Goose Island Lake Effect Winter Ale

Brewed by Goose Island Beer Company (Brewpubs)
Style: American Strong Ale
Chicago, Illinois USA

Serve in Snifter, Trappist glass

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Cask conditioned draught. Red/amber body. Frothy faux head that fades to nothing. Christmas spiced cherry and blueberry malt with hints of orange. Seems like an APA with mimimal hops, and some spice thrown in. Very smooth flavors.

Draught @ Clybourn Brewpub: Served in a tulip glass. This one pours a Fairly clear amber color. There was about 1 finger of an off-white head onit. There was some lacing. It has a nice hoppy nose. It is pretty well balanced between citrus and pine hops. The taste is very good. Not too bitter at all. It is fairly full bodied. Pine, some citrus, lots of malts, but no real sweetness to it. Some caramel and faint fruits also.

Apr 27, tap @ Goose Island, Clyborn. Pours dark copper with a small tanned head leaving nice lace. Fruitu, roasted, smokey and tary aroma. Flavor is sweet, fruity, tary, alcohol; excellent. Finish is very nice longlived tary and tart.

On Tap at goose island cly... Pours very similar to broad shoulders with a deep clear copper pour and topped with a thin to medium soapy barely off-white head... Mild citrus and light yeasty nose where the latter takes precedence. Subdued, earthy almost saison like yeasty nose... Flavors Carry forward with the same yeasty profile upfront, some banana and citrus coinciding with one another while finishing with a tame yet somewhat assertive bitterness that lingers to some degree. Smooth medium bodies with adequate carbonation. Finish was a little too bitter for me but still not that bad.

9% draft at clybourn brewpub. aroma is giant lemon/lime, pseudo rocky belgian yeast, meaty malt backdrop. appearance is great legs, copper translucence, medium carb. flavor is grapefruit bitterness, silky malts, warming yet hidden booze. mouthfeel borders on hot at times, overall oily palate.

Tap at Blind Tiger. Deep ruddy-amber pour. A bit of soft hoppiness. Light pine and fruity hoppiness. Rich and pretty tasty.

Tap @ BT, GI event. Red pour. Very sweet, orange citrus, candy arouma. Sweet caramel malts and nicely bitter. A bit of a cotton candy aftertaste. Nice citrus and piney notes and hints of fruity sourness.

Draft. Pours an amber crimson body with an off white head. Hoppy as hell. Awesome hop accents of pine, grapefruit rinds light citrus, a bit of grass and some fresh cut herbs. Maybe a bit green even on the hop tones but nevertheless a flavorful explosion with a full body to back it up. This was great stuff.

Tap at BT for the GI event. Pours a clear deep red amber with a nice small head. Aroma is caramel, and fruity hops, toffee, caramel sweetness, a touch of earth and toasted malts- with tropical hop notes. Flavor is mango, tropical hoppiness, Amarillo, a touch catty, light solvent as well when it warms, raw bitterness in the end a touch astringent. The hops are done pretty well, but it just seems a bit weak overall compared to some big west coast hoppy double reds or ambers.

On Tap @ Brewpub. Look very good in the glass, with a deep red colour and a small head. Really enjoyed drinking this beer.

2010 version at 9% ABV on tap at the GI Pub on Clybourn. Pours a clear, ruby red colored body with a finger-width, creamy, beige head that dissipates slowly and leaves a nice lacing. Very pretty color. Aroma has lots of juicy and sweet amarillos and cascades. Flowery with some earth and a light, resiny pine. A moderately sweet caramel maltiness, maraschino cherries, and fruit cocktail. Flavor is similar, but not quite as nice as the aroma. Cherry fruit cocktail fruitiness, moderately sweet caramels, juicy hops, and some resiny pines. Finishes dry with a moderate length aftertaste after a medium, smooth body and soft carbonation. Overall, a nice beer. The aroma enticed me a bit more than the flavor, but all-around it was solid and enjoyable with lots of sweet, juicy hops.