Fleur - Goose Island Beer Co.

n2185

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled 2/26/11

A: pours a clear orange with a finger of white head that fades into a thin ring with little lacing.

S: some light Belgian spice notes and candy sugar at first followed by some dry, funky aromas. There are slight sweet and tart notes as well.

T: similar to the aroma, some Belgian candy sugar and spices up front followed by funky, musty, and barnyard flavors. The finish is dry and only slightly sweet. Tasty.

M: medium-light body with highish carbonation, this beer is light, dry, and very drinkable.

O: a very good beer, overall, with lots of funky flavors. Very drinkable and tasty to boot.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2012 01:01:12 | More by n2185

draheim

Washington

3.4/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle (bottled 5/4/2011) (thanks Mom for carrying it out here) into a tulip. Pours a clear coppery amber w/ a wisp of sediment, thick frothy white head, moderate lacing.

Aroma is delicate floral Belgian yeast, mild citrus, and a faint soapiness. Everything on the nose is subdued, subtle.

Taste has a weird saltiness up front followed by dry bready malt. This beer has an unusual water/baking soda taste I can't quite get past.

Overall I expected more from this beer. Disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 06:44:23 | More by draheim

ZekemusMaximus

New York

2.75/5  rDev -29.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A - A dark orange color with some absolutely fantastic lacing. It created a "mountainscape" around the rim of my glass. A bit hazy but pretty cool looking.

S - Certainly floral, lots of hibiscus and fruit but its almost masked by a Belgian smokiness.

T - Nothing too strong, the taste lingered a little too long for my liking. It was certainly tart and that was present throughout.

M - Seemed light at first but the more i drank I felt there was more going on, a little heavier than it looks. Very carbonated though.

O - First BPA from Goose Island I've had my chance to try, didn't love it, didn't hate it. It wouldn't be a beer I'd rush to try again but I probably won't get the chance if its retired so I won't have to worry about it.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 03:06:54 | More by ZekemusMaximus

warnerry

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled 2/26/11

A - Pours a hazy orange with red /pink highlights. Two fingers of white foam don't linger long, but leave some lacing behind.

S - Slight tartness, some fruity florals and a bit of Belgian yeast funk. Subtle but nice.

T - Taste is also quite subtle, with quite a fruity presence, some florals, faint lemon tartness and earthy funk. Taste is light and refreshing with just enough depth to keep it interesting.

M - Mouthfeel is pretty light, with a bit of earthy dryness on the finish.

O - Not my favorite BPA from Goose Island, but still pretty good. Definitely better suited to a warm summer day than a cold winter night.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 02:27:24 | More by warnerry

JustinMatthew

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +27.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Vintage 2010

Bomber poured into a victory tulip glass. This is just an amazing beer, Just about perfect in my opinion. It pours a very nice orange color, very clear. A finger and a half worth of white head. The smell is nice.. A light yeast spice, fresh apple, light strawberry notes, some sour and some funk notes. Taste is slightly sour with a touch of funk and nice carbonation. Notes of strawberry hard candy, fresh apple, yeast spice, faint grape must. Just amazing. Chardonnay dryness, strawberry hard candy like after taste lingering. Amazed.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 05:19:05 | More by JustinMatthew

biglobo8971

Minnesota

4.53/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

poured from b- =ottle into pub glass. This is a bottle from 2010, and I enjoyed it with a grilled roast beer/baby swiss/cheddar and pickle sandwich (which did not skue the grade)
A - looks beautiful, nice orange and frothy lace, with 1 inch head that resonates the whole glass.
S - sweet tarts, definitely candy, with a hint of sour
T - slight sour start, sweet middle, with a tart finish. Tastes fantastic, a very interesting brew.
M - very vibrant, and lively. Very easy to drink.
O - very glad I stumbled into the store that had several of these on the shelf. Glad I bought the rack (over a five day period)

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 02:55:55 | More by biglobo8971

Levich

Massachusetts

3.1/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Picked up a 750mL bottle of the 2010 version of this brewed on 9/17/2010 #1655. Poured into a goblet.

A - This poured a dark honey amber color with hints of rosiness. There was a fragile head that dissipated quickly leaving only a thin layer of foam.

S - Initially, there is a slightly sour aroma with a bit of strawberry and apple.

T - The first taste is very clean and light. There is a light floral and fruity taste that grows stronger with more sips. It finishes with a hint of hops just to balance it all. The flavor is oddly reminiscent of sweettarts.

M - This beer has a thin mouthfeel with light carbonation.

Overall a decent beer. There was nothing overpowering or extraordinary, but good. I am looking forward to trying the 2011 version that's waiting for another session.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 21:16:50 | More by Levich

jegross2

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

BEER REVIEW #150!

