Big John - Goose Island Beer Co.

deebo

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Black as night, a little hint of head.
S-Fresh roasted malt with mild cocoa.
T-Roasted malt, hints of raisiny sweet character.
M-Full bodied, but yet not heavy. A touch on the syrupy side
D-Above average for style with just a hint of an alcohol burn/bite at end
O-My favorite Imperial stout from Goose Island because every drink does not taste like a shot of whiskey. Prefer to BCS beers.

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2011 02:21:37 | More by deebo

aasher

Indiana

4.2/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I was lucky enough to try this on tap at Goose Island's Stout Fest. It poured a viscous and lifeless black with a dark khaki head. It looks a lot like the Night Stalker. The aromas are full of milk chocolate and dark roasted malts. I expected it to be a little more bitter and it was sweeter than I anticipated. The flavors too were of sweet milk chocolate, coffee, and dark roasted malts. I expected some bitterness from the Columbus hops but it remained to be a sweeter milk chocolate throughout. I was also glad it didn't have any lasting char. It drank very smooth for the style and the 11.5% wasn't noticeable at all. It was thick and coated the palate, leaving a sweet but not too sweet aftertaste. I'll definitely pick up a couple bottles of this when it comes out next month.

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2011 23:45:39 | More by aasher

boilermakerbrew

Indiana

4.43/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Bottled on 12-7-12 and poured into my Founders snifter.

A- Pours black as night just like the other Goose Island imperial stout offerings. Small, 1 cm, chocolatey brown head. Retention and lacing are pretty good.

S- Big roasted malt character right up front. Lots of chocolate, both bitter and semi-sweet, comes next. The shear amount of chocolate seems to produce a dark fruit scent.

T- Starts with a combo of the big roasted malts and the prominent chocolate flavors. The chocolate takes more of a front seat in the taste and is fairly creamy. Chocolate is somewhere between sweet and bitter, somewhat alternating between the two tastes, but very dark in flavor the entire way through the drink. Ends with a slight bite from bitter chocolate and roasted malts.

M- Thick, creamy, with a little heat. Smooth as all get out despite having a fairly high level of carbonation. Sits a little heavy in the stomach, but a terrific beer for after dinner.

Overall, probably the best chocolate stout I've had. The quality of the chocolate used in this beer is evident and provides the beer with a complex blend of roasted malts and chocolate that isn't one dimensional like other chocolate stouts. I'm glad I was able to find this beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 16:55:41 | More by boilermakerbrew

montrealbcr89

Quebec (Canada)

1.83/5  rDev -55%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 1.75

Most of my beer ratings tend to be on the "higher than average" side, but I just don't know what happened here.

Poured from bottle into tulip.

A: poured a brown, reddish color. In the glass, it was very black with a tan head that dissipated quickly.

S: As soon as a put my nose into the glass, I was confused. I was hit with an overwhelming amount of sweetness. Artificial grape sweetness, and a strong soy sauce mixed with artificial sweetener. Not a good smell.

T: Thankfully, a bit better than the nose. But. holy wow is this sweet. It's hard to get down. Carbonation was diminishing quickly, too. I found it so sweet that I passed my glass around to a few beers drinkers. All parties found it cloyingly sweet. One even said "I could have sworn you gave me port".

M: Syrupy.

O: I was really looking forward to this beer. But wow, what a disappointment. I could not even tough through a full glass. I'm not sure if there was an infection, but this was unlike any other imperial stout I have had before...not in a good way. I would give it another shot, but that wasn't pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 18:08:07 | More by montrealbcr89

shehateme

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bomber into st. Bernadus goblet
A...black as ace of spade, no head,no lacing
S... Roasted malt,charcoal,molasses
T... Smokey,slight chocolate ,peat
O...I must say I'm a sucker for imperial stouts and this would probably rank second on my list only behind founders imperial stout for non barrel aged stouts

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 01:20:02 | More by shehateme

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.46/5  rDev -15%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bought this 2 years ago at Russell's in Amherst, MA. Bottled back in March 2011, poured into my Duvel tulip.

A - Pours a deep dark brown, not quite black hue with a one finger dark, dark brown head that fades rather quickly to leave thin wisps and a light, light halo.

S - Aromas of...oxidation. Not potent, but its there. Old chocolate syrup, caramel, dark fruits, malt sweetness. Definitely smells like an aged stout.

T - Ohh..it flirts super dangerously close to soy sauce. Its just a flash in the beginning before going to well, almost musty older dark bakers chocolate, caramel, HUGE dark fruits with a fair amount of bitter roast on the finish. Flash of vanilla here as well. At least there's no alcohol.

M - Mouthfeel is damn solid. Oily, creamy, lowish carbonation. Not that much booze either.

