Honker's Ale - Goose Island Beer Co.

vfgccp

New York

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Maple body. Light creamy khaki head has great retention and lace.

S - Fruity nose. Orange, yellow raisin. Light floral note. Touch of burnt bitterness.

T – Opens with soft malt and yellow raisin. Faint orange zest with a great bitterness that rolls along your palate, but maintains a soft and restrained edge.

M – Medium full body with a great smoothness. Lingering sweetness.

O – Much better on tap than in a bottle. Softer edges, stronger flavors.

Serving type: nitro-tap

05-09-2011 14:55:47 | More by vfgccp

MistahBeah

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Clear and clean copper. Nearly no carbonation. Spotty lacing. No head retention

Aroma: Citrusy hops with some fruity esters. Maybe apple. Slight caramel malt. Toasty

Taste: Tastes very clean. Some apples and pear in the foreground. Juicy citrus hops in the middle - very mellow, not even slightly assertive. Rounds out with some bready malts

Mouthfeel: Crisp and clean. Slight lingering stickiness. Refreshing

Overall: Pretty good overall. Not much complexity but enough going on. Very sessionable. Good for a change but not an all the time brew for me. Solid nonetheless

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2013 04:07:51 | More by MistahBeah

IchLiebeBier

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Appearance: Amber; medium head; good lacing

Aroma: Light malt; light caramel; light citrus

Taste: Juicy malt on start with a quick, light hit of hops; a little lemon citrus in the mid and a crisp finish that doesn't last long; a little thin overall; not overly complex, but not bad

Remarks: Good session beer

Did not score A, T, S, M at that time; disregard those scores

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 13:44:47 | More by IchLiebeBier

vkv822

Oregon

3.06/5  rDev -18%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

12oz : tulip

Clear, amber orange with a foamy, creamy off white head and spotty lacing.

BIscuity, malty base, with some floral hop accents.

Medium body, mild foamy carbonation.

A decent beer, easy drinking with the expected flavor profiles, but nothing particularly intriguing though.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 08:29:46 | More by vkv822

archyquaffer

Montana

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Served from a 12 ounce long neck bottle into a Shaker pint glass. "Bottled On" date of March 20, 2013 (reviewed in June 2013). The label mentions that the beer contains wheat. A moderate pour produces about one inch of a creamy, off-white head, which is quite sticky and hangs around for awhile. The color is copper with some yellowish-brown, rather like amber. A very nice looking brew.

I can actually detect an aroma of biscuity malt and mild floral hops. Not much hoppiness on the tongue, however, but just enough to balance- it goes well with the style. Otherwise I taste some biscuity malt, a fairly full fruitiness suggestive of....something....peach pits?...but, that's not it exactly....I think a bit of taste from the wheat, although it doesn't taste like a wheat beer at all. Pretty clean and crisp, with just a bit of bittersweet aftertaste. Nice creamy mouthfeel as a result of the froth, which still hangs around nicely.

A very easy drinking beer, but it doesn't exactly evoke an English pub- I think of something a bit sweeter, with more of an earthy bitterness. Still, very worthy of a try. Quite sessionable at only 4.2 percent. I bought a six pack of this for $7.49. The regular price is $9.99, which is too high IMHO.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 01:35:47 | More by archyquaffer

mactrail

California

3.58/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5

Clear amber with a brownish tint. Very nice creamy head and a fine carbonation on the tongue. Some roast malt with a buttery hint, and a little scratch of nutshells. Pleasant nutty aroma.

Some fruity hops with a touch of bitterness, but it's not very hoppy. The delightful creamy mouthfeel is the best feature, but it's quite drinkable overall. A warm, modestly malty taste but not very bitter. From the bottle at Elephant & Castle in Washington, DC.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 04:07:11 | More by mactrail

denver10

Colorado

2.84/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

Bottled 11/12, bought and drank 5/30/13....so just about 7 months old. Wish I noticed that at the store. Oh well, lets see how it goes.

Pours a caramel with an off white head. Aroma is super nutty, super toasty, a little caramelly. Flavor is super quite toasty, the nuttiness is again there, as is the caramel, some lemon and slight hop presence that probably would have been more pronounced if this beer were fresher. A crisp, thinner mouthfeel. Overall, decent beer even at this age. Won't have any issue putting away this sixer but I don't see myself buying another sixer of this anytime soon, if ever.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2013 01:17:03 | More by denver10

RaulMondesi

California

3.38/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

A couple of Goose Island lady hussies walked up to Raul in a bar and handed him a free sample - looks like the "goose" is trying to get loose.

Not bad. Not bad like that one time my baby mama found some Victoria Secret products in my room that weren't hers, yet she wasn't too pissed. She knew that she wasn't bringing it 100% (like Honkers) so what could she care? I mean, she was there enough (like Honkers) but not at full attention (like Honkers).

Peace!

Serving type: on-tap

05-31-2013 03:33:36 | More by RaulMondesi

Mojo

Alabama

4.36/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 ounce bottle -> tulip glass

This offering pours up a deep amber with a one finger fluffy taupe colored head with extensive lacing. The nose is earthy with a big pine smell along with fresh bread. Taste is some citrus notes up front followed by a bitter, but dry finish. Mouthfeel is pleasing with good amounts of carbonation. I enjoyed this this one a lot.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2013 03:06:41 | More by Mojo

scotorum

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

My first review here.

Single bottle bought as part of a mixed six.

What can I say, I bought it because I liked the name and hadn't tried it, and had read reviews where it was well thought of.

Served probably a little too cold from the fridge, into a tulip glass.

a. Poured a gorgeous reddish orange. Thin head but lots of lacing as it drained.

s. Nothing special, but then my sense of smell is not what it once was.

t. Mild considering the color and expectations. Easy drinking, so I imagine it would be a good session choice.

m. Smooth, moreso as it warmed.

o. A pleasant ale, although as a I try to keep the temp in the fifties for drinking all except the light lagers and pilsners, to get the max flavor, but I did not have the foresignt to take this one out to warm up a bit, and drank it ice cold. For an ale, Honkers was light and easy to drink and would probably do well as a hot weather refresher if served as cold as I had mine. I'll probably buy another to try at 50 degrees to see if it presents more in the taste dept..

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 21:03:54 | More by scotorum

Burkbom23

Connecticut

3.65/5  rDev -2.1%
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 +2.7%
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 +3.5%
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 +1.6%
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 +4.3%
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 -23.3%
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 -19.3%
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 +3.5%
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 +7.2%
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 -5.1%
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 +14.7%
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 -12.6%
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 -7.5%
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 -13.4%
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 +0.8%
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