Honker's Ale - Goose Island Beer Co.

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

fisherman34

Manitoba (Canada)

3.13/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Light amber in colour with lots of carbonation. Mild citrus aromas with a bit of caramel. Light malt flavors dominate, with some notes of spicy and grassy Gernan hops and some yeast bite. Very restrained in the hops department for an American made pale ale. Light bodied. A little un-refined and simplistic by this brewery standards, but still an ok beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2006 15:37:26 | More by fisherman34

1fastz28

Illinois

3.13/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

one of my go-to beers at my fave local bar, only decent beer they have on draft. this one is out of a bottle though and it is a night and day difference,
looks the same, has a nice orange (beer) color, just looks like a beer should. smell is kinda off out of the bottle, corn and malt instead of hops like on draft. taste is average at best, again.. not like on draft. on draft it has a much more prominent hop taste while in the bottle i taste more malt than anything, still ok, but much better on draft. i still like this beer and glad it is regularly available

btw this is my 100th beer i've rated. :)
cheers.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2007 05:16:50 | More by 1fastz28

skizziks

Kentucky

3.1/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into a nonic. Pour gives a one inch smooth white head that quickly fades to a thin layer of large bubbles. The beer is a clear golden amber.

Aroma is toffee, crystal malt and light herbal hops.

Flavor has a stiff carbonation bite on the tip of the tongue followed by toffee, some hop resin, and a very light dry finish. Not much there really, but none of it is bad.

Honker's has a medium light body with with a bit too much fizz. Very easy to drink, but I get the feeling it is just so I can get to the next, different, beer. It's not bad at all, it's just not very remarkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2006 03:11:17 | More by skizziks

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Goose Island Honker's Ale poured a burnt orange color into a snifter glass. Lacing was there along the side of the glass.

The smell was earthy hops, just a tad minerally otherwise very scant.

Taste was very bitter. A big dose of hops overwhelmed what I believe was a light english style malting.

Mouthfeel was prickly yet smooth, interesting.

Overall, a respectable brew, that I wasn't too impressed with. Wouldn't reccommend it unless you are seriously into over hopped beers. The Honker's Ale is actually more bitter and hoppy than their IPA.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2009 04:07:41 | More by Stinkypuss

patreely12

Maryland

3.1/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - dark orange, quick dissolving head and some lacing.

S - floral aroma (pine?), citrus and apples. smells fresh and you can almost smell the bitterness.

T/M - sharp, bitter and citrusy. there's something in there that throws off the taste though, maybe the aforementioned pine.

D - good for a session. I tried this out knowing that Goose Island has some highly praised beers, but this one is rather mediocre.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2010 05:59:06 | More by patreely12

jjayjaye

New York

3.08/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Light golden amber and almost hazy with a half finger head that faded fairly quickly. Not much lacing.
S - Balanced earthy malt with a slightly hoppy edge.
T - Pretty much what I'm used to from an English Bitter. A timid earthy base with slightly more hop.
M&D - Light and sort of dry. This is not my go-to style.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2007 22:17:16 | More by jjayjaye

KickbacksSteve

Florida

3.08/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On tap at Kickbacks in Jax. Poured into a snifter. Off-white head with moderate retention, clear sticky lacing. Body is a clear copper. Aromas include caramel malt sweetness and very mild bitterness. Taste is mainly caramel malt, not really picking up many flavors on this one. Very easy to drink, quite sessionable just lacking in the flavor department, certainly nothing off-putting, just not very exciting.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2012 03:32:11 | More by KickbacksSteve

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.05/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured amber with a good head and lacing. Lightly sour aromas of grain and some crackery malt in the nose. There are also the barest hint of earthy hops. The taste is about the same. The beer is pretty light, somewhat grainy, and there are light flavors of the same earthy hops that were in the smell. Mouthfeel is slightly thin, a tad overcarbonated, and a little grainy. Eh, this is just okay. It has none of the minerally earthy restraint of a real English bitter. It tastes a little too light in flavor and is a bit one dimensional.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2008 19:13:18 | More by Georgiabeer

farrago

New Jersey

3.05/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Light tan head, crests at close to three fingers, very delicate microfoam which dissolves down at a steady pace stopping short of the surface to leave a solid coating, albeit with minimal lacing surrounding it. Gauzy orange-amber colored liquid, fades to yellow around the edges, not a lot of visible carbonation. The nose has a good deal of biscuit but more so sweeter caramel, butterscotch, candied oranges and lighter nutmeg centered spice, peach to dried apple fruit, there’s some hoppy zing present but it does not last as you really draw the scents in and breathe out. Medium-bodied, foams up too much during the mouth entry but then settles back to release substantial chocolate, caramel, toffee flavors alongside juicy orange, tangerine citrus. The peach, apricot, apple fruit keeps the mouth feel soft and round. Harder to find any meaningful hops presence here than in the nose, however, dries a touch as it ends, never quite cloyingly sweet. Lacks good posture, slouches throughout.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 23:28:50 | More by farrago

