Goose Island Anniversary Ale

Formerly brewed at Goose Island Beer Company
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Chicago, Illinois USA

Got a growler of this at the Clyborne GI brewpub. Drank on the same day it was bottled. The head is thin and the body has a light orange coloring. The aromas are great, the best part. Very fresh with slight pine and some oranges. Absolutely wonderful to smell. The taste is bready with oranges and a flower character. A very nice session brew.

On tap at the Crescent Moon Alehouse. This was the last beer of the day which began at 10 am. The beer still tasted great! Color was an ebony mahogany. The head was white and billowy. A strong fruity aroma. Buttery palate. Coriander is detectable. Tingly and tart on the tongue. The finish is amazing as it completely dessicates your tongue, so the hops were well hidden at first.

ESB’s are a favorite style, this is a great representation of the fine English Ales. Malt and hop floral nose. Clean and crisp, very drinkable beer.

One of the best ESB’s. Very English and authentic to its style. Great use of dry-hopping/ The aroma smells like kind nuggets and pine. Hops are huge in the beginning with toasty like maltiness in the long finish. A superbly balanced beer. This would be in my fridge all year if possible. Comes out each Fall around Late Sept.

sampled from a growler obtained 7 hrs prior. poured a plae red w/ a thick tall white head smelled very clean hoppy and w/ lots of citrus.. the palate was like the flavor, very mild and kinda plain.. a touch of hopps.. basically this beer smelled incredible and then was pretty ho hum to drink.. overall it wasn’t bad or good really.

The hoppy nose is just the beginning! It is so smooth with a soft malty beginning that turns to a hoppy spicy finish. It’s almost gone, so grab a couple six packs if you see ’em!

Draught, at the Fulton St. brewery. We polished off this small barrel they found and hooked up to the break room taps for our homebrew club tour. Has a very clean wheat taste despite a slightly cloudy appearance (brewmaster said there was some wheat in the grist). But also a big sock of hops reminiscent of <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/three-floyds-gum Floyds’ Gumballhead. Again, we’re told there were Simcoe, Amarillo and Cascade hops used. Settles in pretty nicely. Don’t know if it skews to the style listed, but I’m rating it here since they said it was brewed for the Clybourn pub, and other than this they haven’t done anniversary brews for a few years now.

Shared Heemer’s oh-so-fresh growler. Clear amber body with a wispy white head. Grapefruit rind aroma with bitter dandelion notes and sweet bread. Flavor of yeasty-sweet white bread and sharp juicy, grassy hops. Very fresh, very good. The aroma was simply outstanding.