Honker's Ale - Goose Island Beer Co.

Burkbom23

Connecticut

3.65/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Really nice amber looking beer with deap dedish hues. 1 Finger thick off white head with so so retention. Some lacing, but not alot. Sweet, malty aroma. Little musky. Black cherries. Little bit of lemon. The taste is grainy maltiness, with a subtle hop backbone. Very bitter finish into a long bitter aftertaste. Bone Dry. Smooth medium mouthfeel. Drinks easy enough.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 02:44:11 | More by Burkbom23

obrike

Texas

3.83/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought a mix twelver of Goose Island at Specs Round Rock for about 13 bucks.

This is the first one I tried out of the bunch...

Poured a dark amber with a decent head...faded fairly quickly and did not leave much lace.

Getting some light nutty malt aroma and a bit dark fruit in the scent. Good, but a little pulled back.

Pretty tasty...a toasty malt flavor with a light caramel...finishes with a hint of fruity hop bitterness. Not bad for such a low abv beer. Fairly light bodied and super easy to drink

Very nice to find yet another good summer session brew for the dog days of a Texas summer. Affordable...and a unique style that I'll have to dive into a bit more it seems.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 22:59:21 | More by obrike

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

3.86/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

12oz bottle served in a Sam Adams perfect pint
bottled on March 20th 2013

A - Pours a copper/amber color, clear and shiny, 1 finger of off-white head

S - Sweet grain, caramel, some berry fruit, nut bread.

T - Toasted caramel malt, grainy wheat, has some lemon acidity upfront, grassy hops, bitterness grows and really dries off toward the end. Finishes dry and crisp.

M - Carbonation is spritzy but turns creamy.

A tasty bitter that I could drink all day long. Slighty sweet upfront transition to a dry crisp, and refreshing finish.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 00:26:28 | More by StaveHooks

TomTown

Texas

3.79/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

This was actually the first beer I had from Goose Island but I finally got around to drinking another while near a computer.

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a shaker pint glass.

A nice golden orangeish shade with a thin head that lasted for a minute or two.

Smells of noble hops and stone fruit.

Slight herbal hop character upfront with a nice bready body. Spicy, herbal hop bitterness in the finish.

All in all, perhaps because of it's freshness, one of the best english style bitters I've had in a while.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 02:18:20 | More by TomTown

TheSixthRing

California

3.89/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled on date of 01/17/13

Appearance - Pours crystal clear with a pure amber hue and a white finger width head. Fair retention, leaving behind a broken layer of microbubbles covering the surface. Lacing is spotty with fair stick.

Smell - Light aroma of caramel. Touches of wood and mildly floral.

Taste - Moderate caramel notes, backed by a very mild citrus undertone. Soft wooden and earthy character comes into play by mid-taste, then comes back with a a bit more of that citrus character near the finish. Great all-around balance.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth and entirely approachable. Finishes with a fair amount of dryness.

Overall - A commendable effort from Goose Island on this Classic English style. It's not my favorite English Bitter, it might not even be top 5, but I'd definitely consider giving this one another go.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 00:10:58 | More by TheSixthRing

ExtraStout

Massachusetts

2.86/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

Had this on tap in Cedar's @ Foxwood's Casino.

Appearance: A fine looking ale without any outsanding characteristics.
Smell: Very lightly malty.
Taste: Was not offensive but somewhat watery and malty, this beer is not overwhelming.
Mouthfeel: Easy in the mouth and going down but too thin.
Drinkabilty: This beer will bore me after a few sips.

Serving type: on-tap

05-10-2013 02:08:15 | More by ExtraStout

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.01/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle purchased from Berkeley Bowl West in Berkeley, CA.

Pours a clear orange-tinged amber hue, tending towards being truly amber, with a fizzling white head that settles down quickly to a film and a ring. Body is pleasantly light, but a little limp. Lace is patchy and inconsistent. It looks decent without inspiring anything.

Nose is mild and slightly dim: some faint malt characters and a husky grain note provide the basis. Above this, however, is a pleasant hoppy note, oddly floral and yet quite green: perhaps like some fragrant flower clippings. A slight aromatic herbal tone as well. It's a little odd, but it's not unpleasant.

