Honker's Ale - Goose Island Beer Co.

patriot76

New York

4.2/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass

A- Medium reddish brown in color. Cloudy with a nice 1 inch head that recedes to about a finger. Decent lacing.

S- Malty sweetness with hops and a piney undertone that blend together nicely.

T- Nice full bodied start that dominates the entire palate. All the elements in the nose come through in the taste. Love it.

M- Light carbonation, very smooth mouthfeel. The taste starts out strong, then recedes into a nice creamy finish with slightly lingering bitterness.

D- This is a perfectly balanced beer that is incredibly drinkable, yet somewhat complex. This is the beer that made me look extra forward to my trips to Chicago. Now that it's available in NY I might be in trouble. One of my all time favorites.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2011 22:46:07 | More by patriot76

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

4.2/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Honker's Ale pours a darker copper color, with a decent size, but lasting head. The smell is malty, with a bit of an earlty nip. The taste is very malty, but not sweet. Very crisp, and not very overpowering. Easy to drink, could easily get another; good carbonation. Overall I really enjoyed this one, not too familir with this style, but an overall good beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2011 00:55:10 | More by vette2006c5r

doerickson

Virginia

4.18/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Amber coloring with a white head that displays adequate retention. Nose is primarily light citric hops. The taste is more balanced, with fruity hop flavors balanced by a malty undertone that becomes more pronounced as the brew warms. Rates off the charts in drinkability--a session beer that can hold its own with the best of them.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2002 21:22:32 | More by doerickson

RBorsato

Virginia

4.18/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I would have rated this as an ESB. Perfect interpretation of the style in my mind.

Dark Gold to Light Copper with a low head & low retention. Nice balanced aroma and flavor. Nice hoppiness when fresh with moderate bitterness. Medium bodied and creamy.

A great session beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2002 07:37:19 | More by RBorsato

beeragent

Texas

4.18/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

My mother got this for me, when she was on a trip to Chicago. Poured into a pint glass from a 12oz. bottle. The beer pours a deep amber, forming a light 1/4 inch head. Medium rings of lace stick to the sides. The aroma is a nice balance of hops and malts. Not too complex, but very appealing. The taste is sweet malts, followed by a nice caramel flavor, and finishing with light smooth citrusy hops. Again, nothing really complex, but the simplicity makes this brew high enjoyable. Smooth medium mouthfeel. This is a session ale!! Great flavor and body, and decent abv. What else could you ask for in a brew. Highly recommended. The only downside to this, is once I finish the sixer, I'm out of luck on getting any more. Godbless you Mom!!!

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2007 22:55:37 | More by beeragent

jasonjlewis

Texas

4.18/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This is a nice intro into the bitter style.

This beer has a great head and a nice retention that won't go away. The intial head is 2 giners thick.

Smell is of some english hops (ssaz? I don't know though) with a nice, yet subdued hop bitterness.

Sweet pale and caramel malts upfront with a sort of sweet grapefruit flavor underneath which adds to the sweetness of the malt to balance the complementing bitterness of the hops. There is a very nice balance in this beer with a touch of complexity.

The smell isn't quite 4.5, but the taste is better than 4. I rated accordingly to balance.

Mouthfeel is very crisp and clean, however further down the glass I get a slight amount of wateryness. It's not bad at all, just a slightl flaw.

This beer is very easy and would make for a great session. I wish I could get more of this.

I believe PIMPP sent me this sample. Thanks very much.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2008 21:21:01 | More by jasonjlewis

vividox

Missouri

4.18/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pretty looking beer with an above par scent. The label says a perfect blend of hops and malt, and if you like your malt a little more than you hops, than it is probably close to perfect. The malt did overshadow the hops by quite a bit but the result was still an excellent tasting beer. Mouthfeel was smooth and rich, drinkability was great.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2009 03:31:32 | More by vividox

DavoleBomb

Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this with dinner at Bubba Gump's in the Navy Pier. I wasn't suprised when their 312 Wheat came in a weizen glass, but I was when this did.

3.0 A: Clear amber color. Not any head to speak of since it was poured right up to the top of the weizen glass. Bad pour, but I gotta call it like I see it. Sorry GI.

3.5 S: Aroma wasn't anything special. A little bready, a little more grainy, and some crystal malt.

4.5 T: Taste was much better than the aroma. Caramel malts and a very pleasant nuttiness to it, almost like it was a brown ale. There was also a good helping of citrusy hops.

