Goliath - Wychwood Brewery Company Ltd

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A crystal-clear copper body with brass highlights rests gently beneath a creamy half-inch of white foam that holds fairly well and leaves some thin lace. The nose delivers a nutty and delicately buttery malt with a delicate touch of yeasty sulphur and some mild, grassy and citrusy hops. It's medium-light body and fine, restrained carbonation leaves it lightly crisp on the tongue at first before warming to become softer and smooth in the swallow. Yeasty fruitiness (apple, pear, berries) appears clearly in the flavor, and combines with its buttery diacetyl and some citrusy/grassy/floral/earthy hops to lend a great deal of character to it's nutty, caramel kissed malt. A firm bitterness balances and lends an edge to the finish once the sweetness of the malt has had its time to shine. It finishes with some residual malt and a bit of earthy & leafy hops (or is coming from a combination with the slight residual sulphur?) that step aside to let the bitterness dry things out. An enjoyable session beer!

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2003 23:24:48 | More by NeroFiddled

eric5bellies

Australia

4/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Drank from my Bombardier pint glass.

A - Pours a copper colour with an Ivory coloured head that reduces to a film and laces.

S - Plenty of caramel and some citrus fruit on the nose.

T - Slight metallic notes with nice flavours of fuggles and goldings hops, nice a bitter on the finish.

D - Very good sessionable ale this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2011 15:30:05 | More by eric5bellies

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

Morris729

Texas

3.93/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours deep amber in color with a foamy light tan head that slowly fades into a fluffy lace. Nose is buttery toffee and caramel—very nice but a bit subdued. Moderate in body with a rather creamy texture. Taste begins with the sweetness of English malts followed by notes of bread dough and a bit of roasted nuttiness. Bitter Nobel hops leave a slight twang in the mouth at the finish. A pretty nice brew that’s British through and through.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2004 01:53:41 | More by Morris729

Jason

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

660ml clear bottle with a BB (Best Before) freshness date on the neck, a small blurb about the beer is on the back label.

Musty, buttery and citric in the aroma. Very much like want a raw ale should smell like from the hops, malt and yeast.

Creamy pancake like lace that clings to the glass very well, mild chill haze goes a way but not totally after the sunset orange amber hued brew warms up.

Smooth with a flowing crispness, moderate body and a full rush of carbonation. Citric and almost cidery on top with a growing under belly of musty buttery diacetyl. Maltiness is sweet but there is enough hop bitterness to counter act and balance. Fruity with odd pear and apple flavours. Bit of earthy character from the yeast and hops with a fairly clean and dry grainy finish.

An easy drinking ale to say the least, quick jabs of malt, hops and yeast by-products keep the palate in check. I’d definitely gauge this as a lunch time brew or something to have over a long session. Needless to say it is worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2002 11:04:45 | More by Jason

AEK

United Kingdom (Wales)

3.85/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500ml brown bottle poured into a Hobgoblin pint pot.

A. Orange-red in colour with a loose bubbly off-white head.

S. Fruity malt on the nose.

T. Fruity malt, citrusy and a good initial hop bite.

M. Medium bodied.

D. A nice clean drinking ale that slides down a real treat on a hot summer's day but is good all year round.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2010 21:52:27 | More by AEK

fullsweep

United Kingdom (England)

3.83/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

So far, Wychwood is three for three with me.

660 mL poured into a glass.

Nice, thick head sits atop a golden-amber brew with a slight orange tone.

Mild but sweet aromas coming up from the bottle, slight citrus with malt and some florals as well.

Taste is very nice, has a great bittersweet mixture that is both typical of English pales and yet distinct from the pack. More sweet than bitter.

A mild stickiness on the mouthfeel that complements the sweetness, but goes down light and easy.

Moderately low ABV add to the great flavor of this very drinkable brew!

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2009 23:21:58 | More by fullsweep

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

WesWes

New York

3.75/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a hazy golden color with a decent head that laces the glass. The aroma smells of yeast and carapils malts. There is not much there, but what is there smells good. The taste is really plain; a little malt flavor and light English noble hops. This seems to be the trend from this brewery. The mouthfeel is alright, although they could use to drop the CO2 pressure while priming their beers. It's a light bodied beer and one that you can drink plenty of. It's too bad their bottled in these huge goofy bottles.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2003 21:11:04 | More by WesWes

Gusler

Arizona

3.75/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

The beer evacuates the 660ml clear bottle a luminous copper with the head smallish and frothy in texture, the color off-white after its rather quick demise the lace forms a thin and concealing sheet. Nose is malt with butter like aroma, caramel, crisp and clean with the start lightly sweet and the malt adequate, the top is thin. Finish is delightfully carbonated and the hops delectable in their spiciness very dry almost vinous aftertaste that lingers long on the palate, ah the delightfulness of an English Pale Ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2005 21:35:48 | More by Gusler

Pegasus

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Muddy golden brown color, with a small white head, with thick, glass-coating lace, and moderate carbonation. There is a considerable amount of suspended sediment, although when held to the light, appears copper-colored.

Aroma: Pronounced aroma of yeast and bread, with caramel and earth notes, and a honey-like sweetness.

