Mild Winter - Goose Island Beer Co.

fx20736

New York

4.41/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass, served cool.

transparent chestnut brown with a 2 finger off white head.

aroma of rich toasted malts, chocolate and a faint, vegetal hoppiness.

mouthfeel: soft and powdery.

taste: light dusting of cocoa and toasted pecans on brown bread. Imagine Malt-o-meal with just enough herbal bitterness for balance.

damn! this is tasty, tasty beer! ABV seems a bit high for the style but wow this goes down easy and then some! Another fantastic beer from Goose Island!

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 11:10:22 | More by fx20736

superspak

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled on 10/24/2012. Pours fairly crystal clear reddish brown color with a nice 2 finger fairly dense light khaki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of caramel, raisin, fig, apple, toast, toffee, dark bread, light nuttiness, light rye spiciness, and floral earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and decent strength. Taste of caramel, toast, raisin, fig, apple, toffee, dark bread, brown sugar, light nuttiness, light rye spiciness, and floral earthiness. Light bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, toast, light fruits, toffee, dark bread, light rye spiciness, and floral on the finish for a bit. Nice balance and robustness of flavors; with hardly any cloying flavors present after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a creamy and lightly slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with hardly any warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a nice dark mild ale. Good balance and robustness of flavors; and very smooth to drink. A nicely enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 06:42:14 | More by superspak

maximum12

Minnesota

3.7/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked up recently as part of a mixed sixer, mostly because, well, they put rye in the beer. Ring the bell & I'll salivate, how'd you like that? 12 oz. bottle.

Poured into a nice, heavy, unbranded tulip my lovely wife bought me for Christmas a couple years back, this is a deep, ruby red. Moderate to low carbonation. Nose is a full spigot of spicy rye & toast. Ooooh. Nice way to put one's feet on the path.

Mild Winter obviously isn't brewed in Minnesota, where it would be Cold or Long or Dark. Taste is much more varied than the nose. Still a double handful of spiced rye, but there's a ton of toasted/roasted bread. Odd herbal quality (hops?) in the mid-section, along with light, sweet malts. The finish is like a roughage/grain scrub brush against the tongue. Swiggable.

Definitely an interesting beer, but the breadiness up front dampened my enthusiasm a fair amount; I had a very bad experience with Fat Tire many years ago in Seattle, & it's scarred me for life. Close, but no trip up the red carpet: this one's good.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 02:48:03 | More by maximum12

allforbetterbeer

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

This is a mild with a nice layered malt profile, notes of roast, light coffee, and a touch of chocolate. Hop flavor is low but present in a lightly earthy style. Overall bitterness may be just a touch high for the style, but is still low overall. Leaning towards the dry side with a few nicely placed sweet notes. I especially like the malts, which let a textured variety show, and different levels of toast and roast are evident at different points in the flavor. Nicely mingled.

The mouthfeel seems over carbonated and thin due to this not being served on cask, but I can't blame Goose Island for that, because if this was only a cask beer (as most of the original style was) than I wouldn't be drinking while sitting on my couch right now.

Conclusion: I have only had two American bottled versions of this style (most of the examples of this style have been on cask in England) and this one is the winner hands down. Not up to par the real stuff on cask, but a great bottled offering. Now if they could make it bottle conditioned and tone down the carbonation, this would be even better!

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 00:27:43 | More by allforbetterbeer

boilermakerbrew

Indiana

4.51/5  rDev +21.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled on 11-18-12.

A- Pours a deep, rusty brownish red. Clarity is high despite the dark color. Dense, medium head of about 1.5 fingers. Great lacing and retention.

S- Mostly malty, with some sweet mixed in. Dull malts include caramel and toffee notes. Nutty flavor mixed in too, with a muted brown sugar like sweetness.

T- Starts off just like the scent, with a pretty solid malt bill. Caramel and toffee notes start and dominate throughout most of the drink. Persistent moderate sweetness underlies the whole drink with brown sugar notes. Slight hints of the rye and wheat grain peak in and out. The drink ends with a small, malty bite. Lingering caramel and toffee malts stay on the palate for a short while after the drink.

