Honker's Ale - Goose Island Beer Co.

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

silverking

Florida

3.95/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A- Amber with an off white head that fades fast. lacing is pretty poor.

S- Smells a little biscuity with hints of caramel and a nice touch of hops.

T- Malty up front, follow by notes of lemon peel and a moderate hop bitterness in the finish.

M- light/ medium bodied. Creamy, moderate carbonation.

O- Not great, but good.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 23:42:51 | More by silverking

acevenom

Louisiana

3.71/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a pint glass. The beer pours clear copper with a thick, off-white head that dissipates slowly. There are a moderate amount of visible tiny bubbles rising in the beer. Sticky lacing coats the glass as the head retreats. The beer has an aroma of biscuit, brown bread, and toffee with some grassy and fruity hops. The flavors follow the nose. There's that balanced malt profile that has the biscuit and brown bread. There's a touch of toffee sweetness and those hops are just there in the back end. The hops lend some grassy and fruity notes and the back end bitterness lingers in the mouth just every so slightly. The body is light with moderate carbonation. The beer goes down smoothly, giving this bitter a high drinkability. This is a good beer that works as a session ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 23:11:34 | More by acevenom

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.61/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Served on tap in a pint glass

Appearance – The beer is served a medium amber color with a one-half finger white head. The head fades fast to leave a persistent foam on the top of the brew with very light lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell –The aroma is very light overall and only consists of a very small amount of roasted malt and caramel.

Taste – The taste begins with a good caramel malt backbone that creates a rather sweeter and breadier flavor. This taste lasts throughout the taste with very little change. Toward the middle of the taste a notes of toffee and a more buttery flavor comes to the tongue. These mix with a very light herbal and grasy hop flavor at the end of the taste which end up leaving a smooth and sweet flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer for an only 4.3 % abv beer is much creamier then would be anticipated while the carbonation level is rather average. The thicker body is nice for accentuating the toffee and buttery flavors of the brew while the average carbonation level keeps it refreshing and easy drinking. Nicely done for the flavors and style.

Overall – While the flavor profile is not too complex, but instead rather simple, it is quite nice and with the lower alcohol level makes this brew an easy one to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2013 01:14:58 | More by Darkmagus82

Bigmuff

California

3.81/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

On tap at the Redwood on downtown Los Angeles. Nice bitterness with a hint of sweetness in the aftertaste. The dark malt seems to overpower the hop flavor a bit but not in a bad way. Easy drinking but with solid body and strong flavor. All around very well balanced and refreshing.

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2013 22:40:32 | More by Bigmuff

Halcyondays

California

3.48/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

24 oz. into a nonic,

A: Pours a clear amber with a medium fizzy white head, some spotty lace, average head retention.

S: Biscuity malt and cracked bread, some toffee with a hint of metal/iron.

T: Definite crystal type malt with a tart tea-like finish. Some grassy hop notes, a nice balance. Good maltiness in the finish.

M: Light-bodied, not too clean for its style. Biting crisp carbonation, easy drinking overall, it's not hard to drink a couple pints of this.

O: It is nice to finally visit a classic of the American brewing scene, something I've wanted to try for a while. A solid effort, even coming over here the price is good, so it's something to revisit.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 04:01:42 | More by Halcyondays

Treyliff

West Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A- pours lightly hazy amber-orange color with a creamy white head with long retention, leaving solid lace all the way down the glass.

S- crisp grainy malt, a bit fruity with some earthy hops

T- slightly toasted malt with some fruity hops, slightly nutty. The finish is crisp and dry, leaving a woodsy hop linger. Quite a bit of flavor for the low ABV.

M- moderate body and carbonation, slightly creamy mouthfeel and crisp finish

O- this is a simple, easy drinking beer. It isn't extreme by any means, but has a good amount of flavor for the style. This would make a solid session beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2013 00:45:19 | More by Treyliff

JDerner88

North Carolina

3.16/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

For a brewery I just encountered I suppose I can get down with this:

Had this baby on Tap; the tap handle is a bitch if you had a tree for a tap system.

A- Clear amber color, had little to no head when it was poured. Could have been from the amount that was poured that evening.

S- Didn't have much in the way of scent. There was a light...light..hop aroma from this brew but nothing that jumped out and bit you.

