Matilda - Goose Island Beer Co.

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This poured out as a golden color with a white fluffy head on top. The aromas of Belgian yeast and some grainy malts were on the nose. The taste of the beer to me was like most of the other Belgian Ales I've tried, it was soft and slightly fruity with a touch of bitterness in the aftertaste. The mouthfeel was light and well carbonated. Overall this brew wasn't too bad but I wouldn't have to go seek it out again I don't think.

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2011 23:39:02 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked this up at goebels in Wichita, bottled on 07/27/05

Whoa, this one's a gusher despite 12 hours of chilling! Pours a cloudy peach with 2 fingers of sand colored head. Above average head retention & lacing

S: Big time apple skins, peppery spice & farm yard mustyness, does this have brett???? Must do, bottle says a special yeast strain, loads of horse blanket

T: Orchard fruit, mustyness, slight grapefruit hops,& funky tartness. tartness, funkyness, along some peach & green apple, plus booze as this warms. funky sournesss & grapefruit compete in the finish,along with dryness & tartness

MF: Medium bodied with subdued carbonation

Drinks pretty good, this one grew on me, I'm not a huge brett fan, but I could do a few of these before moving on, Brett fans will enjoy even more IMO. Agree with some other reviewers, seems more saisin than Belgian PA

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2008 01:05:58 | More by russpowell

Gueuzedude

Arizona

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

Bottle on Date July 2005; Sampled March 2008
A careful pour produces a fat-two-finger thick, light tan colored head that sits on top of an orange tinged, light amber colored beer that shows an orangish gold color when held up to the light. The head leaves some wispy lacing on the sides of my glass and never fully disappears. The aroma is nicely funky with a typical barnyard note that is characteristic of Brett (butyric acid notes are quite noticeable); the funk reminds me of a mix of moldy leather, musty earth, phenolic soaked cotton-balls. There is some acidity here in the nose as well that provides a tart backdrop along with some subtle, bread-driven malt notes. There is some fruitiness here that is just noticed under the surface; it is mostly apple like, but the acidity seems to accents some lemon-like notes too. As my nose gets used to the funk some hop character begins to be noticed; mostly grassy notes, but it has an herbal edge to it. This is a very engaging, quite funky nose; quite enjoyable if you like that sort of thing.

Lightly sweet and it has a persistent carbonation that is not overly effervescent. Fruit flavors of apple, pear and perhaps a touch of plum eventually yield to a sharp, Brett-driven funkiness that lingers on the mouth in the finish. This is really hiding the oxidation well, this seems to be a characteristic of Brettanomyces beers, perhaps they scavenge all of the oxygen before it has a chance to degrade the malt character. This still even has some hop character to it, though it is fairly soft with notes of light fresh-cut herbs, a touch of hay and a light persistent bitterness that is noticeable from beginning to end.

Too quickly my 12oz serving of this beer is gone, I wish I had at least one more bottle so that I could continue to drink this brew. Much more funky than when I had this originally in October of 2005. This has developed into a really nice brew, though I wouldn't say that it has quite reached the level of Orval. I am surprised how much fruitiness is still noticeable, it adds an interesting dimension, but I would probably prefer it a bit drier. Really though this is a fantastic brew that I can find little fault with.

2005 Bottling: Sampled October, 2005
Original Rating 4.0, 4/4/4/4/4
Pours a brilliantly clear copper color and is topped by a frothy, slightly rocky, pale tan colored head. The aroma is funky and earthy: with notes of musty earth, lemon grass, a soft fruitiness reminiscent of apples pears & citrus, and a hint of barnyard funk. I was not expecting the Brett note (though it is of course in the beer they were inspired by), but it is still fairly subtle at this point. The bottle does not look to be bottle conditioned, so I wonder if the Brett will continue to develop over time.

