Harvest Ale - Goose Island Beer Co.

kmpitz2

Tennessee

4.33/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle. This one pours a deep golden color with a small but full head that falls to a solid coating over top. Clarity is fantastic and there is a light carbonation in the brew. The aroma is a nice malt and hop balance. I get very solid notes of toasted grain with mild breadyness. The hop comes through as a mild earthyness and a moderate citrusy orange as well. I really like the malt character in this one. The flavor is dominated by toasty, light grainyness and a solid earthy hop that pulls the two malt components together very well. Mouthfeel is moderate with a moderate carbonation. It keeps the beer from flowing from my glass too quickly, but also keeps it very approachable. I find this one to be incredibly drinkable. The flavors are nice and prevalent without being too much. It has a fairly low ABV keeping it nice and drinkable. I think this one is a winner.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2007 00:07:23 | More by kmpitz2

malty

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Best before 021308

Pours a brilliantly clear orange amber color with a foamy dense 1" cream colored head. Moderate visible carbonation of which the rising bubbles look a little bit larger than most I've surveyed. Thick sheets of lace decorate every square inch on my glass.

The fresh scents of caramel apples and toffee burst to life as soon as my nostrils hover the rim of the glass. There's a fruity hop essence that stands out too. Vanilla, toffee and nougat make their sweet and sultry presence known also.

The sweet flavors aforementioned in the nose are all on queue, but not as pronounced as I suspected - which is a good thing. The hop component adds a welcomed dryness to this somewhat sweet and toasty ale. There's also a rustic leafy hop flavor that blends beautifully with everything else that's going on. The balance of hops (dry and bitter) and malts (sweet, camelish) gallop gracefully together.

Mouthfeel is on the lighter side of medium bodied (thanks to the hops) with a welcomed dry, long and flavorful finish. Carbonation is spot-on - playful and fine.

Drinkability is awesome. It's like someone took classic pale ale and blended it with a rich, hearty amber - two styles that are highly drinkable in my book.

Overall a very nice brew. If it would have been title 'Oktoberfest', I might frown a bit due to the hoppy profile. This is a perfect beer to help welcome the colder months to soon follow. It's got a little bit of summer charm with a somewhat bolder underbelly. It really works well with my palate and mood right now. Great 'simple' beer with a couple tricks up its sleeve. Bravo!

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2007 00:53:29 | More by malty

hckyfn9999

Missouri

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

Pours an amber orange with a nice sized white head. The head leaves some decent lacing. Retention is decent as well. Aroma is of pine, citrus, sweet bready malt, and a touch of bubble gum. Taste hoppy up front. The hops are piney, fruity, and spicey. Sweet malt is slightly present in the back. Not really as well balanced as the style generally is, but an easy drinker and a decent brew, though I wouldnt get it if I were looking for a classic example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2007 01:36:59 | More by hckyfn9999

Vancer

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another nice Gooser – the spices in this one really ramp it up into a cool weather drinker.

The black pepper, coriander and a spot ‘o clove in this bad boy mix together quite well. Only one ding, the finish is a bit harsh from a tad too much hop. Most may not even notice. The sixer paired well with a chicken salad sandwich and football on the TV.

Pour was top-notch; copper amber with a massive foam cap that stuck to the side like gorilla glue.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2007 13:01:39 | More by Vancer

MrMcGibblets

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

served on-tap, this was a clear deep copper with a creamy tan head that quickly diminished to a nice collar. simple but appealing nose of bready caramel and piney hops. taste strikes a nice balance between the light to moderate sweet malts and matching bitterness. this is a nice, sessionable brew.

