Honker's Ale - Goose Island Beer Co.

MJR

Missouri

3.15/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance: This one has copper edges around an amber body that seems to have it's own glow. Good overall clarity. The head starts out a healthy size, then shrinks to a small, but persistent, cap.

Smell: The aroma has a nice dose of fresh hops that is well balanced with the malts. There's a bit of a caramel, as well as an interesting roasted character. A touch of breadiness too. Unfortunately, the main thing that stands out to me is a strange, off flavor that's hard to describe...maybe a mix of a phenolic flavor and a slighty burnt one.

Taste: Again, that off flavor is distracting and strange. Putting that aside, there's the balance of hops and malt. A touch of bread, caramel, and roasted malt are present.

Mouthfeel: Fairly high level of carbonation, with medium mouthfeel. A bit dry and crisp on the finish.

Drinkability: Hmmm...how to approach this one? The strange aroma and flavor make it a bit hard to enjoy the good balance that I'm sure this brew has. I don't know if it's an off bottle, or if it's part of the flavor profile. I'm leaning towards it being a part of the flavor profile, since I've run into this exact flavor before in an IPA from Magic Hat. I still have a month before the 'best by' date is due, so I know it's somewhat fresh. Whichever it is, I don't care for it.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2003 20:59:51 | More by MJR

necoadam

Connecticut

3.15/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Ordered this beer online with a bunch of other beers so I decided to try the easy beers first. Poured out a copper color with a nice enough of head. It settled down eventually. Smell consisted of malts mostly blending in with some carmel. Taste was almost the same. Malts and caramel hit the palate first with some soft hop undertones that show up in the middle and lasts into the aftertaste. It's pretty much average with nothing wowing me here. But as a session beer this would be pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2004 23:55:19 | More by necoadam

yelterdow

New Jersey

3.15/5  rDev -16%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served at just over fridge temperature in the recommended imperial pint glass. Freshness date reads 01/29/06. Thanks to Ego for the bottle, obtained from DeCicco Market in Pelham, NY.

Appearance- Pours a completely clear medium amber, with a one finger head that settles moderately to a thin film. Microscopic bubbles travel from the bottom of the glass to the top, barely feeding the semi-transparent mat.

Smell- A sweet, bready, malty nose exits the glass... subdued and nicely balanced. Some spiciness also is present.

Taste- A mildly astringent, metallic note is the first impression I get, unfortunately. Some maltiness and bread try to gain composure within the beer, and a better than average hop bitterness (for an English Bitter) follows after the swallow.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability- The medium bodied, nicely rolling texture in the mouth is pleasant... however, during the swallow we get a sharp, aggressive carbonation that is too razor-like for a sessionable beer. The metallic aftertaste is also a detriment to the overall experience, but doesn't break it completely.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2006 02:02:47 | More by yelterdow

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.15/5  rDev -16%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Brown 35.5cl bottle, red backed front label, black rear label telling me to drink it before 07-2007, so I did. The rear label also told me to pour it into an imperial pint glass, so I did that too. Bought in Tanner's, Bridgnorth, Shropshire.

Almost cloudy, not the sparkling bitter look I was expecting, dull copper in colour, the small white head just vanished before my eyes leaving a wispy floating scum of a covering.

Malts in the aroma, sweet esters of caramel too.

Fizzy, it made me burp. Fairly bitter, none of the sweet aroma comes out in the taste, the malts are still there, but not as prominent as they were in the smell. As the beer warmed up, I enjoyed it more and the maltiness re-asserts its self.

Not a huge mouthfeel from this beer, almost watery, but that would be unfair, there is a lingering metalic feel which I don't like though.

Glad I tried it, got to see what you chaps over the pond are drinking haven't I? This isn't a typical English Bitter by any stretch of the imagination, but I would like to try it on tap one day, just to see what it's like served in a bar.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2007 14:48:15 | More by BlackHaddock

acelin

Kansas

3.15/5  rDev -16%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Poured a reddish amber with minimal head and no lacing.

This beer was lacking - hardly any smell, of which comprised of only hops and lemongrass.

The tastes was simliar. Mild malt with poorly executed malts.

The mouthfeel was average.

Drinkability was ok.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2010 21:13:34 | More by acelin

WankelEngine

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -16%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served draft into a plastic pint glass (Will re-review in a proper glass in the future)

A: Pours with a moderate light tan head that dissipates moderately quickly. The color is a light brown-orange and just a little reddish. There looks like a lot of carbonation.

S: The smell is weak. There are notes of wheat, citrus and malt.

T: Smooth and balanced. A lightly caramel malt flavor dominates, but there are some piney hops in the background. Those hops also contribute a noticeable orange/citrus flavor. There is the taste of yeast and wheat throughout that become more prominent when swallowing.

