Goose Island Imperial IPA

The 12 ounce bottle poured a slightly hazy orange-amber beverage with a small creamy white head that was mostly diminishing but left good lacing on the glass. The aroma was full of hops, mostly floral with sprinkling of pine and citrus notes. The body was huge with a soft carbonation and soft, creamy texture. The flavor starts off moderately sweet with the sweetness lasting well into the long finish but finally giving ground to a light bitterness at the very end. There was a wonderful warming alcohol presence as well.

Thanks to Nucular George for this freaking gem. Pours a cloudy reddish orange color that forms into a nice sized white head that lassted quite a while. Smell = hops+pine, that pretty much sums it up. This one plus the HopSlam make me want to try the Stone 10th again. Not a damn thing bad about this brew. Thanks a million NG.

(bottle - 2006 release) Orange-gold with generous white head. Aroma of pine and citrus. Flavor is pine and citrus hops that aren’t quite overwhelming - enough malt is present for at least an attempt at balance. Great IPA. And kudos to GI for having recommendations for the best glassware on the label.

(Bottle) Pours a frothy, white head and a deep orange body. Nose of intense oranges, sweet cotton candy malt mixed with smoked tones. Goose Island has extracted hash oil from these hops; so strong that its a near elixir. Not you everyday beer but a nice treat every few weeks. Thanks to Blankboy for getting this into my hands.

Bottle. Clear orange coloured with an off white head. Aroma of dried fruits, caramel and pine needles. Flavour of dried fruits, pine needles and hops.

Hazy orange pour with a dense and well retained small off white head, thick gobs of lacing left behind. Aroma is very fresh and is mostly hops, imparting scents of pine, orange and sweet grapefruit in lesser quantities. Also adequate helpings of clean and crisp pale and caramel malt, light traces of pineapple and alcohol. The flavor is superb. English and American hops are playfully intermingled in a powerful display of brutish, crushing hoppy bitterness. The malt is also forceful enough and plentiful enough to provide very good balance in a style that is particularly hard to create any semblance of balance at all, without overdoing it with cloying malt. Finishes light and biting, alcohol warmth and piney hops left behind to scar the palate. The mouthfeel is excellent as well, never too full but always coating and soft, with tremendously exciting spiciness. Excellent IPA. I think I was even more surprised at the drinkability than the label told me I would be. I especially enjoyed the way the English hops provided an air of mustiness and refinement to the resinous onslaught. Greg Hall rarely dissapoints and this I believe to be one of his most accomodating efforts.

12oz bottle (BBF 3/31/07) poured a hazed orange color with a nice off white head. The aroma was a nice orange, grapefruit and bubblegum with some good maltiness. Taste had a pungent orange hop flavor and a smooth bitterness. Good hoppy profile and exeptionaly smooth for being 9% abv. Overall a very nice IIPA that is well worth a try and seems to age pritty well.

Bottle date: 11/30/05 From my secret July Santa, MIBRomeo. Thanks. Pours a slightly hazy amber with almost no head. Smells malty and kinda flowery. Quite bitter. Nice strong flavors of fruity hops, nicely backed up by lots of malts and alcohol.Has a slight touch of burbon. Long fruity and bitter finish. I guess the hops aromas could be a bit fresher... If I had enjoyed this one earlier. Still veeeeery nice.