Goose Island 1800 Demolition Ale (Strong Golden)

Brewed by Goose Island Beer Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Chicago, Illinois USA

I bought it for the packaging and because it was something new that I don’t see a lot of. I wasn’t really impressed, but I wasn’t that disappointed either. Body is really light. Faintly reminiscent of a decent Beglian. I just prefer a little more character, and I think that’s what the demolition really lacked for me. It’s kind a shy little brew, afraid to commit to anything.

Pour is a cloudy orange with a small white head. Aroma is hops and malts with some corriander in there. Flavor is wonderful. Full hops with some rich malts and the right amount of spices. Leaves a sour lemon and clove taste on the tounge as the liquid goes down. Very tasty and a rewarding beer experience. Goose Island is making some really great brew.

This is a perfectly clear deep gold, almost an amber. Decent head lacks staying power. The aroma is a bit of honey malt. Pepper and cinnamon spiciness from the yeast and hops. The flavor is a bit thin, but has a lingering bitterness.

From a 12 oz. twist cap long neck brown bottle with the bottling date, 06/22/05, on the back label and a nice blurb on the front label. Made a good appearance, poured a golden orange with a foamy head head that settled into a thin bubbly lacing, medium carbonation overall. Had a hoppy nose, grassy, hay, citric fruity and spicy with a honey maltiness framing the scents. A crisp, lightly hop textured and creamy smooth medium bodied mouth feel, good drinkability. The taste is much like the aroma, hoppy with a sweet maltiness, citric fruity, a spicy alcohol that remains underneath the hops and malts, a sweet honey maltiness and a dry hoppy and malty finish with a little grassiness and hay lingering in the palate. Another good brew from Goose Island, a smooth strong ale, tasty, balanced and unique tasting.

very full aroma. something different with every sniff. includes, but not limited to: banana, strawberries, lemon, anise, yeast, clove, wheat, and juniper berries. some apricot and carmel with toffee and honey as well. appearance is cloudy goldenrod with some foamy white head. flavor is wheat, clove, star anise, juniper berries, lemon, yeast, butterscotch, alcohol, carmel, lemongrass, and apricot. maybe a hint of green apples and green grapes. mouthfeel is creamy with a hint of carbonation, smooth and rich.

Bottle. Appearance: Hazy orange with a small head that dissipated quickly. Aroma: Strong orange and caramel notes. Also a bit of dried fruit in the nose. Flavor: Grass up front, citrus and intense malt in the middle, and a cleansing hop bitterness to finish. Also detected some honey and a touch of spice. Quite nice. Palate: Medium bodied and a little sticky on the palate. Alcohol leaves a nice warming sensation on the tongue. Finishes nicely, but towards the end of the glass had a bit of syrupy sweetness lingering in my mouth despite the strong hop finish. Overall: A very enjoyable beer. Perhaps a touch too bitterfor the style, but good nonetheless.

Bottle. Poured a nice light murky orange with a short light tan colored head. Aroma of hops and malt with a hint of citrus. Taste is smooth and full of complex flavors of plums and oranges. Finishes slightly dry and bittter. A good beer that I enjoyed and will drink again.

Bottle, 062205. Pours cloudy orange with a thin white head. The aroma is very malty with some lemongrass notes, surprisingly much chocolate, and a bit of plum. The flavor is rather hoppy, but not as intense as the description would lead me to believe. It is also full of robust malty flavors, especially strong orange-chocolate notes. Some caramel and honey is in there, too. With this bottle being a year old now, I think the hops have mellowed enough to let the malts shine through quite a bit. I like it.