Matilda - Goose Island Beer Co.

TastyTaste

Minnesota

2.83/5  rDev -29.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Put off buying this one for a little while, but I still was able to track down a single.

Appearance: Hazed orance color, thing white head forms and fades quickly.

Smell: Citrus and spices (cinnamon?), and a little Belgian yeast.

Taste: Yeah I definitely get cinnamon or nutmeg from this beer, strogly flavored, with a little tobacco, sweet fruits, and hard candy. I am not sure I care much for this flavor, a little obnoxious.

Drinkability: I am not the biggest fan of this beer, the flavor seems thin and incomplete.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2006 04:49:22 | More by TastyTaste

ADR

Pennsylvania

2.83/5  rDev -29.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Opaque dark orange with a reddish cast. Small yellow head of very tiny bubbles. Good rings of lace on the glass. Slightly chalky aroma, some cherry smell, off and expired baker's yeast. Mouthfeel is a little flat, slightly heavy in overall body. Flavor is an unpleasant mix of uncharacterful bitter and too much sourness. Secondary tastes of slight chocolate and more apparent raisin linger underneath and are a little more noticeable close to the finish. Aftertaste is harsh and inappropriately hoppy for the type of beer this is aiming to be. Not a favorite for me.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2006 23:38:00 | More by ADR

ZAP

Minnesota

2.8/5  rDev -30.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Glowing orange color...sediment noticable...nose is big on the barnyard elements....straw....hay...some definite manure (more horse shit than cow shit but a little bit of a blend of both)...Personally I didn't expect it to be so funky smelling and I don't really care for it in this style..

Body is a little fizzy....medium...citrus fruitiness (oranges, grapefruit, tangerines)...some yeasty sourness...also some earthy notes..

A different feel to this one....not horrible but I can live without ever having another one...

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2005 01:19:56 | More by ZAP

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

2.8/5  rDev -30.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 1.5

Appearance - a bright copper color with a large off-white head. Holds at a thin cover with thin, solid lacing.

Aroma - sweet fruits (indistinguishable) mixed with the sour funky smell of the Brettanomyces. Right on style but I didn't expect it. Not my favorite style.

Taste - has the sweetness of the Belgian style that I like, and the funky Brett-influenced flavor that I don't. Some sour orange/lemon, but the funk (while not totally bad) doesn't appeal to me. Some peppery flavors come out as it warms and makes it better.

Mouthfeel - very crisp, fairly smooth, solid body.

Drinkability - a quality beer IMO, but not to my taste.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2006 06:11:59 | More by brewdlyhooked13

JBogan

Nevada

2.8/5  rDev -30.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured a light amber with a small head which left almost no lacing.

There was a pleasing fruity aroma to this which seemed to consist of mango and oranges.

The taste however wasn't quite up to the aroma. There was a funkiness which dulled down the fruit yet left the alcohol and an overbearing sweetness.

The mouthfeel was thin and very slick.

Overall yet another example of a non Belgian brewer coming up well short in their quest to make a Belgian style beer. I hate to sound like a broken record but this was the second such beer like this I had this evening and both were letdowns. I have no desire to revisit this one again. Not one of GI's better offerings.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2010 06:42:01 | More by JBogan

SunDevilBeer

Massachusetts

2.8/5  rDev -30.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Meant to grab the Sofie and got this by mistake. Didn't realize it till I got home. Oh well.

Pours a beautiful red amber with a bit of head. Smells like sour apples.

Same sour apples and hot alcohol in the taste which overwhelmed the other subtle flavors that could be there (which are typical for a Belgian strong ale). Odd sweet taste too. Blah.

Drank half of it and dumped the rest. Will pay closer attention to the selection next time! :0)

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 14:16:44 | More by SunDevilBeer

Drunkelstiltskin

2.8/5  rDev -30.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Really wasn't impressed by this highly rated beer. Expected more considering the price of the four pack. Drank it in a champagne glass like the bottle states, but that didn't really help its cause. Dark red to light brown color, and very clear. Next to no head at all. The after taste was distinct, but very unpleasant.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 01:04:45 | More by Drunkelstiltskin

LittleBreeze

New York

2.75/5  rDev -31.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

I don't like fizzy beer. Matilda is fizzy.