Taste is a lot weaker, and really quite disappointing: there were the suggestions of a resurgence with the floral characters on the nose, but this has just dimmed again to "bland" for me. Light watery malt character, like the very last runnings of sparge water (or, for that matter, dishwater), with a slightly metallic, but listless and uninspired hop character. Feel is either light or prickly with carbonation. Neither of these attributes help the beer.

Overall, a very disappointing brew: this is limp, flat, and dull, and due to the carbonation and the prickle of the metallic hops it's not even that drinkable. I've actually not had a lot of Goose Island's regular range of beers (although I've loved some of their special releases), but I'm starting to get the impression that they are far below my expectations for them.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 00:44:40 | More by lacqueredmouse

57md

Pennsylvania

3.86/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours copper with a brighter orange hue on the edges. There was at least a finger of head with some slight retention and lacing on the glass. The nose is bready. Malt flavors are upfront. The body can best be described as "healthy" without becoming overly dense, making this offering is rather refreshing for a bitter.

The mild bitterness on the finish complements the breadiness nicely.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 04:55:02 | More by 57md

pkalix

California

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

been hearing a lot about goose island.... thought i'd try one. i mean they got like 6 freakin' thousand listed on the BA website...
dark brown-golden pour with little head which dissipates rapidly.
smells sweet and caramel-ly and malty...
tastes the same. nothing spectacular. just thought it would be a nice addition to the hibiki 12 year whiskey and Auchentoshan 12 year i was sampling. but the beer comes up plain and sweet. easy to drink but nothing spectacular. straight 4s across the board for me. i dont see the 88 score at all...

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 00:51:16 | More by pkalix

LXIXME

New Mexico

3.54/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Big light brown head slowly settles into a nice lacing above a clear bright caramel bronze colored beer.

Lightly sweetened roasted caramel grain malts aroma with just a hint of some hops coming through.

Lightly roasted caramel grain malts taste with just a bit of sweetness.

A lighter dryish aftertaste with just a bit of the sweet caramel taste sticking around with this medium bodied beer.

This beer reminds me more of Amber Bock than anything else I can think of, and that's not altogether the worst thing that could happen.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 03:58:20 | More by LXIXME

kshizzle101

Washington

4.28/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle into pint glass

A - slightly hazy reddish/amber in color. 2 inch slightly off white head which has medium retention

S - malt-forward, getting a plum or dark fruit scent as well as slight booze, caramel for sure, slight hops in the background

T - follows the nose, malty, with great caramel flavor, slight hoppiness,

M - a little light perhaps, but overall as it should be

Overall - a great little beer here. refreshing but not overbearing. easily can drink a few of these in one sitting.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 01:44:56 | More by kshizzle101

ckollias

Maryland

3.26/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Enjoyed this 12oz can out of a craft beer glass.

A: Pours a copper with a 2-finger white head that slowly dissipates leaving a nice trail and ending in a sold lace.

S: Biscuity malt aroma with a caramel background.

T: Similar to the smell there is a biscuit and bread flavor with a slight hoppy background.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation.

O: Decent brew – not my favorite from Goose Island.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 01:59:44 | More by ckollias

HalfFull

California

3.45/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served into a pint glass from a capped 12 oz. bottle. Pours a clear light copper with an half inch of off white foam. Retention is rather brief yet offers good lace through much of the pour.

Light hop and grainy malt aroma with a touch of nutty caramel to add a bit of depth. Bit of piney hop character expands with warming. Offers a semi-sweet delivery initially with fruity caramel notes, followed by a light though not quite watery body. Finish offers a flash return of caramel and concluding with a grainy bitterness. Feel is a bit light but fitting for the ABV.