M- More carbonated than expected, but still incredibly smooth. Dense, frothy head adds to the feel on the tongue, thickening it up a bit. Smooth and moderately thick going down. Having no alcohol feel or taste, this one is good for a session.

Overall, I am presently surprised by this beer. I've been passing this up quite often and find myself regretting it now. A pretty darn tasty malty beer that's easy drinking and affordable. Go out and try it.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 22:40:00 | More by boilermakerbrew

jjclick17

Indiana

3.51/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dark brown bronze color. Poored from bottle and very smooth with very thin head.

Great taste! Very settling. Filling without being overly heavy. Sticks to the mouth after consumption leaving a great lasting impression

Definitely a strong seasonal to revisit

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 04:30:30 | More by jjclick17

carlborch

Michigan

2.69/5  rDev -27.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

Looked great! Poured a brilliant, mahogany brown and produced a creamy, 1.5 inch tan head, that slowly subsided. Some decent malt in the nose and suggestions of hops. Faint hints of cocoa and spice? Medium-light body. Surprisingly short! Some lingering bitter notes. Not much malt on the palate. Light, fresh, and mild. Not as dark as expected. Some lace develops. When looking for a Mild Ale, I will look elsewhere next time.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 23:21:28 | More by carlborch

RichieS2

Michigan

4.38/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle poured into pilsner glass.

A - Dark brown, just barely able to see through, Respectable lasing left on the glass.

S - Pleasing bouquet of malt, a lot of noticeable spices.

T - Starts with the pleasant lightness of wheat which is soon replaced with myriad spices which then ends with a citrus finish. In other words the taste is excellent. Nice

M - Nice and thick.

O - Great! I really liked this one and would recommend this to anyone when the weather is cold.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 21:33:22 | More by RichieS2

tdm168

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Sawmill Tap Room

A - very dark brownish amber with a thin, white lacing of head

S - faint grains, very faint metallic notes

T - caramel, toffee, faintly nutty, mild bitter finish

M - medium bodied, smooth, lightly carbonated

This is a rather simplistic beer. It has decent flavor with a very malty presence. This is a beer brewed to style with caramel and toffee notes and lower, sessionable ABV. This beer has enough flavor to keep one interested throughout a session, but there isn't much here to set it apart from the rest of the crowd. I'm glad I tried this one once, but I won't be seeking it out again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-25-2013 01:40:52 | More by tdm168

mikeg67

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle. Pours brown with medium lasting, off-white head and lively carbonation. Aroma is of bready, toasted malt and spicy, grassy hops. Body is medium and tangy. Taste is toasted malt, spicy rye, herbal, grassy hops and hints of coffee. Finish is long and dry. Tangy, spicy, not bad brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 01:43:38 | More by mikeg67

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.04/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

I had this at Champions, served chilled on tap in a pint.

The color is deep bronze with translucent clarity and thin cap of off white cream with tiny beading. The smell is very nice with grain odor and mild bready scent of yeast with subtle fruitiness and malt augments with a light spice note. The feel is very good with a nice amount of carbonation in the mid range with a hint of sweetness but enough spice to balance things out.

I really like rye beers and this one is great for the very reason I enjoy them, you can taste the rye malt in this, it has a mild toasted flavor with subtle sweet and mild nutty earthiness there is a light herbal hoppiness which is just enough to keep it all balanced, a very flavoral, yet not overdone beer. I really can't imagine many ways to improve upon this except maybe more of the same I really thought this is a great winter beer and would certainly order this any time it is available.

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2013 17:38:24 | More by Slatetank

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A - Quite dark brown with a fluffy 1/2 inch of opaque colored head.

S - Smells of mostly bready malts, herbal hop presence, toasted malt.

T - Taste delivers like an amped up ESB. Has a winter warmer flavors of caramel and bready malts with an ESB hop/malt. Pretty decent.

M - Medium, chewy, herbal.