murphysbleachers

Illinois

3.03/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle from a mixed 12 into a pint glass.
A: Orangey golden, nice head, not so great retention.
S: Not a very strong odor. Slight bready malt and floral hops, but only after sticking my nose in the glass for a minute, looking for something to write down.
T: Slight hop bitterness. That's it.
M: Nothing wrong, nothing special.
D: Easy drinking and I'll drink it again because of availability in Chicago. Not worth putting too much effort into finding this.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2006 22:17:52 | More by murphysbleachers

jwc215

New Jersey

3.03/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle
Best when consumed by 11/22/06
Poured amber with a two inch white head that settled to a lasting one inch head.
The smell was hoppy. Clean.
In the taste, the bitter hops dominated the malt. The hop presence, without enough malt to balance it out, was a bit unusual for the style. It says on the label that it is based on beer from English pubs, but it is different than English bitters that I've had. Besides the hops, salt was noticeable. Some floral and citrus flavors were mixed in.
The salt and hops left the mouth a bit dry, but it went down fairly smoothly. It could have used a bit more body.
Overall, it's not bad, but not something I would order in Chicago most likely. It needs more malt and less salt (or at least a covering-up of the salt).
My brother was good enough to bring back a 6-pack of this for me from a recent business trip.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2006 20:13:11 | More by jwc215

r0nyn

New York

3.03/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into my Otter Creek nonic.

Pours a slightly hazy burnt amber hue, with a large, but quick-receding white head that leaves bits of soapy lacing. Not very much carbonation can be seen. Smell is full of malts and some hoppy nuances. There's a slight roasted quality to it as well.

The initial sip yield a weird, malty flavor. Not quite sure what it is, but it's unique and pretty strange. Slightly metallic with an odd undertone of rust. Gives way to some more sweet tasting malts and just a subtle hint of bitterness. Little to no aftertaste. Mouthfeel is crisp and smooth, with a drying finish. No carbonation of which to speak.

With a pedestrian ABV and a crisp feel, this should be an easy ale to quaff. But it's got a weird flavor to it, one that I'm not sure is because of a bad bottle or if that's the way all English bitters taste. I think I'll skip this next time, unless something changes in the way my palate functions.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2010 04:07:24 | More by r0nyn

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

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.01/5  rDev -19.7%
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

Brent

Kentucky

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

A nice solid ale, although I think this brewery's other offerings are more distinctive.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2001 14:06:03 | More by Brent

maxpower

Missouri

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

Clear bright copper color, small white head, sweet light malt aroma, kind of nutty. Light malt flavors, some hops noticable in the finish, clean. This pale ale is very light in body and on the tongue, a little watery, otherwise has some good light flavor, maybe a good sesssion beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2003 15:10:14 | More by maxpower

rastaman

United Kingdom (England)

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

A fair bit of sweetness at the start, dried out a bit by some piney, fruity hops, ever so slghtly sticky, and some bitterness. Relatively clean and easy going. A little to sticky sweet perhaps, as a lot of American Pale Ales tend to be, but....quite tasty.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2003 03:06:48 | More by rastaman

aquatonex

New York

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

They seem to have this on tap or in a bottle most everywhere in Chicago. Pours medium copper, rather translucent, some foamy head up front that quickly dissipates. Nose is rather light, just has a bit of a hops and a hint of sweetness. Taste is decent, good hoppiness that isn't too out of whack, tastes like a borderline macro-amber ale, though. A good session beer, but not my fave.

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2008 00:15:53 | More by aquatonex

GWaters

New Hampshire

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

While waiting for a flight in Chicago, I tried this "local" brew. I then noted on the label it was brewed in NH @ the Redhook Brewery.

P: It was poured by the bartender in to a plastic cup, yet the head was promising.

Nose: Nothing too notable here. A bit of a floral note. A hint of malt, and that was about it.

Taste: The first taste was pleasant. Some hops up front, followed with creamy malt flavor. However, that was it - after the first taste this brew had lost it's fuel, and became average.

Color: Amber/red slightly hazy. Very reminiscent of a Killian.

Mouthfeel: It is best described as not being watery. There was a little zest, but not too much more over that.

Overall, if this was Chicago's only offering, I would say they should stick to making pizza. Oh, and don't blame it on the NH brewery that is helping out.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 20:57:49 | More by GWaters

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