Goose Island Christmas Ale: Christmas is over
Written: Jan 06 '01 (Updated Jun 23 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A nice hoppy aroma and malty flavor
Cons: Disappointing compared to other Xmas ales
The Bottom Line: Christmas beer that came a little too late and didn't hold up to those I tried in December. Not too bad but many better beers from Christams and Goose Island.
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| andaryl's Full Review: Goose Island Christmas Ale |
Having finally made it through the last 10 nights, and the last 4 afternoons of work, I’m finally relieved to be able to take a little time to relax, and turn one of these masses of beer tasting notes into a review. I tried Goose Island’s Oatmeal Stout about a week ago and was very impressed, so I was eager to get into the gift pack I got for Christmas and try something else. What else should I try next but the Christmas Ale?
Christmas Ale (or Seasonal or Winter) is something I have yet to find a satisfactory description of. Stuart A. Kallen calls these beers “Winter Warmers”, and describes them merely as “stronger, darker, and spicier than your average brew”. Furthermore I have not found a great selection that some of my fellow brew reviewers speak of. In my tastings of Samuel Adams, Samuel Smith’s, Sierra Nevada, and Portland’s versions I have found great variety that is impossible to fit into a single description. Goose Island would prove to be no exception. I read a couple of other reviews that suggest this is not really a Christmas ale, but as I said, is there really a true definition?
GI Christmas Ale pours to reddish, to dark brown color with a tan cream head. The initial head of foam was very good, but quickly disappeared. The body was very clear. There’s an initial hop aroma, with a little alcohol and hints of burnt malt and fruit. On the palate this ale is very light, much more so than I would have expected, while the flavor is sweet and smooth with a little chocolate, but a definite bitterness. The finish is dry and coffee-like, not dissimilar to a stout, but short-lived.
I have to say that this was rather peculiar for a winter ale, and therefore hard to form an opinion on. It is in fact very similar in aroma and flavor to their Oatmeal Stout. At the same time it does seem lighter in body to other winter ales, and at 4.6% doesn’t stand up well in a strength test. In that respect I would have to say I was a little disappointed.
Now I did notice that this beer was a two Gold Medal winner, so it does have its admirers. I also noticed that this is an all-new 2000 recipe, so I’m not sure if it is the award winner itself. I also noticed someone else refer to an ABV of 6.8% in their review. If this was correct what were Goose Island thinking of, taking away the alcohol?
Once I relaxed into this beer though and forgot what I was drinking, it did become more enjoyable. It was a good beer to sip in front of the TV, and would work pretty well with pizza. While I give this one a 3-rating, I wouldn’t recommend you go out and buy some unless you’re the kind of person who’ll give everything a try. It’s a nice beer, just not up to scratch.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
andaryl
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Member: Andrew Smith
Location: The Desert, So Cal
Reviews written: 219
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