Goose Island Imperial IPA

Brewed by Goose Island Beer Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Chicago, Illinois USA

Copper in color this pours a 1/4" tight head. The nose immediately spells of lemon Pledge followed by citric hops and just a touch of caramel hops at the back of the nose. In the mouth it is dense and rich with the finish showing off the hoppy dryness though not bitterness. There is a noticable banana flavor in the midpalate that almost overwhelms the citrus which is strange for me in an Imperial IPA. Where this excels is with the balance between hops and malt.

2006 bottle thanks to bullzeye. murky amber color with some off white lacings. big hops on the nose with some fruits mainly oranges. nice thickness on the palate and the hops are toned down quite a bit. this is much better than most ipa’s i’ve had.

Pours a beautiful gold color. Aroma is grassy and spicy, with some pine. Good variety of hops which balance nicely on the malt. Not very bitter, the hops seem to be added later in the boil and probably heavily dry-hopped. Delicious overall.

rich amber/caramel colored pour topped with a wispy white head that slowly fades and leaves a little trail. aroma is HOPS!...big chewy pine, floral and citrus hops with a bit of caramel and malt thrown in. big resinous pine flavor with touches of orange, grapefruit, honey, wood and brown sugar. it’s all about the hops without them being too aggressive. super spicy (clove) dry finish followed by lingering pine burps and touches of alcohol. medium bodied and no sticky mouth feel...a plus. finally, a dipa without a ton of sweetness.

bottle. pours a mostly clear amber with a big puffy off-white head that really wanted to hang out and enjoy the atmosphere, but eventually fled to the corners, where it maintained quite a presence and left a bit of lacing. the smell was huge, with tons of floral/citrus american hops, but a bit of spicy hops that one doesn’t normally look for in an ipa, and a bit of bready malt keeping those hops company. it tastes quite like it smells, but with a bit of bubblegum and some woody notes, as well. as befits an ipa, it finishes quite bitter, but is quite well-balanced with a malty sweetness, both lingering like the head, not wishing to move to new pursuits. this is a beer that coats the mouth with an oily resin, which is accompanied by quite a few bubbles, and a fairly average body. i really hope to have more of it. fantastic! rivals most double ipas i’ve had, if not the best of them.

Pours a hazy shade of amber with fluffy white head and nice spotty lacing. Excellent fruity hop aroma. Very complex flavors consisting of pineapple, pine, citrus and fruity esters. well balanced easy drinking beer!

’07 Bottle: Pours a clear burnt orange color with a medium, pillow-like white head and a lot of visible carbonation. Aroma consists of sweet pineapple, bananas, peaches, floral and mild piney hops. Medium-full bodied leads to an amalgam of flavors that are comprised of gobs of citrus and piney hops with some of the pineapple notes taking on a voyeuristic approach. Fine stuff.

Friggin’ slap-you-in-the-face hop aroma. The flavor, however, is quite nice and very well balanced. Pine and flowers. Just superb.