Fruity. Tart lemon is there and maybe a bit of orange with the spices. Honey sweetness isn't over done. Acidity was not pleasing.
With the things I don't like about this beer, there are a few likes. After warming, it seems rather crisp....there is range and complexity. But in the end, fizzy killed...

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2008 05:21:44 | More by LittleBreeze

krisandajt

Pennsylvania

2.73/5  rDev -32.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

2009 bottle, poured into my DFH Chalice...

Appearance: A slightly opaque ruby, mahogany color with a good inch of white, foamy head. Retention is decent, and the lacing is soapy and runny with no real schtick to it.

Smell: Some vinegar, funk, and an off sort of pickled beets smell. It took me a few minutes to lock it down, but pickled beets is what jumps to mind. Not too sure what to think about it.

Taste: Well, that pickled taste certainly carries through. Sure, it's got some funk, and there's a slight fruity quality, but I'll be damned if I can't get past that pickled taste. Not that appealing, really.

Mouthfeel: Not bad here, medium body with good carbonation.

Drinkability: As the beer warms, the funk develops a bit more and detracts from the pickled flavor, but honestly I don't really find this brew that appealing. I really don't think I'll be coming back to this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2011 21:16:13 | More by krisandajt

AleWatcher

Illinois

2.73/5  rDev -32.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

22 oz bomber bottled 11.10.09 -- split w/my bro in law and served in my Goose chalice glassware.

A hazy ambery apricot orange color with some small particulates suspended in the solution. Small tan head. Minimal lace chunks and retention.

Smells of really sweet caramel malt-- really sweet malty character. Slight citrusy quality. Very little else happening. I must admit that I was hoping for more after holding this bottle for nearly 20 months.

This beer, if released directly into the air, would stun birds into a catatonic state from utter boringness. The flavor follows the nose exactly. There's malt... Sweet malt... Virtually nothing else.

Where's the yeast? Brett? Hops? Nope. Not here.

The body seems to have suffered as well-- this is less carbed and feels syrupy.

Overall-- I shan't be aging my Matilda anymore. Fresh for me from now on.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2011 22:00:42 | More by AleWatcher

prototypic

Ohio

2.7/5  rDev -33%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Bottled on March 27, 2006

Appearance: Pours a hazy golden color with a one finger head. Head dissipated shortly after pour.

Smell: Very nice piney hop smell. Various citrus smells (orange, mango, perhaps some banana). Sweetness is rolling right out of the mug. I'm even picking up a hint of alcohol in this one.

Taste: Spiciness is certainly the first thing that explodes on the tastebuds. Citrus (mostly orange) tastes are present. Tastes sweet after the spiciness tones down. A bit of hop bitterness follows. Alcohol isn't overpowering.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability: This one is a bit thick and syrupy. I'm sipping it. Overall, I'm not a fan. I think it's the spiciness that's a turn off for me. I wouldn't recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2007 02:02:46 | More by prototypic

balconybrew

Illinois

2.65/5  rDev -34.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Wasn't a fan... Pours with a white thick head that died off after a bit. . Hazy and cloudy amber in color. Very fruity, maybe banana?? A hint of spices. I might also taste a little honey. Very light and bubbly. Left a light laced glass, not completely clean. I don't think I would have another.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2007 00:35:33 | More by balconybrew

BeerCheese

Wisconsin

2.65/5  rDev -34.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Took from the fridge and poured directly into a clean glass. Nice golden amber color with a little cloudiness from the sediment. Average sized soft white head. Bright fruity smell of cherries and oranges. Meduim/full body with medium carbonation. The taste was nothing special. Very little alcohol taste present, though it did leave a warming feeling going down. Taste was a little dry and malty with only a light hop taste on the finish. I really didn't care for this one very much.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2007 03:53:22 | More by BeerCheese

GratefulBeerGuy

New Hampshire

2.65/5  rDev -34.2%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

22 oz brewed 1/15/10 (1847)??