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2007 21:56:33 | More by MrMcGibblets

bigdeuce

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Goose Island is very underrated, in my opinion. The Harvest ale being no exception. It pours a beautiful red amber/orangish color. Great head and nice lacing down the glass. Sweet malts kick in on the nose followed by perfect balance and a bit of hoppy goodness. A very clean, smooth, brew and highly sessionable. I enjoyed this one and it will be in my fridge more often.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2007 20:39:33 | More by bigdeuce

BeerBelcher

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

I really enjoyed this beer and found it pleasantly surprising. It had a really pleasant citrus-hop aroma, and a light maltiness balanced with a lot of very crisp and pleasant lemon-y hop. Color was a nice amber, with a lot of head. I found the mouthfeel to be just a bit thin and watery, but I would still call this one a winner. I would definitely recommend giving this beer a try.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2007 02:04:55 | More by BeerBelcher

sweethome

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Looking at the bottle, I assume this replaced Goose Oktoberfest - RIP. This pours a deep copper color. Decent off-white head. Nice lacing as I consumed from my Sam Adams glass.

Nose is grassy, with a backing of candied nuts. The grass charachter dominates the nose.

Decent entry of big hop flavors. Mouthfeel is quite thin, lacks the malt backing to support the hops. A nutty, tea flavor. A bit of yeast.

Finishes long. Bittering and carmel malts.

Mouthfeel detracts, but an easy drinking beer with distinct hop flavors.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2007 03:26:47 | More by sweethome

morimech

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

09/05/08 Review
Maybe I have a fresher sample than last years but this is a great ESB. Overall a better example than the one I reviewed last year and I bumped up the score considerably. The only complaint is the thin mouthfeel and lack of any interesting texture.

09/13/07
Pours a nice red color with a small head. Bubbles disapate quickly and there is not much carbonation. No lacing evident. Kind of disappointed in the presentation.

A very piney hop aroma. A lot of pine. After the pine I get a touch of citrus on the finish.

It starts out with the typical hop bitterness but the pleasant surprise is the toasted malt that comes through after the bitterness wears off. Many subtle flavors make this a complex beer.

This does have a heavy feel because of the lack of carbonation. If finishes dry with little aftertaste.

A good brew but could be better with just a little bit better carbonation. Therefore I don't consider this a good session beer. Just feels a tad heavy.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2007 00:30:48 | More by morimech

crayphish

Illinois

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Finally found the new fall seasonal from Goose Island. The brew poured a nice clean red with a fluffy thick cap. Decent lacing is left on the glass. Smell is a fruity resin coated hops, a bit of bready malt tempers the aroma. Very nice. Taste has a nice fruity hop start, grapefruit mostly. The piney hops are also very present. Again the over all feel has the malt balancing it out. Easily one of the best tasting G.I. brews I've had. Mouthfeel is a crisp and clean. I found this offering extremely drinkable and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2007 05:50:23 | More by crayphish

bluemoonswoon

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into nonic pint glass, no freshness date.

A: Pours a nice dark and clear copper with a two inch incredibly bubbly bone white head that fades into a ring in a few minutes, leaves some really nice lacing down the sides of the glass.

S: Smells a bit different than other ESBs, this one has a bit more of a floral aroma with a bit of crusty bread.

T/MF: This is pretty nice but I thought is tasted more like a pale ale than an ESB. The hop character dominates the initial sips then as the beer warms in the mouth hints of apple and nice toasty flavors. The beer feels pretty active in the mouth with the carbonation and hops biting the tongue, nice and balanced and tastes quite fresh.

D: Solid offering, pretty complex with well balanced flavors even though its a bit hoppy initally, good and solid seasonal from Goose Island.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2007 00:55:33 | More by bluemoonswoon

GbVDave

Illinois

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a 20oz imperial pint glass. Thanks to HeatherAnn for the assist!

A: Pours a burnt orange color that reminds me of fall. Small yet pillow-y one finger head that is off-white in color.

S: Excellent piney hop aroma. As it warms, a bready malt aroma emerges. Also discovered was a noticable citrus hop quality.

T: I found this to rather hoppy for the style. Citrus, resinous pine, and a slight tropical fruit hop flavor were all present and accounted for. Before long, an excellent, balancing, toasted-bread malt flavor steps out from behind the hops and makes its' presence felt.

M: Bitter and spicy from the generous use of hops and creamy from the malt.

D: An extremely welcome replacement for the tired GI Oktoberfest. Great job guys!

