Gossamer Golden Ale - Half Acre Beer Company

Tilley4

Tennessee

2.17/5  rDev -42.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Received as an extra in a recent trade...

Pours an attractive clear light golden with a very thick creamy head... Very thick head.. Foamy and persistent...

Once the towering mound of foam subsided, the faint aromas of piney hops began to waft out of the glass along with a nice pale malt aroma to compliment it quite nicely. Nothing overwhelming, just nice and solid...

First sip brings a faint hop/malt blend and then this one vanishes and actually gets really unpleasant... Quite watery and flat tasting actually.... Another sip brings more of the same... I'm guessing this is indeed a bad can but its all I have to work with... 2 sips into it and I'm giving it another try... Dang... This one goes down the drain... I had high hopes for this too...

I'm definitely planning on revisiting this one as soon as I get the chance as I find it hard to believe that this is legit... Looked and smelled very good and then went downhill fast...

Serving type: can

10-12-2010 16:51:18 | More by Tilley4

lnashsig

Texas

2.8/5  rDev -25.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Many thanks to my sister Laura for this one. a new brew from a Chicago brewery. 4.2% ABV, I love a good session brew!

This is also #BOTG 27!

Poured from can into DFH snifter. Pours a murky yellow/orange color. decent lacing and head retention. small bubbles come up from the bottom of the glass. Smell- there is a floral aroma..reminds me of potpourri and popcorn. Buttery aroma. Orange peel as well. Taste- mild bitterness with an unwanted soapy experience. somewhat watery. A little coriander, lemon peel. This lacks body, sweetness, and is a little high on carbonation. I suppose if in the summer, this would drink well from the can if it was a little colder. But, this isn't that memorable. A little bleh.

Serving type: can

05-04-2012 02:13:35 | More by lnashsig

jrallen34

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this on tap at Half Acre. The beer pours a light murky gold with a decent white head, nothing of note. The aroma is light hops pretty boring. The taste is bad, its a trumped of version of a bud light. Light hop, mostly skunk and a super light feel. Mouthfeel is water and not something I would drink more than half a pint of. Quite disappointing.

Serving type: on-tap

05-26-2010 19:50:57 | More by jrallen34

brystmar

Texas

2.98/5  rDev -21%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Can received as an extra from a recent trade. Light, golden-yellow pour with moderate white head. Decent lace, especially given the style. The minimal aroma is predominantly malty; smells like corn too.

Watery, malty taste. Hints of hops midway through, but finishes sweet & bland instead. Body is slightly thicker than average with just the right amount of carb.

Not bad for the style, but I'd strongly prefer Daisy Cutter (or hell, Zombie Dust) 100 times out of 100.

Serving type: can

02-29-2012 01:27:02 | More by brystmar

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours 1/2 finger of white head. Color is a clear golden.

Aroma: Grassy, earthy hops. Has a touch of belgian yeast. A touch of fruit citrus. Bready malts. Fairly straight forward.

Taste: Very bready. Lots of pale like malts. Grassy hops. A touch of English malt flavors as well. Light fruit notes.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and bitter. Medium bodied with a medium amound of carbonation. Ends very bready.

Overall, an average beer. Nothing to special. I have had better from half acres. Okay drinkability.

Serving type: can

10-01-2010 23:39:03 | More by mothman

inlimbo77

Delaware

3/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

16oz can poured into SNevada pint glass. No canning information located on the can.

A: Pours a hazy yellow (BMC) color. Tons of fluffy white head, but this can could have been shaken up pretty well. Tons of carbonation from the bottom of the glass.

S: Smells a little grainy and weak. I do get some citrus and lemon peel notes. Maybe some mild Belgian yeasty notes.

T: I get a little hop presence (or something) on the tip of the tongue. Then a strange soapy hop citrus character. There is some faint biscuit maltiness in there too. It is very light and has a crisp finish that leaves you wanting more. Good summer beer I guess.

M: Light with good carbonation

O: C+ or B- you call it. It's not a terrible beer, but that soapy flavor really was off putting for me. I don't know if it was my and my taste buds, or the can.