Overall not a bad take on a mild English winter warmer but not something I would run out and get again. Try it if you love ESB's.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 19:03:50 | More by DrDemento456

hardy008

Minnesota

3.45/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes.

Clear dark brown with a small off white head with fair retention and lacing. Smells and tastes like caramel, bread, and toasted malt. Has some spice and light bitterness. Medium bodied with average carbonation. Not much aftertaste. A decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 01:06:23 | More by hardy008

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice big fluffy 2 finger head that fades semi slowly with tons of layered lacing, the beer is a clear mahogany brown color.

Nose had plenty of toasty brown malts, caramel, nutty, light candy like, little grainy, some herbal slight earthy hops.

Taste starts with juicy toasty malts, again lots of toasty brown malts, caramel, nutty, hint of molasses, etc. Also herbal hops bring light estery almost vegetal like flavors, light husk, and they turn earthy and slightly spicy. Finish is fairly bitter, more earthy herbal hops, little spicy and oily feeling, light sticky sweet malts lingering.

Mouth is med bodied, nice carb.

Overall ok but not great. Malts are quite nice, but the hops are not as much so. Too much overall on hops especially the herbal flavors for a mild, even an English mild. But still fairly tasty and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 04:10:51 | More by jlindros

IronLover

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Brown on color with reddish hues and perfect clarity. Poured with a thick, dense off white foam that reduced to a thick cap that left sheets of sticky lacings on the glass. Earthy, grainy aromas with dark malt, toasted malt and dark ripe fruit. Medium and bodied and buttery smooth below the assertive, tangy carbonation. Dark roasted and toasted malt up front, tangy through the middle followed by floral hop flavors. Earthy toasted grain and bready flavors at the end with a dark roasted malt and lightly bitter finish. Finished crisp and semi-dry.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 02:32:17 | More by IronLover

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Unsure of the style until about now. It poured quite dark. Minimal head. A thin seam stays with the body the entire time, however. Very light lacing.

S-Nose is deeply malty with some spicy rye zest. Upon the first sniff I thought I smelled some rye but didn't know it was a component. Semi happy with my nose here. Malty and spicy. A bit earthy. Kinda getting some chocolatey notes as well.

T-Again, well malted with toasty and very light chocolate. The rye extends the flavor to new heights. The flavor is more robust than I thought it would be.

M-Fuller bodied. Softer carbonation. Spicy. Not as drinkable as the "mild" name tag initially lead me to believe.

O/D-Not as drinkable as I thought it would be but it was far more flavorful than I expected as well. Well worth a try. I'd actually try it again in a different setting with a bit more time to dissect this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-01-2013 18:33:23 | More by VelvetExtract

justincolts

Indiana

3.9/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I guess Chicago hopes for a Mild Winter but in Muncie I love a snowy winter, so mild seems less then optimal for me.,of course it now says brewed in Baldwinsville NY. Pours a really thick head that takes a long time to dissipate. A very rich dark caramel color is what you see. Looks great in my Beatles Rubber Soul glass too. Actually probably darker then caramel but not a chocolate color. Smells great, malty and something like nutmeg, or at least nutty, in a good way. Malty taste, maybe a hint of chocolate, caramel, etc. I can't really discern a whole lot, but it taste good. Very hearty feel, and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 02:01:07 | More by justincolts

BEERMILER12

Maine

3.68/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottled On: 11/18/12

A: Pours a mahogany color with a fingers worth of light tan head

S: Bready malts along with some light dark fruit notes (raisin and fig). Not much else

T: Follows the nose. Brown bread and some light raisin and fig notes, with some caramel and very light spiciness in the back due to the rye. Very mild, as the style suggests

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation

O: A nice easy winter drinker, void of any spice rack or dark roasted malts. Certainly mild in both smell and taste, but that's how it's supposed to be. A little higher in abv than the style calls for, but it is brewed in America after all

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 09:11:49 | More by BEERMILER12

avalon07

South Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a growler to a pint glass. Had a light brown color and a clear texture. There was a half inch of foamy head that lasted an average amount of time. Very good lacing.

