Beer of the Weekend #462: Goose Island 25th Anniversary Ale
Count me as a sucker for anniversary beer releases. Not only do I have Founders and New Glarus anniversary brews chilling in my fridge, the beer of the weekend is Goose Island 25th Anniversary Ale, brewed by the Goose Island Beer Company of Chicago, Illinois.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The bottled on date is “24APR13.”
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is ruddy amber or mahogany, and a finger of lightly tanned, buttery head left an even skim and sticky ring around the edge.
Smell: Rich floral hops hit the nose first, then caramel, toffee, cocoa, and some toasted malts emerge from underneath. It is a touch metallic, too. As it warms, the malts gain more prominence and it becomes a balanced mélange.
Taste: Subtle but delicious. There is not much flavor upfront; the floral hops hit the cheeks and back of the tongue and the general experience at first is the creamy, dry mouthfeel. However, the toasted malts, caramel, toffee, and cocoa from the smell emerge slowly. Though not powerful, the flavor is far from fleeting. It settles in and satisfies.
Drinkability: Smooth, flavorful, easy drinking. This is a good beer, and it exhibits the skill of its brewers. I am pretty sure it pales its inspirations.
Fun facts about 25th Anniversary Ale:
-Style: On the bottle is written “Extra Special Bitter.”
-Price: $7.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 6.4 percent ABV.
-Nerdiness from the beer’s news release:
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The bottled on date is “24APR13.”
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is ruddy amber or mahogany, and a finger of lightly tanned, buttery head left an even skim and sticky ring around the edge.
Smell: Rich floral hops hit the nose first, then caramel, toffee, cocoa, and some toasted malts emerge from underneath. It is a touch metallic, too. As it warms, the malts gain more prominence and it becomes a balanced mélange.
Taste: Subtle but delicious. There is not much flavor upfront; the floral hops hit the cheeks and back of the tongue and the general experience at first is the creamy, dry mouthfeel. However, the toasted malts, caramel, toffee, and cocoa from the smell emerge slowly. Though not powerful, the flavor is far from fleeting. It settles in and satisfies.
Drinkability: Smooth, flavorful, easy drinking. This is a good beer, and it exhibits the skill of its brewers. I am pretty sure it pales its inspirations.
Fun facts about 25th Anniversary Ale:
-Style: On the bottle is written “Extra Special Bitter.”
-Price: $7.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 6.4 percent ABV.
-Nerdiness from the beer’s news release:
For Goose Island’s 25th Anniversary, Goose Island Brewmaster Brett Porter, former Goose Island Brewmaster Greg Hall, and Goose Island Pub Brewmaster Nick Barron co-created a unique new brew to celebrate the loyal fans that supported the company over the past 25 years. This special ale exhibits the rich malt and rustic hop flavors found in the English ales that originally inspired their founder, John Hall, to open Goose Island in 1988….
“We wanted to celebrate our 25th anniversary by bringing back an unreleased beer called ‘Honker’s Deluxe’ that is pleasant to enjoy and a testament to our brewing team’s goals,” said Brewmaster Brett Porter. “We brewed the beer with Maris Otter malt and dry-hopped with East Kent Goldings.”
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