The taste has a certain fullness to it that is mouthcoating and slightly creamy in consistency. The beer is lightly sweet as well, which up-plays the fruity citrus character that is here. The hop character is not near as pronounced as I would have hoped for, but it is present with a bit of lingering bitterness in the finish and of course some spicy-citrusy hop notes up front. The beer is quite smooth, and the Brett character is still quite light in the finish. There is a hint of mustiness and a bit of dry cobweb-type thing that lingers in the finish, and a light dusting of funk in the rest of the beer. This is quite drinkable, but does not quite hit the complexity level of the original. We will have to see how this changes with time.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2008 04:38:18 | More by Gueuzedude

emerge077

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Brown 12 oz. bottle. My personal preference is the bottle conditioned variety over the draught version.

Cap is cracked... fruit and spice are immediately present in the air. Hazy orange-apricot body. Streams of visible carbonation. Aroma of orange zest, clove, nutmeg, and musty yeast with Brett.

Taste is true to first aroma impression, clove and yeast, hops, then a tart citrusy element toward the end. Warm spice lingers in the aftertaste, dry and inviting of another sip. Styrian Golding and Saaz hops lend some crispness. Not identical to Orval, but definitely stands tall on it's own. Very refreshing and thirst-quenching, mainly due to the citrus and yeast combo.

A strong example of successful Belgian-style brewing, right in my own backyard!

EDIT 4/2007 bottling: Lots of estery yeast, not much Brett presence at all. Slicker mouthfeel. Will cellar for 6 months to see if any Brett character shows up.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2006 02:07:28 | More by emerge077

Halcyondays

California

3.9/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle, 2008 version, bottled 5/30/08,

A: Pours a cloudy orange-yellow, with a long lasting white head, with some nice lacing.

S: A mixed fruit bag, golden raisins, apples, passion fruit, strawberries and cream, a lot of different stuff going on.

T: Taste is an interesting mix of characters. The dominant flavour is apple juice and phenol, like mix of beer and cider at times, as the beer oxygenates it gets more yeasty with white pepper and pear.

M: Overly carbonated which made the flavour hard to find at times, swirl it a bit before beginning the drink, overall medium-bodied and relatively smooth.

D: An interesting and tasty beer from Goose Island. I wish I had easy access to another bottle, check it out if you see it.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2008 05:16:28 | More by Halcyondays

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle, procured in some random grocery store in the Pacific NW earlier this summer. 09/30/10 batch here, hopefully no infection present beyond my incurable beer affliction...

This beer pours a hazy dark golden amber hue, with two fat fingers of puffy, foamy off-white head, which leaves but a few ambitious streaks of lace around the glass as it sinks away. It smells of sharp, acidic stone fruit, milder earthy yeast, some graininess, and leafy hops. The taste is wheaty, barley-tinged malt, funky, barn-borne notes, Belgian yeast, mild spices, and a muddled fruitiness that nonetheless proves itself welcome. The carbonation is average, the body an aspiring medium weight, and smooth amidst the fric-a-frac of the swirling funk. It finishes mostly dry, the newly unshackled malt having much less funkadelia with which to deal, somewhat thankfully.

While some purveyors of this particular style choose to do so in exactly this manner, it's a bit of an eye opener all the same. Being a beer produced in Amur'ca, I'm coming to appreciate our southern cousins' predilection for emulating the weird, unusual, and just plain wonderful Old World off-road leanings.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 01:58:11 | More by biboergosum

Gavage

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2007 label on the bottle.

Appearance: hazy amber / copper color with a two finger head that slowly falls to a thick surface foam.

Smell: loads of fruit sweetness and belgian yeasts are bold and easy to pick up.

Taste: ripe plums, red grapes, caramel, bread, bit of spice - most notable was the pepper, yeast, and a hint of alcohol.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer. Lightly crisp at the start, smoother and lighlty dry at the finish. Aftertaste is surprisingly short but pleasant.

Drinkability: a solid belgian style ale here that is easy to quaff and I found to be very enjoyable from start to finish.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2007 22:34:35 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

3.48/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to BuckeyeNation for this 12 oz. bottle!

Bottled on 09/18/09 - claims to age for up to five years. Poured into glass chalice:

Pours bright orange with a thin wispy head that becomes a small floating bubbly island. Some thin lacing sticks.

