Goose Island reserve...Thoughts?

I gave a fellow ale imbiber some of the Prere Jacques reserve beer for Christmas under the pretense of friendship and the hope to try a bottle. I was quite impressed with the depth of flavor and smoothness of the beer. I would love to go a-samplin', but the beer though is $10 bucks for a four pack and I would like to have some more opinions before putting the money down. I have heard good things about the Bourbon County. Any thoughts?

If you can find the BCS for only $10 per 4-pack, buy every bottle there. I usually see it for around $20/4-pack.

BCS is a big beer. It's rich and malty, with the chocolatey notes of a good porter or stout along with caramel notes lent by the bourbon barrel aging. I like it a lot. Is it worth $5/bottle? Well, I've probably paid that much for worse beers at a bar, so I guess yes, but it's definitely not an every day drinkin' beer.

I am a big fan of all the Goose Island Reserve beers. I have the precious Imperial IPA in my fridge right now. It is a great double IPA. Both the Matilda and Pere Jacques are fantastic. Especially when you can get them on tap.

They are pricey beers, but I always think about it in relation to wine. Would a pay $20 for a good bottle of wine? Sure. Then why not for good beer?

Is the precious Imperial IPA 4 pack about $20?

Is the precious Imperial IPA 4 pack about $20?

Yep. $20-22 for a four-pack, depending on who is selling it.

mhill95149 wrote:Is the precious Imperial IPA 4 pack about $20?

Yes, and overpriced IMO. It's a very good beer, especially if you love hop flavor without much bitterness. However, it's priced at about 40% higher than most other local and national Imperial IPAs. Recently they had it on draft at their Clybourn pub for $10 for a 12oz glass. That's pretty outrageous an probably to most expensive beer at a brewpub I've ever seen.
In general, Goose has been really pushing the boundaries of reasonable prices. Their rather middle-of-the-road 6% abv beers at the pub are typically $6 a pint and any beer greater than 6.5% is served in 12oz glasses for $6-$8. That makes them more expensive than almost all good beer bars in the city, despite the fact that the product isn't going through any middlemen.

That said, the Pere Jacques at $10/4-pack and the Bourbon Stout at $20/4-pack are about right, especially with the labor and aging involved in the latter. The Bourbon Stout ages quite well, so buy some for your cellar before the price goes up to $25.

The Bourbon County Stout, along with Three Floyd's Dark Lord, are the best Imperial Stouts I've ever tasted. I may even give the sole honor to the Goose BCS because, believe it or not, it's just a tad lighter and more drinkable than Dark Lord. It has a little bit less of that sticky sweetness that Dark Lord has. But they are both BIG BIG beers that really knock you over the head with flavor. You're not going to have more than one of these in a session, unless you're completely bonkers.

I also love the Imperial IPA. It's up there with Dogfish Head 90 and Three Floyd's Dreadnaught. I'll gladly pay $5/bottle for it. For me the Bourbon County Stout and Imperial IPA are the best specialty beers Goose Island has to offer.

I don't know, Imperial IPAs and Imperial Stouts can run pretty expensive. Most are served in a large 22 oz bottle that typically run about $8-$12. When you consider that the Goose Island Imperial IPA and Bourbon County Stout come in a pack of 4 12 oz bottles for $18-$22 (depending on where you buy) the price per ounce seems fairly standard. Goose Island just gives you more.

As far as the beer goes, I am a big fan of the Matilda, Bourbon County Stout, and Imperial IPA. I feel like these are some of the best examples of their specific styles (Belgian Pale Ale, Imperial Stout, Imperial IPA) being produced by American craft brewers. Not such a big fan of the Pere Jacques or Demolition.

Bottom line, I don't think the Goose Island Reserve beers are overpriced relative to the market, but they are expensive. There are lots of other good craft beers out there at lower price points, but I think the Goose Island Reserve are some of the best and worth the price if you can afford it.

Giallo wrote:

Bottom line, I don't think the Goose Island Reserve beers are overpriced relative to the market, but they are expensive.

Well, here are the 8-10 abv Imperial IPAs I have had recently and are generally held in high regard. They are priced in terms of comparible quantities of 1 22oz bottle or 2 12oz bottles.

Goose: $10
Stone 10th $6
Bear Republic Hop Rod $5
Dogfish 90 minute $5
Hercules $6
Bell's Hopslam $7
3Fs Dreadnaught $10

Except for 3Fs (who many people think are overpriced), Goose is about 40% to 100% higher than the others.

