I am literally a fiend for India Pale Ales. I’ve tried time and again to switch my allegiance to other styles of beer, but the IPA reels me in every time. I think I started to fall in love with it in college when I realized the alcohol content was so much higher than your standard red or pale ales. But that was just the beginning. I had no idea the deeply rewarding rich array of flavors that were out there just begging me to come home. In the years that have passed since I got out of school I’ve come to realize how important quality hops really are to making a good beer, especially when we’re talking about an India Pale Ale. Fortunately for us all, Goose Island Beer Company out of Chicago, Illinois recognizes this unwavering truth as well. Their English-style India Pale Ale shows this from start to finish.
The appearance of this beer had my mouth watering from the get go. Its bright gold color with bubbles rapidly racing to the top and eventually forming a thick and frothy head spoke to me in a very soothing manner. When put up against the Miller Light the guy next to me was drinking, my Goose Island IPA looked like it had been divinely ordained, while his glass looked more like urine from an animal who subsists on a diet of hay.
The aroma is all hops here, with succulent notes of pine and a mild citrus presence. Despite the fact that the visual description of this beer indicated it was probably heavily carbonated, I found it to be moderate in this realm. The mouth feel is really enjoyable, most accentuating the presence of the high quality hops and demonstrating a good understanding of the balance necessary to make a good IPA. The Goose Island finishes clean and will keep me coming for more every time.
The only draw back here is that this beer can be fairly difficult to find. Goose Island seems to have pretty solid distribution in the Midwest and even on the East Coast, but in my travels through the western reaches of America I almost never see it. But I suppose this is all the more reason to keep your eyes peeled next time you’re in Chicago. It’s worth a try, for sure.