The smell is of bubblegum/cotton candy - some caramelish graininess. Some orange comes through as it progresses. A hint of floral hops comes through.

The taste is sweet and slightly boozy. Sweet bubblegum/cotton candy is balanced by orange peel and a peppery spiciness and floral touch in the finish.

Carbonation is present, and works well enough, though a bit swishy. Not quite effervescent.

Not overly sweet, it has some balance in the finish. Not a bad interpretation of the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2010 15:53:10 | More by jwc215

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Stub and Herb's in Minneapolis, served in a tallish Matilda goblet. The beer appeared a bit hayt and red-amber with a light tan head. With a great appearance like that, I was let down by a fairly plain, Fat Tire-esqe flavor of sweet caramel malts and only a hint of Belgian spice. The CO2 also didn't do this beer any favors, the large bubble made this drink more like a smooth American amber than Belgian pale ale.

Serving type: on-tap

05-25-2009 17:47:46 | More by tempest

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to JAYW for this 12 oz bottle with 2007 on the neck label.

A: The ale poured with a huge, bubbly white head, over three fingers (none of which laced) that disappeared in the snap of a finger. The ale has a golden hue, bright and shiny sitting in my glass.

S: The nose has a bit of orval, funky and loose, with a fair amount of sweet fruits, also coming from the yeast.

T: The yeast strain (or strains) really drive the ale. Sweet fruits, dark and rich, come out of the front of the sip. There isn't much in the way of funkiness though, at least as compared to the nose. Plenty of caramel malts come through, balancing out the sweetness. A bit of a butterscotch flavor lingers near the end, perhaps aiding the extraordinary head and signifying that the beer hasn't aged well. I was hoping for a little more in the way of funk but just isn't there. A decent one that I liked better on tap.

M: The mouthfeel is sweet, fruity but devoid of the Orval-like crispness. I still wouldn't turn one down.

D: The ale feels heavier than 7%. I don't like how its held up over the past two years.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2009 01:49:26 | More by akorsak

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I'm looking through old notes this one was bottled back in 1/10/09 and it pours an orange copper tone with a bright off white head forms thick evenly spread lacing has the head dwindles down. Semi clouded body really looks tasty as you layer the last part of the bottles head like layers of custer rising above the rim of my chalice. Aroma has a spicy alcohol infused yeast notes with mild black pepper, a bit of funk barnyard character with floral honey biscuit malts. Flavor is awesome caramelized malt sweetness brings a honey drizzled biscuit with ample spicy peppery yeast, assertively citric/floral hops combine as well. Medium bodied slightly stick with a bit of residual sugar, never cloying ample fine bubbled carbonation. Drinkability was excellent I need more of this beer, I don't have much access to Goose Island it hits Ohio from the west and moves eastward rarely making it out my way. Solid uniquely made Belgian style experience that does it's job of paying homage to the likes of Orval yet doing it's own thing entirely.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2010 17:23:50 | More by WVbeergeek

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clouded brown with gold. Big head forms off a not very firm pour. Nose is yeasty a bit, but overall is very subdued. Doesn’t seem to deliver a whole lot. Extremely mild citrus is there. But it is just a weee little bit. Flavor is a punch in the mouth. Firm and full. Sweet from sugars, yes. But the yeast plays a good part in it all and the full experience is well rounded and mature. Feel is a bit dough like on the liquid with a thick carbonation. Overall I have to say that this is a very good production of the style. We all know how it can be with American producers trying to work the Belgian styles. Not the case here. Quite good. Worth trying. And worth holding onto for a while to see what may happen.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2008 02:47:46 | More by RblWthACoz

barleywinefiend

Washington

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured a very nice golden color with a nice white head

S: Fruits and hops with some spice

T: Fruity, spice, bubblegum, Belgian yeast

M: Good carbonation, nice feel with a bit of spice, fruits and a champagne like carbonation

D: Very good overall. Liked this brew alot

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2010 03:49:26 | More by barleywinefiend

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Starts with a very good head, but it leaves no lace on the glass. Very hazy with an orange amber color.