Reviewing the Fleur from Goose Island Brewing Company. Since Goose Island decided to retire this one, and I've never had it before, I felt it essential to review.
Score: 80

04/08/11 vintage bottle served in a Goose Island 312 glass and enjoyed during the wee hours of 02/03/12.

Appearance: Pours a translucent amber yellow color with two-plus fingers of Styrofoamy white colored head that slowly recedes into a half-finger layer of creamy white head. Slightly below average lacing for the style. 3.5/5

Smell: Effervescent granny smith apples and white grape aroma. A little "earthy funk." Lightly "malted" strawberries and raspberries in the nose too. Hints of "tart" fruit mixed throughout. A not overly complex, but a very pleasant nose. 4/5

Taste: The flavor is much more tart than the aroma. Wild berries and funky apples. Imagine how dandelion smells, convert that into a flavor and sour it slightly. Hints of "Brett" throughout. There's some of that present too. There's a slight metal-like funk in the finish/linger too, and it's really bothering me. This is essentially a tart Belgian-style beer. 3/5

Mouthfeel: Medium-light bodied, high-medium carbonation. Slight drying effect, a little tart. 4/5

Overall: An interesting twist on the Belgian style, but I am not a fan of sour beers. This is less a Belgian pale ale than a Belgian-style sour. Maybe this beer is just "not my thing," but I was not impressed. This is not a Goose Island beer I will miss. Their Oatmeal Stout and original Imperial IPA beers, though, are an entirely different story.

Recommendation: If you like Belgians and sours, seek this one out. Otherwise, don't fret it.

Pairings: Something sweet, floury and tangy -- maybe a strawberry frosted pound cake?

Cost: $7.99 for a 22 oz (bomber) bottle.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 07:32:33 | More by jegross2

jtingue

New York

3.55/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

2011 Bottle poured into a tulip.

Appearance. Slightly hazy, but clear, reddish amber in color. Pours with about a half a finger of head, which quickly dissipates to a pretty thick layer on top of the beer. Some lacing on the side of the glass.

Smell. Quite tart with the smell of freshly picked strawberries and raspberries. Some floral notes as well.

Taste. Subdued berry mixes with a bready malt. Dry strawberry with a distinct tart bite fills the palate next. A very dry floral flavor comes next before going into a sweet fruity finish.

Mouthfeel. Very thin in body, with moderate carbonation.

A very tasty brew, but the flavor is only moderately complex. It is really just dominated by a dry fruity flavor, albeit a very pleasurable fruit flavor.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 01:24:25 | More by jtingue

cbeer88

Massachusetts

3.03/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Tasted blindly courtesy of Blind BIF #6.

22oz bomber poured into Chimay Goblet

Appearance: Body is a very clear golden orange color. Head is about a finger of thin white, and doesn't last long, but lacing is strong.

Smell: Sour notes in the nose, bit of hay and funk. Almost smells like Brett, but not quite. Light malt flavor rounds out the profile. No noticeable hop presence.

Taste: Based on the nose I was expecting a sour ale, and I that's not what I have here - maybe a wild though. First sip came off a little bland. There's some yeast combo going on - a bit of wild barnyard flavor and a bit of fruity belgian esters - apple and pear mostly. Minimal hops, and the malt is assertive in the taste but ultimately light in flavor. Crisp. Belgian Pale? No noticeable alcohol trace.

Mouthfeel: Carb is moderate, body is thin.

Drinkability: So-so. Alcohol seems low enough but it's lacking a bit in flavor.

Overall: I'm not sure what to make of this beer. Bland is probably the right word. It seems like a Belgian Pale with a bit of wild yeast, but nothing is really coming together to make anything particularly noteworthy. Reminds me of Goose Island Matilda, but not as good. Drinkable though.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 02:18:58 | More by cbeer88

movingtrain

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy golden straw color. Head is decent with a less-than-aggressive pour.

The aroma is actually quite sour. Notes of dry white grapes, cedar, lilies, warm bread, and some citrus notes (grapefruit in the foreground). The aroma is reminiscent of kombucha.

The flavor is a bit more bready than I would have expected from the aroma, and a bit more sweet. Notes of grapes, white tea, bread crust, some grapefruit, a touch of rye, lemon zest, and club soda. The sourness from the nose is present for sure, though that plays more on the middle of the palate, as the flavors that come through first are more sweet.

The feel of this beer is very similar to that of kombucha tea--it is quite effervescent and spry, quite refreshing.

Overall, this is a good beer. It has the elements of a good sour, but takes on other characteristics more along the lines of a pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 22:29:19 | More by movingtrain

Humulus85

Minnesota

3.78/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served from a 12oz bottle into my Darkness snifter.