4.0 M: Medium body. Good carbonation. Not bad.

4.5 D: This is a very sessionable ale. The taste is damn good and never got boring.

Serving type: on-tap

06-27-2009 05:41:42 | More by DavoleBomb

hosehead83

Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a twelve ounce bottle into a standard pint glass
Clear amber in color, with a modest, one inch head of foam
Aroma-Subtle malt, biscuit, and faint hop notes
Taste-A nicely balanced blend of buttery,spicy malt and earthy hoppiness, with a nice hop bite in the finish.
Overall, a very nice well-balanced brew-would make a great session beer and a fine intro for a craft beer newbie.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2010 15:03:58 | More by hosehead83

ferrari29

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Amber color; moderate carbonation; head formed with a thick creamy look; head consistency remained for a few minutes after pour
S - unique blend of roasted, nutty malt smells accompanied with a hoppy scent. hint of sweetness
T - packed with a smooth and consistent roasted taste with every sip; apparent the brewer built this beer with a consistent taste in mind
M - smooth creamy mouthfeel, with perfect amount of carbonation; hint of hoppiness in aftertaste and during retro-olfaction
D - score 85/100 - great beer and I'm glad they serve it on tap at the United Center while I watch the Blackhawks!

I would definitely have another, "Barkeep - keep'em coming"
Go Hawks!

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2010 03:34:41 | More by ferrari29

CanonJohn

Florida

4.18/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bottle into a mug.

A: Slightly milky golden brown. Very nice.

S: I found the smell to be a bit of a let down. It was like opening a bud long neck, only maybe not so foul.

T: The taste was great. Nice malty, roasty barley up front, with a carmely malty middle, and a slight hoppy end. It left me with a great bitter after that let me know I was drinking a good ale.

M: It has a thick, almost honey like feel to it. Almost like velvet dropping down the back of my throat.

D: Very drinkable, however I find it a bit filling, so 2 or 3 would do me very well.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2011 07:12:13 | More by CanonJohn

BeerPhan86

New York

4.18/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a hazy copper-gold with a nice two finger foamy tan head. Great retention on the head with some sticky lacing.

S - Very bready malt aroma for the most part with a touch of grassy hops towards the end. Slightly floral and musty.

T - Initial blast of bitterness followed by a nice malt backbone and some floral hops. Very noticeable banana and citrus flavors with a good caramel taste left in the mouth, and maybe a touch of raisin. Finish is dry and sweet. Everything here is well balanced. It may sound crazy but the lingering taste in my mouth makes me think I just ate a spoonful of really good mashed potatoes.

M - Light bodied and lightly carbonated. Very smooth.

D - This would make a fantastic session beer. Light enough flavors but everything is well balanced and extremely drinkable.

Overall, pretty surprising that I liked this one as much as I did. I've never given it the time of day until now but I would definitely pick it up, it's a great session ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2011 01:46:12 | More by BeerPhan86

NuclearDolphin

Minnesota

4.18/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearence - Orange with a slightly dark amber hue that is just slightly hazy. The head, while just under one finger, stays around for a while.

Smell - The Yeast and Bread aroma is balanced perfectly and makes the brew all the more appealing. There is a slight malt smell with it as well that just adds more to the aroma.

Taste: Upfront there is a biscuit taste with a slight touch of citrus, then finished off with a hoppy/malt bitterness. It tastes different then from what it smells like

Mouthfeel: I felt that the carbonation was more than what I was expecting (not sure if it was because of the bottle or not): but it still mananged to be fairly smooth.

Overall - It's by no means the best beer ever, but I still managed to enjoy it. It is one of the better Bitter Ales I have tried, and I would definitely try it out again should I be offered it in the future

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 04:15:07 | More by NuclearDolphin

cyclonece09

Virginia

4.18/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into a 14 oz "pint" glass. Pours a nice amber color with a small white head that dissipates quickly. Smells of dark malts but not very strong. Tastes of nice caramelized malts and nice balance with some good hoppiness. But very full bodied. Has just the right amount of carbonation and goes down very smooth. Overall, a very good beer and worth getting.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 02:25:53 | More by cyclonece09

Zachtheporter

Wisconsin

4.18/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass

A- Pours a rich light copper color with a light head that dissipates rather quickly. Despite the color there is a good amount of light penetration.

