Matilda - Goose Island Beer Co.

TheMultiYeast

Pennsylvania

4.36/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottled: 5/17/12

Pours hazy golden orange with three fingers of head. Steps of lacing appear as the beer goes down. Just gorgeous.

Aroma offers a bounty of fruitiness. Pear, citrus, green melon, apple juice, faint cider vinegar, are all present with sweet biscuit malt.

Less fruity than nose with more toasted biscuit, ripe red apple and some funky brett dominating. Finish brings a wash of bitter dryness.

Soft, lively carbonation. Dry finish.

Great use of brett in this beer. This would be a fine introduction to brettanomyces. Might grab several bottles for the future.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 02:19:34 | More by TheMultiYeast

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

4.24/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottled on 12/02/2013.

(4.0) A: Rusted copper with a tall creamy head that appears eggshell white. Commendable retention with some spotty lacing.

(4.25) S: Nectarine, passion fruit, white grape, pink grapefruit, cloves, grasses, belgian yeast. Fantastic variety of fruits with orchard, tropical, and citrus all detectable.

(4.25) T: Fresh grass, cloves, white grape, banana, nectarine, and cracker-like grain. Nice balance between grains and the variety of fruits. Fairly sweet (nectar-like) but with an
appropriate dryness that lingers.

(4.25) M: Medium bodied with a moderate carbonation. Velvety texture that is incredibly smooth.

(4.25) D: This is a very good belgian style pale ale. The variety of fruits that can be picked out are certainly one of the highlights.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 00:40:27 | More by Digimaika2

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

4.16/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A - Pours a slightly hazy golden colour, thumb of head with decent retention and some sporadic lacing.

S - Fruity cloves, hints of grassy hops and lemon rind, bready notes on the finish with a touch of peppery spice.

T - Much like the nose, fruity cloves and sweet citrus, leafy green and grassy hop notes, hints of bitter citrus rind and a touch of pepper.

M - Medium bodied, smooth and wet.

O - Hits the spot, solid representation of the style, nice flavour profile and easily sessioned. Was pumped to find this locally and am hopeful it will continue to be on the shelves.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 00:20:34 | More by andrenaline

mjtiernan

New York

3.91/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into a Teku. Bottled 4/8/11.

A: Attractive golden orange. Fairly hazy. Generous white head with tight bubbles.

S: Light fruit, zesty spice and brett funk. Orange peel.

T: Heavy on the fruity esters. Spicy hop character still forward despite being two years old. The brett adds a slight band-aid characteristic in the finish.

M: Scrubbing bubbles to cleanse the palate after each sip. Dry finish. Light to medium body.

O: A nice complex beer. I could see how a white wine drinker might be attracted to this. I’d like to try this again fresh and pair with some food.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 01:55:37 | More by mjtiernan

bnes09

Illinois

4.78/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Bottled 10/11/11.

Bright, golden-orange color and slightly hazy. Corona of yeast haze below the surface. Pours a towering two and a half finger head which provides ample lacing.

Smells like apricot nectar, apple juice and menthol, Mild ginger spice. Sweet and fruity with yeast character.

Light and fluffy biscuity malt background. Make way for apricot jam, white grape and apple juice. Just enough floral, herb hops to balance. Simple, yet sophisticated and the balance really brings out the best of each flavor.

Medium bodied with a grainy, yeasty texture. Crisp, juicy texture. Well carbonated.

Great Belgian-styled ale. Subtle, delicate complexity in perfect balance.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 03:36:04 | More by bnes09

CardiacNP

Louisiana

4.64/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Aroma grass, citrus, herbs,

Appearance. golden, clear, With a nice white head and decent lacing Taste.

A mild malty and medium spice beer Palate.

Nice smooth mouth feel, moderately carbonated with a mild spicy hop finish

Overall. A very nice American Brewed Belgian style ale. A very drinkable beer. Hope to drink again!