Pours a vibrant, crystal clear gold. A white, 1.5 finger head died down quickly, but left behind some decent lacing.

The nose is very Belgian. Light and crisp, some earthy yeast, and a hint of fruity/floral sourness. Very intriguing smell.

Again, very Belgian but unique. Very fruity for not having any fruit additions. I'm not familiar with the flavor profile of the Hibiscus flower, but I assume that is where it is coming from. Starts out with strawberries and yeast. Moves into a nice sweet bread malt and more yeast. Finishes slightly earthy (almost tea-like), then tart. Very complex brew.

Super smooth, like silk. Very light on the palate. Playful carbonation. Doesn't finish too sweet, or too dry.

Overall, I came away impressed by this beer. My first from GIs "vintage" line. Not sure I will revisit this in the near future, but it gave me a new and intriguing beer experience. I'm still relatively new with Belgians as well, and still struggle to get past the prominent yeast flavors. I would recommend this to BAs trying to get their feet wet in the Belgian side of things. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 18:28:56 | More by Humulus85

scratch69

Missouri

4.05/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I poured a bottle into a tulip glass.

Appearance- Pours a clear golden-orange with a fingers worth of head. Small amount of lacing.

Smell- Floral with yeast notes.

Taste- Fruity at the start, but finishes mildly tart. I also detect yeast at the finish that fades into a tea flavor.

Mouthfeel- Light bodied with a nice amount of carbonation. Slightly crisp.

Overall- A very pleasant experience. Not what you would expect from a beer but very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 19:52:43 | More by scratch69

spitInTheOcean

Michigan

3.8/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

good head retention. good lacing. just barely off white head. golden color. clear. whats most remarkable about the way this beer looks is that the bubbles rising are so few i could count them.

caramel malts. floral. no hop aroma. slight years phenols. bouquet is petite. caramel is the biggest.

slight malt sweetness upfront. slightly floral in the middle coupled with slight peppery yeast phenols. and a slightly hop bitter finish. no hop flavor. taste is a tad petite, almost to being watery.

light/medium body. soft carbonation. smooth. very refreshing. heat from the alcohol barely comes through late in the finish.

i think they did what they set out to do here. i think they wanted to brew a light (bodied) refreshing ale, and they did. the hibiscus flavor is subtle, but the hibiscus is probably a tame flavoring agent. very drinkable

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2011 05:27:04 | More by spitInTheOcean

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Duvel tulip glass.

I'm gonna name my next homebrew "de Lis". Yeah, I went there. (Sorry.) This stuff pours a cloudy sunrise tawny topped by a finger of lightly cream-white foam. The nose comprises cardamom, light green tea, light sweet caramel, orange zest, and a touch of black pepper. The taste brings in more of the same, with more pepper, a touch more tea, more cardamom, and then some additions of lemon zest, light honeydew, and a touch of what seems like kiwi in the background. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a slimy feel (in a good way...maybe gelatinous is a better word...?...). Overall, an interesting beer, indeed, something you won't taste all that often. And it's something that does beg to be tasted, rather than dismissed. Try some, won't you?

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 04:44:59 | More by TMoney2591

Mora2000

Texas

4.22/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled 5/21/10. Consumed 4/25/11.

The beer pours a hazy orange-amber color with a white head. The aroma is very nice. I get a lot of brett notes, with some funk and a little bit of leather. I also get some nice cherry notes as well as some floral notes.

The flavor is also very interesting. There is a lot of juicy cherry notes mixed in with the leathery and funk brett notes. There is also a little bit of biscuit malt, but the beer is very dry and easy to drink.

Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 17:28:15 | More by Mora2000

Treebs

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2011 12 oz. bottle served in a Pilsner glass.

A: Pours a clear, bubbly amber with red hues mixed in throughout the body. A 1 finger, pure white head forms on the pour and leaves some sticky lace on the way down.

S: Some peppery yeast is present up front with a some nice fruit skins and a little sweetness.

T: The Belgian yeast is present again in a little bubblegum fashion. Tart fruit skins, some sweet flower and a clean malt bill on the finish.

M: Light bodied with a lively carbonation. Leaves a fresh, clean mouth afterward.

O: This was a decent enough beer, but the flavors didn't pop for me and it was sort of muddled in the taste.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 14:17:01 | More by Treebs

rlee1390

Indiana

4.03/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Cloudy orange, one finger head with some lacing.

S-Fruity, strawberries and some cherries. You can smell some tartness.

T-Very fruity, the strawberries are present, some wheat flavors and well. A very mild tartness, was looking for a little more but still good.

M-Light to medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation.