Strong Belgian yeast aroma. There's a lighter malt smell. No hop that I can detect.

The flavor is exactly as expected: Strong alcohol and lighter malt. Lots of Belgian yeast flavors as well. The body is as expected: above average mouthfeel with a corresponding carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2010 00:58:01 | More by smcolw

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

(Served in a chalice)

A-This beer pours a nice warm amber color with a slightly hazy body and a thin creamy white head that forms a film on the surface. The carbonation is very gentle and a few tiny bubbles clinging to the glass.

S- Very nice fruity smell of perfume, roses, a faint cidery hint and soft pears. A slight pale malt sweetness is in the background also. Some light yeast characteristics from Belgian yeast round out the smell

T-Nice fruitiness in the pale malt taste with some bitterness that is from the hops. The very subtle hops also offer a very faint horse blanket taste that is very nice. The finish is dry with a very faint spice to it also.

M- medium mouthfeel with no fizz or alcohol warmth.

D- This is a good solid beer. It is an easy session beer that has lots of great qualities of a Belgian Pale Ale but it has more. The hops offer a nice balance and the faint barnyard quality of them really makes this refreshing but not an "extreme" beer. I will be buying this again soon.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2005 01:52:50 | More by rhoadsrage

Wasatch

Utah

4.47/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to jpm30 for this one.

Bottled 03/02/06 2006 Vintage

Poured into a chalice a golden orange color, nice carbonation, huge two-finger plus creamy off-white head, tons of sticky lacing throughout the drink. The nose is malty, yeasty, nice spicyness, and floral, slight caramel. The taste is awesome, malty/yeasty, nice touch of spice/floral, and caramel. There is a very slight tangyness as well. Medium body, well rounded brew. Very drinkable. Highly recommended indeed. Another awesome brew from GI. Really there is not much difference between the 05/06 vintages, well at least that I can tell. Still an awesome brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2007 02:52:59 | More by Wasatch

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

GOt this one thanks to AgentZero before this beer was available in MA.

A: It's filled almost all the way to the cap, screw cap, and there's almost no sound when I pop it... hmmm... An aggressive pour into my tulip glass yields a small 1/2 finger fluffy head that retains well. It's a slightly hazy golden orange almost rosy color.

N: Pretty nice, lots of malts, Belgian malts. Some sweet sugar with that, a Belgian candi sugar and almost boozy aroma with that. Touch of fruit. The thing that is surprising is the fruit that is like a sour cherry, almost like a cherry lambic. It's pretty strange for a Belgian strong. With that is the very slightest sour yeasty funky. If this is not infected its great, and if it is infected, who cares.

T: Here comes the real test... hmmm, def tastes somewhat like a lambic. A slightly sweet Belgian malt and candi sugar presence, but not that much. It then comes through with lots of tangy sour fruits. Tasty though. A slight yeasty barnyard funk, but not much. The sour fruit is offset by a slight vanilla oaky taste. It sure is tasty if that is what it's supposed to be.

M: Lighter body with tons of carbonation, which is strange that it didn't have any real sound when opening.

F: Dries off quite a bit. A light lingering tangy sour fruit, but that's mostly gone. A little sticky sugar feel, and slight bready malts. Mostly its just gone once you swallow. Finish is pretty short.

Well, I'll have to make sure that's what it is supposed to taste like, cause if it is I'm excited for it. This is a really tasty beer, not sure if I would call it a Belgian Strong Pale, but that could also be an older version, or this is a well done infection that I hope more are like. It's dated 2009 vintage in 12oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2010 23:42:32 | More by jlindros

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.98/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a five finger, white head that fades to a thin layer leaving a little lace. Cloudy amber color. Medium carbonation and medium bodied. Malty nose. Starts sweet almost raisiny, hops balance well, brewer says its loaded with hops but they are really subdued. Best so far from GI. Bottled on Mar 27, 2006, pricey but worth $2.99 for a 12oz bottle from John's Grocery Iowa City, IA.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2006 23:36:16 | More by jdhilt

Jason

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz brown twist off bottle with a "bottled on" freshness date.