Serving type: can

02-13-2012 13:57:41 | More by inlimbo77

barleywinefiend

Washington

3/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Poured a clear golden color with a small white cap which fades fastly leaving no lacing

S: A little bit of grass, flowers, biscuit and dash of honey

T: A little bit of biscuit and grass with a light dash of honey with citrus. Has a bitter, yet sticky odd taste ad finsh to it

M: Light bodied with a medium amound of carbonation.

O: Average for the style.

Serving type: can

07-15-2012 16:13:23 | More by barleywinefiend

grover37

District of Columbia

3.03/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

16oz can from the brewery poured into an imperial pint glass. A 4-pack of cans was $8.99.

Appearance (4): A very clear light gold that pours with two fingers of white, thin head. It dissipates immediately to small patches and a ring. Tons of streamers around the edges.

Aroma (3): Very bready and light citrus hops. A sharp orange smell almost resembles ethanol, but I must be wrong at only 4.2%. It reminds me a lot of a very toned down Daisy Cutter.

Taste (3.5): Orange and some grapefruit up front but pretty mild. A bit of sweetness and a touch of pine in the middle. The bready, grainy malts - maybe some wheat in there - come through in the end. A lingering sweetness with some more spruce. Again, a lot like a mild version of the pale with a very similar flavor profile.

Mouthfeel (2.5): Thin and watery. Medium to high carbonation and light bodied. The sweet pine lingers a bit which is pleasant but otherwise not much here. I'll chalk it up to the style so it gets a bit of a pass, especially at a (nearly) session strength.

Overall (2): While very drinkable, it's not anything special. A good, light beer with some flavor but not something I'll come back to frequently if ever.

Serving type: can

04-08-2011 01:59:34 | More by grover37

Etan

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a pint can into a Libbey craft pint glass.

A: Pale orange with a lively white head. Head stays thick and bubbly much after the pour. Coarse bubbles and lacing all over.

S: Sweet apricot-like hop in the nose. Mild, a little spicy. Sweet fresh bread.

T: Somewhat odd. Milky and mildly acidic oat flavor. Barely bitter hops, a little perfumy fruit, followed by coarse cereal grain. Lactic and mild soapy hop in the finish, with some chalky yeast.

M: Almost medium-bodied.

O: Somewhat odd flavor profile, but not totally bad. Very grainy with a little bit of bittering hops.

Serving type: can

03-05-2012 01:24:07 | More by Etan

dciBA

Maine

3.2/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours an amber tinged straw color from the tallboy can. A small head forms but quickly fades to nothing. A spotty amount of lacing as it goes down. Smell is mostly bready malt with a light vegetable odor underneath. No hint of any hops. Flavor is pretty boring. There is some toasted, bready malt, that's about it. Thankfully the veggies don't come through in the flavor. Carbonation is fairly high, but that works for the style. Quite drinkable, albeit boring.

Judging by other reviews I'd say I got an old can, but with no dating I can't be sure.

Serving type: can

03-08-2011 23:38:53 | More by dciBA

Cresant

Kentucky

3.23/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served this 16 oz. undated can in a Sierra Nevada hops glass. I purchased this 6 pack from the brewery store, so I assume it is pretty fresh! The body was medium gold and clear. There was a white soapy head that left a fine cap but minimal lacing.

The smell was spicy and grainy. Fresh but not especially bold. Solid.

The taste was fresh grain, cereal. A slight sourness (in a good way) was evident. Crackers. There was a nice, gentle bitterness in the aftertaste. Well balanced and easy to drink. I usually don't care much for American Blonde Ales but this one is actually one I would buy again.

The mouthfeel was medium to thin with a smooth, mild carbonation.

Serving type: can

10-15-2012 13:02:20 | More by Cresant

Reaper16

Alabama

3.28/5  rDev -13%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served on-tap @ Goldie's, Chicago, IL, into a pint glass

Pours a straw yellow color. Boring. It looks mostly indistinguishable from many flavorless industrial beers. You can tell its craft (or at least all-malt) however because of the tighter head. This is a pretty average looking beer. Nothing inherently wrong with that; some styles just look boring.

