Honker's Ale - Goose Island Beer Co.

Erish

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I poured this 12 oz. bottle into a Nonic pint glass.

A: cloudy yellowish-orange color, the white head is minimal, the cap is persistent, and the lacing is adequate.

S: toasty grain, grassy hops, earthy yeast funk, a hint of steeliness underneath.

T: the toasty grain joins a green grape note up front, the middle is bready, yeasty, and a little peppery, with a floral note at the end, the finish is dry, slightly grassy, and has just a bit of a steely bite. A very refreshing take on an English Bitter.

M: medium-bodied, lush and silky with a steely, bracing finish. Very refreshing and palate cleansing. Good food beer.

D: This definitely reminds me of the Bitters I had in England, but it has its own unique character. Excellent session beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2010 00:48:07 | More by Erish

RoryOMoore

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

05-18-2013 19:02:58 | More by RoryOMoore

beatlefan56

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev 0%

05-18-2013 16:55:16 | More by beatlefan56

jono0101

Missouri

3.25/5  rDev -13.3%

05-18-2013 16:28:28 | More by jono0101

iHeartMNBeer

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +6.7%

05-18-2013 03:22:42 | More by iHeartMNBeer

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. Seet, 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

CSFerrier

Michigan

4/5  rDev +6.7%

05-18-2013 01:29:55 | More by CSFerrier

bundy462

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -13.3%

05-17-2013 05:20:34 | More by bundy462

warpedrevolution

Washington

3.75/5  rDev 0%

05-17-2013 00:38:55 | More by warpedrevolution

carlitosbronson1

California

4/5  rDev +6.7%

05-16-2013 23:47:50 | More by carlitosbronson1

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +6.7%

05-16-2013 21:52:04 | More by Slatetank

ajtorres311

Florida

2.75/5  rDev -26.7%

05-16-2013 16:04:23 | More by ajtorres311

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

tigermaniac72

Alabama

4/5  rDev +6.7%

05-15-2013 21:34:27 | More by tigermaniac72

touchmeimsac

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +20%

05-15-2013 13:09:08 | More by touchmeimsac

marct

Nevada

3/5  rDev -20%

05-15-2013 05:24:30 | More by marct

meetyouoverboard

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

05-14-2013 20:52:51 | More by meetyouoverboard

Bustersuess

New York

3.75/5  rDev 0%

05-14-2013 18:34:26 | More by Bustersuess

Absolut

California

3.75/5  rDev 0%

05-14-2013 17:58:53 | More by Absolut

MammothTarantula

Oklahoma

3.75/5  rDev 0%

05-14-2013 04:08:30 | More by MammothTarantula

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

brandon911

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

05-12-2013 20:20:31 | More by brandon911

FirstInHell

New York

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

05-12-2013 18:27:01 | More by FirstInHell