M: Fairly smooth. A lot of carbonation but less than it looked like at the beginning.

O: A very drinkable beer. While it is mild and well-balanced, it doesn't stand out to me.

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2011 00:13:35 | More by WankelEngine

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

indy169

Wisconsin

3.18/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A good beer without any real character. This is what Miller or Bud should be, but as for a hand-crafted treat, this pales compared to some of the better brews available.
Smell is OK, rather weak with no discernable hops to note. Taste is slightly malty and innoffensive. Drinkable to a point. Not exactly begging for another.
One step ahead of the macros.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2006 18:17:01 | More by indy169

CU570M

Washington

3.18/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A foggy orange brown color with off white head. Head lasts a good amount of time. Toasty kind of like a pan of bread out of the oven. Taste was a toasty, burnt bread like taste. Just the right amount of kick without being overbearing. Mouthfeel is a great well rounded kind of feeling. Creamy, but with bite and the right amount of carbonation. I would say the drinkability on this one is above average.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2007 19:56:07 | More by CU570M

dhannes

Wisconsin

3.18/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A=A nice, amber hue with almost no head (served at a restaurant).

S=Faint smell...not unpleasant, just not memorable.

T=Nothing extraordinary...reminded me of Sam Adams Light--a somewhat watery taste. I detected a somewhat metallic/coppery taste.

M=Light, not thick at all.

D=The lightness made it drinkable, but there was a tad bit of harshness as well.

Overall--good, but nothing to write home about. There are many better beers out there.

Serving type: on-tap

11-13-2010 02:06:33 | More by dhannes

mophie

Delaware

3.2/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is a good-looking beer, nice copper color, full rich head that lasts throughout the glass. Beyond that, however, there is really very little to distinguish this beer from others like it. Smell is slightly hoppy, with a very faint malt presence, but you really have to search for discernible aromas. Taste is also rather lackluster; there is a slight floral hoppiness, balanced by a mildly fruity sweetness, but again flavors are slight. Overall, it's not a bad beer, and it is easy to drink. It just does not knock my socks off.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2002 10:43:49 | More by mophie

packetknife

Idaho

3.2/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Slightly cloudy reddish-brown. Bleached white head that held for proper time. Grapefruit peel on the nose. Served quite cool it was refreshing, biitterness of a grapefruit (lightly). It was refreshing but not quite what I'd want in a beer, maybe in iced-tea. I can't give it a poor rating but I can't give it much above average.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2002 13:18:37 | More by packetknife

MeLikeBeer

Minnesota

3.2/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Comes to me served in an pint glass with a reddish-amber hue.
Light foam head. Medium carbonation.

Smells like citrus and grains. Also grassy aromas hit my nostrils.

Tastes smooth- sweet caramels and hops, sweet fruits and light hops make this a highly drinkable beer. Great malty flavors as well.

Nicely balanced. While not my favorite, I'll look for it on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

06-23-2006 21:41:37 | More by MeLikeBeer

rayjay

Hawaii

3.2/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A toffee colored ale with a dull head of foam.

Lots of carmel malts featured in the nose. Some diacetyl and no DMS at all. British yeast characters akin to Young's SLA.

Interesting flavors, featuring Earl Grey tea, and an upfront hop bitterness that fades away before the aftertaste. Finishes dry with mild tannins. Carmel malt persists dispite the dryness. Extremely mild malt character, I'd guess 12-15 IBU's.

Great mouthfeel with light carbonation. The highlight of the beer. I'm drinking it cold, but it feels about as viscous as water. It has the body of a 3% abv ale.

A good one for British ale fans of modern times. No over-hopped US takes on a style here, just a simple beer worthy of putting down a few social pints of. Don't go out of your way for this one, but it's certainly enjoyable if you come across it. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2007 05:07:06 | More by rayjay

bboven

Texas

3.2/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Great orange-brown color, very clear in the shaker, a bit of lacing but overall thin head.

Smell is spot- on, malty, buiscity, and tempting.

Taste is not rated so high because you can taste and feel the alcohol in this one and you should not be able to in this style. [usually around 3.5 ABV I believe]

Mouthfeel is pretty poor. I tried to roll the first sip around to get a good taste and ended up getting tons of foam. Maybe keep this one pretty cold in storage and then let it warm and breathe for tn minutes to let some of that gas escape. As I type now ten minutes after opening th bottle I'm still seeing streams of bubbles reminiscent of High Life shooting up the glass.

Pretty drinkable with a great malt backbone, but the alcohol tinge detracts from what could be a great session beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2007 21:32:26 | More by bboven

Strix

Wisconsin

3.2/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Yellowish-tan with lacing that trails down the glass.

Smells a bit hoppy, and a bit like tea.

I have to say right now that I really do not like iced tea. This beer has an aftertaste that is reminiscent of iced tea. If you like iced tea, maybe that's a good thing. Personally, I don't.

