Goose Island Imperial IPA

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

slightly hazy orange body with a great white head that leaves great lacing. very floral hop aroma with fruity caramel undertones. bittersweet grapefruit/orange flavor. salted caramel finish. nice warm alcohol. great full bodied smooth creamy mouthfeel. solid very drinkable IIPA. nice but a bit pricey.

Big frothy tan head, amber/orange hue. Big nose, grapefruit and citrus dominate with just a hint of caramel. Heavy bitterness, although the caramel sweetness does shine through on the back of the toungue. Very heavy body, typical carbonation for the style. Very bitter and dry finish. Gives you a warm feeling on teh way down.

12oz bottle, 1-2months fresh. thanks to holdenn for the sample. really fruity hoppy aroma, grapefruit, mango. flavor is really smooth hops, not very bitter, creamy mouthfeel. the way the hops blend together is great, the hops just melt into each other, not like other IIPA where the hops are too messing. a wonderful IIPA that isn’t a bitter onslaught on the palate. alcohol warms slightly on the way down. i love a lot of qualities of this beer but in the end the flavor doesn’t amaze.3.9.

5/13/08, on sample on tap(5/12/08) and from the bottle when it was initially released back in Nov07. i didn’t make notes because i felt like it wasn’t a fair impression as the 2007 vintage is overly bubblegummy and flabby. so i got a sample of this on tap at GI Cly and my impression was the same, I’m not sure if they changes the hops due the shortage or what but this is not the same as the 06 vintage. the 07 is extremely bubblegummy and i dont have much patience for that note. Rating entered is for the 06 vintage. 3.4.

2006 bottle from the generousity of Walt. Pour is a cloudy orange with thin head. Aroma is slightly of hops with a very slight citrus scent. Good flavor that was pretty smooth but not as flavorfull as I hoped. Tasted sort of one dimensional with a very sweet side. I’m rating below the average but I did enjoy the beer alot. Thanks Walt.

Pours a bright orangey IPA color without much head. The scent is an explosion of heavenly hop floweriness, predominantly resiny pine, like a freshly cut evergreen. There may be a bit of orange in there, but whoa pine. The flavor is thick and juicy, with a woody, herbal pine hop flavor again. For all the hop flavor, the beer really isn’t as bitter as I’d expect. The flowery hoppiness is almost sweet ("almost" being key -- it IS a truckload of hops, after all). After the pine, there may be a bit of lavender in there as well. The finish is where a bit of bitterness comes out, but the actual hop flavor carries through even into the aftertaste. I was killed by high expectations on an earlier Goose Island brew, but the highest of expectations are invincible with this one. This is terrific.

Another big cheers to Joe Mcphee. I didnt know what to expect from this one. Sweet fruity aroma with a hint of honey. Cloudy with a thin head. Fruity taste and strong in hops. Tangy finish. From the initial taste I didnt know what was going on but then settles to a nice brew.

I think this is the best beer Goose Island makes ( That I have tried) Burbon County Stout is second. It is smooth and floral like DFH 90 minute, but has a different and nice hop profile. I’m not really into bitterness and this beer was perfect for me. Very expensive, but will buy again. I am impressed.

November 9th re-rate <P> 2006 Bottle. Huge caramel flavor with sweet citrus spritzy notes backing it up. Very round and creamy feeling. Some fresh butterscotch in the finish. This tastes great with age on it. <P> Originally I gave it a 3.4 <P> 12 oz from Archer Liquors. <P> The body is a bright gold/orange and holds a thumb thick, firm white head that diminishes slowly and laces well, but is fairly bubbly. The aroma displays a huge quantity of hops that lean toward orange peel, orange blossoms and other floral notes. <P> Fore is bitter and hoppy with a very nice mouthfeel. Entirely too bitter for my personal tastes, but there is some nice caramel malt in there and the mouthfeel is delightful. There is a very mild spiciness in the finish that adds a much needed element of range, but at its heart this is a hop bomb. A well done one, but a hop bomb none the less and for those, like me, that don’t go in for them it is not, ultimately, a satisfying brew; no matter how well made.