Beer of the Weekend #353: Honker's Ale
Instead of going to the Braves-Cubs game on Monday (so stupid), my parents and I hung out in Wrigleyville and ate lunch at Goose Island’s Wrigleyville brewpub. I ate a veggie burger (which was really a black bean burger) and drank glasses of Honker’s Ale and Green Line Pale Ale, which is only available on draft in Illinois. Having never officially tasted Honker’s Ale, I decided to make it this week’s proper BotW. So…
…the beer of the weekend is Honker’s Ale, brewed by the Goose Island Beer Company of Chicago, Illinois.
Tonight I am introducing my Goose Island “Willi” glass. According to Goose Island it is the “Preferred Glass” for Harvest Ale and Winter Ale — not Honker’s Ale, though. According to the brewery’s website, the preferred glass for Honker’s Ale is a “Tulip Pint,” which is basically what my Guinness imperial pint is. Though the Willi is not the ideal beerware for Honker’s Ale, I bought it and am going to use it.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. “MAR 07 12” is printed on the label.
Appearance: Poured into a Goose Island “Willi” glass. The color is light copper. Three fingers of thick, buttery, eggshell-colored head dissipated slowly to leave a billowy lacing.
Smell: It has a sweet, perfume-like smell that slowly evolves to offer scents of caramel, toffee, and even a little cocoa. It also smells faintly fruity, though I cannot pin down the fruit(s); there is a little bit of lemon citrus and apple involved.
Taste: Pale malts, lightly toasted caramel, and a little earthiness and lemon citrus from the hops.
Drinkability: Very light and drinkable. This is a nice and tasty session ale.
Fun facts about Honker’s Ale:
-Style: Goose Island calls it “English Style Bitter” and BA classifies it as “English Bitter.”
-Price: $8.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 4.2 percent ABV.
-Alcohol content: 45-50ºF.
-Food pairings: The beer’s webpage recommends “Burgers, Fish and Chips.” (Note the lack of an Oxford comma. Boo!) For cheese pairings the page suggests “Camembert, English Cheddar.”
-IBU: 30.
-Nerdiness from the beer’s webpage:
The Quiet Man’s grade: B-.
…the beer of the weekend is Honker’s Ale, brewed by the Goose Island Beer Company of Chicago, Illinois.
Tonight I am introducing my Goose Island “Willi” glass. According to Goose Island it is the “Preferred Glass” for Harvest Ale and Winter Ale — not Honker’s Ale, though. According to the brewery’s website, the preferred glass for Honker’s Ale is a “Tulip Pint,” which is basically what my Guinness imperial pint is. Though the Willi is not the ideal beerware for Honker’s Ale, I bought it and am going to use it.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. “MAR 07 12” is printed on the label.
Appearance: Poured into a Goose Island “Willi” glass. The color is light copper. Three fingers of thick, buttery, eggshell-colored head dissipated slowly to leave a billowy lacing.
Smell: It has a sweet, perfume-like smell that slowly evolves to offer scents of caramel, toffee, and even a little cocoa. It also smells faintly fruity, though I cannot pin down the fruit(s); there is a little bit of lemon citrus and apple involved.
Taste: Pale malts, lightly toasted caramel, and a little earthiness and lemon citrus from the hops.
Drinkability: Very light and drinkable. This is a nice and tasty session ale.
Fun facts about Honker’s Ale:
-Style: Goose Island calls it “English Style Bitter” and BA classifies it as “English Bitter.”
-Price: $8.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 4.2 percent ABV.
-Alcohol content: 45-50ºF.
-Food pairings: The beer’s webpage recommends “Burgers, Fish and Chips.” (Note the lack of an Oxford comma. Boo!) For cheese pairings the page suggests “Camembert, English Cheddar.”
-IBU: 30.
-Nerdiness from the beer’s webpage:
Inspired by visits to English country pubs, Honker’s Ale combines a fruity hop aroma with a rich malt middle to create a perfectly balanced beer. Immensely drinkable, Honker’s Ale is not only the beer you can trust but one you’ll look forward to time and again.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B-.