S- The smell is rich and spicy with some sweet floral aspects to it as well as a slight underlying maltiniess.

T- Sweet and bitter with a very fruity and floral body. The taste is somewhat similar to edible flowers with a certain spiciness to it that is pined well with a malty backbone. Somewhat of a peppery finish with a taste of more earthy and grassy floral hops.

M- Crisp and clean with a medium body and medium carbonation.

O- A very interesting beer. Somewhat too spicy to my liking. A delicious brew nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 22:14:59 | More by Zachtheporter

UnionMade

Colorado

4.15/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to oldcrustacean for the bottle!
The beer pours a beautiful, crystal clear brass, a thick, two finger ivory froth gathered from a vigorous pour. The head settles into an even, tiny bubbled coating, collared by a thicker rim.
The aroma is very well balanced. An undertone of pungent, herbal and piney hopping bouys a rich toasty malt character. I'm guessing some nugget and goldings? The malt acquires a slightly biscuity tint with some warmth, almost a little ham-like, slight pear esters adding a fruity softness. The malt gets a bit mashy when allowed to warm. Very nice.
The flavor starts with a moderate toasty maltiness. Some grainy, biscuity malt adds a pleasant harshness, with a cereal quality. Soft pear and peach esters in the middle, traveling into a moderate, balancing hoppy finish. Rather herbal, with a slight high alpha pungency. Some goldings floral hop flavor, slight grapefruit rind, the bittering mostly derived from the herbal tone. The malt keeps a hold throughout, adding a final, sweetening burst right in the swallow. A lingering malty aftertaste, with a spark of orange citrus on the very back of the tongue. Soft, english styled carbonation supporting a lightish medium body. Very smooth drinking, I have to check myself to keep from gulping it down.
A fairly complex, easy drinking pale ale. Great malt character with a solid, mildly hoppy finish. Just what I want in a session ale. I'd easily buy this by the sixer as an everyday drinking beer, if only it were available around here.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2004 03:16:53 | More by UnionMade

montageman

Michigan

4.15/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

My buddy brought over a 6 pack of this last weekend for the conference championships - he left behind a few, so I thought I'd review one.

Poured into a pint glass. Clear, amber color that maintains a little lacing after the head disappears qucikly. There is a few carbonation bubbles, but nothing too major. Smell is citrusy and floral as well. There's also a little bit of roastedness present. Taste is malt up front with a dry hop finish. A good amount of roasted flavor here, too. This is quite nice. Mouthfeel is decent, slightly creamy. This is a very sessionable beer - great flavor, nothing objectionable. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2007 22:25:05 | More by montageman

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.15/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle served in a tumbler.

L - hazy rust color with a white head that fell to a ring and left some streaks of lacing.

S - earthy hop aroma.

T - good balanced taste, sweet malt and bitter hop flavors are well blended throughout.

F - light, crisp and refreshing.

D - the website has this at 4.3% abv and I could easily have 3 or 4 of these in a sitting.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2008 22:00:14 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

Jmoore50

Nevada

4.15/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Got into O'Hare late morning yesterday and figured, what the hell, so got a few Goose Island brews on tap. Good stuff.

The appearance is nice, has a red-golden-beautiful appearance to it. Has a nice light white foamy head. The girl poured it light, I like the rougher pours and with one the brew could had a respectable head. I enjoyed the color and scent of this brew.

The smell was good. Had a spicy hop smell that was an overwhelming characteristic. It also smelled of grain and sugars. Real beautiful when you went in for a drink because the smell was really strong. Real fun.

The taste was good. Like the smell it had a great spicy taste. It also had a oak chip or wooden taste to it. I think it was the aroma and scents of maybe a burnt wood. Really good.

The mouthfeel was good, hoppy. The drinkability was also good, considering I got two of them at around ten in the morning. Overall good brew.

J

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2009 02:11:01 | More by Jmoore50

atpben

Texas

4.15/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into pint glass. Appears a light copper color with a creamy medium head. Aroma of some citrus and a grains. Starts off sweet with taste of caramel and toffee. The hops kick in after that with some spiciness to the taste. It ends wtih the perfect amount of bitterness. What a great beer. Another good one from Great Lakes. Great session beer too

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2009 04:31:13 | More by atpben

jdense

Oregon

4.15/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Goose Island pub, O'Hare Airport, Chicago, Il., poured into plastic pint glass.