HeatherAnn and I also drank this, on draft, at the GI sponsored "Hideout Block Party" last night (9/07/07). We noticed that the draft version of this that they were serving was even hoppier! We could've sworn that they were pouring their IPA until it warmed slightly and the maltiness came about. Excellent!

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2007 23:54:31 | More by GbVDave

malcontent

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Oh, lord. I've been AWOL from reviewing for over a month.

Clear, deep amber body capped by a passable, but hardly impressive, head.

Understated fruitiness complemented by earthy amber malt and a soft, bitter hop kiss. Very appealing on this front.

Wow, I've got to say that this is among the best non-reserve GI bottled beers to cross my lips. Gentle caramel malt sweetness leads into confident hop bitterness (pine-y) with a long, bready finish. Aftertaste is a welcome bittersweet and leaves you wanting more.

Mouthfeel is full and in fact borders on creamy which is unusual for an ale not on nitro. I absolutely think this is the most drinkable GI beer I've had in ages and am thrilled that it has replaced the steady but unspectacular Oktoberfest in their bottled line-up.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2007 21:53:55 | More by malcontent

quasimoto

Ohio

3.8/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I think this is more a of an American Red, but I am reviewing it under the correct spelling. It is a nice deep amber copper color, with an off white head. It is already gone as I look back at the glass but did leave some lace. Aromas of American citrus hops start of the aromas. However I am noticing a sort of phenolic, chemical cleanser smell in there too. Bread like character notes are in the background with caramel and toast. The mouth feel is really light. Makes it very easy to drink. a nice fall afternoon beer, that is very session-able.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2007 18:27:46 | More by quasimoto

hustlesworth

Ohio

4.68/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

also reviewed this beer under "haevest ale" a typo? it says on that one that it's an american red ale and this one says its a bitter. i say it's a little of both. how about a new style: american red bitter.

drove through the bier depot on a hunt for oktoberfest and was surprised to see a newly stocked selection of goose island brews. i've had em all except this one and, being an autumn ale, it fulfilled my desire for a seasonal beer. not to mention all goose island products are $5.99 a 6 pack here and that's a great price for great beer.

A- says to pour into a willi glass but i don't seem to have one so i used the squat imperial pilsener with a mug handle that i use for all goose island brews. it poured out this nice nutty amber brown but when i held it up to the light it transformed in a blaze to a brilliant crystal clear reddish copper way more vibrant than any red ale i've ever had. even with a hard pour i only got 1in of beige soapy head with good retention finally settling to a thin disk surrounded by a broken ring like this: ((O)) lace clung to the glass like the spots on a clouded leopard.

S- the package gives little clue to what's inside so i didn't know what to expect though i assumed that it would be a typical malty seasonal autumn beer. already thrown off by the color, when i smelled this thing my ears perked up and my mouth watered. it smelled like an IPA. immediate earthy grapefruit, apricot, and guava mingled with woodsy pine and herbal citrus. give it a swirl and you catch a faint hint of alcohol along with some bready malt and yeasty notes.

T- right away i got a resinous pine sap grapefruit high quality reefer and mineral water that transitioned beautifully to a toasty burnt wood citrus mint all the while keeping those floral herbal hops on the back of the palate. these tastes slowly fade to a grainy caramelized malty crackery pita bread with those piney hops still bouncing around on the side of the tongue. aftertaste is unoffensive and pleasant like a piece of wheat toast smeared with hop jelly. i don't know what kind of hops are used here, but in my opinion they are supreme.

MF- not oily, not resinous, not even silky. i can only compare it to "heavy water" or maybe fruit punch mixed with champagne or club soda. it is light but not too light. crisp and refreshing yet extremely flavorful. the carbonation level are such that they induce a few burps, but those burps taste so damn good it's like a whole new level of flavor. weird, i know.

D- perfectly balanced with great hop flavor that isn't overwhelming. totally a session beer. pair it with goose island honkers ale and switch on and off between the two with their relatively low ABV you can have a great night with great beer without getting too hammered.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2007 03:35:47 | More by hustlesworth