Goose Island Matilda

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

Served from 12-oz bottle at Bistro 110 in downtown Chicago. Pours a semi-clear amber brew with an average off-white head that quickly dissipates to a fine film and white ring. Some nice lacing. Aroma of caramel and Munich malts, some white pepper, cloves, a touch of coriander and fruit bread. Taste is medium bodied, light carbonation with flavors of biscuits, light yeast, some cloves and light fruit. Finish has a mild bitterness with some white pepper and bready malt aftertaste.

Clear deep amber pour with a light off-white head. Aroma was wonderfully decadent... with lighter fruits (pears & grapes), spices (including white pepper), and an intriguing bready yeast. Well-carbonated on the palate, and coated the mouth quite nicely. Finish was rather long, and carried through floral hops and some spices. Flavor picked up the bready yeast, some spices, and some fruit, but was not nearly as exciting as the aroma (yet it was still quite good). I’ll definitely have to pick up some more of these!

Like a saison, extremely horse though recent brew. Some spice, cinammon, nutmeg, not much, pale colour nice amount of head, and foam at the bottom. Nice drinking, but you have to get by the smell. Do you think skunked in short time? Peppery, medium mouthfeel.

Bottle (12oz). Thanks to my friend Dave B for this one. Poured hazy amber-gold with a decent lasting fizzy-creamy off-white head. Aroma of a herbal (UK/Europe) hoppy belgian white ale, quite spicy with plenty of peppery yeast - reminds me strongly of the better Unibroue products. Taste follows the nose, even more bitter and spicy, with some light juicy citrus coming in as it warms, it has an overly quick finish and a bitter herbal aftertaste which overpowers the fruity/sweet malt backbone in the end. This initially has a decent body for the style - in my opinion it’s pretty well ON style - but it seems to wilt a little after a while, with a very lively, bitter, syrupy mouthfeel. A nice standard light belgian ale. Thanks, Dave!

Bottle 355 ml 2009 Bottle
Appearance: slight haze of fiery amber. Lighter fizzy creamy crown .
Nose: soft aromatic aromas , flower softness , rose petal , herbs , citric zest , spicy end. 7+
Flavor/Palate : mid bodied with fuller buildup. Caramel and candi sugars all soft and well balanced. Soft hop neatly covering. Light citric zest as another element in this picture. Subtle complexity. Very drinkable with late dryness.

Draft at the brewpub. They called it the reserva for some reason however im not convinced it was any different. Aroma pilsner, and crystal malts, banana and other light fruits. Beer is dark with red hues. Flavor is banana, plum, and some caramel. A solid beer.

This 2006 bottled brew from a bottle shop poured a small sized head of foamy finely sized tan colored bubbles that were mostly diminishing and left behind a hazy very softly carbonated dark orange brown colored body and a fair lacing. The aroma was musty fruity and farmhouse. The crisp mouth feel was tingly at the start and at the finish. The mild flavor contained notes of mild fruit hops caramel and dough.

Bottle at home. Clear amber - white head. Sweetness, caramel, light yeasty, peppery, wheaty notes, orange, fruity, toasted, grass, grape, pine needles, nice hoppy, sharp peppery. OK.