Christmas Ale - Goose Island Beer Co.

BeerCon5

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep brown color, with about a finger of off-white foamy head that remains throughout the beer.

The scent is of toasted caramel malt, herbal hops, notes of yeast.

The taste is of toasted caramel and biscuity malt, moderately bitter herbal hops.

Medium body, smooth and creamy, moderate carbonation.

This was a very nice brown ale, full of rich flavor and easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2012 15:55:28 | More by BeerCon5

djre4orm

Virginia

4/5  rDev +5%

06-13-2013 19:22:21 | More by djre4orm

cyclonece09

Maryland

3.28/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a 14 oz "pint" glass. Pours a cloudy brown with very little head. Smells of chocolate primarily, with slight hoppy notes. Tastes of slight coffee and chocolate, with some piney hops. Beer goes down smooth, with its light body, good carbonation. Overall, a slightly above average beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 01:07:52 | More by cyclonece09

4amepiphany

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

06-08-2013 23:37:35 | More by 4amepiphany

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%

06-08-2013 15:17:03 | More by TheBeerAlmanac

pisano

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%

06-06-2013 21:14:53 | More by pisano

savagepm

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

06-06-2013 00:16:20 | More by savagepm

BeastLU

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

06-06-2013 00:03:19 | More by BeastLU

puboflyons

New Hampshire

4.21/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

From the 12. fl. oz. bottle marked bottled on 08/31/12-0936. So this is 10 months old and of course well past Christmas. But I found it on clearance real cheap.

The color is a slightly murky amber-brown with a frothy tan head that lingers.

The aroma is subtle and sweet with esters of toffee, butterscotch, caramel malts, and nutmeg or brown sugar. The hops are even more subtle.

The body is smooth and medium.

The taste is surprisingly bitter considering the aroma is more sweet with creamy caramel and toffee merging with a moderate bitter bite that lingers and ends slightly dry. Still tasty all these months later.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2013 23:33:41 | More by puboflyons

mactrail

California

2.61/5  rDev -31.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.5

2012 edition. From the 12 oz bottle out of the cooler at Whole Foods in DC. Tastes more like an Old Ale, I can't conceive of this as a Brown. A little hazy, and I'd call it cherry-amber in color. Very thin but fine-grained foam.

This is just a peculiar taste. Buttery and roasted grainy flavor. Maybe the musty smell is the tip-off that not all is well. Distinct cola flavor with some earthy hops. The carbonation is quite nice, however. Sweet and slightly bitter. Well, this is sort of drinkable, it doesn't seem to be spoiled, but the rest of the bottle is going down the sink.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2013 03:01:19 | More by mactrail

deltatauhobbit

Maine

3.68/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Bottled on 8/31/2012, been in my fridge since around Christmas time.
7.3%

Pours a deep copper color with a decent sized light tan head, leaves a cap on top and some nice patchy lacing on the glass.

Smell is mostly roasted malt with a touch of toffee.

Taste is not overwhelming, fairly straight forward roasted malt aspect although the toffee flavors do add a touch of complexity, very soft carbonation but plenty of it, nice and creamy.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2013 01:06:33 | More by deltatauhobbit

MinorThreat

Colorado

4/5  rDev +5%

06-01-2013 19:04:16 | More by MinorThreat

DerekMorgan

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%

05-25-2013 22:46:03 | More by DerekMorgan

JasonTaverner

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +11.5%

05-22-2013 22:10:02 | More by JasonTaverner

brewcifix

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +11.5%

05-21-2013 21:57:35 | More by brewcifix

Rogorama

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +18.1%

05-21-2013 13:56:22 | More by Rogorama

ackeeper

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +11.5%

05-21-2013 01:28:20 | More by ackeeper

InspectorBob

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

05-20-2013 16:21:22 | More by InspectorBob

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