I don't think Goose's BCS is overpriced, but the Imperial IPA is higher priced (by quite a margin) the the majority of Imperial IPAs out there, including those held in equal esteem on major beer reviewing sites.

I personally think they're worth it, especially as special occasion or with special meal beers.

I think Dogfish 120 minute IPA is one of the most expensive I've seen, I can't recall the retail price, but it's 15 bucks for a 12oz bottle at Hopleaf.

I am a little disturbed when I see regular everyday beers (Leinenkugel seasonals etc.) reaching 8 bucks a six in supermarkets. Still, I think beer drinkers' money goes much farther than wine, whisky, whiskey or cocktail drinkers.

kiplog wrote:
I think Dogfish 120 minute IPA is one of the most expensive I've seen, I can't recall the retail price, but it's 15 bucks for a 12oz bottle at Hopleaf.

Yeah, Dogfish 120 (about $8 for 12oz retail) is whole other league. It's the strongest imperial IPA ever brewed (18-20%) and is alot more costly to produce than Goose's or just about any other 8-10% Imperial IPA.
Dogfish 90 minute ($2.50 bottle) is a more direct comparison.
I also think Dogfish 120 is worth the price, and in fact for what you are getting is probably more reasonably priced than Goose's Imperial IPA.
I don't think Goose Imp IPA is costs too much in an absolute sense or that $5 retail per bottle is too much for beer, I'm just saying that its overpriced relative to most other Imperial IPAs in the same class.

Anybody try the Great Lakes Burning River? I've been really liking this lately, especially with food. My favorite pale ale of late, and less pricey than some.

The Goose Imperial IPA and Bourbon County Stout both are fantastic beers, and probably the best in their category. I tried to drink the IIPA and the Dreadnaught side by side a few times, I liked Goose better. There is a reason why I bought a case of the Bourbon County because it is just so tasty. This year's release is a little smoother since they used different barrels(Heaven Hills) for aging. I think the price is fair, and just hope it wouldn't go any higher.

Does anyone here no where one can purchase the Bourbon County Stout here in the Chicagoland area? I couldn't find it at Binny's while I was there this past weekend....

K2daP wrote:Does anyone here no where one can purchase the Bourbon County Stout here in the Chicagoland area? I couldn't find it at Binny's while I was there this past weekend....

The last time I picked it up, just before Thanksgiving, I got it at the Binny's in River North (on Grand?). Last year I got it at a Whole Foods, but I can't remember witch one (not the one on North), I think it was up on Ashland. It is a "limited" release once a year, so if it is gone, it's gone till next year.

SSDD

K2daP wrote:Does anyone here no where one can purchase the Bourbon County Stout here in the Chicagoland area? I couldn't find it at Binny's while I was there this past weekend....

I believe Archer Liquors should still have some.

Binko wrote:

K2daP wrote:Does anyone here no where one can purchase the Bourbon County Stout here in the Chicagoland area? I couldn't find it at Binny's while I was there this past weekend....

I believe Archer Liquors should still have some.

Archer seems to be out of them....darn.

http://web.mac.com/archerliquors/iWeb/Goose%20Island/Bourbon_County_Stout.html

I saw some Bourbon County Stout yesterday at Sal's Beverages in Villa Park/Elmhurst near St. Charles Rd just west of Route 83. They also have some Imperial Brown Goose, Imperial IPA, and a good beer selection in general.

Since we are on the topic of stouts, has anyone seen or tasted Three Floyds Black Sun Stout? I beleive that I saw it on Hopleaf's website the other day but I have yet to try it. I've read that it has a strong coffee flavor with hints of grapefruit/citrus accents to it. Not sure how well that all pulls together but i'm anxious to try it.

K2daP wrote:Since we are on the topic of stouts, has anyone seen or tasted Three Floyds Black Sun Stout? I beleive that I saw it on Hopleaf's website the other day but I have yet to try it. I've read that it has a strong coffee flavor with hints of grapefruit/citrus accents to it. Not sure how well that all pulls together but i'm anxious to try it.

The Black Sun is an interesting beer. Definitely not your traditional stout, but I enjoyed it. More so as I worked my way through the bomber and became more comfortable with the interesting Three Floyd's hop profile that mingles with the traditional malty stout flavors to. Probably not for everyone, but definitely worth a try, especially if you are a 3F fan.

