Goose Island Sofie

October 29th, 2009 beckel

It’s been many weeks since I purchased this bottle from The Four Firkins but it has patiently waited in my fridge for this day of consumption. I haven’t been able to post lately as my Hard Drive decided to stop receiving power leaving me shit out of luck. Of course my < 1 year old drive was easily under it’s manufactures warranty so I was able to RMA it and finally the other day it arrived.  All I have to say is back up your data boys and girls. But lets move on to something positive. A number of exciting events occurred this month including Surly Brewing hosting an American Homebrewers Association Rally and providing around 500 homebrewers 5 Gallons of delicious sweet brown wort as well as the ever popular Darkness Day. I’ll post more about that later, let’s talk about Sofie. Sofie is one of many brews in Goose Island’s Belgian Style Series and is said to be brewed in the style of a Farmhouse Ale, also known as Saison. The ale is fermented with wild yeasts and 20% is aged in wine barrels with orange peel which is blended back with unaged ale and is sure to be an interesting Belgian inspired brew. The 2009 bottles consist of a clean white label with classy green & gold print allowing for a very elegant presentation. Bottle dated July 17,  2009.  The beer pours an incredibly pale yellow hue that is very cloudy, so much so I can’t see my fingers on the other side of the glass. Head is crisp and white initially creating about three fingers of tight bubbles that quickly expand and dissipate leaving only a slim white ring around the surface of the brew within a minute or two. Smells strongly of yeasty notes that are expected of the style, slightly tart, very dry, gently fruity and spicy. Flavor is equally delicious and dry, consisting of gently tart citrus as well as softer orange, banana and even peach like notes, soft bready notes from the wheat and a decent amount of sweetness. A slight vanilla character is present creating a very smooth finish. The malt profile of the ale is clean and simple allowing the yeast strains to shine through with a very gentle Amarillo hop character contributing to the citrus and very little bitterness. Mouthfeel is very carbonated but not overly sharp, body is very light. Though this ale is full flavored it is quite easy to drink and at 6.5% ABV it won’t be a problem. Unquestionably one delicious and quality craft brewed Belgian inspired Saison. If you enjoy the style or even golden Belgian ales in general I would highly recommend this ale, particularly as it is selling for quite a bit less than most of Goose Island’s specialty ales. Though I can’t say I notice any drastic flavors from the wild yeasts used in this ale aside from those you typically expect from the style, I would be curious to see how it may change over time. Give it a shot and ride your bike.

Goose Island Sofie

Goose Island Pere Jacques

July 5th, 2008 beckel

Goose Island out of Chicago, Illinois make some pretty decent beers. The beer I am drinking now, Pere Jacques is the first of their limited availability line that I have tried before. It is inspired by a brewery tour trip the brewers took in Belgium, and named after the gentleman who personally allowed them to tour his abbot. This particular batch is vintage December 2007. Considering its Belgian inspired roots the head of this beer is a bit different. A bit tan and somewhat plentiful but it fades very rapidly. The color of this beer is great, deep dark cherry color that light is barely able to penetrate. Smell is mostly of fruits, perhaps cherry or cranberry to name a few, quite pungent and nice. Mouthfeel is rather light. Flavor is predominately of many fermented fruits and Belgian yeast, though malt sweetness is also very present, particularly in the finish. Alcohol is somewhat present. It is impressive how well the intense fruit flavor in the beginning is smoothed out by the malts in the end, well balanced indeed. This beer packs a 9% ABV but you probably wont notice. Not exactly a beer for hop heads with 26 IBU but don’t let that discourage you. Not a super complex beer, but it certainly contains many flavors and the malt and yeast used are very nice. As someone who isn’t super big on fruity ales, this one is darn good. Maybe not every day drinking, but definately a worthy choice when you want something sweet, but still a complex ale. Give it a shot and ride your bike.

Goose Island Pere Jacques