T- refreshing, for a bitter. It was crisp with a light bite at the end. I couldn't discern any ingredient over another

M- crisp and didn't linger

Overall- decent refreshing bitter brew with a flamboyant tap handle.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2013 19:22:29 | More by JDerner88

Earpe

North Carolina

3/5  rDev -20%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a glass....
the smell was okay, but hinted more of the beer smell on someone else's breath late the next morning...however the taste was better but not the best as it taste of not much more than an average lager.

It tasted of some malt and hops, it was seemingly bland for me...i felt could taste the above medium carbonation, which left an after taste. I really did not sense the bitterness that i would expect from the style.

Copper amber in color

Really not much here....not that good, not that bad, would i turn it down....No, but would i search it out...Hell No...

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 17:23:38 | More by Earpe

tdm168

North Carolina

3.54/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5

On tap at World of Beer Raleigh

A - clear amber with a soft, white head that has good retention

S - faint caramel, faint toast

T - caramel, big toasted malts, juicy apples, very faint bitterness in the finish

M - medium bodied, well carbonated

This is a relatively simple brew, but it is a nice session beer that could also pair well with food. Ultimately, I don't think there is anything wrong with this beer, I was just underwhelmed. This isn't a beer I would turn down and I'm glad I tried it once, but I won't seek it out again.

Serving type: on-tap

02-16-2013 16:20:53 | More by tdm168

fstorey

Connecticut

3.94/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured in a pint glass
A- dark amber with copper hues. Good clarity. Thin head of varied texture that dissipates fairly quickly. Noticeable carbonation.
S - caramel sweetness balanced by hops. Very nice.
T- moderate malt with hops at the finish.
M- More body than I expected from this style. Carbonation is noticeable.
O - I really like this beer. I've only had one other bitter and there is no comparison. This has much more flavor and body while still being a very easy to drink beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 00:06:57 | More by fstorey

NilocRellim

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The ale was poured out of the bottle and into a pint glass. Appeared clear amber in colour with a sweet malt nose and slight citrus aroma. Tasted of mellow malt and hop; very balanced beer. Clean finish, no significant aftertaste.

Would I buy this beer again? Maybe.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 20:02:46 | More by NilocRellim

claspada

New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours a clear amber color with a frothy eggshell head that leaves some spotty lacing as the head recedes.

Aromas begin with some light biscuity maltiness and toasted bread mixed with some earthy and herbal hops. Some underlying fruity yeast esters and a bit of a metallic twang.

The taste:s follow the nose with the same biscuity maltiness that is joined by the herbal and earthy English hoppiness. Some light sweetness and fruity esters emerge but really not much compared to authentic examples from Fullers or Youngs. The hop bitterness emerges more as it warms as the malts seems to subside.

The mouthfeel is medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation. Finish is pleasantly balanced between malt and hops.

Overall this is more of an American take on an English bitter as the mouthfeel and malt bill are not quite up to the top notch examples. The English yeast driven flavors which are necessary for this style are also muted but for a decently flavorful, sessionable ale available on draft, you could definitely find much worse.

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2013 16:56:42 | More by claspada

TheCondor

Missouri

3.83/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Poured on draft at a local restaurant/bar. Had never been to the bar, but I really enjoyed it. My wife hated me taking notes while we sat there, but I told her I had to.

Appearance - Pours a nice copper color with a thick, one finger head of white foam. Leaves excellent lacing, head retention leaves a little to be desired. Looks like a good brew though.

Smell - There is certainly a malt sweetness on the nose of this brew. Caramel and light sugar notes represent the maltiness well. A slight sense of hops, earthy, grassy, piney. Nothing too major. Well balanced.

Taste - The slight sweetness comes out in this brew in the taste. There is a sweet malty, caramel taste on the front of the drink, which gives way to a slight bitterness and hop character. Just a little zip from the piney hops is all. Again, well balanced, pretty good.

Mouthfeel - Lightly carbonated, light bodied, finishes clean with little aftertaste to speak of. On the creamy side a bit.

Overall - This is certainly a recommended beer, it is pretty good. I would buy it and drink it again. I think this would make a good session beer, given its' smoothness, ABV, and relative quality. Not too bad at all.

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2013 20:31:41 | More by TheCondor

EmperorBevis

United Kingdom (England)

3.84/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours a golden amber crystal clear body with decent enough mixed and spotty white head.

Big citrus hit on the nose big grapefruits with freshly baked cookies not the usual pint of bitter smells.

The taste also misses the English Bitter mark.
Barley taste? Check!
Malt notes? Check!
Bitterness? Nope!
Hints of vanilla, unusual and quite tasty just not like a pint of best.

