Kilgubbin Red Ale - Goose Island Beer Co.

granger10

Wisconsin

3.53/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours a really strong dark auburn color with a medium head. I can barely see light through it, I like the appearance on this guy. Smell is strong and really toasty. Lots of toasted biscuit and caramel, almost too much for my liking but its still nice to have a pungent beer. Taste brings about really unique malt complexities. The toasted, roasted flavors are dominant but there seems to be a good mix of malts going along with it. It's very dry and lingering. Body is medium and holds the flavors well but there's too much dryness in here and too much roasted flavors. I'd like a little more malt sweetness or residual sugars and then a little more flavor from the hops. There's a slight bitterness from either the malts or grains but no unique hops step out. Some could really dig this beer, for me it's good but not anything better than that.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2005 16:56:09 | More by granger10

budgood1

Minnesota

3.73/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

a unique style to be sure. pours out a very dark red, with a slight head. some spicy malt in the nose but barely perceptible. a pretty dry beer with woody/smokey/spicy notes from the rye in the middle. hops are hard to pick out. clean, crisp and uniquely refreshing. a fine and drinkable spring time ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2002 15:05:57 | More by budgood1

pmcadamis

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this at the new Lakeside Grill restaurant on Toronto Road.

A - Deep amber brew with a solid finger of khaki foam that shows pretty nice retention and leaves a little bit of sticky lace on the glass.

S - Big time grapefruit hops and caramel malty notes. Smells really fresh and fruity.

T - Citrus fruit, caramel malt, lightly toasty flavors, and loads of hops. This actually reminds me of Fat Tire, but better.

M - Medium-light in body with a good deal of carbonation and an off-dry finish. Very thirst quenching and refreshing.

D - One hell of a session brew. Like an amber ale should be, this is far from complex but it is really fresh and tasty. The tart fruit hops and off-dry finish make this a great beer to have with food.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2008 19:16:51 | More by pmcadamis

UnionMade

Colorado

3.88/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a tawny amber, infused with a slight ochre hue. Great clarity, topped with a short cap of dense ivory foam. Good head retention, keeping a thin haze throughout the glass. The head leaves behind spattered blobs of lace. No complaints here.
The aroma features a surprisingly present hop profile. Fresh herbal/piney hopping introduces itself immediately, although well within bounds for the malt. Grainy, caramel maltiness forms the bulk of the aroma, a whisp of floral fruitiness and perhaps a touch of detergent-like soap in the background.
The flavor opens with toasty, grainy caramel malt. The malt maintains prominence throughout the sip, a bit of pear and plum esters in the middle, wih a pleasant fresh cracked graininess increasing into the finish. A bit of red grape adds the barest touch of sourness, adding some color to the hoppy background of the finish. Excellent herbal hopping, fresh in the way of your buddy's homebrew. Perhaps goldings? Whatever it is, I like it. The aftertaste is mostly caramel malt, with a brush of peach and plum fruitiness. Mild, easy going carbonation with a mellow, giving mouthfeel. Medium bodied.
A rather mild brew throughout, certainly a session style. The hopping goes well with the malty/grainy texture. I could certainly put back a few of these in one sitting without any complaints. Not the most complex brew that's ever been, but it's a damn fine choice for a pint or two.
Thanks to oldcrustacean for the bottle!!

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2004 03:20:37 | More by UnionMade

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

3.98/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I really enjoyed this beer with some spicy cajun shrimp. It poured a dark red withs some brown hue. Some hints od spcies and malts in the nose with some hops. Very good spiciness to the beer and some hints of chocolate as well with nice bitterness from the hops. Overall a nice not overly carbonated ale. The spiciness gives it a nice refreshing finish. Good pick!

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2007 01:16:26 | More by JoEBoBpr

thain709

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - The body showed your typical copper color with some clarity...the head was small and thin and white in color...it showed little retention in the form of a small, thin ring...not much lacing

S - Holy sweet caramel and toffee...those two elements dominate the aroma...they don't overpower or become cloying but boy are they there...light floral hops in the background

T - The sweetness dies down a little in the flavors and more flavors come into play...likewise, at first sip you get the caramel and toffee malt...again they never become cloying, rather they play well with the other flavors...the rye adds a nice spiciness and a touch of earthiness that you wouldn't expect...hops again a light and in the background but they make for a nice finish to the beer

M - Medium bodied...smooth with a spicy and earthy finish that has a touch of sweetness

O - At first I thought this was going to be a caramel malt bomb but it turned out being pretty balanced...the addition of the rye balanced the sweetness out and the hops did just enough as well...this was different for the style

Serving type: on-tap

06-23-2011 18:56:38 | More by thain709

Todd

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a reddish-brown copper beer with a lasting white foam head.

Aroma is grainy with faint notes of spice and a toasty/bready finish -- I swear I smell some faint smoke too? Clean.

