Goose Island Pere Jacques

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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I’ve managed to corral enough beers to do a 3 year vertical tasting. 2012: Poured a translucent caramel brown with a decent, but quickly dissipating head. Very effervescent. Almost soda-like. Not as many esters as I expected. Aroma overall is subdued, in fact. Tastes of sharp caramel and toffee sweetness. Some cherry tartness, too. Not that many esters. Very bubbly at first but full, overwhelming sweetness at the end. I liked this better than expected. (6, 4, 8, 4, 15: 3.7) 2011 - Appearance is exactly the same. The aroma is drastically different. All hints of caramel is gone. In its place are strong phenolics. Mostly banana and clove. Leathery, too. Some breadiness and toffee flavors, but the banana and clove flavors are much more pronounced. Carbonation and caramel sweetness are much less pronounced. It’s amazing what an extra year will do to drastically change the character of a beer. (7, 4, 6, 3, 13: 3.3). 2010 - Let’s face facts, I’m a bit drunk now, so detailed reviews aren’t going to happen. Just know that the 2010 version finds a nice balance between the malty sugariness of the 2012 version and the strong phenolic character of the 2011 version. 2010 is spicier and some vanilla comes into play, too. (7, 4, 7, 4, 14: 3.6)

Bottle. Molasses, cherry, caramel malt aroma. Murky copper with a small beige head. Strong molasses, caramel malt, slight metallic, alcohol flavor with a spicy finish. Medium to full body, lively carbonation.

Dark amber almost copper with a foamy head. Aromas of light bread, banana, coriander, slight dark cherry, big caramel and toffee. Flavors of toffee, caramel, bread, slight alcohol, hints of banana, slight spice. Rich, sweet, and I like that bready thickness in this one.

A good beer but was expecting more. Part of a beer festival tasting so likely deserves another taste. It is a decent beer just didn’t pack enough flavour for dark belgian strong.

Poured from bottle. Aged 2 years. Pours amber gold with a medium thin white head...lots of lacing. Smells of cherries and ripe apple with some spice. Tastes malty sweet with chewy mouth feel and very light carbonation. You can tell the aging has tamed this down a bit. Great belgian, but I think I'll stick to it drinking a little more fresh next time. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

It pours mid-ruby brown with a strong nose of apple orchards, so much so that with your eyes closed it could be a cider. Its quite sweet with plenty of higher alcohols and a burnt sugar/ solvent finish. I’m not too keen.

Pours a murky amber hue with small white head that is mostly diminishing Aroma of dark fruits, caramel, malt and molasses Flavor is metallic and slightly watery with an alcoholic finish - still a good brew though Medium mouthfeel with light carbonation a goo brew

Tap at WF. Slightly cloudy dark amber. Strong aroma w. fruity almost fruitcake aroma. Very dark dried fruit and caramel flavor, a nice touch of hops, brown sugar finish. Overall very good dark Belgian. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Draft pours dark amber with sall tan head. Aroma of dark fruits and sweet dough (like being in a bakery). A myriad of flavors danced on my tongue; plums, raisins, toffee, caramel, and sweet breaded malts. One of the best Amercan-brewed Begians ales I’ve tasted.

Poured into tulip, dark ruby with a finger of white head. Smell is rich plum and raisin, bit of fig and maybe a bit of booze. Taste is rich and decadent, full bodied, plum and raisin for sure, bit of cherry and some more dark fruit, and a bit more booze than I would care for. It is mildly complex but nothing mind blowing. Full bodied. Decent, but nothing spectacular.