Goliath - Wychwood Brewery Company Ltd

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.51/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle poured into tulip 1/4/13

A hazy light copper with bubbles popping up from everywhere and they feed a tight finger of foam that stick around long enough to leave 3 rings of lace followed by some random patches

S some faint caramel and floral hops with a little bread, quite faint without a whole lot going on

T stronger then the nose with some fruity aspects, and something earthy to go along with the caramels and faint hops, a small step forward from the nose

M more body then I'd guess form a low booze beer and a little creamy from the bubbles, fairly clean aftertaste

O would make a decent summer swiller, respectable but nothing spectacular

I like the sweet malts but could use just a little something, I suppose its a session beer and as such its decent

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 06:22:47 | More by wordemupg

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

cool new beer as part of the Wychwood 4 pack. The bottle is brown not clear like the thumbnail above thank god. I like the fact it is 4.2% ABV thought the name suggests a bigger beer. the beer pours a nice autumnal gold with a slight nose. the taste is nutty and quite dry on the finish . Not a lot of complexity unlike Scarecrow or Wychcraft . the beer is certainly very drinkable but I was hoping for a little more. I did like the finish which was rounded yet autstere at the same time. pretty good offering but not my fave Wychwood beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 23:33:31 | More by canucklehead

BGDrock

Ontario (Canada)

2.3/5  rDev -32.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

From notes:

Appearance: more of an amber colour than the claimed ruby; good lasting head; very slight haze

Aroma: malty and sweet, caramel

Taste & Mouthfeel: very smooth, slightly creamy mouthfeel; on the sweet side with minimal bitterness or hops despite the "hefty wack" of hops advertised; lacking depth, and flavour dissipates quickly

Overall: a lackluster beer that definitely doesn't live up to it's name

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 19:03:35 | More by BGDrock

Brianhophead

Alberta (Canada)

3.23/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Goliath pours into my glass a slightly hazy light copper color, sort of the color of marmalade. Barely modest carbonation supports a dense, white head with good retention. Slight haziness makes me think beer may have been dry hopped.

S- At first blush Goliath's aroma seems almost too mild for its own good. Definitely something there, just not enough to be very forthcoming. What aroma is there at first gives me hints of citrus and caramel. Below that is a very faint earthiness. Beyond that, not much to report.

T- Goliath seems like a medium bodied brew. Up front Goliath offers a modest malt presence. As with the nose, malt comes out as caramel. Caramel moves into slight buttery notes which compliment the caramel well enough. Malts move into a combination of slight juciiness and a faintly mineral quality. Finish is dry and lightly bitter.

Overall, Goliath is a pleasing enough pale ale. Flavors are modest without being overpowering and the balance is nice. I wouldn't mind if there was a bit more in the nose and maybe a little more presence on the palate. That being said, Goliath comes together as a pleasant, lightly refreshing pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 22:43:49 | More by Brianhophead

shambeano

Australia

3.58/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle poured into a pint glass. not sure about this, but my bottle has 4.2%ABV

A- Pours a clear golden amber, with about 1.5cm of head that quickly subsides to a whisper. looks pretty good, more like an english bitter though.

S- a bit of toffee and caramel malts, with a touch of citrus. very pleasant, but not hugely flavourful.

T- Again a bunch of toffee and caramel malts up front, with a citrusy hoppiness, and a nice refreshing bitterness. much like the smell, very pleasant without being hugely flavourful.

m- lighter to mid bodied, bitterness fills the back of the mouth, and it has a surprising length of flavour. very drinkable.

O- a pretty sound bitter, i enjoyed it and would drink it again on a warm day.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 10:22:14 | More by shambeano

anakar

Israel

3.05/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

App - Poured a brown clear out of the bottle with a flimsy head which disapeared pretty quick. A lot of bubbles in the beer.

Smell - Smelled of beer, simple as that. Hops. No "flavor" smells and no strong alcohol smell. Just simple good beer smell, with no flavor.

Taste - The slogan is "the beer to slay the thirst". Well it does that quite well. It's not overbearing with flavor but has a very nice taste of hops. A bit more alcohol taste than you would expect from under 5% ABV. Practically no after-taste. Don't know why but there isn't.

Feel - Goes down smooth, a little carb. The low alcohol and lack of flavors help it, so you end up taking big gulps.