Gossamer smells mostly like biscuit malt and lager yeast. Pilsner yeast, really. There are some grassy European hops in play (but falling short of the crispness needed to be a truly good pils). The most interesting note I pick up is a bit of juniper. I don’t think that this beer is brewed with any juniper berry but that aroma is certainly present (though faint).

Beyond the pilsner malt sweetness and the minor bittering edge of the hops, this beer doesn’t have much to offer at first. With a little bit of warmth, though, it pulls off a flavor that I haven’t quite seen before. Gossamer tastes like juniper mixed with Juicy Fruit brand chewing gum. Like, if Wrigley’s were to introduce a gin-flavored variety of Juicy Fruit, it would taste a lot like this beer. Unfortunately, it has a weak finish. Or, better put, it has no finish at all. The flavor just drops off a cliff on the back end like it was a cheap $6 bottle of pinot grigio. Gossamer seriously finishes as clean as water, and yes, that does undo some of the favor it gained with its unique flavor profile.

Despite that watery finish, it never feels watery in terms of mouthfeel. It stays at a consistent light-medium body with a balanced carbonation level. Overall, this is a mostly average beer. I do appreciate the unexpected or unique flavors here, I just wish that they stuck around from the initial taste through to the finish.

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2011 22:12:38 | More by Reaper16

kyleelton

Texas

3.28/5  rDev -13%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

From a schooner at the Portillo's in downtown Chicago. Definitely a nice complement to the excellent hotdogs, but nothing terribly special. Very drinkable blonde ale with a semi-sweet nose. Well balanced malt and slight hops taste. Could have used a little more hop flavor actually. I wasn't looking for something to blow me away, just a nice, drinkable beer with lunch.

Serving type: on-tap

03-16-2012 19:47:50 | More by kyleelton

larsenju

Wisconsin

3.33/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A-Clear golden body with a dense white head, close to two fingers, but it dropped very quickly.

S-Grassy with just a little lemon and a touch of mango, some generic malt, but it is light.

T-Very light and approachable, even a little watery. Grassy hops cover the palate with some light fruit, lemon is forward with some biscuit and very very light fruits behind it.

M-Very light and somewhat dry body, medium carb.

D-Daisy Cutter could be both a success and curse for Half Acre, I think that this beer will always be compared, and it just isn't as good. It is very light and drinkable, I think I would really appreciate having this on a hot summer day, but given other options there are plenty of beers I would pick first.

Serving type: can

05-02-2011 03:32:10 | More by larsenju

Treebs

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Tall boy can into a Weizen glass.

A: Pours a clear golden yellow color with a one finger height of pure white foam settling on the top. It sticks around for a while and leaves nice traces of lace down the glass.

S: Grassy hops up front, but the light cracker malt body settles up in the middle. Some pale oats as well round it out. Nothing out of the ordinary here.

T: More grassy hops with a little citrus bite. Pale malts with a little bit of lagery yeast-like flavors coming through.

M: Light bodied with excellent carbonation makes for some smooth drinking. Drinkability is very high and the finish is nice and clean.

O: Very solid overall and one of the better (if not the best) blonde I've ever head. Drinking many of these on a hot day would be no problem.

Serving type: can

07-17-2012 17:03:40 | More by Treebs

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Having a can of Half Acre Gossamer Golden Ale after a Wednesday Hockey game (2G, 5A) in a 9-2 win. The beer pours a golden straw color with thin white head that is leaving a mild lace. The smell is nice with a slight citrus hop. The taste is a combo of floral and citrus tones that leaves the pallet a bit bitter and acidic. I am guessing that Columbus hops were used....but I am no expert. The mouthfeel is light to medium bodies Ales with good carbonation. Overall it isnt a bad beer. Would be great on hot days.

Serving type: can

12-22-2011 05:28:48 | More by WoodBrew

Scrumtralecent

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass from growler.

A - Pours a golden yellow with a fizzy head. Little spots of head retention.