A- Hazed pale orange amber with a thick frothing head

S- Herbal hop oil, slight medicinal phenols raw honey like malt aroma. Lemony, juniper & clove.

T- Great hop character, nice sting of hop bitterness with a flavorful oily finish. Mild phenols bring an herbal almost bark-like flavor. Sweet tropical fruit is light on the palate with a warming ester alcohol ... this mixes well with the pale malt honey-like character. Very flavorful.

M- Hard crispness, solid smoothness within a medium body.

D- Easy to sip, it went down quicker than I anticipated.

This is like a more refined version of De Ranke XXX or Hommelbier. Hands down the best American brewed Belgian Style Pale Ales I have had this year.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2005 18:43:41 | More by Jason

mdfb79

New York

4.05/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into my Duvel tulip.

a - Pours a dark reddish amber color with two inches of off white head and moderate carbonation.

s - Smells of Belgian yeast, some spices, citrus fruits, and bready malts.

t - Tastes of yeast, spices, and fruits. Fruit is more prominent in the taste than the smell. Some smooth bready malts as well.

m - Medium to full body and moderate to high carbonation.

d - A pretty good Belgian style ale. I liked that the fruit came out more in the taste than the smell. Very easy to drink as well. I would have this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2010 23:40:06 | More by mdfb79

Billolick

New York

3.9/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

on draft, pours light almond amber, slight haze with bubbles rising slowly to the top. Frothy tan head, turning slowly to a tiny bubble film. This tasty substance leaves fine, intricate lacing. Nose is mildly of some floral and spicy hops. This is a delicate ale, moderatly hopped, nicely balanced and with a well meshed and subtle Belgian yeast edge mixed in. Light notes of honey, caramel, toffee and piney hops. Nicely crafted B.P.A.

Serving type: on-tap

10-29-2005 20:37:39 | More by Billolick

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.63/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

12oz bottle obtained via trade with Lewis13 from RB. Thanks for the opportunity... Bottled 030206, according to the label.

Poured into a Rapscallion glass, formed a 3/4" off-white head over the cloudy orangey amber brew. Thick head falls lasts long, with heavy frothy lacing. Even with a careful pour, there's some large chunkies zooming about the glass, which I could probably do without. Aroma is sweet pale malt with ample spiciness tickling the nose. Taste follows the nose's lead nicely. Mouthfeel is creamy and smooth, and drinkability is excellent as well. Nice one here.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2007 00:55:24 | More by ppoitras

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appears a hazy gold with a fluffy head of off-white cream that slowly fades out. Scattered streaks of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of citrus, cinnamon, ginger, yeasty(almost like the Unibroue yeast), honey, brown sugar, pears, apricots, and mild funk.
Taste is much of the same aromas. It's complex and it seems to change a bit as it warms moving from a spiciness to a more estery, yeasty, mildly tart brew.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, spicy, herbal lasting, honey blasting up front and leading to a semi-dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2007 15:27:23 | More by weeare138

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a slightly cloudy orange/amber, small head forms, some nice lacing on the glass. Smell is orange peel, spices, yeast, some citrus and floral hops, honey. Taste is orange, a metric asston of spice, some rich fruit and floral hops, pear and apple. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, medium carbonation, smooth and tasty. The flavour was a little one dimensional but I really enjoyed this beer, very excellent.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2005 18:07:15 | More by Viggo

Bighuge

Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pale, dim orange. Big frothy, meringue like white head. The lace is all coating. Lots of froth left on my glass. Carbonation streams upward rapidly. Vibrant nose. Really fruity and estery. Apple and pear. Spicy as well with cinamon and pepper checking in. And yeasty doughiness as well. Nice nose. I notice some fusels first off on the buds. Then some spicy, peppery tones. Breadiness is diminished on the palate. Flavor not as full as the nose predicted. Carbonation is not as lively as I'd like. Just a little underwhelming. Body is light-medium or so. Not bad. Not good.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2005 03:54:53 | More by Bighuge