Goose Island Matilda

Brewed by Goose Island Beer Company (AB-InBev)
Style: Belgian Ale
Chicago, Illinois USA

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Belgian Pale Ale. According to brewery alcohol is 7.2. Golden color, baking spice aroma, fruity biscuity malt flavor, dry body ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

caramel, resin, woody, orange, cloudy, white foam, light sweetness, medium bitterness, lightly sour, medium body, slick feel, average carbonation, long finish, An Amazing beer. It is extremely well balanced and has two distinct flavors.

floral and spicy. very easy to drink with a great balance of light sweetness and subtle alcohol taste and mouthfeel.

A fruit and banana aroma fill nose. Beautiful dark amber color. Thin white head in tulip glass after 12oz pour. First taste is full of complexity typical of a traditiona belgium style abbey. Sweetness from malt and sugar hit first, followed by a subtle spice. Body of the beer is like velvet. A hint of clove on the finish. I tried this beer 4 years ago and still frequently indulge in this beer. I have stored several bottles to develop over time, only to enjoy its evolving complexity. Have found that after 2 years it really grows into something completely unique with its sweet banana notes, after that its hard to tell.

2012 Vintage. Pours golden orange with a medium sized off-white head. Smells funky and of spicy, earthy hops. Taste is both spicy and funky. Medium-bodied with a smooth texture and a fair amount of mouth-carbonation, Goose Island Matilda finishes with a mild spiciness and funk.

Very nice beer, crisp and clear. I like the sweet flavor present in many Belgian beera but this one doesn’ leave an unpleasent aftertaste that some stronger ales can do. It’s a little like duvel except it has a cleaner flavor. The hops aren’t too biiter.

22 oz. bottle. Pours a copper orange color. Head went away pretty quickly but there was a thin film on top that lasted down the glass. Very nice appearance. Had a fruity with a little yeast aroma. Sweet taste but there was a sour cherry note in the back. As it warms, a piney taste came to the forefront. Very clean finishing. A great beer, will look for this one.

UPDATED: MAY 20, 2008 Note: This is a rating for a tap glass of “Matilda Reserve” I was served at the brewpub (Clybourn location). I’m re-writing my Matilda rating and not adding a new entry although there is a different entry for “Goose Island Tripel” and “Goose Island Reserve Tripel”. However this tap glass was significantly different from the bottles I’ve had in the past. Even better that the already excellent bottle version. It may just be because it was on tap or maybe this should be a different entry. I’ll move the rating if I see one day a local creates a new entry for a Matilda Reserve

In short: A Saison-like crisp Belgian ale.
How: Tap at brewpub
The look: Clear golden blonde body with a small white head.
In long: Lots of crisp malts. Although not funky per say the beer as a strong farmhouse character. Fruity notes are on the lighter juicy citric side of things with grapefruits, granny smith apples and so on. Wonderful complex hops finish blending Saaz-ish dry grassiness and citrusy American hops. Citric tartness just make you wanna go for more and more. This tap glass was much crisper and less candy than all the bottles I’ve had before. Best thing with a woman name I’ve had since... well... a woman.

Presentation: It was poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a tulip glass. The label has the year (2009) and a "Bottled On" date of 09/18/09. The ABV is listed as 7%. They mention "Belgian Style Ale" on the label but don’t say which Belgian style it is. Appearance: The body has warm reddish orange amber color with a cloudy haze. A thick and tall off white head caps off the beer and makes some nice lacing on the glass. Smell: In the nose I pick up lots of good things. There are notes of spicy and medicinal phenols with tropical fruit, yeast and sweet honey like malt. It also has a light touch of funky earthy hops. Taste/Palate: On the tongue there is a tasty mix of all the spicy/medicinal and yeast notes with some tropical fruit and honey sweetness. The funky and sweet notes are tempered with a good balance of earthy dry hop spice and bitterness. With its medium to full body I get a slightly different mix of flavor notes each time. The texture is kind of smooth and dry with a nice level of carbonation. Notes: This is an absolutely wonderful and complex Belgian Style Ale.

I really like this. It’s effervescent and spicy and has a pleasant flavor throughout. The hops really give it an extra bite. Great.