I recently wrote a review on the great Goose Island Beer Co. This fantastic microbrewery/brewpub from Chicago is an essential visit on any trip out to the Midwest. They have the two brewpubs in the city and I seem to find time to get to both of them when I’m out there. Their beers are limited in distribution so I often have a difficult time finding them on the East Coast. Of course, I stock up every time I am out that way. Today I want to focus in on my single favorite beer from their large repertoire.
Predictably given my penchant for hoppy beers my favorite is the Goose Island IPA. This is a wonderful example of the style. The India pale ale style was originated by the British in the 19th Century. It was brewed with a larger amount of hops and to a higher alcohol content to survive the journey at sea to India. As blasphemous as it seems now the original idea was to water the beers back down to regular specs on arrival. Suffice to say, the higher octane variety caught on.
Over the years, the British versions of IPA have become soft and weak. Fortunately, the American microbrewers hijacked the style and took over. Now we classify English IPA (EIPA) or American IPA (AIPA) to draw a distinction. Goose Island IPA is an American IPA. It features a wonderful hop character right from the start. I have enjoyed this beer on draught and in bottle. I have also had it cask conditioned while in Chicago. That is a wonderful beer experience.
Goose Island IPA is one of those that kind of straddle the lines between EIPA and AIPA. Anchor Liberty Ale is another one that manages to execute the same feat. It has a generous hop presence but it is not insanely hopped as are many of the AIPA. Goose Island also has made an Imperial IPA but I have yet to try that one. Those beers are a whole different animal anyway.
My notes for the draught version I had at the Wrigleyville branch in September seem to place it as a grapefruit IPA. That is a quality that many of the finer IPAs share. The aroma and taste will strongly suggest grapefruit juice. In my notes from there, I simply wrote the word grapefruit with an exclamation point. If you are in Chicago, this beer alone is worth making time for a visit to the brewpubs.
Most recently, I opted to indulge in one of the bottles I brought home from Chicago. It is still quite good in bottle. I began to pour the beer slowly. I noticed a rich golden hue to the beer. It may be slightly paler than most IPAs but it still a visually striking beer. I also noted a grapefruit nose as I poured the beer. It’s good to know they don’t scrimp on the hops here. I didn’t add an exclamation point but it’s still grapefruit juice.
That hop presence asserts itself quickly in the taste. The beer like most IPAs is medium in body. It’s not an obtrusively heavy beer. Many people do not have a taste for bitter, hoppy beers. If you don’t then you won’t like this beer. If you do, you’ll likely love this beer. A healthy head sustains itself as I take the first few swigs. It laces up on the side of the glass. There is an underlying fruitiness that really adds a subtle touch to this beer. It is not strictly a hop mine field. There is a good malt accent but it is clearly dominated by the hops.
This is not the easiest beer to come by due to limited production and distribution. For any lover of hoppy beers this is one to seek out. Goose Island is among the best breweries in America. This IPA is my favorite of their extensive line-up.
consult Sleeper54’s profile page for a complete list of participants in the lean and mean2 write-off.
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