Mouthfeel adequate

The drinkability on this is going to suffer mainly because I don't like iced tea. It's a well-enough crafted beer, but not my thing.

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2007 02:18:02 | More by Strix

jimdkc

Missouri

3.23/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Slightly hazy copper color with a small head that disappeared quickly (even with an aggressive pour!) Very mild hop aroma. Little malt flavor, followed by light pine and grapefruit hop notes. Grapefruit becomes more pronounced if you let the beer warm a bit. Easy to drink, but not very complex. This was a good ale, but not a great one! I almost feel that I'm being a bit hard on this... but I honestly don't know where I'd give it any more points!

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2004 07:42:59 | More by jimdkc

beerphilosopher

Illinois

3.23/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a nice amber color with a thinner off-white head. Nose is of hops, floral notes, and sweet malt. Palate is similar - hoppy, floral, and substantial malt character. Nicely balanced, I think. Mouthfeel is light/medium and finishes with a solid hop bitterness. I like this American bitter. I can get it on tap at Tres Hombres in Carbondale, so it definitely beats the BMC crap they have on tap. An enjoyable, simple beer. Good stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

07-29-2006 20:39:33 | More by beerphilosopher

jdubjacket

Georgia

3.23/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Had at the Westin bar in Chicago. Pours a reddish/brownish color with a decent head that goes away quickly. Smells is fruity and hoppy. Not a whole lot of malt in this beer. Taste is rather *surprise* bitter, and hoppy. Label says balanced between hops and malts, but I didn't get a whole lot of malt in the beer. Mouthfeel was pretty average. Drinkability was decent since it's got a decent ABV. If I had the choice in the future though, I wouldn't pick this beer out special.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2008 23:51:38 | More by jdubjacket

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

Dogbrick

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This one was a little disappointing to me because it was not too heavy in the hops department. I don't know if that is a regional thing (west coast APAs seem to have more bite) but this is still a well rounded and smooth offering from Goose Island.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2002 08:39:34 | More by Dogbrick

Weissenheimer

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

(Sampled at the North Clybourne location)

By the time this five ounce sample arrives it, like most of the others brought to our table, has almost no head. It has a deep coppery crystal appearance and an invitingly crisp, sweet, floral scent.

I take a taste and am rather surprised by the strongly metallic bitterness. It's very astringent but not all that complex, which to my way of thinking is a bad combination. The bitterness has a woody aspect, but the metallic overtone predominates. There are actually three discernible stages to the taste, but they fly by far too quickly. First comes a bracing sensation that has little taste beyond a slight woodiness. Then that metallic bitterness comes on strong, overwhelming all else. This quickly migrates to the back of the tongue as the sharp bitterness takes on a more hoppy aspect.

I think this beer would be much better if it had a more balanced, full body to back up and round out the metallic bite. As it stands, though, that bite makes this a barely mediocre beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2003 00:42:41 | More by Weissenheimer

finepaws

North Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a coppery orange. Small white head that laces the edges towards the end. Smells fruity and floral. Like citrus flowers. Tastes malty and fruity. Like grapefruit. Slightly hoppy. Has a rind taste. Salty. Very carbonated. This is a beers beer. Good with food. Not one I would choose again, simply cause it's not my cup of tea. But one worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2004 02:42:02 | More by finepaws

sevineyes

Arkansas

3.25/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a brown bottle featuring a white goose head on a red background

A: Poured an orange-copper with a frothy white head. Leaves chunky lacing.

S: Floral, grassy, subtely minty hops. Very thick smelling. Boisterous and invigorating smell.

T: Toasty sweet. Goes into some nice floral hop presence. Perhaps some watery citrus. Seems to have some premature bitterness like licorice that fades into a more genuine bitterness. Aftertaste has some sourness to it and is rather rich.

M: Very smooth. Nice body. Low carbonation. Almost tastes flat, but not in violation of the style.

Overall: Seems like this beer could do with some refining. The flavors just don't seem to mesh as well as I'd like especially in the aftertaste. Still is a good example of an English Bitter. Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2006 04:59:04 | More by sevineyes

BeerBelcher

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I've had this beer before on several occasions, and think it is decent and well-balanced. However, there is nothing really outstanding I can say about it. Altogether, a pleasant but not memorable beer.

It poured a copper read color and is slightly hazy. Head formation was pretty decent.

Aroma was very malty.

Taste-wise, although this beer is categorized as a bitter here, I was under the impression from previous tries that it was an IPA. It is not very hoppy for an IPA, but the hop and malt is well balanced...so I would say this is way insufficiently hopped to be an IPA, but rather hoppy for a bitter.

Drinkability and mouthfeel were decent but not outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2007 00:15:25 | More by BeerBelcher