Overall a decent bitter, offering a pleasant balance of flavors and decent character for a delicate style.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 03:49:44 | More by HalfFull

mattsdenney

Tennessee

3.23/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

A recent addition to Nashville, finally got around to picking up a six-pack. Poured this one from a 12 oz. bottle into a NB globe glass. Pours amber and gold, clear, three fingers of thick sticky head, still clinging to the sides of the glass. A good looking beer. Smells sweet and slightly fruity, some corn, grains, cooked rice. Mild hop bitterness, more corn syrupy sweetness, finishes malty with husky grain. Mouthfeel is light, average carbonation, somewhat thin, pretty refreshing. Overall, a mild ale that is very drinkable but not overly memorable.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 02:47:44 | More by mattsdenney

BEERMILER12

Maine

3.76/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Bottled On: 01/17/13

A: Pours a copper color with 1.5 fingers of head that slowly settles down to a thin cap

S: Quite a bit of maltiness and sweetness, along with light breadiness and hoppiness

T: Starts off with the malts and some fruitiness from the hops, and then goes into a light caramel sweetness and some earthiness. Finishes clean

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation

O: A simple, easy drinking beer with nice flavors and aromas. Nothing overly complex, but that's the point of the style. Quite sessionable at 4.3%

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 20:56:33 | More by BEERMILER12

BlackBearForge

Florida

3.8/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Golden tinged amber, nicely clear with a smallish white head falling quickly leaving modest amounts of lacing.

The aroma is of fresh baked bread from the malts with a nice earthy spicey scent from the hopping,.

As in the aroma the malts take on a fresh baked lightly toasted bread flavor, a bit biscuity with an overtone of the earthy hops noted earlier which are also lightly spicey. Bitterness is mild and the hops balance the malts making for a fairly dry finish.

The mouthfeel is full but on the light side of medium, nicely done.

A nicely brewed easy drinking bitter!

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 23:35:24 | More by BlackBearForge

Chiefy770

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass (via label's recommendation).

Appearance: Pours to a clear burnt copper / amber color. A thick white head lingers for a decent amount of time. Fair lacing.

Smell: A sweet-citrus scent accompanied by a biscuit smell.

Taste: Notes of citrus dominate the initial sip. Complex flavors of grains and malts develop after the citrus. Not too sweet, not too sour.

Mouthfeel: A comfortable amount of carbonation. This brew is light and creamy. Crisp and clean finish.

Overall: A great beer. I enjoy this one during cooler seasons (autumn and late-winter). Though it holds a fair amount of flavor, it is a refreshing beer that never disappoints.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 04:06:26 | More by Chiefy770

augustgarage

California

3.85/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottled on January 17th, 2013. Poured from multiple 12oz bottles into my Samuel Smith nonic.

Clear, burnt orange body with rust and amber highlights, capped by a finger of active antique white foam which recedes to a thin delicate layer. Delicate lacing, decent retention.

Clean gentle aroma with a touch of caramel malt and spice surfacing as the beer warms. No real yeast character.

Gently bready palate entry, light yet with a growing rich biscuity maltiness. Very faintly fruity towards the finish, but finishes medium-dry and crackery with a hint of black pepper from the hops. Low bitterness throughout. The roast malt seems to have been used primarly for color. A pleasing toasty aftertaste invites further sips.

Medium-light bodied (possibly deriving some extra oomph from the addition of wheat?), soft, but well carbonated.

A well crafted but somewhat bland rendition of a Best Bitter; quaffable none-the-less.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 21:40:48 | More by augustgarage

bump8628

Oklahoma

3.86/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Clear copper, white head that sticks well. Mild fruitiness, simple clean malt base with some biscuit and light caramel. Hops go herbal at first with some orangey citrus as it warms. A nice bitter with a slightly elevated hop presence for the style, always nice to have a low ABV option. Goose Island just hit Oklahoma and ABI politics aside, this will be a nice option if it ends up showing up at places not known for good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2013 00:02:31 | More by bump8628

tectactoe

Michigan

3.53/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Pours a solid amber color with some burnt orange highlights streaming across it. The beer is super hazy and opaque for the most part, just a little bit of light is allowed to peek through. A creamy, eggshell-colored head forms on the top and leaves some generous lacing in its wake.

Aroma is super malty and gives off a slew melted caramel, toasted nuts, and lightly boozy toffee. Earthy aromas are derived from the hops, which also lend a slight leafy character. Though many people compliment this beer's excellent balance, the aromas shows much favor on the malt side of things. Some other aroma I'm getting include candied barley and very subtle brown sugar. Smells heavier than 4.3% ABV, and there are a surprisingly large amount of things going on, that it's almost hard to pick them all out.

