Honker's Ale - Goose Island Beer Co.

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

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

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

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

chinchill

South Carolina

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

12 ounce bottle from Fort Collins, CO was served chilled in a snifter.

Appearance - Poured sparkling clear, dark amber in color, with a fine, creamy bone-colored head. The head had disappointing retention. Good lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell: About equal mix of malts and hops; A bit floral with hints of brown sugar.

Taste: Like a relatively bitter, earthy and hoppy amber ale: i.e., mildly bitter and true to style. Well balanced. A trace of ripe fruit. Aftertaste is unusually durable for an ale of this style and strength.

Mouthfeel: Near medium bodied, with good lively moderate carbonation. A bit crisp with a semi-dry finish.

O: Respectably flavorful and interesting, and with just 4.3% ABV, this is a good session ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 16:05:40 | More by chinchill

chefhatt

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I poured this into a pint glass, it has a nice straw colored body with a nice thick white head that hangs out for a littl while until it lays down to a thin lace on top of the body. The smell has a light hop aroma to it. The taste has a light citrus hop flavor to it. It also has a little bit of malt in there also. The mouth feel is smooth, no after taste and overall a reall eays drinking beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 03:50:13 | More by chefhatt

heygeebee

Australia

3.98/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Seriously major thanks to MrKennedy for this one...

Pours a slightly hazy deep gold. No real head, but lines of lace

Bready malts and caramels on nose.

Taste is really smooth and integrated, with biscuity malts to the fore. Definitely a session beer, if world dynamics would allow :-) A little caramel, maybe a little butterscotch?

Mouthfeel smooth. Carbonation low. Right for style.

Interesting all round. An Englishman in Austalia drinking a bitter from the US. Works out alright tho, I'd buy a lot of this if it were locally available and reasonably prced.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 08:18:34 | More by heygeebee

Geegmasta

2.93/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint glass.

Appearance- Amber color with not much of a head. The small white, bubbly head quickly dissipated with no lacing.

Smell- Has a hoppy overtone but otherwise I could liken it to Budweiser in all honesty.

Taste- Hits the palette with a decent mix of hops and malt. Has a bitter finish with lingering, hoppy taste. I hate to say it but it tastes like a better Budweiser.

Mouthfeel- Light bodied and refreshing. Medium carbonation that tingles and exits quickly.

Overall- Imagine Budweiser 0.5 of a step up the ladder of quality (with 10 rungs, not 5). It's the kind of beer I would have after a hard day's work outside in the late spring/summer. It's nothing to write home about or anything I'd buy again due to the cost per quality.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 03:21:14 | More by Geegmasta

allforbetterbeer

Colorado

3.63/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 1 month old bottle into a snifter.

Pours crystal clear with a flamed orange peel body under a nearly white head that retains well. Looks a like a good bitter.

Sweet, mild, toasty warm malts pair with light hop notes in the inviting nose. Bread crust, toasted white bread, cracked barley, sweet grass, and spring leaves come to mind.

The flavor is balanced and poised in the right ways. This does taste like a bitter in the traditional sense, which is uncommon in terms of American versions of the style. Too often they are over hopped, or just take the wrong track with the balance and water chemistry. The malts are sweet on the front end, and warm on the back. The hops are quite minimal, and although I never thought I would say this, I believe I am wanting more hop flavor (not bitterness) in this bitter.

The mouthfeel is rather highly carbonated for the style, which takes away from the English feel. Otherwise it hits near the mark, with a touch of residual sugars.

Conclusion: A good American version of this sublime English style. I take my bitter seriously, and have always felt that the style is neglected or abuse as a general rule by American brewers. This is an alright example, but it doesn't shine like the best of the real English versions do.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 04:28:52 | More by allforbetterbeer

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.78/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

as advertised, a good mix of malt and hops. pours redish amber in color, with a fizzy and frothy white head of large bubbles, good retention, mostly clear. the nose is way more malt than hops, english in nature, maybe some caramunich as well, got that sweet drivey punch to it. flavor is much more balanced, with the sweeter hops being easily and geniously tamed by hefty floral and citric hop additions. not too lemony or anything, but there is a mild acidity to the hops which cuts the sugars perfectly. long harmonious finish, kind of fresh baked pretzely malt on the final note, and definite red malt trails. the carbonation is quite excited, but it gives this brew a lot of life. body is medium to drink, but feels a little heavier once its down in the stomach. maybe a tough six pack to get through, but as one or two i think its just right for this time of year. it didnt knock my socks off, but its a nice full flavored beer worthy of a spot in my fridge.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 00:13:09 | More by StonedTrippin

beyah

Maine

3.9/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance: Reddish copper color with a quickly disapearing head leaving behid a presistant white lace.

Smell: Nice subdued toasty malt smell, with a hint of eathy hops

Taste: Malts become more forward as the beer warms, Lightly hopped, with a bit of hops sharpness at the end.

Mouthfeel: Thin, smooth mouthfeel, similar to a session English beer.

Overall: A nice change of pace that is good when you want more than one. Good to have with snacks, when watching a game.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 00:58:55 | More by beyah

JWU

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle poured into a curved pint glass.

