Goose Island Reserve - Part 1

I live about an hour and half south Chicago, but I will be moving 2 weeks. So, I am trying to experience all of the things I will be missing about Illinois. People and places aside, the quality beers provided by the Goose Island Brewery in Chicago are outstanding. Offering 14 different beers, Goose Island produces a wide variety of different beers, but above all their Reserve beers are top-notch! These beers include:

1. Pere Jacques

ABV – 9.0%

Alcohol by Weight – 7.0%

Hop Bitterness (IBU) – 26, Medium

Color (SRM) – 32, Warm Molasses

 

2. Demolition

ABV – 8.0%

Alcohol by Weight – 6.0%

Hop Bitterness (IBU) – 55, Medium

Color (SRM) – 5, Pale Honey

 

3. Matilda

ABV – 7.0%

Alcohol by Weight – 5.0%

Hop Bitterness (IBU) – 32

Color (SRM) – 13

 

4. Imperial IPA

ABV – 9.0%

Alcohol by Weight – 7.0%

Hop Bitterness (IBU) – 90, High

Color (SRM) – 12

 

5. Bourbon County Stout

ABV – 11.0%

Alcohol by Weight – 9.0%

Hop Bitterness (IBU) – 60, High

Color (SRM) – Midnight

Other beers include ales, a wheat beer, seasonals, and a killer oatmeal stout, but the very best are these reserve beers. Each beer carries a distinctive label displaying a story about the beer from Brewmaster, Greg Hall. These beers (except for the Pere Jacques for some reason) seem to be readily available at local stores, so I plan on getting my hands on each one. I have tried every beer but the Imperial IPA and Pere Jacques and plan on reviewing all of them.

As far as the Goose Island Brewery goes, the brewery started as a brewpub at 1800 North Clybourn Avenue in Chicago and has expanded to a brewery and bottling plant with another Beer Pub located in Wrigleyville (where I should have gone when I was there). The company maintains its close ties with the local community, but has started to gain acclaim on an international level as well. The Matilda recently won a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival, and the Bourbon County Stout won a gold medal at the World Beer Cup. As I have complained about these types of contests before, this does not guarantee quality (have you seen Miller Lite’s World Beer Cup commercials?). But, in this case, the beers deserve all the recognition they have received. In the next part of this beer review series, Demolition will be discussed; check back soon…