1001 BEERS: #35. GOOSE ISLAND INDIA PALE ALE

 

# 35: GOOSE ISLAND INDIA PALE ALE

Goose Island Beer Co. - USA (Est.1988)

5.9% ABV - Blond (Ale) 
IBU's - 55

Ingredients:

Malts: Pale Ale 
Hops: Styrian Golding, Fuggle, Cascade, Centennial (Dry hopped)

Tasting Notes

E: Bright amber, fantastic clarity with a soapy head and tight small bubbles.

N: Citrus, grapefruit hop aromas at the start leading to a spicy resinous, floral aroma, with a slight zesty orange sweetness.

P: Sweet malts build to a spicy bitter flavour that matures and lingers.

M: Spicy hop finish with a lovely sweet malty underlying mouthfeel.

Other comments: A brewery out of Chicago, Illinois that has been at the forefront of the American Craft Beer revival since it's origin in 1988 as a brewpub.  Thankfully John Hall had found out Chicagoans palates had evolved and the demand for distinctive, full-bodied, diverse beers led the Goose Island Brewery on its road to success.  In 1995 the brewpub was deemed to small to meet the demands across the US, so a new larger brewery was built.  Today, they brew a slection of over 50 craft beers, and is seen as one of the most popular US craft breweries imported into the UK.  IPA embodies that hard working industrial heritage of both Chicago and it's inspiration the English IPA.

Food Pairings: Bold hops and underlying malty flavours in Goose Island IPA mean that this is a great beer to accompany food.  The fruity hop bitterness will cut through the spices of a curry, whilst the carbonation will lift any residual spice cleansing the palate, leaving the malty sweetness to prevail.  Pair with a bold cheese, so go with a fantastic aged Gouda.  The hops will cut through the fats whilst the fruity aromas will work with the nutty flavours in the the cheese, allowing the sweetness of both the malts and the cheese to complement each other.  The carbonation will cleanse the mouth of any residual fats.

SCORE: 3.8/5

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