A- a perfectly clear pale amber/copper with a half finger of off-white head. Some lacing down the glass.

S- Some light biscuity malts, with an earthy hop component.

T- dry and crisp from the start, pretty complex for such a low abv beer. Toasty malts, a hint of caramel, earthy wooden hops balance.

M- light side of medium, with a light to medium carbonation. Very nice display of English Bitter dryness.

O- Didn't have high hopes for this one, but fairly impressed. Another solid brew from Goose Island.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 01:25:15 | More by JWU

scootny

New York

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

Very cloudy with a lovely head that rises to two fingers and slowly, gently fades to a light covering, decorating the glass all the way down with lace sheets. Some carbonation is evident and the overall color is burnt orange. Smell is fruity with a touch of diacetyl as well as some dough and yeast. An earthy hop presence cuts through. Taste is soft and fruity with a firm earthy hops and good solid pale malt backbone. Lots of biscuit with a light caramel sweetness. Finish dry with earth and a bit of a mineral edged metallic presence and hop oiliness. Feel is a lighter medium weight with lower carbonation and a gentle overall tingleyness. Quite crisp in fact. Smooth and easy drinking. A nice English style session ale that represents the style solidly. If you are looking for an English pub experience in a bottle this is a good place to start.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 05:10:16 | More by scootny

cousineddy

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours an opaque deep burnt orange with two fingers of off white/tan head. Good lacing

Smell: Very vibrant with citrus, hop florals offset by sweet malt. Slight biscuit notes as well

Taste: Orange peel, Hoppy bitterness, bready toasty malts

Mouthfeel: Thinner than i expected, not a lot of bubbles which is a nice change of pace.

Overall: very nice, im not entirely familiar with the style but i liked what Goose Island Honkers ale had to offer.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 01:15:02 | More by cousineddy

MrKennedy

Australia

3.83/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle thanks to biglobo8971, into a Midnight Sun glass.

A golden copper colour it has very good clarity and foam retention plus some spotty lacing. Nice looking bitter.

Smell is of bread and caramel with some citrus hoppiness pretty faint in the background. A touch of spice there as well.

Tastes of biscuits and bready malt. Also there is caramel. Very much malt based with some spice and tiny citrus flavour at the back end. Does get a little too malt driven at times even for the style.

Solid body for the style. Carbonation level is about right. The bit of spice at the back really helps keep this sessionable. Nice and consistent.

Good bitter. Does everything it needs to. Easy to drink as a session beer and enough to keep you interested if its your only one for the night.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 09:29:06 | More by MrKennedy

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

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

Single bottle from a six-pack, purchased at Consumer Beverages in Orchard Park, NY.

Poured into a nonic. Classic bitter appearance for this brew: caramel-copper in colour, slight haze, thin but sturdy head, with some lacing.

Nose is caramel, malt, toffee, bread, earthy hops, a touch of grain and roasted
bitteress, as well as some fruit (peach).

Decent, highly drinkable bitter with enough flavor to keep me interested and a low enough ABV to guarantee some serious session drinking. Bready, with a touch of fruit, earthy hops and caramel sweetness. Carbonation is mild, the feel is slightly creamy and a bit thin.

Certainly worth a pickup as an easy drinking bitter with some flavour. Nothing special, but it does the trick.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 02:33:14 | More by JohnnyBarman

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from Minnesota. Brewed in Portsmouth. Bottled May 24. From notes.

A - Poured hazy light orange. One finger of beige head. Mild carbonation, no lace, film of retention.

S - Fruity hop, earth, peach.

T - Fruity, bready, some earth, nice biscuity malt, some caramel.

M - Nice tingly carbonation, medium body, mild bitterness.

O/D - I could have a few of these. Simple but tasty. A nice take on the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 19:09:17 | More by tbeckett

prdstmnky

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz ~ bottled 6/19/12

Pours with a nice caramel body and a finger of creamy off white head that fades pretty fast...nice lacing. Really just getting sweeter, buttery notes on the nose. Much like its color, its a bit caramely. The flavor profile is a bit different though, definitely some hop bitterness up front before the malts peek thru...the finish is a bit dry though - very odd, not necessarily bad. Nice feel to it, adequate carbonation and just making its way to the low end of medium bodied.

Im really not sure what to think of this. It doesnt really remind me of a typical bitter, the nose was very sweet but the taste was much more balanced. Interesting to say the least.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 03:22:06 | More by prdstmnky

mattbk

New York

3.85/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - Tan, slightly cloudy, slight creamy head. Does not appear very carbonated.

Smell - Nice slight piney hops. Not a ton of aroma here.

Taste - Bright hops, slightly citrusy, mixes with a slight toffee malt. Definitely some hop bitterness, but not at all overwhelming. No diacetyl. Simple, elegant, very tasty, sessionable. I could easily drink several of these.

Mouthfeel - A bit light. This would benefit from a slightly fuller mouthfeel, but it might have also detracted from the sessionability.

Overall - This is an easy drinking and very tasty beer, would be good as an intro beer to newbie craft lovers. To me this almost ranks right with SNPA in terms of flavor and drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 00:30:26 | More by mattbk

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