Overall - Not at all special. Just some basic English beer. Not for your craft beer lovers or for any of the guys who like Belgian beers. Strictly English

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 20:38:09 | More by anakar

mintjellie

Ontario (Canada)

2.48/5  rDev -27.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Amber/orange body. Off-white head retains poorly but leaves a few rings of lace. Light toasted bread and floral aromas. Flavour shows notes of lightly toasted bread, faint whispers of sour apple, and a lingering earthy bitterness. This is pretty meek stuff. Slight metallic quality. Feels thin and watery, with low carbonation. Bland and boring.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 06:06:17 | More by mintjellie

paxkey

Ontario (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

4.2 abv
love the bottle art.
pours out with no head. looks like grain alcohol in the glass. wood colored.
the aromas are rich. inviting warm fresh baked bread malt. sweetness. honey marmalade fruitiness. warming awaits.
cold drinks bitter and fizzy.
chalky.
the beer comes across the middle as being alot bigger then its abv. it is interesting to see what they are trying for.
it ends with alot of flavor. a little watery on the end despite big chewiness in the middle. a big beer without the big booze. not a letdown. and the booze and that little. rambling now.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2011 07:36:22 | More by paxkey

GabesAles

Ontario (Canada)

3.15/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I really enjoy most Wychwood beers - although this was not a bad beer, it is most likely my least liked of the wychwood beers that i have tried. It seemed to lack complexity, was somewhat light, with far less mouthfeel and head retention then most other wychwood beers.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 19:28:33 | More by GabesAles

Zonthark

Ontario (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Im a big fan of Wychwood's beers especially Hobgoblin, so when ever I see another Wychwood beer at my commision I am always anxious to give it a try. But Goliath was dwarfed in comparrison to Hobgoblin. I pourd it into my Hobgoblin glass, and the colour was a nice orange brown colour and very clear. The head was about one finger in size and lingered on for the most part of the beers consumption, but whithered away by the end of the beer. It tasted very light and watery, kind of bitter though near the end. All and all it did what it said on the bottle it "slayed my thirst" and it wasn't unpleasent, it seemed as if I could drink a bunch of these and not feet too lousy. On the other hand, i am not all that impressed, its not a bad beer but there is much better from Wychwood.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 04:36:59 | More by Zonthark

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from the LCBO, 500ml into a pint glass. Best before May 31, 2011.

Pours a dark orange with a nice white head - brilliant retention and thickness to the head, and fantastic lace. Great look. Nose is bready, some earth notes and a hint of grass. Light hop notes and some sweetness, although something feels a bit off here (touch of skunkiness?). Taste has English malts, bread and a bit of bitterness, lightly earthy and some sweetness as per the nose. Medium light feel, slick carbonation and some residual hops and malt sweetness after each sip. A touch of butter also. Easy to drink, if not the most flavourful of beers. Could be nice on cask for some lengthier sessions.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 15:45:48 | More by liamt07

shamus

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Another imaginative Wychwood label. This low alcohol offering has a malty sweetness with a crisp cookie bite which fights oddly with a dirty hop bitterness. Which one is David and which one is Goliath probably depends on your personal preferences. This one rests easy on the palette leaving behind a complex residue of tastes. I would drink it again but I think for me the initial sweetness is not to my taste.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 17:50:13 | More by shamus

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml Bottle

Appearance – Clear light copper colour with an average size fizzy and frothy beige coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation visible and there is a good amount of lacing. The head lasted for around 5 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Malts, hops, caramel/toffee

Taste & Mouth - The beer has an average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts, caramel, and some light hops. The is also a cookie/cereal taste and a bit of a pear juice sweetness. The beer finishes with a malty/caramel aftertaste with some light lingering hop bitterness.

Overall – Nothing ground breaking here.. but still a very drinkable beer with a pleasant light taste. It would probably work well as a session beer - if you don't get bored with the taste after 1 bottle. I wouldn't buy it again..

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2011 19:32:45 | More by spinrsx

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

2.53/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottle: Poured a light amber color ale with a medium size foamy head with OK retention and minimal lacing. Aroma of light dry caramel malt is somewhat bland. Taste is also dominated by light dry caramel notes without many other characteristics. Body is about average with good carbonation. Bland offering with very little floral notes or hops that are noticeable.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2011 18:39:18 | More by Phyl21ca

heebes

Ontario (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

4.2 abv.