Easy drinking beer with just a slight tad too much co2

Worth a try, not bad, not bad at all just not bitter.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 22:53:42 | More by EmperorBevis

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.71/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from tap into pint at bww Shreveport. Pours a nearly see through amber orange with decent lacing. Nice sweet malt and noble hop aromas. Taste is a nice mild sweet malt. Slight bitter hop presence but the brown sugary sweet malts dominate. Easy drinker and smooth. A nice session brew widely available. I just wish it had a tad more alcohol.

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2013 00:17:39 | More by DrinkSlurm

flagmantho

Washington

3.84/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: deep orange hue with a haze-free body and a moderately strong effervescence. Head is a thick finger of frothy ivory foam. Simple but attractive.

Smell: sweet malt with a light caramel character. Hops are mellow, herby, piney and a little bit fruity. It's actually a pretty alluring combination.

Taste: moderately sweet flavor with that same caramel element. There is a flavor here which reminds me of coriander; I might even say the fruitiness of the aroma had a hint of that coriander character. The flavor is lightly fruity and bitterness is relatively low, although the flavor is definitely hop-infused. Interesting.

Mouthfeel: light body with a good, well-integrated carbonation which yields a surprisingly satisfying creaminess. I quite like it.

Overall: tasty, if a bit sweet; refreshing, but I don't think I could make a session beer out of this. It's not bad at all, but it isn't 100% my bag.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 01:48:04 | More by flagmantho

hoppytobehere

Colorado

3.6/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled 11/8/12. 12 oz. bottle.

A: Huge soapy head with decent retention. Clear copper color with a slight red tint.

S: Wet grain, not a lot else.

T: Nice balance. Caramel and malt. Reminds me a little of a brown ale. Very sessionable.

M: Carbonation and texture are pretty nice.

O: A nice beer that I can enjoy, but something I'd probably never buy.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 06:43:11 | More by hoppytobehere

mralphabet

Virginia

3.74/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

12 oz bottle poured into pint glass

A: Poured a bright copper color with about 1/2 a fingers worth of head that settles quickly to a ring, with little to no lacing.

S: Great mix of sweet caramel malt, spicy hops and bready yeasty.. Very lively mix for flavors.

T: Wow, I'm getting the hop bitterness upfront... Little spicy and grassy... This is followed by a wonder mix of caramel sweetness.

M: Medium bodied, creamy yet lively, sticky yet clean. Finish is a little dry with a touch of bitterness at the end.

O: Not a bad little beer, not the best Bitter I've had little more hoppy then I was expecting but a great balance beer. Worth looking for.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 02:30:56 | More by mralphabet

DaveBlack

Virginia

3.53/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Amber colored brew, with about a 1/2 finger of off-white head that has moderate retention and leaves a small amount of lacing.

S: Very grainy brew, lots of sweet malts and toasted cereal aromas. Also a decent amount of citrusy hops. A nice balance of the sweet and earthy on the nose.

T: Not nearly as sweet as the nose had led me to suspect. The flavor is a blend of toasted grains and hops, which keeps the sweetness very much on the back burner. The bitter hops carry through the entire flavor profile of the beer, but don't overwhelm the grains, or the grapefruit of the hops themselves. The finish leaves me wanting more, because the favor just kind of dies away.

M: Moderate body, but a lot of carbonation make this a dry, dry beer, and slightly oily. The effect of the mouthfeel with the lack of oomph makes this seem watery.

O: Not a great beer, but very drinkable. I wish there was something to balance out the flavor on the end, and I wish it didn't leave my mouth feeling so empty after every sip.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 22:40:23 | More by DaveBlack

rodlavers

Pennsylvania

3.03/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in a bottle at a Chilis in Chicago O'Hare; had to ask for a pint glass.

Pours a lightish clear golden orange color, with about a finger of white head. No retention but some decent webbed lacing.

Not much of a nose. But I get some bitter spice aromas, fairly light. Reminiscent of your slightly above-standard lager

Taste is a bit better. Bitter spices balanced hops makes for a decent blend of flavors. I do like the progression of flavors.

Mouthfeel is average, but with the added enjoyment of the balanced and lingering flavors on the way down. Above medium carbonation, sort of like a lager.

Overall not my one of my favorite styles, but not bad. I enjoy GI's other offerings more than this. Worth a try. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 22:45:53 | More by rodlavers