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2013 02:10:57 | More by CardiacNP

smooth_aleing

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from 120z bottle into over-sized wine glass.

A= Beautiful orange, light nut-brown color. Pours a thick head, settles down to very nice lacing with a strong collar.

S= Spice, some citrus (orange and grapefruit), peppermint, bubblegum, and good Belgian yeast.

T= Notes of bubblegum, lemon, ginger, honey, and tart apple. Good spice notes as well, especially clove and a slight hint of cinnamon.

M= Very smooth, excellently carbonated with very little lingering bitterness or tartness.

0= Excellent Belgian Strong Ale. Doesn't disappoint or get milder, flavor retention is strong. Another fine beer from Goose Island.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 20:02:34 | More by smooth_aleing

CZs

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Poured into 8oz tulip glass. Unique warm orange/amber color. Medium carbonation.

Smell: Reminds me of a Belgian amber. I would like to sit this side by side with a Rare Vos and compare notes. I get a little Saison like farmhouse smell mixed in there with bready, slight bubble gum notes. Very pleasant to the nose. Not one aroma stands out - but it presents a "huh, I get a nice blend of numerous things." I think this separates what Belgian breweries produce v. what some U.S. breweries try to attempt - Complexity v. one predominant aroma and/or flavor. Neither is wrong, but having that complexity is what puts this right in the same league as the originals.

Taste: For me, it tastes like it smells - only I get a D-45 like taste in the background I didn't get in the smell. Without researching, I'd almost say they used 3-5% of Special B in here. Excellent, easy drinking taste. The appearance is a little deceiving - goes down more easily than an Amber style - they got a pale with a touch of amber, orange style Saison although slightly lower carbonation in my opinion.

Mouthfeel: I get dry, I get silky - a not often found combination outside of water infused with silica or ginger ale.

Overall: Goose Island Beer Co. is becoming my close second in terms of favorite American breweries next to Ommegang. I've had their Nut Brown, Pepe Nero, Sophie and now Matilda - all of which I "really like to love." If you aren't familiar with their brews, I suggest trying them out - very diverse selection for those that enjoy a wide spectrum of brews.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2013 16:11:46 | More by CZs

RenownedHack

Kentucky

4.69/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

The pour is from a 12 oz. bottle, 2013, and into a large wine glass.

A: This really is a beautiful beer. Holding it up to the light, it is an absolutely gorgeous copper-like amber, catching the light in the most wondrous of ways. Its cloudiness adds to the splendour of the color. Approximately a finger of head, dissipating fairly quickly to a fine film of creamy white, and fantastic lacing throughout, which lingers and sticks to the glass for quite some time.

S: The Belgian-ness of it is a wonderful thing to behold, and it's love at first sniff. Light hops and malts blending in with the Belgian yeast, and quite the fruity current surging in the nose. As others have said, I do definitely sense some orange, some apple. Good stuff.

T: This is what a Belgian should taste like, in my idealized, boozy dream world where all beers taste like I think they should. The hops aren't overwhelming, but are in top form, complimented by quite the supporting cast of characters. Those malts - they are fantastic. And the fruity costars cannot be understated: Apple, orange, and perhaps some light grape-y flavors put in a five star performance. All I can say is, "Encore."

M: Goes down smoothly, the perfect mix of carbonation and medium-bodied excellence. It doesn't overstay its welcome, but it isn't too quickly gone. Very balanced.

O: This is a wonderful beer, and one that I'd recommend to anyone who even hinted at liking a beer, any beer, once. If someone likes beer, this is the kind of thing that they absolutely need to experience. I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was, I guess is what I'm saying; it far exceeded expectations.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 06:15:15 | More by RenownedHack

Stevedore

Wisconsin

4.2/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at New Deck Tavern in West Philadelphia, 4/8/2013, into a wine glass.

