I'm excited for this, hopefully it gets out of Chicago. Per BSJ: Meet a variant of Goose Island Sofie: Sofie Paradisi. Sofie, as you have come to know and love her, is a saison brewed with orange peel and aged in wine barrels. Keep citrus in the family, Paradisi uses grapefruit. 60% Ale aged in barrels with grapefruit, 40% ale. Style: Saison (w/ Grapefruit, Barrel Aged) Availability: Draft only, as of 2/12/13 6.7% ABV
ugggggggggggghhhhhhh that sounds like my dream beer . . . one of them, anyway. I would build a kegerator just for that—so I can have 5.2 US gallons of this beer in my house, exclusively for my consumption. It would just sit next to my bed.
So has anyone seen this on tap anywhere yet? It says "Availability: Draft only as of 2/12/13". I read that as available starting 2/12/13. Although I guess it could also mean that as of the date 2/12/13 the only plan is to keg it.
Not to be a downer, but I am curious of the quality of the grapefruit juice mentioned. Fresh squeezed? From concentrate? Something in between? With or without sweeteners? The parent company is very successful keeping their costs low, perhaps some of that has spread to GI. To be clear, I'm not at all generically opposed to Big Beer nor do I believe GI "sold out" and is now crap. But that said, a negative side effect of GI being part of ABI is that I now question their ingredients a bit more than I would if, say, Bells was releasing this beer.
Had this last spring at the GI Mini Golf event during Beer Week, it was awesome, can't wait to have it again!
GI has yet to compromise the quality and ingredients of their premium line of beers. In fact, it seems like they are committed to maintaining them or bettering them to stay relevant and respected in the craft world.
The staff at Fulton has always been top notch craft brewers and I don't think would ever take such shortcuts. They tweeted some pictures of the tubs of cut, real citrus fruit a few months back when they were filling the barrels.
Ah, fair enough. I'm not much of a Twitter guy so didn't see this. Good to know they're using the real deal fruit.
After much searching, found one of the pics https://twitter.com/tomkorder/status/281166473001578496/photo/1
I have some awesome beers to whoever wants to send me a growler (or some sort of bottle) of this amazing sounding brew.
Glad to see they're finally sending this out into the world, it's been a perennial "we're messing with this" for at least 2 years now. I've had it numerous times straight from the wood, and it's delicious.
Draft only and this beer is apparently getting close. Saw on twitter last night one of the Goose Island guys was tasting it. Said it was one to definitely try based on what he tasted. I'm hoping maybe Chicago Craft Beer Week. Check twitter @hopcastken. That's all the info I've seen.
Didn't beerpulse post something recently about "Grapefruit Sofie" getting bottles? Wouldn't this be that beer? Edit: this is what I was referring to: http://beerpulse.com/2013/04/goose-island-halia-sour-peach-saison-coming-to-bottles-video-162/ As for bottles or no bottles for "grapefruit Sofie," it's unclear, I think. Anyone that knows more about this, please do chime in—Sofie Paradisi bottles would be most welcome in my fridge / gullet. Well, bottles in fridge, but not gullet.
Halia = Mae (Soured Sofie with Peaches) Sofie Paradisi = Grapefruit Sofie We've seen keg labels for Paradisi.. but no bottle mockup as far as I can recall.
Tweet from GI today said draft only next month in Chicago and limited other nearby markets. The Keg Stand in Des Moines said they were getting some, but weren't sure on an exact date.
So I tried this tonight at the 25th Anniversary party at the Clybourn pub - I actually didn't notice too much of a difference. Still ridiculously refreshing and nicely tart and all that, but the only place I really noticed the fruit difference was in a more resinous, grapefruit-y nose.
There was a huge difference in my and brother in law opinion. The grapefruit was extremely prominent and front facing on this beer. Absolutely spolid.
Yeah? I'll have to give it another go, side by side. Given, tasting 11 beers in succession at a crowded event isn't ideal, but I also expected a lot more barrel quality to it.
Going to a CCBW event next week where this is being poured ,looking forward to trying it as Sofie is one of my fave summer beers.
I know a few places in the greater DC area that has it. Sofie is one of my favorite beers by them and this version is every bit if not more awesome!