K2daP wrote:Since we are on the topic of stouts, has anyone seen or tasted Three Floyds Black Sun Stout? I beleive that I saw it on Hopleaf's website the other day but I have yet to try it. I've read that it has a strong coffee flavor with hints of grapefruit/citrus accents to it. Not sure how well that all pulls together but i'm anxious to try it.

Grapefruit/citrus flavors may indicate use of Cascade hops variety, which is prevalent in a lot of west coast-style beers like Arrogant Bastard, Sierra Nevada's offerings, Anchor's Old Foghorn barleywine, etc. If you've had Rogue's Shakespeare Stout you've tasted it in a stout before. My experience with Three Floyds' products leads me to believe that it'll be outstanding but I have not tasted this particular brew.

K2daP wrote:Since we are on the topic of stouts, has anyone seen or tasted Three Floyds Black Sun Stout? I beleive that I saw it on Hopleaf's website the other day but I have yet to try it. I've read that it has a strong coffee flavor with hints of grapefruit/citrus accents to it. Not sure how well that all pulls together but i'm anxious to try it.

I've had it on tap last year and I've had it in bombers. It's a very nice and smooth beer, understated by Three Floyd's standards, which still means it's a pretty flavorful beer. It's about as heavy as a Guinness which, for stouts, means it's not terribly heavy at all. Definitely a beer you can drink all night. It's hoppier than you would expect from a stout (hey, it's brewed by Floyd's, so whaddaya expect?) but I don't find the hoppiness distracting.

Other possible hops varietals that the aroma suggests are Centennial and Amarillo.

Binko/KSeecs, where have you guys purchased the bombers in the past? Also sort of a tangent, but FFF plans on releasing their Behemoth variety in the very near future, or so i've read. It's their barley wine rendition of their line.

Cheers.

K2daP wrote:Binko/KSeecs, where have you guys purchased the bombers in the past? Also sort of a tangent, but FFF plans on releasing their Behemoth variety in the very near future, or so i've read. It's their barley wine rendition of their line.

Cheers.

For me, it was Archer Liquors. I'm actually heading out there now, I'll see what they got.

edit:

Yep, they got two bottles of Black Sun Stout left (I picked up one at about $7.99) and 5 bottles of Behemoth (at $17.99 a bomber). Managed to also pick up the last of the Bell's stouts they've got left (a couple of Rye Stouts and a couple of Kalamazoo. They still have some of the Bells small-batch wheats there).

K2daP wrote:Binko/KSeecs, where have you guys purchased the bombers in the past? Also sort of a tangent, but FFF plans on releasing their Behemoth variety in the very near future, or so i've read. It's their barley wine rendition of their line.

Cheers.

I have not picked up the Black Sun in a while, but I often can get it at the Binny's in Willowbrook on 83, Archer Liquors, or the Sams Wine and Spirits in Downers Grove. I live in Westmont, so those are my common stomping grounds when it comes to booze buying.

Well my persistence didn't end up in vein today......after numerous phonecalls to the varioius Binny's, Sam's, Archer, and Wholefoods today, i was finally able to procur a 4-pack of the BCS from Wholefoods on North Ave.. unfortunately, it was the last of the allotment so i feel pretty lucky. i never knew how hard it is to obtain highly sought after brews until now. Next job is to try to score FFFs Darklord once that's released.

For those looking for Founder's Breakfast Stout, which also seems very rare to find, Wholefoods in Lakeview has some although very limited. I believe that the Chicagoland area only recieved 20 cases in total. Due to this fact, they only sold me one 4-pack.

Question: I'd like to be able to saviour these for a special occasion so is there a certain way I should be storing these guys so that they can age well and retain their flavor? I just hope that i'm able to refrain from drinking more than one or two of each.

K2daP wrote:
Question: I'd like to be able to saviour these for a special occasion so is there a certain way I should be storing these guys so that they can age well and retain their flavor? I just hope that i'm able to refrain from drinking more than one or two of each.

A cool, dark place (e.g. basement/cellar) with preferably relatively constant temperature should be fine. I have a bottle of 2006 and 2005 Dark Lord in the basement, waiting for the right time to drink. I've missed the last two release parties, but luckily my cousin was able to go and procure several bottles. I should be there this year though!