Aroma: Smells like Belgian yeast for sure. Spice, banana, clove, and some sweet fruit, perhaps apples but there may be a little bit of orange or lemon zest in there. Very nice smelling nose that is faithful to the Belgian style. (5)

Colour: Slightly hazy amber body with a nice, fluffy 1cm white head that dissipates quickly leaving a thin white film and a likewise thin collar. Lacing is excellent. A beer that looks very appetizing, with the carbonation coming out well. (4)

Flavour: I taste some combination of tart apple and bitter orange throughout, with a non-cloying malt sweetness that is very complementary to everything else. There are a good bit of spices, clove and banana in the back end. Best way for me to describe the flavour is that it's like a Hefeweizen (that aspect is probably from the yeast) combined with some sort of fruit ale like a Serendipity. I really liked quaffing this one. (4)

Mouthfeel: An exceptionally smooth, well-carbonated medium-thinner side bodied brew that leaves a somewhat dry finish. It's refreshing, and the aftertaste is pretty similar to a good Hefeweizen- spices, banana, a little bit of clove that makes itself recognizable but disappears after a comfortably short amount of time. (4)

Overall: This is a very refreshing Belgian pale ale that makes me think I'm drinking a Hefeweizen at times, and a faintly fruity ale at other times. I didn't have high expectations for this one, but since my old boss ordered and paid for a round of this one, I got it and was very pleased with it. Definitely a great spring/summer beer to have, and not terribly overpriced either. (4)

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2013 23:48:35 | More by Stevedore

rodkin

Missouri

4.44/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Well it's 81 degrees in my house, so I need a refreshing beer. 2013 release.

Pours a slightly cloudy amber, fluffy white head.

Smell is big floral belgian yeast, juicy apple, pear, grape. Slight bit of clove. Banana.

Taste is fruit, flower, yeast, banana, slight musty funk.

Medium bodied, slightly creamy, decent carbonation

Excellent for the style, a fantastic beer for warm nights.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 02:44:25 | More by rodkin

RichD

Rhode Island

4.63/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

2010 Vintage, 22 oz bomber bottled on 1/29/10 poured into a tulip glass.

A: Pours a medium orange color. About a fingers worth of white sudsy head. Leaves some nice lacing on the glass as I drink this gem.

S: Lots of fruity goodness coming through on the nose. I can tell there is a little funk going on in here. I get some orange and a little bit of apple and pear in here as well. This is what a Belgian should smell like.

T: Boy this brew is funky. Big fruits coming through here. Apples, pears, a little orange. This definitely follows the nose well. There's a small amount of hops and there are some caramel malts. This almost resembles a hybrid mix of a saison and a hefe, which is most definitely the brett coming through. This is such a deep brew with the fruity taste and the malts. Great profile.

M: A medium mouthfeel, nothing heavy here. No booziness, which is nice. Overall a pleasant feeling.

Overall: This brew is fantastic. I've had the 2012 version fresh on tap and aged for about 6 months from the bottle. The 2010 version is by far superior compared to the 2012 version. I recommend having this aged every time. This is definitely my favorite Belgian and I hope Goose Island keeps the quality up there.

P.S. Also had a 2011 version and it's still nothing compared to the 2010. I highly recommend drinking this with at least 3 years on it. Amazing.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 03:40:34 | More by RichD

HabiMendes

Rhode Island

4.36/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

The Matilda is a mix of amber and cooper, with a bubbling, almost white neck, and hazy body. The aroma exposes very well cloves and honey, and a little spice in the taste. Hop bitterness is present, well harmonized with the malt (of which I expected more expression). The end leaves us with hops, very briefly though. It's a good beer, although too much alcoholic in comparison with its other elements, that are more discrete and delicate. Thumbs up overall.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 03:10:28 | More by HabiMendes

Dave1999

Virginia

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

Pours a very cloudy amber with a big foamy white head.

Smell is dark fruits, cinnamon, apples and nutmeg.

Taste is much like the smell, the spices really come through. Tastes like apple pie, quite delicious.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation.