O - Overall, pissed I forgot about this one as I had bought 2. Wish I'd cracked one fresh....Oh well, time to try and get rid of my other bottle....

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 23:33:16 | More by rudzud

themind

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Goose Islands Big John has a surprising strong licorice flavor with hints of chocolate. I did not age this very long and it's slightly hot. A very interesting stout as lots of flavors are going on here but as I stated earlier the licorice is dominant. Pours a small head and as a sipper I am enjoying it. Would I purchase this if it were on the shelf....no not with all the great stouts out there. That said its an experience any stout lover should enjoy.

Bottom Line: Decent stout.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 22:52:16 | More by themind

maxcoinage

Illinois

4.26/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured 22oz bottle (Dec 2012) into a snifter a jet black with with a nice 2 inch mocha colored head. Aroma is great - roasted malt chocolate Mouth feel is thick and creamy without much carb Taste is chocolate and coffee with a little oak and molasses Finish is strong and boozy warms me up a bit. Overall I’m a big fan. Would def. pick up another bomber next year

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 23:13:14 | More by maxcoinage

Jonada

New Jersey

3.96/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

650ml bottled on 12/07/2012. Served in a wine glass.

Appearance: PItch black and completely opaque. An aggressive pour yielded less than a finger of a dark tan, almost brown head.

Smell: Tons of dried dark fruits, prunes, plum, roasted malt, dark chocolate, coffee, tobacco.

Taste: Roasted/burnt malts, coffee, dark dark chocolate (almost like a dark chocolate fudge. The dark fruit notes, which were so prevalent in the aroma, are almost completely missing on the palate. There's also a slight astringency that detracts from the overall flavor.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied, sticky mouthfeel with medium levels of fine carbonation. There's a light sweetness at the front of the tongue that carries all the way through the finish.

Overall: This was a really good beer, though there were a few flaws that hold it back from being truly great. It's worth buying if you can find it reasonably priced, I wouldn't spend top dollar on it.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 04:34:31 | More by Jonada

Mattys21

Massachusetts

4.44/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Served in a Duvel tulip glass...let sit for 10 minutes out of fridge.
A- black, light tan head that quickly dissappeared.
N Notice a ton of dark fruits and sweet caramel...faint molasses
T tons of roasted malty goodness and a bit of milk chocolate...warmed up there is a ton of dark fruits and molasses.
M nice. Silky smooth.
O great Imp stout

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 23:04:27 | More by Mattys21

Thurgoft

Illinois

3.84/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber dated 12/07/12 split with a friend poured into a snifter.

Pours very dark brown, almost black with a thin 1/4" mocha head that does not linger. No lacing on the glass. Smell immediately reminds me of a strong dark belgian - dark fruits, prune, raisin, fig. Not much roast at all but a little bit of dark, bitter chocolate on the nose. Taste follows the nose very closely. Very flavorful with the same dark fruits but really not too much chocolate. Perhaps a little bit of that dark bitter chocolate, but it kind of gets lost in the mix. A bit of ashen taste way back on the finish. Hop bitterness on the finish and just a bit of alcohol, but its very well hidden for 11.5% Feels moderately heavy on the tongue with very low to medium carbonation. I enjoyed this beer, but it was really not what I was expecting as an "Imperial Stout with Cacao Nibs." Not in a hurry to get it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 06:53:33 | More by Thurgoft

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Bottle date 12/7/2012

Pours a midnight black with a small dark tan, almost brown, colored head. The head fell quickly, leaving some little islands of foam and some scattered lines and dots of lace.

Dark roasted malt and chocolate greet you first. Mild coffee notes, marshmallow, and some molasses round out the profile. Fairly subdued nose, not terribly complex.

Dark roast and chocolate delicately interwoven. Rich, almost fudge-like chocolate with some underlying coffee ground roastiness. Vanilla is buried. A lightly scorched layer of molasses lends a little bit of burnt sweetness.

The Bourbon County line of stouts has some of the best mouthfeel around, and this guy does not disappoint. As the same base beer, this is smooth, rich, and lush. Although it lacks in a little bit of boldness.

A very tasty chocolate infused stout. A little subdued is my only real complaint.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 16:59:16 | More by ColForbinBC

ckollias

Maryland

4.36/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Enjoyed this bomber bottle out of a Belgian tulip glass.

A: Pours a dark black hue with a thin dark brown ½-finger head that quickly dissipates and leaves a wispy lace and no trail.

S: Strong malty syrup aroma with a solid alcoholic and chocolate background.

T: Very alcoholic malty flavor with some chocolate and coffee overtones.

M: Very strong and boozy. Very thick body and minimal carbonation.

