GOOSE ISLAND - SUMMERTIME
(Chicago, IL)
Jabez Martinez: 4.5
A bright golden beer with a slight haze to it. I could smell some malts and grains with a slight aroma of citrus. It has a nice, light grainy flavor with a bit of lemon. A great summer beer because it is very crisp, somewhat light and I would drink it while grilling.
Alison Sigman: 3.5
Pours a translucent yellow color and is very active in carbonation. There is a tight white head on top of the glass. The aroma is rather funky, with some notes of lemon and fruity esters. There is some aggressive carbonation on the front of the tongue – much like the consistency of tonic water – then it drops out, leaving an empty wheat flavor. It's a straightforward, light bodied, simple beer.
Todd Zachritz: 3.0
This clear, golden kolsch-style beer pours with a luxurious white head and attractive webbed "bicycle-spoke" lace. Nice! Aroma says lager yeast, grains. Not too spectacular. The taste is malty, bordering on sweet, but with a nice (but subtle) hops infusion somewhere in between. A very mild, but drinkable summer brew.
GOOSE ISLAND - INDIA PALE ALE
(Chicago, IL)
Jabez Martinez: 3.5
This beer looked similar to the summertime but tasted very different. It had a heavy pine aroma. It had a strong hop flavor but also had a grapefruit taste. I am not a big IPA fan but this one was a little on the lighter side to me, which was okay.
Alison Sigman: 3.0
Definitely piney hops with floral scents mixed in that leaves a nice lacing. It starts out malty and sweet, but the hops kick in quickly, leaving a piney bitter taste in the mouth. Just the right amount of carbonation in my opinion, but if you don't drink it fast enough it goes away pretty quickly. Best consumed ice cold out of the bottle.
Todd Zachritz: 4.5
This cloudy amber IPA pours with a thick white head and ornate lace on the glass. Masterful! The nose is spicy sweet, with lovely hops. Glorious hops. Taste is strong and bitter grapefruit, with a strong malt backbone to balance the bitter acidity. Goose Island has a standout here, with a superior IPA worth returning to. Let's hope Anheuser-Busch retains this rich and flavorful beer's character as they absorb Goose Island into their corporate portfolio.
BELL’S OARSMAN ALE
(Comstock, MI)
Jabez Martinez: 2.5
This is a cloudy golden beer and that was the best part about it. I am usually a big Bell’s fan but I didn’t care for this one that much. It had a grainy aroma and a little grainy flavor but the sour taste disappointed me. I didn’t’ care for it.
Alison Sigman: 2.0
Pale straw yellow color, translucent, two fingers of bubbly white head forms from the pour but quickly disappears. Sourness and tartness are the dominant flavors. There is a lot of sediment at the bottom of the bottle and the taste is slightly better when these sediments are stirred in, but not enough to want to keep swirling around the beer bottle.
Todd Zachritz: 3.0
This cloudy yellow ale pours with a small head and no lace. Average presentation, but the nose says otherwise -- I get bread and orange peel. Promising. The taste is surprising -- fruity malts up front, with tart citrus notes dancing around the tongue. The slightly hoppy finish closes it out with gracefulness. A delightful light beer for the warm months, and one I'd return to again.
ALEXANDER KEITH'S - NOVA SCOTIA STYLE BROWN ALE
(St. Louis, MO)
Jabez Martinez: 4.0
This beer poured a nice dark brown color with good carbonation. I could smell the roasted malts and some honey. The tasted matched the aroma. I liked the malts but this beer had a lot of honey flavor. A very sweet beer and a nice change of pace from what I usually drink.
Alison Sigman: 3.0
This beer pours amber brown, but is still translucent. An inch or so of head is present upon pouring, leaving no lace to speak of. I like this. The malt is the star, but there are notes of brown sugar present as well. If given the choice, drinking out of the bottle is the way to enjoy.
Todd Zachritz: 2.0
Truly a brown ale here, clean and brown in tone with decent foam and no lace. Nose is sweet and maple-like. Flavor is sweet and malty, with hints of fall leaves and maple. Not much complexity here, just an over-sweet malt bomb. Not a favorite.
Ratings are given from 1-5. “5” is the best rating a reviewer can give, meaning they were very pleased with the beer and would strongly recommend it. “1” is the lowest rating a reviewer can give, meaning they did not enjoy the beer at all.
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The Lingo
Q: I hear your reviewers use the term “lace” or “lacing.” What does it mean exactly?
A: The term “lace” describes the remains of the beer head on the sides of the glass as beer is consumed. As the level sinks, it leaves a lattice-like array of foam, hence coining the term "lace." Some beer connoisseurs believe large amounts of lace are an indication of a well crafted or well carbonated beer.
Send us your brewing questions! editor@atomapublishing.com.