Pours an orange amber with a finger of fluffy white head. Nose is pale crystal malts, amber like spiciness, cherries, sweet caramel. Taste is full of ruby malts, spicy on the tounge, but no real sense of hops except for a bitterness in the finish. It does have a rich robust full body.
Overall, more to style as the bottle would suggest as an amber ale than BAs English Pale classification. Much nicer bottle label and brown glass bottle as well perhaps hinting at a recipie change for this beer has since happened. Regardless, can't see any frequent purchases of this one aside from the DnD guys who want a change from their HobGoblins for the campaign.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 17:44:59 | More by heebes

kwjd

Ontario (Canada)

3.2/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This beer came to Ontario as part of an LCBO seasonal release. Pours a golden orange colour with thick white head. Nice lacing on the glass, fairly good head retention. Smells of buscuity malt with bread and floral hops. Mild bitterness seems to come more as an aftertaste with some sweetness up front. Smooth bodied carbonation. Decent pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 04:41:38 | More by kwjd

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

The beer's crisp orange-ish colour lies somewhere between pumpkin tone and that of the changing leaves. Either way, it beckons the fall. Transparency is observed only at the base of the glass, where the complexion is its lightest, as all other parts are too deeply shaded in. Although it fails to leave any lace, its head sticks around for the entirety of the tasting.

Both malt and hops appear in their naked state; the malts grainy and the hops grassy. Wychwood seems to release so many of these plain-ish beers that you'd swear they wrote the damn formula for them. The nose doesn't give you anything to get excited about, but it does provide a assuring glimpse of what's to ensue: a simple, but well-crafted ale.

Most flavour is derived primarily from the crystal malts, which impart an almost Märzen-like chewy, bready, toasty maltiness. The dry but reasonably sweet finish and the significant carbonate content both enhance the Oktoberfest aspect of it. Pungent, floral, garden-variety English hops confuse the issue, but are less impressionable than the malts.

I'm not sure there's any sense in calling a 4.2% beer 'Goliath' (especially as it was David who slayed Goliath - proofread the write-ups on the back of your labels, Wychwood.) But they are right about one thing: this grainy, somewhat watery ale does do the trick in terms of alleviating thirst. It lends itself to big gulps and disappears from the glass in no time.

This brewery has succeeded once again in crafting a pleasant but ordinary beer. If brewing awards were given out for mediocrity, Wychwood would have a tone of trophies on their shelf. Mind you, that's not to take anything away from them. Who doesn't enjoy a straightforward pint of plain, agreeable ale time to time? Many drinkers enjoy nothing more.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 19:54:19 | More by biegaman

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.18/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Light copper, one finger of off white head, no lace to speak of. Smell is biscuity and malty, light lemony hop presence, mildly earth with some grassy overtones. Taste is mostly malty, lightly bitter up front,some biscuity caramel and toffee and citrus in the aftertaste. Mild carbonation, light to medium feel, medium body. Overall this is fairly average but inoffensive, I would drink this again if it was given to me but probably wouldn't actively seek this out.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 16:50:12 | More by peensteen

MeisterBurger

Ontario (Canada)

3.05/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a clear amber topped by a creamy head. Nice lacing.

Aroma is soggy caramel covered apples. Earthy. No great shakes.

Taste is light caramel/toffee, dried apples, with light bitterness and an underlying earthiness, with a floral bitterness that lingers in the aftertaste. Pretty unremarkable for its style overall.

Creamy yet prickly mouthfeel at first that slowly dissipates into wateriness.

Not a terrible beer but pretty weak stuff. But then I didn't really expect much from this brewery based on what I have had from them in the past.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 02:12:43 | More by MeisterBurger

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

ABV reads 4.2.

A - Pours a darkish copper colour with mild carbonation. One finger of fluffy off white head. Bright. Good lace and a half finger of retention.

S - Citrus, earth, grass, toffee maltiness. A little smoke. Very inviting combo for an EPA.

T - Earthy hops and some toffee/bready malts. Typical of the English style. Not as good as the aroma but still nice for the style.

M - Gentle, tingly carbonation, medium body. Slightly bitter finish.

O/D - Not a bad EPA. Could use some work to accentuate that citrus and make it better but very drinkable and not bad. It still seems pretty basic and slightly mild, but for its ABV I can enjoy it.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 00:02:01 | More by tbeckett

bryehn

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

500 mL bottle poured into a Wychwood signature pint. Listed as 4.2%, BB of May 31, 2012.