S: A decent, but one note, aroma of malt and something sweet and sugary.

T: Tasted of malt (a lot of malt), caramel, light hops, and perhaps a little spice in the finish. An interesting flavor that actually gets better as it goes along.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a smooth finish. Medium-bodied.

O: This is the first English Dark Mild Ale I've had, so I had no expectations going in. This beer was a pleasant surprise. It's easy to drink and understated, but definitely drinkable.

Serving type: growler

12-25-2012 01:34:59 | More by avalon07

ummswimmin

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I had this on tap while meeting with friends. The bar served this in a tulip glass.

There was a healthy amount of head on the initial pour. The coloring is correct for the style of beer.

The nose is appropriate for the style, but there really isn't much there. The hopping is very minimal with a decent amount of malt from this one.

The flavor with this beer is very minimal. There isn't much happening here. Nothing was bad, but there was nothing exceptional.

It isn't too bad if there is nothing else on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2012 20:00:01 | More by ummswimmin

schlimenhaumer

New York

3.03/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12oz bottle into an Odell pint glass at high altitude near Denver.

A: Pours an amber body with a foamy off-white head. Good lacing here and decent retention.

S: Light smell overall, malts and a bit of caramel come through. Not much going on here.

T: Malt notes from start to finish here, with just enough hop character to balance. Certainly a mild flavor.

M: Light- to medium-bodied with a slick mouthfeel and a small amount of carbonation. Fits the flavors well.

O: Nothing remarkable, but a good option if you're looking for something mild.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 00:54:00 | More by schlimenhaumer

kojevergas

California

2.9/5  rDev -22%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap into a conical Guinness pint glass in me gaff in Castle Rock, Colorado.

Served straight from the fridge and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a pinkish beige two finger head of nice cream and thickness, and good retention. Body colour is a vibrant amber-auburn. Transparent and translucent. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Toasted malt, biscuit malt, and mild fruit esters. A below average strength aroma.

T: Sweet malt, some amber malt, biscuit malt, and clean fruit esters. Balanced but simple. Clean and pleasant to drink, but lacks complexity or subtlety. Not layered really at all. Hop presence is minimal. A bit too sweet.

Mf: smooth, wet, clean. Decent carbonation. Okay palate presence.

Dr: Drinkable but underwhelming. Rather pedestrian. I wouldn't trifle with it again. Meh. A decent offering from Goose Island.

C

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 00:53:59 | More by kojevergas

suspect

New York

3.18/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Dogfish Head shaped pint glass. This is my first sampling of an English Dark Mild Ale.

A: Pours a clear dark brown color. Aggressive pour leads to a 1 finger light tan head that fades relatively quickly leaving not much lacing.

S: Nutty, grainy and lots of malt.

T: Rich malt flavor with nuttiness and some caramel. This one isn't mind blowing but EDMA's aren't supposed to be.

M: Light-medium bodied brew. Carbonation is definitely not overpowering.

O: A supremely easy drinking brew with good flavors. Not one I'll run back to get but if there were a bunch a a party I wouldn't be disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 13:24:47 | More by suspect

harrymel

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Manito Tap House, Spokaloo, WA

Pours a brown ale with some red accents. Occassional foam as I agitate is light tan. Nose is spicy and malty. There are hints of cinnamon and some earthy hops, but mostly a simple bready nose. Taste carries a nice brown ale character accented with a rye ambience. Nicely spicy with a tone of brown ale - not mild ale. Medium bodied with a lighter carb and a nice forgettable finish. This beer is nothing out of the ordinary - which is exactly as it should be. Well executed.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2012 10:02:26 | More by harrymel

chugalug06

Colorado

1.63/5  rDev -56.2%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

One-finger, non aggressive off-white head. Brew is deep red.

Smells like Heineken. bland. nothingness.

Lots of roasted caramel, not much more. Tastes like a dark Budweiser. Watery, thin, not complex... Harsh carbonation. Horribly dry and bitter.

This brew was a waste of time and a waste of $1.70, good thing I only bought a single... Not recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 04:01:00 | More by chugalug06