Taste: Opens with a sweet, slightly fruity note, with buttery diacetyl notes, a mild earthy and chalky tone, finishes with a lingering, mild citrus bitterness.

Mouth feel: Smooth, soft, and quite full.

Drinkability/notes: A quite pleasing example of the style, well made and very drinkable.

Presentation: Packaged in a 660 ml clear glass bottle with a pop-off crown, served in a standard pint tap glass.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2006 02:57:50 | More by Pegasus

Shiredave

New York

3.73/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Big impressive name and bottle.... small beer. Pretty good small beer tho. Clear, amber color, lazy trickles of carb witha persistant, clingy off white head that blaketed the beer to the end. Light, typical British aroma; yeasty fruit and earthy Goldings. Smooth and creamy up front, light, session beer body with pronounced hop flavor and dryness in the finish. Drink this one relatively warm to truly appreciate. Cold, this beer has little flavor.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2003 09:19:04 | More by Shiredave

kbub6f

New York

3.73/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Ok, gimmicky presentation... too bad. But now I'm over it. This is a clear, amber-brown beer with a medium-sized, off-white, fairly dense head. It has a British-malty nose with sour, tangy toffee. Front is quite fruity leading through a malty, sourish middle to a nutty, bitter finish. Good, tasty, bitter, sourish, tangy.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2004 23:04:10 | More by kbub6f

jlervine

Georgia

3.68/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Honey colored with a white creamy head. The smell was citrusy and malty with a grassy edge to it. The taste was alright - pleasantly drinkable, but nothing spectacular to set this beer apart from many other English ales I've had. The hops kick in around the middle of the flavor profile and trail off to a nice dry finish. Drinkable, but after one bottle it gets boring.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2003 18:27:54 | More by jlervine

Dentist666

Russian Federation

3.6/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

ABV 4.2
Pours clear reddish-golden with decent off-white head. Malts in aroma, nothing special, taste - elusive fruits & malt with good bitter finish, medium carbonation. As I never liked Wychwood beers and awaited nothing of this one, I'm not disappointed. I would just drink it once in a while.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2010 20:27:38 | More by Dentist666

NightINgale

Quebec (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Ruby red clear body with a nice creamy beige head. Moderate carbonation, typical for English ales. Nice lacing and pretty good head retention overall.

S-Nothing out of the ordinary: malts, some floral hops and citrus notes.

T-Akin to other Wychwood ales, Goliath has a nicely balanced malty flavour. You get some pleasant sweetness, a bit of that classic ale bitterness, and, of course, some fruity notes and a bready finish. Having said that, overall, it is nothing too special.

M-Light-to-medium bodied and smooth.

D-Very drinkable, especially at 4.2%abv (that was the version I tried)

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2009 18:30:04 | More by NightINgale

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

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

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.55/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 500mL bottle into pint glass.

A: Clear copper-brown with small bubbles, robust head, and decent lace.

S: Enjoyable buttery malts, flowery hops.

T: Initially light and floral. Soon thereafter, it turns somewhat tart and bitter. This smooths out into washy sort of maltiness before fading into a gently bitter-dry aftertaste. Although the beginning and end of the taste is pleasant, the bulk of the flavour is less than stellar.

M: A bit metallic in feel (though not in taste), dry, and boring.

D: A good beer, but not one I'd drink very often. I suppose the Goliath is suitable "to slay a mighty thirst."

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2010 19:02:19 | More by AgentMunky

cypressbob

United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)

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

660ml bottle, served slightly chilled in a pint glass

Pours with a rich slightly hazy coppery body. Thick off white head forms with good solid retention. Lots of patches of lacing up and down the glass

Smell, thin malt profile. Little bit of caramel and toffee however its very slight, the majority of aroma is malt and a slight estery tinge

Taste, crisp and crunchy malt profile, lots and lots of dry slightly biscuity malt surrounded by an almost standard english hop profile. Some hop bitterness too, little touch of honey and freshly ground black pepper

An odd one. Wychwood seems to be pulling themselves out of a clear bottle slump.... a soild session ale

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2007 00:59:33 | More by cypressbob

BDTyre

British Columbia (Canada)

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

Golden amber with an average white head that settles fairly quickly and leaves a very thin layer in the glass.

Sweet malty smell with traces of copper. I also can pick-up traces of bread, bananas and toffee. Bittersweet taste, and somewhat astringent. Raisins, and a little bit of banana and even some apricot.

A little bit too fizzy, but not overall a bad beer. Not quite the session beer it could be.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2010 23:46:10 | More by BDTyre

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

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

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

Puddleglum

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I was afraid of this upon first glance of that clear bottled import. Indeed I had to practically leave the room when I popped the top on this guy. The skunk never did subside but it did diminish. The appearance was a beautiful golden hue with not too much of a head as is to be expected. It was not over-hopped (although my olefactory system was not in prime working order due to the skunk). I would like to give this fabled Ale a fair shake in England someday without the spector of sun-exposure looming over all my senses. I did enjoy the ale and polished it off in short order earning it subjective high marks for drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2004 20:16:03 | More by Puddleglum