S - Grains, little hops, and an almost earthy feeling, reminiscent slightly of some farmhouse Belgians. Quite faint though, not very overwhelming.

T - Smooth and crisp taste of grain and some slight malt for a little body. The light hop provides some bitterness. But a little too much space in the taste, feels a smidge watery.

M - Good mouthfeel, light and refreshing. Carbonation is good, and easy drinking.

O - A nice beer for warmer days where the just need some crisp, clean beer that is easy drinking and still provides a little flavor and body. Not an earth shaking beer, but it has its spot and fits well. Thankfully I drank this on a hot day where I did plenty of activity, so fit perfectly.

Serving type: growler

08-21-2011 02:55:13 | More by Scrumtralecent

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

3.53/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Consumed 12/9/11

Appearance: Mostly clear, bright golden colored - starts off with a nice, white head and some surprisingly sticky lacing, bubbly

Smell: Mild, but definitely not offensive - some pale, pale malts - bready, doughy - some serious grass - not herbal, just like fresh cut grass, kind of strange - a small hint of citrus, too

Taste: Also mild, but in a good way - lightly toasted white bread - some flowery citrus - a touch of grapefruit, lemon, some herbal spiciness - grassy - slightly bitter, slightly sweet, nicely balanced

Mouthfeel: Very light, nicely carbonated, somewhat crisp

Overall: Good, but not that interesting

This is definitely good, but it's not something I am disappointed that I can't get regularly. It's good for the style, but it could be better. I'm not particularly a fan of the grassy aroma. Maybe because I am allergic to grass?

Serving type: can

12-09-2011 08:17:55 | More by angrybabboon

birchstick

Missouri

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

Thanks to yeahnatenelson for another solid extra

A - pours a clear yellow with a nice looking head

S - smells of grainy malts, bright citrusy hops. Pretty good for the style

T - starts off with the grainy malts that fads to a lemony citrus malt. There is also quite a bit of bready malt characteristic to it. This is the hoppiest golden ale I have ever tried...pretty good.

M - nice full and smooth body and it goes down

D - Golden ales aren't the most complex beers out there, but this one did a pretty good job of keeping itself interesting. I really enjoyed the Daisy Cutter and enjoyed this one too. Half Acre keeps impressing me...

Serving type: can

04-03-2011 01:37:07 | More by birchstick

chugalug06

Colorado

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

A - Pours very nicely in to a Delirium Tulip. Amazingly clear golden color with slight yellowness. Head is very foamy and very white! Nice stream of bubbles in the middle of the brew

S - Very nice relaxed citrus scent. Definite pineapple, green grape, and orange.. Smells like it could be a sugar bomb... Not an overwhelming scent, but quite nice nonetheless

T - Very smooth and light. Tastes foamy with slight bitterness. Bitterness doesn't overwhelm, but definitely distracts. Maybe some slight grapefruit... Hops are slightly out of balance. Almost tastes like a Lager... Slightly sour.

M - Over carbonated, but still quite a good brew. Extremely light and airy. Hops definitely pull away form the brew on the back end. slightly bitter.

O - A nice brew, not one I would seek out, but I'm glad I got to try it! Good brew in a good trade! Try it if you find it! I would be a delicious summer camping brew!

Serving type: can

05-18-2011 23:36:26 | More by chugalug06

seeswo

Ohio

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

Blind Beer #8, 16 oz. can poured into my Lost Abbey stem.

Pours a just slightly hazy straw yellow with a giant whitish head. Looks nice. - 4.0

The smell is definitely different - grainy and a bit yeasty with a suggestion of hops. I am thrown for a loop on this one - it is most certainly no IPA. -3.5

Bready and grainy flavors are layered under a surprising hop presence and lightly sweet finish. An unexpected amount of flavor based on the lighter appearance, milder nose and lighter body. -3.5

The body is light with a good carbonation level. -4.0

Overall, this beer is relatively drinkable - it's like a refined version of a BMC with a hop back to it. The touch of sweetness and hop bitterness help to cover up some of the graininess which isn't my favorite. - 3.5

Reveal: Half Acre Gossamer! I've also seen this in stores many times, but always reached for the Daisy Cutter. Really interesting. 4.2% Golden Ale is not exactly what I was thinking, but I guess it makes sense. Thanks for another beer I've been meaning to try!