A copper-golden color, the copper is darker than i had expected, and it's not exactly pale. The strange part here though, is the lack of yeastie sediment, this liquid is totally clear with big spazzed-out bubbles and an equally crazy head that hisses and fizzles out really quick; this is not good, especially since this should be a very jazzy, healthy look. The lack of yeatie's and haze is most troubling.

The aroma is very sweet, dates, cherries, sugar coated raisins and slight tangy fruits with only a very mellow hint of heat. Mostly light-red variety.

A very syruppy, flat feeling malt hits first, it's just too hefty for this style and with no life from the yeast this one just sits there on the palate with little complexity to speak of. There'swheat, light cherries, sweet tanginess that goes into metallic from the brett, but the yeast and brett flavor's are nowhere to be found! Medicinal aftertaste and more sweet/sour tang from the malt is coming back.

Hopefully this bottle was a dud, it is a very fresh version of this and seemed VERY green and young, but it still wasn't right. The lack of yeast and sediment and dark malt seemed odd right off; dissapointment is the only word that fits here.

Serving type: on-tap

03-19-2010 20:40:02 | More by GratefulBeerGuy

mvasilis

Sweden

2.55/5  rDev -36.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Bought at the ölbutikken in Copenhagen.

A: Not that much head, light, and bright foam. The color is golden and the liquid is clear.

S: Fruity jeast aroma, with a malty thouch, almonds.

T: Smooth maly taste with a lot of alcohol, Bitter in the start but it lays down quite fast.

M: A lot of CO2 (trippel) pretty creamy

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2009 19:59:04 | More by mvasilis

mdaschaf

Washington

2.55/5  rDev -36.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Pours a golden copper color with a foamy white head on top, about one inch in height. Decent head retention, slowly dissipating to a thin layer on top, leaving behind bits of thin lace as I drink. A little bit of sediment collected at the bottom of my glass.

A: The aroma is not quite what I expected. There is a heavy buttery component that masks some fruit. I can pick up a little bit of candied dates and cherries, but the butter is a bit overwhelming.

T: Not as buttery/acetyl as the aroma lead me to believe it would be, though it is present. There is a little bit of caramel, light spice, and a little bit of fruit.

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Not the easiest drinking beer, not very crisp either.

O: Not sure whats up with this bottle. Not really what I expected at all. Will give it another try at some point and change the review should I need to.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 21:18:06 | More by mdaschaf

steve8robin

Massachusetts

2.53/5  rDev -37.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Got this one on a trip to NYC...

A: Nothing special. Very little white head that disappears into nothing.

S: Smells like apple juice. Very tasty smell.

T: Kind of taste like sour patch kids at the bottom of an ashtray. A lot more sour taste than I had expected. Awful!

M: Decent amount of carbonation. Ok smoothness.

D: Not very easy to get down.

All in all, I think this one will be a drain pour. Unless you like sour beers, do not try this one. Not very good unless you enjoy this type of brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2010 02:55:31 | More by steve8robin

heybrewtiful

2.53/5  rDev -37.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Picked this up in a growler. What a funky, fetid beer. Like moldy lemon peel, pine trees, and wet cork. The smell of wet socks asserted itself right away and wouldn't let go. The foamy head was generous but dissipated quickly. A orangey golden color, and mild malty aftertaste. Would not choose this one again.

Serving type: growler

12-03-2012 21:33:53 | More by heybrewtiful

JDV

Texas

2.42/5  rDev -40%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Rich honey colored pour with no lasting head. Pours somewhat hazy. Smell is malty and belgian yeast aromas and some metal. Average unremarkable flavor mostly from the yeast and some simple light maltiness. Really found this one especially tame and bland, even being congested as I was.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2008 17:58:09 | More by JDV

Buckmaister

Massachusetts

2.42/5  rDev -40%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Appearance:
A lighter orange/rust color which is kind of murky with the amount of sediment dancing around. Not really an attractive color to me. A half-inch head develops which quickly dissolves to a thin layer of foam on surface.