Smooth and easy on the palate with a coarseness that breaks thru in the form of a bitty grain feel backed by a crisp carbonation that livens things up. Malt sweetness is medium, balanced, there, not too sweet and rather dextrin-y and neutral. Light toasted character. Overall a fairly dry beer. Thin fruity flavours mix well with a subdued citric splash of hops. Finish is dry with metallic flavours around the edges and oily hop leftovers.

As far as Red Ales go, this is a damn fine example.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2002 21:37:02 | More by Todd

AtLagerHeads

Ohio

3.6/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is a very pleasant, slightly above average red amber that is served at the Claddagh Pub in the Newport, KY location and at the north Claddagh in Columbus. Decent enough appearance if a bit light on the beige-ish head and also light on lacing, but the body is a slightly hazed mid amber with nice reddish hues.

The nose has a slight hop sense. but impresses more of the malt. The flavor is clean and has a nice edge to it, finishing nicely sweet, but the feel is only moderately beyond thin and watery. The overall tastiness and relative ABV make this most drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2003 17:43:39 | More by AtLagerHeads

Blakaeris

Iowa

3.5/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours red-amber in color with anoff whote head.

Smell is earthy, woody, with strong malt character.

Taste is similiar to the aroma with the toasted malt taking center stage giving this brew sweetness up front. Pleasant light fruit and nut notes. A touch of caramel. Finish is lightly hopped and dryer than expected with lingering clove flavor.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied

Not a bad brew at all. I wouldn't mind a little more 'oomph' and balance to the flavor. This would still be a decent session beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2006 15:42:38 | More by Blakaeris

jasonjlewis

Texas

3.95/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Decent head and retnetion nice amber color. Nice caramel biscuity malt smell. Light cocoaness in smell and taste. Taste is light and refreshing with a nice biscuityness. Mouthfeel is a little bit thin, but not bad. This brew is easy to drink. Give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2007 06:15:16 | More by jasonjlewis

peabody

Kentucky

3.63/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

appearance is nice. Has a brown redish light tint like a strong tea with just a smidgin of white foam.Not much lacing.
Smells fruity sweet with a nice malty aroma. Yeast abounds here.
Almost a bready smell.
Taste is malty sweet with just a tad of cocoa bitterness. Mabey a raisin/plum flavor in there as well.
Mouthfeel is pleasant and clean. Not much carbonation here but still a nice feel.
This would be a great session beer that could please most beer drinkers. Not fantastic but pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2007 15:57:11 | More by peabody

Gehrig

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A pleasant surprise, Kilgubbin is more brown than red in its body, very rich hazelnut. More complex nose than I expected, with chocolate malt emerging fairly strongly. It did also in the taste, melding with fruity hops and some caramel to produce a good, solid flavor. Smooth and pleasant, this is a nice, solid representative of the style.

Irish Red never jazzes me, but this is good and well worth returning to. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2008 04:47:00 | More by Gehrig

maxpower

Missouri

3.63/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dark clear reddish brown in color with a decent white head that doesn't stick around for long. Bready and caremel aromas, starts sweet and creamy with a hint of caremel, medium bodied, nice creamy mouthfeel, finishes smooth and clean, a good session brew, very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2003 06:40:47 | More by maxpower

MaltyGoodness

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz. bottle thanks to jhammerly.

Pours a clear chestnut brown with not so much red. Has a creamy eggshell head that thins. Nice lacing on the glass.

Aroma is malty and nutty with a hint of cocoa.

Taste is malty and nutty upfront followed by a light cocoa flavor. Finishes malty and nutty with very little aftertaste.

Medium body, decent carbonation.

This is a nice driking Irish "red" ale. It just needs to have some actual red in the color.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2006 01:51:05 | More by MaltyGoodness

MABZ

Nebraska

4.43/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A quality product from Goose Island, as always. I arrived at work and was a bit surprised to see all of the spring / St. Patties seasonals in already, and then I realized that the schedule had been changed and I didn't even have to work that night. Great! A time to catch up on some new seasonals.

The beer pours to a dark amber color, fairly clear, and with a good carbonation. The head builds to about an inch and settles out to about a centimeter after a few minutes. The lacing is good.

The smell is of sweet, gently roasted, caramelized grain with a nice spicy hop aroma. The taste is very similar but much more powerful.

Very fresh, crisp, and drinkable. Almost seems like a lager, such as an O'fest, with the crisp hop finish and light body. This beer was a very refreshing change up from all of the bigass beer I've been drinking.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2006 04:14:46 | More by MABZ

BMoney575

Michigan

3.43/5  rDev -7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Sampled on 3-12-07
Best before 7-2-07

Pours a deep red/brown, with no real head to speak of.

Smells good; woody, malty, earthy, with sweet smoky undertones.

Tastes a lot like the smell, malty with a definite Irish character.

Mouthfeel is decent, good carbonation.

Drinkability is alright, I'm not a huge fan of the style so one is good enough for me.