Pours a clear golden-amber colour with a large frothy white head that gets retained as a thick film and leaves a fair amount of lace behind.

Mild yet malty aroma with a ripened fruit tone that reminds me of white grapes. Has a definite toasted character to it.

Malt forward taste with a strong grape or cherry-like fruit tone. Somewhat surprising alcohol taste comes through in the bitter finish along with a metallic or mineral-like quality.

Rather thin mouthfeel with a moderate carbonation level. Nice, creamy sensation on the tongue with a slightly yeasty character. Aftertaste is dry with a grainy quality.

This is a great light and bitter session ale in my books, though a bit lacklustre compared to other Wychwood/Marston's offerings. Too bad it's a seasonal release where I live because I'd drink it often in place of a beer like Tetley's Smooth Flow

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 15:20:16 | More by bryehn

Stocean1

Ontario (Canada)

3/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - poured a pillowy two fingers which quickly disappated - a little patchy lacing - light amber copper colour

S - light malt, bread, metal, floral

T - follows nose with some pear and lemon - the mineral after taste is not particularly great

M - light body with moderate carbonation - slightly bitter

O - a forgettable brew from Wychwood - a really average brew at best - would maker a laker before I pay for this one again

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 03:05:50 | More by Stocean1

Kartoffeln

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a bright coppery orange with lots of visible carbonation and a sizeable white head of foam and fizz; remarkably cloudy, nearly opaque on the pour from the chill haze. The retention is okay, soon dissipating to a patchy cap of froth and leaving no real lacing to speak of.

S: Sweet, somewhat bready caramel malts with musty yeast, floral, faintly spicy hops, and a variety of fruity notes - namely pear, orange, and a hint of lemon - all with a definite buttery character. Intriguing.

T: Musty yeast and robust caramel malts start off slightly sweet but eases off to show bready, grainy notes. Peppery and earthy (a bit herbal and a bit woodsy) hops with clean, lingering bitterness towards the swallow, joined by smooth, buttery overtones. Fruit notes are weak compared to the nose, but the hops bring out hints of orange zest on the swallow.

M: Medium-bodied with lively carbonation, crisp and prickly in the mouth but never gassy. The hop bitterness balances the flavour profile well and lingers long enough to encourage a follow-up sip, without becoming an aftertaste. Refreshing and satisfying.

D: Fragrant, flavourful, and sessionable, the Goliath strikes me as an unorthodox English pale ale in a good way. I didn't find the offensive metallic or medicinal notes that other reviewers mentioned, so I'll chalk it up to taste and just say that I personally found Goliath well worthwhile.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 20:58:59 | More by Kartoffeln

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.2/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle best before May 31, 2012.

Beer is dark orange/light amber in colour. A fingerwidth of whijte head. Pretty good lacing and retention.

A very "English" smell- a strong woodsy, earthy scent from the hops. Bread with a sour hint. Somewhat metallic.

Taste is similar to the nose, with the earthy flavours from the hops fairly prominent and the bready malt there as well. This is accompanied by a metallic taste which is particularly strong at the finish. Somewhat bitter finish from the hops. I don't find the earthy flavours to be particularly good, and the metallic taste is a real detractor. Certainly a strong flavour here, but pretty average.

Light to medium bodied, fairly carbonated.

Overall, not really to my liking. Not a great example of an English pale.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 22:50:01 | More by jrenihan

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

3.2/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Single bottle from the LCBO. I never turn down anything from Wychwood, as they were one of the first breweries to turn me on to the world of craft ales.

Poured into a nonic. This is a fine-looking brew, one of the better looking imported English pales. I've tended to have particularly good luck with Wychwood on this front. Light amber-copper, leaves behind an inch of foam that survives as a thick half-moon for the entirety of the pint. Lots of sticky lacing as well.

Nose is sweet malt, Fuggles/Goldings, caramel and orange. Not bad.

Not a bad brew by any stretch, but the medicinal mineral finish to certain English pales is starting to try my patience. I can quaff it just fine, but I feel its missing a more robust malt character, and the hops aren't doing much to salvage things.
The aftertaste is medicinal and herbal - not terribly pleasant.

Medium-light bodied, average carbonation. Long bitter/herbal finish.

A miss for me. A brew named "Goliath" deserves better than the standard EPA treatment. Goliath is a name that fits other brews in the Wychwood lineup, but certainly not this one. Stick with Hobgoblin or Fiddlers.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 19:42:13 | More by JohnnyBarman