O: Awesome imperial stout. A nice sipping beer @ 11.5 % alcohol by volume.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 18:41:39 | More by ckollias

stephenjmoore

Maryland

4.38/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Pitch black body, slow poured and got a thin tan head that quickly faded into a ring of bubbles.

S- Strong roasted malts, lots of vanilla and dark chocolate.

T- Roasted malts come through a ton, but the dark chocolate compliments and I still get a lot of vanilla. Very bold and tasty.

M- Thick, creamy, just enough carbonation, a definite sipper.

O- Impressive beer. Not huge on the chocolate, but a great beer as a change of pace from big barrel-aged beers. I can see the relation to Bourbon County without the big barrel flavors.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 23:52:34 | More by stephenjmoore

alexgash

Connecticut

4.15/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

22 oz. bottle. Bottled on 12/07/12.

Dark, oily, inky brown-black. Two fingers of dense, creamy, tight, peanut brown head. Great lacing. Nose of baking chocolate and cocoa powder. Light roasted notes fight through. Nougat and sweet caramel as well. Hints of vanilla, dark fruit, and cinnamon (honest).

Roasted barley and coffee bitterness up front. Quickly gets overpowered by rich, malty sweetness; milk chocolate, dark fruits, figs, brown sugar, and caramel. Almost candy bar sweet (3 Musketeers?). Sweetness diminishes toward the finish, where some woody, herbal bitterness helps break the cloyingness. Lingering chocolate syrup and molasses in the finish. Full-bodied with a syrupy feel. Definitely for those lovers of sweeter imperial stouts. Splitting a bottle is my preferred route for this dessert beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 01:43:38 | More by alexgash

dheacck11

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pour is pitch black with rich mahogany finger of head, fading quickly to soft bit of lace.

Nose is ripe and full, dark chocolate, dark fruits, some sourness.

Flavor is big and complex. Lots of cocoa and some hint of coffee. Off set by sweetness of plum, a hint of vanilla. Finishes with big malty bourbon splash. Lots of earthiness and leather throughout.

Mouth feel is thick and full, just like it should be.

A fantastic beer. Not quite the level of complexity of BCBS, but approaching it. A little more user friendly I guess, although only slightly.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 23:47:59 | More by dheacck11

cvm4

Mississippi

4.09/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - Pours very black & medium tan head.

S - Roasted malts, marshmallows, semi sweet chocolate & vanilla.

T - Dark Chocolate, heavy cherry, bitter coffee. Good roasted malt aspect, just not a huge character in it. A bit sweeter as it warms.

M - Thick, viscous, medium carbonation.

O - This beer is a one to pickup.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 00:42:59 | More by cvm4

ksimons

New York

4.58/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A-inky black with a fingers worth of tan head that leaves a bit of lace around the top

S-roasted malt, dark and milk chocolate, molasses, vanilla, and a bit of coffee

T-tastes of roasted malt and chocolate, almost like chocolate liqueur, black coffee, and light vanilla

M-medium/full body, light carbonation, choclatey sweet finish

Overall this is quite a beer! Lots of chocolate and booze in this one, but not too hot. I really like this a lot!

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 22:49:52 | More by ksimons

elgiacomo

Georgia

3.88/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

22oz bottled December 7, 2012. Served at cellar temperature.

Pours black with a tiny brown head that quickly fades to a wispy cap and ring. Leaves a few short lived spots of lacing behind. Doesn’t take long before all the head is completely gone for a flat appearance.

Aroma is cocoa/chocolate, anise, coffee, dark roasted malts, dark fruits, alcohol. Good strength.

Flavor is chocolate, dark fruits, figs/cherries, coffee, roasted malts, anise, molasses, rather sweet, decent alcohol bite at the end, minimal hops/bitterness.

Mouthfeel is full bodied, sticky yet creamy, low to moderate carbonation.

Very nice Imperial Stout. Nice touch of chocolate, but isn’t overdone. A good bit of alcohol in this one, some age wouldn’t hurt to tone that down. Alcohol does die down quite a bit as it warms, but so does the chocolate at the same time. Good, but not one of the greats.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 05:07:38 | More by elgiacomo

Vixie

Illinois

4.11/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours an absolutely pitch black, no light getting through this one. Forms a bit of a dark tan head which lingers for a bit. Very thick, looks a lot like used motor oil.

Smell is good and what I expected. Chocolate, coffee, vanilla, oak, and a slight fruit smell.

Has quite a bit of chocolate at first. Has a hint of vanilla, and a surprising amount of sweetness, this is almost a liquid candy bar. Albeit one with a punch.

Solid and thick feel to this , no doubt this is a big beer.

Reminds me a lot of Bourbon County Stout, but not quite as complex. It's a bit like it's little brother. That is not saying it's not a nice beer, it is very much in the same family, and being a member of this family is a good thing. I'd say my biggest complaint is it is a little boozy, a little mellowing would work wonders for it.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 03:07:55 | More by Vixie

siradmiralnelson

Iowa

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from 22oz bomber into Globe glass.