Overall this is a really tasty beer, the spices really come through.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 21:53:13 | More by Dave1999

Wolfpack2005

North Carolina

4.19/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

2012 vintage. Poured into Kuhnhenn snifter.

A-Slightly hazy orangish-amber with a small amount of sediment floating around. @ finger head that leaves minimal lacing.

S-Light tart nose with a mix of funk and slight fruitiness. Picking up a little banana type yeast.

T-Light bready malts that leads to a very mild funk. Then a sharp ester-like bite on the back end. Also picking up the bananas from the nose and Belgian yeast flavors in the aftertaste

M-Medium body, slightly higher that average carbonation with a fairly dry finish

O-Easy drinking, straight-forward BSPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 00:45:43 | More by Wolfpack2005

MadScientist

New York

4.69/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

A: A deep golden beer with excellent clarity. Pours with a finger of fine to rocky, off-white faom that leave fine lacing on the glass.

S: Lots of floral hops and orange aroma with a some black pepper. There is a moderate amount of bubble gum, barn yard brett aroma in there.

T: Fruity and spicy with a touch of honey-like malt sweetness. There is a moderately-low hops bitterness. Some brett funk. Oranges, peaches and black pepper. The balance is a slightly sweet and the finish is medium.

M: Medium bodied with a strong level of carbonation.

O: Exceptional, everything I want in a Belgian Strong like fruit and black pepper without being all that sweet with a satisfying brett character.

12 oz Bottle, bottled on: 07/26/12

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 23:41:30 | More by MadScientist

barczar

Kentucky

3.91/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours a clear medium golden with a frothy half inch whitish head that dissipates into a ring of foam at the rim.

Floral notes mix with fruity esters and confectioners sugar to form the initial aroma. Banana esters complement the floral character, accented by soft citrus.

Flavor reveals deep belgian yeast ester character. Citrus notes of tangerine and orange accompany peach, pear, banana, apple, and sweet tart esters against a backbone of fairly bready, lightly toasted malt. The finish is floral and has a slight earthy bitterness that intensifies as it warms. Plasticy phenols surface in the aftertaste, along with a musty character.

Body is moderate, with carbonation a touch on the high side.

Lots of fruity, estery goodness and good yeast complexity. Malt and hops support well, but the yeast is the star. Phenols were a bit offputting.

Serving type: on-tap

03-26-2013 23:41:00 | More by barczar

fdig23

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From the bottle.

Appearance: Pure gold with a medium white head. Poured side by side with an Orval, so its really not fair but it just looks bland comparatively.

Nose: Bleu cheese, barnyard funk and sour lemon wrapped up in nice toasty malts.

Taste: Lemon zest up front mellows out into a funky hay bale middle and ends with a pure malt finish. It's very similar to Orval but with the yeast characteristics taken up a notch. Loses a lot of balance in doing so.

Mouthfeel: full carbonation, nice and creamy. Feels a bit dense for the style though.

Overall: A nice, zesty, mildly funky brew that could easily be a summertime standby.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 20:17:03 | More by fdig23

macrosmatic

Florida

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes. Poured from 12 oz. bottle into a CCB pint glass.

A: Hazy deep amber, with one finger's worth of white head, and low-ish visible carbonation.

S: Fruity esters (apples, pears, cherry), pilsner malt, and some booze – standard Belgian nose here.

T: Follows the nose. Fruity yeast esters, light bready malt, with a bit of funk and barnyard. Overall quite tasty.

M: Body is on the lighter side, not quite watery. Low alcohol presence, good carbonation sensation.

O: This is good, and easy to drink. But there's really nothing to make it particularly stand out.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 20:07:26 | More by macrosmatic

Premo88

Texas

3.79/5  rDev -6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 3.75

On tap at the Hay Merchant in Houston ...
13 oz. poured into tulip glass.

L: crystal clear amber with great-looking 1 1/4-inch head that seemed to dissipate fast. Not much lacing.

S: a little hefeweizen-like; muted wine smell ... yes ... esters. similar to Rochefort 8 without the raisins. again: fruit.

