MatildaChicago, Illinois, USA
Owned by Anheuser-Busch Inbev
Belgian Style Pale Ale 7.0 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 765 ml
$9.95 (Canadian) At LCBO
Twitter: @gooseisland
I had heard of this brewery before and I was very excited when I discovered it at a local LCBO. Goose Island was started in 1988 as a brew pub named Clybourn. It became known as Goose Island brewing company in 1995 when it opened it's main brewery. It then opened a second brewpub called Wrigleyville in 1999. As of 2011 Fulton Street Brewing company, the legal name of Goose Island Brewing Company, was sold to Anheuser-Busch Inbev.
Onto the tasting:
Light orange to gold in colour with a fluffy white head made up of medium sized bubbles. Good lacing and long lasting head. Aroma is very fruity and yeasty with a slight cinnamon and clove scent hidden in the middle. First sip is citrus mainly orange, very light and refreshing followed by a warming of the body from the alcohol. Fruit gives way to roasty caramel, vanilla and a little bread. There is a good amount of residual sweetness, yet the beer drinks very clean. The lips are not sticky, nor does the sugar seem sickly. There is some similarity to an aged hard apple cider, some tartness, tartaric acid, green apple. Strong resemblance to a champagne as well, tart and bready. Aeration gives us a creamy feeling airy and effervescent mouthfeel citrus and apple.
Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional
Cost: 4/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Experience: 5/6 PASS
Final Thoughts:
Like drinking a good wine. It is well crafted and full of flavours. I was eagerly anticipating this beer, however I was disappointed to find it was a Macro-craft. Wholly owned by one of the largest breweries in the world, I am worried that something will be sacrificed. Hopefully they will be able to maintain their high standards.
Cheers
CJT
Follow me on Twitter: @pintjockey
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