Sahti - Goose Island Beer Co.

udouche

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

02-25-2013 15:39:00 | More by udouche

Glibber

Idaho

4.25/5  rDev +16.1%

05-19-2013 22:11:35 | More by Glibber

kojevergas

California

3.4/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Served on-draught at Goose Island Clybourn over Paddy's Day Weekend. 8.3% ABV confirmed. Reviewed from notes. Served into a 12 oz tulip. This was my first Sahti.

A: Pours a white floater - no head whatsoever. Body colour is a rich auburn. Nontransparent. Semitranslucent. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Understated yet appealing.

Sm: Red wine. Heavy berries. Cherry. Bright fruit skin. Luscious and appealing. Maybe light raisin? A refined aroma of mild strength.

T: Cherry and berries. Definitely berry-dominant. Light acidity. Fruit skin. Light red wine notes. No hop character at all. Grapeskin. A bit of vine. Balanced and enjoyable. Certainly a different flavour profile from what I'm used to. Still, there's not a lot of depth of flavour here. Earthy. No yeast or alcohol comes through.

Mf: Slightly dry and coarse. Lightly vinous, even a bit scratchy. Good thickness. Complements the flavour profile well.

Dr: Fairly drinkable, but it's something of a sipper. Hides its ABV well. I need to spend more time with the style, but tentatively I'd say that I wouldn't get this one again; it doesn't stand out.

B-

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2013 20:57:38 | More by kojevergas

Antnyd82

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +16.1%

03-02-2013 02:24:37 | More by Antnyd82

Gonzoillini

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

03-01-2013 02:24:04 | More by Gonzoillini

Brew33

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

02-10-2013 19:59:47 | More by Brew33

mdfb79

New York

3.71/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

From 01/21/13 notes. Had this on tap at the Clybourn brewpub. Haven't had a lot of beers in this style so was interested to try a new one.

a - Pours a somewhat hazy reddish brown color with one inch of off white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of spices, fruity malts, apples, spice sticky sweet dark fruits, and some earthy notes. Little bit spicier than I was expecting, but the fruit is nice.

t - Tastes of fruity malts, sweet strawberries, sticky dark fruits, sugar, spices, pepper, yeast, bready malts. More fruit than the nose here and the strawberries are quite nice. A step up from the nose.

m - Medium body and moderate to high carbonation. Slightly overcarbonated but pretty easy to drink.

o - Overall a pretty solid, interesting beer. I don't think this is my favorite style, but out of the 4 Sahti's I have tried so far this one is probably my favorite; I liked it much better than the DFH one. Lots of sweet fruits and spices, it is an interesting beer worth checking out.

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2013 21:22:52 | More by mdfb79

Dactrius

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

01-19-2013 21:44:35 | More by Dactrius

spycow

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

01-14-2013 04:45:45 | More by spycow

apocalypsezombie

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

05-20-2012 19:34:40 | More by apocalypsezombie

HungarianCount

Michigan

3/5  rDev -18%

04-14-2012 04:26:48 | More by HungarianCount

birdsellam

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

04-11-2012 04:00:56 | More by birdsellam

lstokes

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the Clybourn brewpub, although I think it was more of a 6-7 ABV? Clear amber, nice finger of foam, good lacing. Nose is grain and very present juniper, which is also present in the taste--it's like a wonderful gin-rye-beer-sour hybrid. Tart on the finish. Medium carbonation and a slightly slick mouthfeel. I've actually never had this style before, so I don't know quite how to judge, but I would definitely have more Sahtis if I saw them.

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2012 01:22:34 | More by lstokes

kylehay2004

Florida

4/5  rDev +9.3%

02-04-2012 22:57:16 | More by kylehay2004

gtermi

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

02-02-2012 07:48:14 | More by gtermi

goalie33

New York

4/5  rDev +9.3%

01-20-2012 03:48:19 | More by goalie33

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a tulip glass at the Clybourn brewpub.

Not enough sahtis out there. Seriously. This one pours a clear sunrise amber topped by a finger of dirty cream-white foam. The nose comprises caramel, vague wood, and sour rye bread. The taste holds notes of biscuit, rye spice, light mint, juniper berry, and light balsa. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and an oily feel. Overall, a very nice sahti, one of the more enjoyable examples I've had in a long time.

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2012 23:37:53 | More by TMoney2591

EJLinneman

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

01-04-2012 03:56:52 | More by EJLinneman

Chaney

District of Columbia

2.68/5  rDev -26.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I took a chance on this one because it sounded unique. Served in a tulip glass at the Clybourn location.

BA says this one is 5.6%, but the one I tried at the alehouse was 7.5%.

A: Poured a crystal clear, mild amber color, with about a 1/2 finger head that retained itself. This was visibly low carbonated.

S: I got almost nothing on the nose. No spices, grains, malts, etc. After REALLY trying, and for the purposes of this review, I supposed I got a puff of honey.

T: Disappointing to say the least. The only other beer I've had in this style so far has been DFH's entry "Sah'tea." That one was highly creative due to its colorful and usual spice bill. This one had a bit of honey and MAYBE some berries, but that's it. If you're going to create something like this, my suggestion to GI is to lay it out on the line and really soup it up with over the top spices!

