Goose Island Sofie

Brewed by Goose Island Beer Company
Style: Saison
Chicago, Illinois USA

10.29.09 Bottle. Pours golden with nice light white head full of big bubbles. Aroma is slight, sweet, fruity, candy, bubblegum. Tastes sweet, fruity, tart, nice bite. Very carbonated.

Bottle. Very bright golden yellow, with a tall stack of tight white bubbles for a head. The aroma is quite esthery, with a hint of tropical fruit. Quite the light, pleasant drinker -- frothy and fruity, with pineapple, banana and very light malt. I do believe I’ve discovered the perfect breakfast beer! Outstanding.

Bottle. Pours a hazy golden yellow with a bubbly white head. Aroma of light fruits, light toast, yeast, grains, slight sourness. Flavors are bright with lemon/zest/citrus, dry bread, light spice. Mouthfeel is light and lively sweet and a touch tart with a sort of creaminess that leads to a dry somewhat tart finish. Pretty tasty overall, this would have been awesome in the Summer or Spring, too bad it’s 25 degrees out and snowing presently.

Straw colored brew with a massive ivory tower that produces a significant amount of lacing. Aroma is yeasty, biscuit, lemongrass, pepper, and citrus. Flavor shows tons of orange peel, lemon rind, slight funk, and spice. Highly carbonated...pretty good brew.

2009 bottle from Oct. 23 thanks to Secret Santa. Pours with a hazy golden body with a large, white head. Aroma of coriander, orange peel, white pepper, anise, jasmine and candied tangerine. Taste is a bit tart, with a harsh grain notes. Some citrus, pepper, florals. No brett at all as far as I can tell. Dry and bread like. Very effervescent and supremely dry.

Pours a light yellow color with a decent yeast haze and thick frothy white head. Aroma is of bright fruit, orange and lemon are very upfront with light up spice funk. Taste is almost radler like. Very citrusy with lemon and orange as well as a subtle spice and odd funk. Very crisp and refreshing. Solid.

Pours a light straw-yellow color with a medium frothy-white head which leaves some webbed lacing. Aroma is your typical Belgian ale - light green grape, Belgian spices, and a little Belgian funk. Taste is rather light - light Belgian spice, bright citrus, a little bit of sparkling green grape. Rather enjoyable for a style that is quickly losing my interest. Not as spicy with more focus on the citrus notes.

22oz bottle. Pours a bold, slightly hazy, medium straw color; significant bright white head with excellent retention and resilient lacing; an absolutely gorgeous pour; lightly effervescent; shimmering head. Lovely, crisp aroma: mineral and herbal bitterness, very charismatic yeast character (dough, light funk, nicely dry), with touches of white pepper; this is exactly what I want in the aroma of a saison: crisp, lively mineral notes, charismatic yeast, a light funk, nothing sticky, and mouthwatering acidity; hints of citrus throughout; this is a very attractive nose. Medium mouthfeel: following the aroma, lots of dough, white pepper, with hints of minerals and light citrus throughout; the core is nicely toasty, reasonably dry (though not quite as dry as the nose suggests); some heavier banana and bubblegum esters at the core of things; definitely shows some close similarities to Orval: the pleasant hoppiness, the light funk, the clarity of expression; a really lovely beer altogether. Lasting finish of toastiness, light minerals, nicely dry overall.