T: bit of bite from hops muted by ester/hefeweizen-like estery taste. bananas?

F: perfect carbonation.

O: despite the ester taste, I expected slightly sweeter finish. pretty dry. the muted wine taste/smell seemed different ... not terrible by any means.

I need to try this one again. As a proud American, I want to give my patriotic best to try our versions of all beers, including the Belgians. And this certainly reminded me of Duvel, which is on point for the style, obviously.

(note on lacing: Is it possible that a glass is so clean and waxxy smooth that it doesn't allow for much clinging of the foam, i.e., the foam slides back down into the water and nothing will stick to the glass? I'd swear that was what was happening at the Hay Merchant)

Serving type: on-tap

03-16-2013 07:11:29 | More by Premo88

mtstatebeer

West Virginia

3.24/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

20 oz. bottle (date 04/01/11-2149) served in a tulip glass. Pours a fairly clear amber color with a very thin off-white head, good lacing. Aroma is caramel, sweet citrus, slightly spicy, a hint of alcohol, and vinous. Flavor is sweet malts, caramel, peppery, a bit of cinnamon, dark fruits, and yeasty. Mouthfeel is medium, fair amount of carbonation, a little cloying. Decent beer, a bit too sweet for my liking, I suppose the hops have all faded away.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 03:11:49 | More by mtstatebeer

stoplookdrink

Wisconsin

4.4/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

My first outing with a Goose Island product. Bottle date of 7/26/12. 12 oz. Btl.

A. Pours a very light carmel color with a very slight haze. Not much head to speak of. Clinging lace.
S. Amazing fruity with hints of floral aroma. Very inviting.
T. The aroma gives the flavor away. An assualt of smooth rich "fruityness" hits the back of your throat. A very rich assualt at that. I'm not a big fruit beer guy but this is a unique mix that works for me. Light on the carbonation. Just enought to tingle the tounge.
F. Excellent feel. Starts with the fruit /floral and ends with a gradual fade of flavor to a warm alcohol finish.

Sounds like I'm reviewing Juicy Fruit gum! Sorry to be so redunant with fruity. This beer was a surprise to me, so I was pleased. I would recommend this beer as great change of pace brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 03:07:44 | More by stoplookdrink

Pencible

Virginia

3.63/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: This poured a hazy gold with some off white head.
S: It smelled like sour apple and orange zest, with some apricot and grassy hops and spicy Belgian yeast.
T: It tasted like grassy and waxy hops, with some sour apple and orange zest and spicy Belgian yeast. It had a musty aftertaste that was sweet and sour.
M: It was watery with moderate carbonation. Decent body.
D: This had a great scent, but only mediocre taste and body. The finish wasn't entirely clean, so it was not the easiest to drink. I'm curious how age would affect it, but it was only average fresh.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 20:33:27 | More by Pencible

dar482

New York

3.39/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

One of first Belgian ales that I have had in a while. It appears light, a bit cloudy, and yellow. The taste is a bit flat. It has a good biscuity malt flavor with a slight sweet taste. The mouth feel is silky, but it is light and drops off a bit fast. Watery almost.

Serving type: on-tap

02-21-2013 23:30:17 | More by dar482

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.49/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I believe I paid 3.18 for this one at Vintage Estate.

A - Pour is very oily with a 1/2 inch of sticky white foam atop of a orange yellow colored beer. Slight yeast floaties make it have a bit of haze.
S - Kind of smells like a triple with coriander spice, fruity yeasts, and some biscuit malt. Strong smells rather authentic.
T - Very tasty the hops are that of a citrus tone, the coriander spice is there but well integrated, and the finish has a nice bit of sweet honey like yeasts that give it a semi dry feeling.
M - Very easy to drink like a balanced IPA. Hides the ABV well.
Overall another great beer from Goose Island makes me psyched to get my (2) four packs of BCBS. Solid Belgium pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 02:15:28 | More by DrDemento456