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Goose Island Imperial IPA

Percentile
99
overall

bottled
available

on tap
common

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RatingsAverageScoreSeasonalABVStyle PctlServe in
5854.01/5.04/5.0Winter9.2%97.2Snifter, Tulip
Commercial Description:
Traditionally, there are a lot of rules when it comes to brewing great beer. The fact that American craft brewers have broken those rules to produce some of the world’s finest beers is downright heroic. At Goose Island we live and die by hops, so breaking the rules meant pushing the hop limit to the extreme to create this monster Imperial IPA. We took three of our favorite hops, TETTNANG, SIMCOE, and CASCADE, and balanced their spiciness with tons of malt. Them we went back and dumped in MORE HOPS and more malt until this beer was exploding with flavor...strong enough to wake the dead and filled with more bitterness than a woman scorned. This Imperial IPA is absolutely gigantic, you’ll smell the hops from about a yard away. What will surprise you is how incredibly drinkable it is. Pair it up with the saltiest blue cheese you can find, and go nuts.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 Tripplebrew (493), Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/518/20
Feb 17, 2008  
Delicious....Pours a clear, honey amber with close to no head but what is there is white. Aroma is mainly of hops and citrus (grapefruit namely for its tartness...not necessarily a sweet a aroma like orange) and definite pine can be detected in the aroma. Flavor is hops mainly and a bit of caramel sweetness with pine...it is an interesting contrast. Alcohol is present but wonderfully presented. A fab Imperial IPA.


emerson430 (87), Lakewood, Ohio, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/58/103/514/20
Feb 16, 2008  
Wow ... draft at Goose Island brewery in Wrigleyville, Chicago ... virtually no head but a very interesting synthetic pink grapefruit nose ... seriously, try it! There is a nice alcohol warmth that accompanies the very hoppy flavor!


 chicagodri (1041), Chicago, Illinois, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/59/104/517/20
Feb 13, 2008  
Wow! I haven’t had this beer in a while and I really enjoyed it. Had it on draft at the pub...it tasted great but it was $10 a glass! Pours a cloudy orange/deep red color with a white head. The aroma is overpowering of citrus/grassy hops. The flavor is very bitter, but somehow the malt makes it well balanced. Incredible flavor and the citrus hops really kicks in. Well done Goose. Smooth for a 9.2% beer also.


 JoeinUccle (902), Brussels, Belgium
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/56/103/513/20
Feb 13, 2008  
Pours reddish-amber, nice off-white head. Aroma is floral-hoppy, also nice. Flavor has a light sweetess and a serious kick of bitterness... maybe a touch over the top. Not exactly delicious, but it is interesting. I’m seeing a pattern emerge with me and these double/imperial IPAs: they always smell amazing, but the taste is too extreme for me. Occasionally I want a "fix," but it doesn’t impress me as something I’d enjoy drinking often.


 inkubus27 (248), Highland, Indiana, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
10/104/58/104/517/20
Feb 11, 2008    Updated: Feb 12, 2008
Clybourn Brewpub... First thing i ordered, though it’s ten bucks a glass..anyways, You can smell this thing, Literally, from across the table. Huge citrus, grassy, woodsy aromas. Pours an orangy color, with a nice lace all the way down the glass. Definitely worth the try, though very pricey!


 HomeBrewHawk (269), De Soto, Kansas, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/58/104/517/20
Feb 10, 2008  
12oz brown bottle. 2007 Vintage. Served in a Chalice. Pours a hazy reddish-gold with a fine bubbled head. Fantastic aroma of piney, resiny hops. Silky mouthfeel, not as bitter as the aroma would suggest. Solid malt backbone with an underlying sweetness, but far from cloying. Long finish of hop bitterness. Nice balance considering the style. Hopheads will love this one. A little overpriced IMO.


 Gregis (1132), Shawnee, Kansas, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/516/20
Feb 7, 2008  
Pours a deep, bright orange with a creamy beige head that laces nicely. The nose is of solid, citric hops supported by a big malt backbone and a light cotton candy note. Medium-bodied and creamy-soft with a dry, lightly woody and bitter finish that hangs around for a while. The flavor is a nice malty/bitter-hop balance with a woody, dry finish. This is a very solid and tasty beer, but at nearly $20 per 4-pack, I’m not really compelled to run out and buy more, any time soon.


 fishingnet (1045), Brandon, Florida, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/58/104/516/20
Feb 7, 2008  
2007 Bottle. Pours a slightly hazy copper with a thin white head that leaves some lacing. Aroma of floral, citrus, and earthy hops with a hint of sweet caramel. Taste is the same as aroma. Medium mouthfeel with a moderate to strong amount of bitterness and well hidden alcohol. Very good.



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