Reviewing the now retired Goose Island Imperial IPA from Goose Island Brewing Company. This is the beer that got me first interested in craft beer many moons ago. It will always hold a special place in my liver.Score: 81
2007 vintage bottle served in a "The Bruery" tulip and enjoyed on 03/23/12. This bottle is from the very last bottling Goose Island ever did of this beer.
Appearance: Pours a golden orange color that is slightly hazy. Not much information about the head at pour, since the 12 oz bottle was split between several of us. Seems to have decent lacing. 3.5/5
Smell: Honey, heavy barley malt, and stale hops. Lots of malt, to be frank. Surprisingly enough, there is still a light booziness in the nose. Moderate oxidation too. 3.5/5
Taste: Heavy doses of bitter barley malt and caramel. That's about it. At this point, the beer has turned into a straightforward English barleywine with some light acidic tartness on the back half. There is a lingering bitter barley malt finish. 3/5
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, medium carbonation. Oily mouthfeel. Bitter finish. 3.5/5
Overall: While this beer is a shell of its former self, it was pure nostalgia to get the rare chance to try the no longer produced beer that got me into the craft scene several years ago. Thank you so much DP34 for sharing this one with me!
Recommendation: You can skip this once-great beer at this point in its life cycle, but it's certainly not a drain pour of an Imperial IPA five years later.
Pairings: Provolone cheese.
Cost: I do not recall how much this beer cost back in the day, but I believe it was between $10 and $20 for a four pack. I think it also use to cost around $10 for a pint at the Clybourn brewpub.
No comments:
Post a Comment