Amber body, one finger white head, slow dissipation with nice lacing. Big malty backbone in the nose, some roastiness, grassy hops more than citrus with some spice. Taste is nicely balanced, between bready malts and spicy hops. Finish is a bit bitter but not overly so, long lasting with good malt presence. Smooth mouthfeel, and quite drinkable, I could see myself having a few of these. Not the most hop forward of beers, but very smooth.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2009 16:28:23 | More by jdense

bgreg3

Indiana

4.15/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

App-3.0- This beer is amber in appearance with a foam head that dissipates very quickly and doesn't leave any lacing.

Smell-4.5- Amazing smell! Crystal malts produce a caramel sweetness that come together with hops. Simple but very nice.

Taste-4.0 -Sweet malty character mixed with a caramel taste. Mid way through hops make their presence and balance the sweet tastes previously noted. I also note some piney and citrusy flavors floating about near the very end.

MF-4.0- Has a light mouth feel; would make a hell a hell of a session beer. Very mild and easy to enjoy. Swims around the palette smoothly. I usually like my pale ales a bit heavier but this does the trick.

Drink-4.5- Easy to drink with a semi dry semi wet finish.

I like it. + for goose island.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2010 02:55:19 | More by bgreg3

tjsdomer2

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: I read the last review and agree with the sentiment that this looks like honey...more of an orange blossom honey. Not that much foam, which costs this a bit in the appearance ranking. Pretty color overall though.

Smell: Good, bitter hops and smooth malt. A bit of orange spice to it as well. Thumbs up!

Taste/Mouthfeel: Tastes extraordinarily malty and earthy, I guess you could say wood and dry. Also very bitter due to the hops. (Thus it's an English Bitter.) Goes down real easy. Kind of citrusy (I agree with the sentiment I saw on this site from the Bros that this has a grapefruit taste to it in specific.), causing it to warm.

Drinkability: Excellent pub brew. Velvety smooth.

Overall: For the Sam Adam's crowd, Honker's Ale is the love-child of Boston Lager and Boston Ale in my opinion. It looks and smells like Boston Ale, only better. It almost has the maltiness of Boston Ale and the hoppiness and warmth of Boston Lager. It's definitely more bitter than both. I'm sure how easy this is to find outside of Chicago, and that's a shame. On the other hand, Goose Island keeps its microbrew tradition legitimate.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2010 18:21:49 | More by tjsdomer2

RankRefugee88

New York

4.15/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from tap.

A - Nice bronze color when held into the light. Nice white head, dissipates but leaves strong lacing. Bubbles constantly rise from the bottom to the top of the glass, nice looking full body. A bit cloudy, kinda clear.

S - Nice hoppy and malty smell to it. Refreshing on the nose.

T - Very nice blend of hops and malts. Slight taste of buttered bread, notes of fruits, and malts stick out too. A tiny note of tanginess, orange peel or lemon peel, maybe both. Definitely fits the taste of an english bitter. I'm really liking the malty caramel aftertaste, especially off the tap.

M - I instantly thought chewy. It's warming and sticky, kind of thick feeling for this style. Good carbonation, foamy, but dry and crisp at the end.

D - Extremely smooth. The definition of a smooth beer. Very easy going down, I can see myself drinking a lot of these.

Overall a good beer. I'm very satisfied, I've been longing to try this beer. I've had the Goose Island IPA, Summertime and their infamous Bourbon County Brand Stout all of which I was satisfied with. Goose Island hasn't disappointed me in any way. Honker's Ale off the tap is remarkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2010 03:42:57 | More by RankRefugee88

Hanby

Wisconsin

4.15/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A- Light brown with a finger of lingering off-white head.

S- Caramel and malt. There was not a strong alcohol smell.

T- Very smooth taste of caramel and malt, with a hint of citrus. It's really easy drinking. Again, not much alcohol taste or bite.

M- Good carbonation. Nothing extraordinary.

O- I liked Honker's Ale a lot, and will definitely go back to it. Goose Island has gained a devoted fan. Honker's is a very good tasting ale for smooth drinking. Nothing too strong here.
I think it'd be an ideal Autumn or Winter beer.

Serving type: on-tap

06-26-2011 00:17:58 | More by Hanby