The body on this is quite watery and light - it hits first with a mild nuttiness, much less sweet than perceived in the aroma. Light toffee and caramel combines immediately with a touch of hop earthiness; dirt, grass, toast, and faint wood in the background. Bitterness is actually pretty low, retaining drinkability well. There's a mild, woodsy musk flavor in the middle, that dries out the palate for a brief moment. The aftertaste is heavy with caramel covered toast and roasted nuts. A pretty specific descriptor, but that's the best I could come up with. Near the end of the brew, the finish starts having a heavier yeast flavor with some more wet wood notes.

Definitely packs a good amount of shit into a little 4.3% ABV beer, no doubt about that. It's drinkable and goes down easily, though I would have liked the aroma and flavor to synchronize a little better.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 16:58:21 | More by tectactoe

DoubleJ

California

3.9/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A Chicago classic has finally made its way to Southern California, but ironically it's brewed in Nww York state. Nonetheless, I grabbed a 12 ounce bottle with little thought, as I was excited just to see it. Bottled on 2/1/13, so it's very fresh. On to the beer:

Would you look a that!? Its a beautiful ruby coppered red with hues all the way to pale orange. Topping it is a thick rocky head which retains well, and it leaves good lacing around. The nose is soft, yet plenty adequate. There's a quick citric note, pleasant esters, light tea and biscuit as well.

It's a lighter beer, but it is delightful to taste and drink. A simple biscuit and ester flavor hits first, quickly followed by a snap of pineapple juice. Slight earthiness to it, then it's back to biscuit and esters. Mmm, toasty malts. It's light bodied with modest cripsness which works with the character of this beer. All this combined, it's no wonder why this beer to so easy to drink.

Worth the wait. Honker's Ale won't fill you up and doesn't let you down. This is something to consider for the fridge in the future.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 04:58:53 | More by DoubleJ

thegodfather2701

North Carolina

3.83/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A-Pours a nice copper with a thick off-white head that dissipates slowly. Not much lacing.

S-Citrus and caramel malt was about all I got out of it.

T-Similar to the nose with citrus hops up front followed by some caramel malt and finished with a nutty flavor. It tasted similar to another beer I've had before, but couldn't quite place it. It is a smooth beer for sure and its nearly perfectly balanced with the hops just having a slight edge. It really reminded me of a brown or amber ale.

M-Nicely carbonated but nicely balanced. Its not too thick which makes this a great session ale.

D-Very drinkable given its good flavor, somewhat light body, and low abv.

Overall, this is a pretty good beer. Not something I would buy often, but a great beer to introduce non-craft drinking friends to the realm of craft beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 21:38:16 | More by thegodfather2701

shand

Florida

4.13/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Honker's Ale is a great looking beer, it pours a lightly hazy orange with two fingers of extremely persistent head. The aroma is sweet and malty with a bit of citrus. The taste is very good and rather distinctive, it wraps bready malts, mildly fruity yeast, and citrus hops all together into a tasty bundle that clocks in at a sessionable ABV. The mouthfeel is light and delicately carbonated, and the drinkability is spot on for a bitter. Overall, Honker's Ale is a solid American twist on the traditional bitter, and one of the better choices if you're in a supermarket and looking for something sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 02:34:29 | More by shand

avalon07

South Carolina

3.99/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Had this beer on-tap at Gene's Haufbrau, poured into a pint glass. Had an amber color and a clear texture. There was an inch and a half of creamy, long-lasting head. Good lacing.

S: A surprisingly sweet smell, combined with a big shot of malt.

T: Tasted of malt (more than anything else), a hint of hops and a sweet ingredient (a citrusy element). The citrus was definitely a new twist on the style, but a welcome one. An interesting flavor.

M: A fair amount of carbonation with a smooth finish. Light-bodied.

O: Not your typical English Bitter, but definitely worth a shot. Easy to drink and likeable.

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2013 12:32:10 | More by avalon07

atr2605

New York

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-pours a copper soft amber color with a white foamy head with good retention that leaves some lacing
S-citrus, biscuit, caramel
T-caramel and malty with citrus bitterness that finishes slightly dry and bready
M-medium-medium light bodied
O-Very flavorful and light bodied beer that is well balanced and easy to drink. great session beer

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 00:26:58 | More by atr2605