Serving type: can

01-31-2012 02:04:55 | More by seeswo

Efay

Illinois

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

A- Dense foam with a finger of head, leaving beautiful lacing behind. There seems to be a decent amount of carbonation as you can see it fizzing from the bottom of the glass to the head. Goldenrod translucent color.

S- Smells of citrus and grass linger while you also can receive a light malty smell.

T- There is an initial sweet floral taste that ends with a citrus bitterness. Notes of honey as well that complement the bitterness.

M- High in carbonation and a very smooth beer.

O- This beer is very "sessionable". With it's low ABV and smoothness, I'd enjoy this on a hot summer day. This is also one of Half Acre's year round beers, and even though it isn't very special, it is still a good flagship beer that's respectable to their name.

Serving type: can

01-03-2013 02:56:22 | More by Efay

MasterSki

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Grabbed a four-pack of this. Figured I'd need some session beer to keep things from getting out of hand with all the heavyweight brews being opened this weekend. Served in my Half Acre pint glass.

A - Pours with two fingers of orange-tinged creamy white foam that dissipates to a thin cap and leaves fingers of lacing on the sides of the glass. Hazed milky peach body with stray bubbles slowly drifting upwards.

S - Nice hoppy citrus and grass aroma. As it warms up a little more caramel and toffee malt character comes through. Seems to be more pale ale than blonde ale, but it's quite pleasant. Not really picking up the yeastiness noted by other reviewers.

T - Found it - plenty of yeastiness and grain character in the taste, almost like sourdough bread but not as good. There's a bit of bready sweetness and grassy hops mid-palate as well, but the finish and aftertaste are all "generic beer" in flavor. I don't think there are any adjuncts in this, but I also wouldn't be totally surprised if there were. A cleaner finish would do this wonders.

M - Zesty carbonation that never comes across as harsh. Body is surprisingly hefty for 4.2%, and comes in as medium-light with some chewy and sticky qualities to it. Finish is lightly sticky and oily as well. Quite refreshing.

D - If the aftertaste weren't as off-putting, I'd gladly put down a 4-pack in an hour or two. This would be perfect in the Wrigley bleachers as everything about it screams session. Love the 16oz tallboy cans, and the animal-friendly holders too.

Serving type: can

04-21-2010 21:14:41 | More by MasterSki

sisuspeed

New Hampshire

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

1 pint can

Poured into a pint glass. Dull, almost clear, yellow in body with a decent fluffy white head on top. Sticky, patchy, lacing left behind.

Light, grassy hops, hints of citrus and pale malts on the nose. A little bit of grainy earthiness and faint floral qualities.

Grainy, citrus, lemon notes on the tongue. Pale, golden malts with a touch of hop astringency.

Mouthfeel is crisp and bubbly with a subtle amount of creaminess. Fairly light.

Drinkability is good. Not a lot going on with this beer, but the flavor has some decent citrus to it, the body is fairly crisp and the ABV is low. So a pint or two of this would be easy on a hot day.

Serving type: can

06-24-2010 01:06:09 | More by sisuspeed

MrMcGibblets

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: hazy golden straw color. white head is somewhat minimal and diminishing-is it the glass? if so, that would surprise me, as this was served from a can at the bad apple, which should know a beer-clean glass.
S: very muted. struggling to get the citric, floral, resiny hops i was promised on the description on the menu. some doughy malts are noted.
T: light sweet crackery malts, well balanced by a smooth hop bitterness. finishes clean.
M: would like this to be a bit frothier/carbonated given the style, as it comes off as a touch watery. light bodied.
D: i love that this is a refreshing 4.2% beer in a 16 oz can, but i'd like a bit more american hops, or something, to make this anything more than a typical blonde/golden ale.

Serving type: can

07-31-2010 22:50:04 | More by MrMcGibblets