Christmas Ale - Goose Island Beer Co.

AmitC

Indiana

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

This is the review for the bottle dated - 10/21/2011. So this one has over 14 months on it.

On bottle it was mentioned that this one ages really well for about five years.

So here it goes.

Mahogany or ruby-brown colored. One finger thick off white colored head, that disappears slowly leaving behind a ring. An excellent lacing that is very sticky. Total haze. Lot of suspensions. Probably live yeast.

Aroma: Nose fills with toasted malts, bread and biscuit like nose. Sweet maltiness is abundant. Yeast is not apparent. Very minor hops, if any, come through.

Taste: All of nose components are transferred to the tongue without much adieu. Toasted, biscuit malts. Yeast and hops are better felt here than in the nose. A well balanced finish. Dry.

Mouth feel: Medium bodied Moderate carbonation. Easy silky feel. Smooth.

A delicious ale with nothing very exciting about it.

Style Rate: 4
Personal Rate: 3.75

Will be reviewing the 2012 counterpart soon. Have it in the fridge.

---

So here is the review for 2012 version. Bottle dated, 09/17/2012. Some obvious differences. The label does not say anything about developing in the bottle for 5 years or so as the label of 2011 says. Also, this one is a 7.3% brew compared to 6.2 of 2011 release.

Mahogany colored to almost copper brown color. Tan colored head of about one finger thickness that stays as thin layer. Ruby hues in light. Some bubbles are seen rising up. Hazy with some suspensions that are finer than in the 2011. Almost opaque. Sticky lacing.

Fruity esters, dry fruit, some yeast, caramel, toasted malts, some spices. A little of hop presence. Quite malt and ester forward aroma. Good use of yeast here i would say. Some Belgian ale like aroma. Very likable.

Taste: Malts upfront and very very small amount of hops to just counter the malts. Yeast is felt a lot. Finish is dry with some little residual sweetness. Feels somewhat spicy while on the palette, but no aftertaste.

Mouth feel: Smooth drinking, moderate carbonation. No astringency. Medium to slightly full feel. This one drinks very well.

Style Rate: The 2012 release more close to being an American brown ale than the 2011 one in my opinion. 4.25

Personal Rate: 4

I prefer this over 2011. Everything, the taste, the nose, the strength, quaffability and the finish, has been notched up a bit.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 20:38:27 | More by AmitC

touchmeimsac

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5%

05-15-2013 13:08:38 | More by touchmeimsac

jkball01

Kentucky

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%

05-13-2013 16:36:04 | More by jkball01

mikeburd1128

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +5%

05-12-2013 16:43:44 | More by mikeburd1128

YoDude

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Goose Island Christmas Ale 2009, aged 3 years 7 months in my beer cellar, 5.7% ABV, and poured into a Goose Island MBA Tulip glass.

Appearance: Poured amber brown with a deep thick head and a lacing that refuses to recede from its initial pour line.

Smell: A nice Holiday scent of dried fruit and nutmeg that is not overpowering.

Taste: The buttered toast and caramel malts lead to a lingering cinnamon-like bitter finish. As the beer warms, the flavor of black licorice emerges.

Mouth feel: Medium body and good carbonation, with a balanced sweet and bitter finish.

Overall: This American-style Brown Christmas Ale has aged very well. If any one flavor was originally dominant, that is not longer true. The Holiday spices have married well with the caramelized malt to make it very easy to enjoy more than one glass full. This beer may very well have reached its peak age, but I will continue to test as I still have three bottles in my cellar.

Serving type: 22 oz. bottle

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 04:55:55 | More by YoDude

drlovemd87

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

05-10-2013 01:24:43 | More by drlovemd87

cadaugherty

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

05-09-2013 00:50:03 | More by cadaugherty

mikeincharleston

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +5%

05-06-2013 00:09:15 | More by mikeincharleston

dvmky

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

05-05-2013 17:34:18 | More by dvmky

lic217

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

04-30-2013 09:25:24 | More by lic217

VikeMan

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5%

04-27-2013 18:30:22 | More by VikeMan

bossmanbuzz

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

04-27-2013 02:20:01 | More by bossmanbuzz

erialbill

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +11.5%

04-26-2013 15:42:55 | More by erialbill

Rappaman

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +18.1%

04-25-2013 01:05:40 | More by Rappaman

Sparty55

Michigan

4/5  rDev +5%

04-23-2013 01:47:25 | More by Sparty55

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

04-22-2013 20:58:14 | More by Kelp

Kunstman

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

04-20-2013 16:55:43 | More by Kunstman

jreindl

Wisconsin

3/5  rDev -21.3%

04-20-2013 04:39:04 | More by jreindl

msturek

Texas

5/5  rDev +31.2%

04-19-2013 01:33:07 | More by msturek

civicm87

New York

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

04-16-2013 21:49:10 | More by civicm87

AlphaKingKegger

Ohio

4/5  rDev +5%

04-16-2013 04:17:52 | More by AlphaKingKegger

Pencible

Virginia

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: This poured an opaque mahogany with a little tan head.
S: It smelled like roasted barley and earthy toffee, with a bit of vanilla and nutmeg.
T: It tasted like copper hops and roasted barley, with some earthy toffee and vanilla and nutmeg. It had a clean and bittersweet aftertaste.
M: It was watery with moderate carbonation. Light body.
D: This was reminiscent of Our Special Ale. Nice scent and taste, but nothing special. The body was only ok. The finish was smooth enough, so it was easy to drink. Seemed like it could really improve with age. Fresh wasn't bad, but fairly mundane.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 01:12:39 | More by Pencible

Hugonaut13

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

04-13-2013 04:10:53 | More by Hugonaut13

MRsojourner

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

04-08-2013 02:54:07 | More by MRsojourner

polopaul20

Maryland

4/5  rDev +5%

04-05-2013 19:35:15 | More by polopaul20