Goose Island: Good For The Gander

Goose Island Harvest AleIt’s autumn, so the harvest ale theme continues.  The most recent gaggle of beer arriving at our door included Goose Island Harvest Ale.

The best thing about this time of year is all the seasonal beers available from October through January.  It’s always a toss-up for me as to whether I prefer the fall seasonals or the winter variety.  While labeled as “Harvest Ale,” Goose Island’s offering to the fall season really just a tastes like a good pale ale to me.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that.  There’s just nothing that seems all that seasonal about it, aside from the cool label.

It’s an ESB (Extra Special Bitter), so it’s a bit hoppy, but has a nice, clean finish.  It had a nice copper color and poured with an incredibly frothy and long-lasting head.  It’s got an ABV of  5.6% and while some of the reviews I read were able to pick out a variety of flavors, all I really picked up were the hops up front and a smooth, malty finish.  

Not a bad beer by any stretch, but nothing overly exciting either.  I’d give it about a 4 out of 5, which is actually bit higher than the average BeerAdvocate rating.  In other words, I wouldn’t turn it down if someone handed one to me.  I’ll be on the lookout for Goose Island’s Mild Winter and Christmas seasonals as the colder months roll in.

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