O-Not as tart as I would have liked, however a great intro to "sours". Would gladly have again, but a beer to recommend to people starting to seek out sours.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 19:31:10 | More by rlee1390

treque

Mexico

3.25/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: hazy, cloudy body, with an amber to deep gold in color, the head is not so big, good retention, waste left behind on the glass

s: is no so deep, florarl, pinusy, noble hop aroma some esters

T: swetter and souer than expected, complexed in flavour, not so much bitterness, more esters thn in aroma for sure, some acidity

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 03:27:41 | More by treque

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.9/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2011 Bottling; Sampled August 2011
A steady pour into my Tripel Karmeliet tulip produces a two-finger thick, lightly tan colored head. The beer has a full amber-red color that shows a lightly hazed, light amber with gold tinged hue when held up to the light. The beer smells strongly of hibiscus; this smells lightly tart, with a floral berry character, touches of sweet cranberry. The finish does remind me a bit of kombucha, but this may just be the suggestion of the description; there is some earthiness towards the finish, as well as some lactic like tartness, a musty, slightly phenolic character and a sort of lightly woody mushroom like character. There is a spicy floral character to this beer, that, along with the funky and musty notes provides a balancing note to the more dominant floral and fruit character found in the nose.

A prickly carbonation causes the beer to fizz up as it first hits my tongue, the beer tastes most prominently of a tart / berry hibiscus. The finish has some sharpness from the carbonic acid, a touch of tartness from the hibiscus and a sort of spicy, floral sort of astringency that almost serves as bitter hops would. The tartness is a bit sharper, and a bit bigger than could be solely attributed to the hibiscus; this is by no means a sour beer though, but there is just enough to add some interest. This beer is really quite fruity tasting, with lots of berry notes, a sort of pomegranate flavor, and maybe even a hint of strawberry at times. This is nice and light bodied without being watery. There is a soft, subtle malt / grain that provides a touch of hay like character as well as a touch of cracker like pale malt.

This is definitely a tasty beer, it is perhaps a touch simplistic in its Hibiscus flavors, but this is well supported by the other notes, and the overall character of this beer more than makes up for that.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 17:34:06 | More by Gueuzedude

osusullins

Illinois

3.28/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer pours a beautiful rose color with light frothy head.

Aroma is very floral with a hint of strawberries.

Taste is almost opposite of smell. Sweet berries up front with floral undertones. The beer finishes with quite a tart punch that lingers. Light bodied.

Serving type: on-tap

11-03-2011 03:54:50 | More by osusullins

billab914

Virginia

3.65/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2011 vintage poured into my Ithaca glass. It poured a murky amber color with a thin white head barely covering the top of the beer.

The aroma has a crisp fruitiness to it with some decent citrus notes coming through. I get some pale, sweeter malts adding a little malty sweetness as well. The Belgian yeast also adds some earthy spice to it. Nice mix of flavors overall, and pretty well balanced.

The taste shows a bit more of the juicy citrusness that I assume is from the hibiscus flowers. It especially jumps out at you in the finish. The yeast spice comes through a little but is more reserved in the taste compared to the aroma. The pale malts give it a little bit of a grainy, bready, malty sweet character and make for a nice base for all the citrusy flavors.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with carbonation being a little above average. Overall it was a pretty solid and interesting beer of the style. I thought the aroma was very nice and well balanced while the taste leaned a bit too heavily on the juicy, citrusy, flavors. A pretty nice beer overall though.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 20:39:34 | More by billab914

kevanb

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another one of Goose Island’s belgian style ales, Fleur is brewed with hibiscus flowers. This bottle is slightly old, bottled about 6 months ago, but its been kept well. This pours a really nice dark honey color with a single finger of foamy head. Big yeasty nose with hints of spice, lemon and hibiscus. Really nice flavors, lots of yeasty flavors with strong lemon and a touch of spice. Hibiscus and other flowers dominate the finish and linger for just a few moments afterwards on the tongue. It has such a nice big full body that goes down smoothly and softly.

Verdict: Really great take on the belgian style. Has all the flavors that make the style great but adds a nicely proportioned floral component. Really well done.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2011 05:02:49 | More by kevanb

KTCamm

New Jersey

4.53/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 22oz bomber into a duvet glass.

Pours medium amber, some orange copper. Light white foam floats on the top. Floral smell. Candy notes. Orange fruit. Light Belgian yeasty taste with citrus undertones. Subtle hop finish. Fruity. Very powerful carbonation. Orange fruit finish. Excellent. Soft, subtle, full of flavor.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 00:38:56 | More by KTCamm

mltobin

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on-tap at The Birdsall House in NY.

Appearance is light amber tone with a pink hue, small white head.
It has a smell of flowers, lemon zest, spices and a bit of sugar. Taste has belgian yeast on a light scale, lemongrass, honey, pepper and citrus. MF is medium with bitterness in the finish.

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2011 23:48:22 | More by mltobin