Overall a solid beer. Nothing too extreme, nothing to rave about.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2007 21:02:26 | More by BMoney575

BierFan

Michigan

3.93/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a tumbler glass. Bottled on 1/11/08, so it's over 10 months old at the time I'm reviewing it.

Appearance: Red/brown body with a small off-white head.

Smell: Great malty aroma. This beer has definitely improved with a little age on it.

Taste: Some roasted malts are coming through in the taste. I've never had one of these fresh but I'm sure the extra time on the shelf has done nothing but good things to it.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2008 03:14:44 | More by BierFan

ViveLaChouffe

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

More from my trips out west this summer:

I was curious to see Goose Islands take on an Irish Red. I am a fan of their Honkers Ale and IPA but this beer should be malt focused, not on the hops. Hmmmm....

Pours more of a deep orangish-copper than red. Topped by a wispy ivory colored head. Smells of fruity english type of malt. Bready aromas and british hops. Sweetish malt smells.

This beer is fruity and spicy in the mouth. There's light but distinct dark roasted malt flavors. A quite bready malt profile and decent balancing hops in the finish. Sweetish mouth but not overly done. Quite a nice and drinkable brew.

Does Goose Island make a bad beer? This is not even a style I am particularly fond of but the guys at Goose Island do it up right. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2007 20:11:49 | More by ViveLaChouffe

ybnorml

Rhode Island

3.88/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A clean dark amber beer. Has a small white head. The aroma has a light crisp grain character with hints of vanilla and coffee running through the background. There is a small battle between the barley and rye malts. Resulting in alternating sweet and dry/crisp malt notes. There is a nice herbal hop note on a lovely crisp finish.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2008 03:21:10 | More by ybnorml

aaronh

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Best before 7-14-03. (Only bottle left in the store, so I had to pick it up.)

Pours a meduim copper color, topped by a thin, off white/cream colored head. The head fades to a thin layer of broken foam. The aroma is nice, sweet roasted malt with a touch of peat. Very nice. The taste is initially dominated by a bit of a smoky, peaty taste. Then a touch of sweetness kicks in, followed by some roasted notes and a touch of chocolate. Good bitterness on the very dry finish. Lingering smoke and peat on the aftertaste. The mouthfeel is rather creamy, but not thick. The carbonation is just enough to make it's presence known as you swallow. Drinkability is very good. This reminds me of a light scotch ale. Many of the same tastes, but less malt and accordingly, less alcohol. This is a very enjoyable beer, and I'm glad I noticed it sitting there on the bottom shelf. Maybe the best $1.10 I've ever spent!

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2003 16:07:57 | More by aaronh

Tballz420

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer pours out a brown color, and has a white head on the top. Its scent is of roasted malts and a nice blend of hops. This translates over into its taste. I think a good way to describe it is what you would expect from a red ale, with a relatively good dose of hops, not overpowering, but influencial none-the-less.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2004 08:14:50 | More by Tballz420

botham

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a nonic. pours a copper like amber color with a finger of light orangish tan head to top it off.

aroma is malty, with caramel malts mainly, but a touch of roasted malts as well, alongside an earthy-bready character that makes the irish reds great. overall sweet in the aroma, but with a light hop character in the background.

taste is malty as well, with caramel malts prevailing over notes of the same earthy breadlike character. an aftertaste of lingering caramel and bread makes this one a solid irish red.

mouthfeel is medium bodied with a creamy texture and a smooth and semi dry finish.

drinkability is good. this is a smooth and drinkable brew that represents the style well. cheers!

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2008 01:51:01 | More by botham

Winter

Wisconsin

4.18/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a clear dark copper color with an off-white head. Distinctive Goose Island smell. Aroma conists of chocolate malt, caramel and has a bit of a smokiness to it. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a small amount of creaminess to it and a pleasant crispness from the carbonation. Malty midtones contain a spiciness (contributed from malted rye) that clings to the tongue long after the smoky finish has departed. This is a delicious red ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2003 20:23:39 | More by Winter

chilidog

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This brew presents a deep amber-ruby color with a nice inch-plus head, slightly off-white in color. Lace is good at the start as well. The body of the beer is not to heavy, yet it appears shadowy { not clear nor cloudy }. The nose as with the taste are of roasted malt and hints of caramel. The mouth is left with a bitter-sweet hop bite that ends with a dry finish. This is an easy to drink annual seasonal that fits perfect in early, still cold march with hopes of an early spring.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2003 21:20:19 | More by chilidog

MrMcGibblets

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

this stuff is on tap everywhere in chicagoland these days, and sadly it is oftentimes the best alternative around here. pours a deep red, almost brown with nice clarity, nose is very subtle with some caramel and bready/doughy notes coming through, taste reflects the bouqet, light, almost thin malts playing against almost imperceptible hops but with enough bitterness to balance the very slight residual sugars. finish is short. drinkability nice due to the low abv.

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2007 19:14:10 | More by MrMcGibblets