M: The syrupy quality without an interesting spice bill was most unpleasant. Additionally, the carbonation was extremely low as well as the lacing.

O: I'm always pumped to try a beer in an out-of-the-ordinary, out-of-the-everyday style, but this one illustrates why the Sahti style hasn't caught on. GI should go back to the drawing board and make this brew a big FU to the man: "You may not like this beer, but your palate will certainly remember how it was wrecked by our draconian spice bomb!"

Serving type: on-tap

12-28-2011 14:10:08 | More by Chaney

imperialking

Illinois

4/5  rDev +9.3%

11-18-2011 23:03:49 | More by imperialking

emerge077

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draft at Goose Clybourn.

Pale orange hue, bright clarity that almost sparkled in the light. Thin cap of creamy foam across the top. Minimal lacing, average retention. Head fades into a broken skim that clings to the edges.

Husky grain in the aroma, simple and clean, oats and apparently rye are used in this Sahti. The lack of any defining juniper/herbals didn't bode well.

Lightly tart with mild astringency that suggested apple, very crisp with ample carbonation. Vague spice that seems derived more from rye than juniper. Nice and crisp feel, the overall simplicity and easy drinkability begs for warmer weather. It would have been better with more noticeable juniper or some level of herbal presence.

Serving type: on-tap

02-23-2011 19:04:20 | More by emerge077

tjsdomer2

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Kind of a flat golden beer. Ok carbonation, but good lacing.

Smell: Juniper berries and biscuit malt. Very good.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Juniper berries and malty crispness. Definitely tastes like gin, so I give it points for this. Very smooth as well. No hops or hop bitterness. Very dry finish.

Drinkability: I really like gin, so I could drink this all day.

Overall: A great change of pace.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Goose Island Clybourn, 1800 N Clybourn Ave, Chicago

01-14-2011 01:29:16 | More by tjsdomer2

jrallen34

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

In tap at GI into a tasting glass, recommendation by the bar tender...Pours a yellowish gold, pretty clear, watery lacing...The aroma is pretty good, a nice mixture of fruit and tea. Tea does dominate mostly but the pears and lemon help to balance this a little...The balance on the nose is undone the taste as its mostly tea with aloe and other herbal notes. Still some fruity notes just not enough.

To much tea for me to make it drinkable. What some would find refreshing I find as medicinal.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Goose Island Clybourn, 1800 N Clybourn Ave, Chicago

12-31-2010 21:15:42 | More by jrallen34

Duhast500

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had this while in Chicago for the weekend.

Poured from the tap into a tasting glass.

The color is a clear gold with a slight head and little lacing.

The smell is fruity with a touch of plum and a slight tea like flavor. There is a bit of a malt flavor in the back with some spiciness as well.

The taste is again, fruity with pear, and some apple flavor that is smooth and mellow. There is a nice bready flavor that is a bit dry as well.

The feel of this beer is light and goes down smooth. There is a bit of a dry feel to this beer that is an interesting feature but leave my mouth a little flat. This would go well with the properly paired food that might compliment this beer well.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Goose Island Clybourn, 1800 N Clybourn Ave, Chicago

11-02-2010 12:48:47 | More by Duhast500

taylorhamrick

South Carolina

3.3/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

on tap @ GI-Clybourn

Pours a kind of clear straw yellow color, a very thin head, leaving almost no lacing on the glass. According to the style description - this isn't very accurate, as far as the clarity goes. But otherwise, just looks like a pale lager or something. I think some kind of spiced ketchup was interfering with my sense of smell, because I was smelling pumpkin pie spice on and off, I think I'll write it off as something in the room because when I tried, I could only smell the beer. I mostly get a kind of herbal smell, with quite a big pilsener malt backbone, but also a bit of caramel smell, or toffee, like little suckers, whichever kind they are - a big sugary if you ask me. Almost not tartness is detected here, which I would expect, and very little juniper, apart from the kind of light herbal, woody, floral smells mentioned. This isn't too spicy in the taste, but I get it as I pull the glass from my lips, a kind of sticky, woody, kind of spicy taste. The malt has a pilsener taste, no hops, no bitterness, just sweetness. There is really nothing exiting about this, and I can only hope that it isn't an accurate representation of the style - I mean, it doesn't need to be exiting, but it shouldn't taste like some kind of an imperial lite beer (which it kind of reminds me of). The mouthfeel is pretty nice, kind of a good balance between thin and full, like a more syrupy verison of some very light adjunct type lager. There's a nice bite of carbonation, which may be about the most interesting part of this. And it drinks kind of refreshing and light, but there is very little of interest in here. I was exited to try a new style, but I highly doubt that this is accurate. I wouldn't try it unless it's your only shot. It's like a summer beer without any wings - not a sahti, according to what I've learned about it, at all.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Goose Island Clybourn, 1800 N Clybourn Ave, Chicago

06-27-2009 21:40:58 | More by taylorhamrick