem to miss mostly on the US versions is they don't have that bakery depth of bready quality often that I associate with German brews, which is what really appeals to me personally.

There also all over the map at times. The last few I had ranged from the Blood Orange AV version which came off more as a Radler, to Schell's version which seemed more akin to drinking Yuengling.

But that's America, we are all over the map!

 

The Westbrook version is just way over the top for a traditional Gose. Its WAY too salty and a bit heavy on the lactic side but we Americans go big. Its actually too much for me and I'm a long time sour beer lover. Maybe the style isn't for you but you may have grabbed the most extreme example of the style that I've ever experienced.

 

Just like beer itself. Gose is an acquired taste. That said. In the asscrack of summer when you're ready to relax from whatever, a Gose is a beautiful thing. I couldn't really imagine enjoying the premise of one when it's practically winter.