Smell:
A smell of apricots and prunes is what I get from first whiff. I can also smell the malts!

Taste:
It tastes like what it smelled like to me plus a bit more bitter than expected which is weird since it also seems slightly watered-down to me and usually 'bitterness' and 'water-down' don't go hand-in-hand. Not particularly enjoyable.

Mouthfeel:
This slightly carbonated beverage feels fine to drink. There is a slight fizz feeling at the back of your tongue due to carbonation, but not enough to make me chug it.

Drinkability:
Drinkability is average.

Thoughts:
I will not be buying this ale again. It just isn't the flavor I like. Maybe if it didn't seem so watered-down or look like rust-water I would barely tolerate it.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2010 05:17:56 | More by Buckmaister

denjen

Illinois

2.35/5  rDev -41.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Dennis: Again I am left wonder why am I paying more than $2 dollars a bottle for a 7% brew that is made close enough for me drive to the brewery. It just boggles my tiny mind. Honestly, there just nothing amazing here...although it is a little odd to try to describe. The taste reminds me of either:
a.) the after taste of a 9 volt battery on my tongue
b.) evergreen pine scent
c.) lemon lime alka seltzer
d.) all of the above
There's a bit of a hop bitterness at the end, but it just comes in way to late to make anything of this. I'm already confused and a little disappointed

Jen: I would have to say that I am not overly impressed with this "expensive" beer. It has sweet malty characteristics with a backing of citrusy apple fruits and hops. It is light in body and quite bubbly. It is easy to drink, but I don't think that it is worth $8.99. If you are trying to decide between this and another, go with the other.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2006 17:32:18 | More by denjen

KarlHungus

Minnesota

2.35/5  rDev -41.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

This beer pours a cloudy red-orange color. The head is half an inch in height, and recedes within seconds into minimal lacing. The aroma is of some malt and some yeast, but is very subdued especially for the style. The taste is much the same, but with a strong nasty vomit like thing that I guess is most likely the yeast. The mouthfeel is medium-full bodied with high carbonation. Overall, this beer is hard to drink. I will not be drinking this again.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2009 01:03:48 | More by KarlHungus

DangQuesadilla

Illinois

2.28/5  rDev -43.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

I had this on tap tonight at my local establishment. I was rather disappointed and could not even finish the glass. It was served in a nice glass, and the bartender stated that it usually goes for $9 a glass. Tonight was half off all tap beers and I was getting a deal. I found this to have a slight undertone of peach... but after that, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. It tasted like the smell of a dirty diaper to me. As I leave near Chicago, I have an affinity towards Goose Island. This one, is for the birds. Never again. Terrible mouth taste. Like I said, dirty diaper.

Serving type: on-tap

06-28-2011 04:37:04 | More by DangQuesadilla

FlemingVSKing

Florida

2.28/5  rDev -43.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

I've come to realize that while I love IPA's, standard pale ales are just not my favorite and this one is a good example why.

It's flavor is just funky. It tastes musty and that being the case, any other redeeming factor can't possibly salvage it.

It does seem to be well crafted however so if pale ales are your thing or your looking to try one for the first time then this is probably one to check out.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 17:43:43 | More by FlemingVSKing

Prostman81

Illinois

2.15/5  rDev -46.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

This beer seemed to be trying too hard to be something. I like plenty of GIs other offerings, but this one just was a swing and a miss for me.

Poured a decent head, but just couldn't decipher any aroma. None of the usual malt/hop/yeast notes, except for maybe a tartness or sour note.

Taste is where this one falls flat for me. Too much Brett character...I just can't seem to get past it's flavor to appreciate any of the other things that would normally be associated with this style. The mouthfeel just is too thin...bordering on watery. Combined with the funk of the brett and it made for an unhappy camper. Managed to get thru the bottle but that's it, no more for me.

And I don't believe aging this one (as told by GI) will help it any either. Pass.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2010 21:35:04 | More by Prostman81