Goose Island Beer Company Goose Rambler IPA American IPA at 6.7% ABV | 65 IBU (C$3.54 at NLC Stavanger, 473 ml, bottle date 29-Jul-2016, acquired 21-Oct-2016, reviewed 21-Oct-2016)
Appearance: clear medium amber with two fingers of rocky light beige head, excellent retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: pine, caramel, earth and wood, citrus, toasted bread, black tea. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (6/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (4/5)
I can’t make up my mind whether this is intended to be a deliberately old-school A/IPA, or an attempt at a hybrid E/IPA+A/IPA… or is it supposed to be a Red IPA? Either way, the effect is somewhat less than impressive, feeling a little bit duller than I would like, and a bit earthier, and a bit sweeter. The bitterness is present at the level I like to see, but it’s not bright or sharp – at most, it’s predominantly piney and earthy, instead of citrus. Pleasant, I suppose, and pretty, but not really representative of the current state of the art. (13/20)
6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