A. Pours a 1+ finger of dark tan colored head. Good retention. Moderate lacing. Color is all black.

S. Roasted malt, coffee, dark chocolate, molasses, some oak and vanilla. Good smelling Imperial Stout. Has a bit of alcohol smell, but not much.

T. Coffee, roasted malt, dark chocolate, oak, vanilla, molasses. Had a surprising amount of coffee bitterness for me. Pretty smooth to drink.

M. Full bodied. Medium/low carbonation. Lingering bitterness.

O. Very solid Imperial Stout. Didnt get a lot of chocolate to distinguish the cocoa nibs, but it was there. Very easy drinking for a beer this size. I could see this as a year round 4 pack from Goose Island.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 22:26:22 | More by siradmiralnelson

bum732

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

S: Rich, fudgy chocolate, dark, almost fruity chocolate, slightly perfumy, vanilla with some wood notes.

L: Thick, black as night. Syrupy looking. Tan head that dissipates.

T: Dark, bittersweet chocolate up front followed by rich, fudgy chocolate. Earthy bitterness with some maltiness coming through. Finishes slightly roasty, semi-dry.

M: Thick, full-bodied. Medium low carbonation. Slight alcohol warmth.

Great chocolate presence in this beer. Pretty heavy, touch to finish the entire bottle by myself.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 01:41:45 | More by bum732

FreshHawk

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A - Jet black color with a full, creamy, thick, cafe colored head. Great retention leaving a beautiful thick layer of lace. Great looking stout.

S - Fair amount of dark fruit, particularly plum with hits of fig. Roasted malt and a mix of semi-sweet and bitter chocolate. A slight bitter roast that tends toward dark coffee. Hint of tartness in the back, but it's not too strong or vinous.

T - Starts with roasted malt flavor. Touches of dark chocolate. Dark fruit comes out strong mid sip. Plum is quite strong with hints of fig and date and only a touch of vinous flavor. There is a slight burn in the back but it is pretty subtle (possibly because it is 2 years old now). Finishes with a really nice sweet and creamy chocolate. Smooth tasting although not overly sweet.

M - Medium to full body. Average carbonation. Extremely smooth and creamy. Bordering milkshake body. Quite nice.

D - Quite a drinkable Imperial Stout. Flavors meld together really well. The body really helps this beer out. I really enjoyed finishing this bottle.

Notes: Bottled 03/25/11. I wasn't sure about how this stout would be with just cocoa nibs and especially after 2 years. I really ended up enjoying it though. It got really close to chocolate beer milkshake status. I wasn't entirely sure when I smelled the dark fruit, but it worked alright and wasn't overpowering. There was the slightest burn (not sure how it is fresh), but its finish was a heavenly smooth, creamy, chocolaty goodness. Worth a shot, maybe not BCBS but enjoyable regardless.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 04:35:37 | More by FreshHawk

kevanb

Illinois

3.66/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

650ml bottle poured into a Goose Island Brewpubs snifter. Dated 12/7/2012.

The beer pours a deep jet black color, silky as it pours, with a tightly packed tan head, nearly a finger high that recedes immediately leaving a slight ring of film around the glass and no lacing. The aroma is of roasted coffee, bitter dark chocolate, fusel alcohol and a slight stone fruit tartness at the end. Lots of bitter, dark chocolate hits the tongue straight away, tart stone fruit, a bit of cherry and a bit of plum, is right behind the chocolate. Light roasted coffee is present as well, but there is a rather unpleasant fusel alcohol flavor that lingers on the tongue for quite some time. The body is a bit livelier than I'd like, high levels of carbonation, coats the mouth well, with a bit of a metallic dry finish.

Verdict: Decent at best, but nothing I could safely recommend. The harsh alcohol and metallic flavors are really unappealing and made this tough to finish a full glass. A miss from Goose Island, I'll just stick to BCBS.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 01:31:05 | More by kevanb

Irishize75

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into snifter.

A. Pours jet black with a quickly dissipating khaki head. Plenty of alcohol legs and not much in the way of lacing.

S. tons of chocolate. Some roasty coffee and maybe a touch of caramel.

T. Follows the nose. Chocolate is definitely king here. Mid mouth I am picking up some metallic oxidation and the finish is some alcohol heat along with a slightly bitter roast that lingers for a bit.

M. This is the best part of this beer to me. Very thick, creamy and heavy..exactly how a big stout should be.

O. This one was ok, but aside from the mouthfeel nothing about it really distinguishes it from the gobs of imperial stouts out there.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 03:01:42 | More by Irishize75