Goose Island Fleur

Brewed By: Goose Island Beer Company (owned by AB InBev) in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 1 Pint, 6oz (650mL) bomber from Binny's in IL; 2011

Style/ABV: Belgian Ale, 7.0%

In light of the recent news that Goose Island is retiring their Nightstalker, Big John, Demolition, King Henry, and Fleur, it seems appropriate to crack open a bottle of the Goose Island Fleur. I'm not sure what to make of the news that Goose Island is axing many of it's extreme and interesting beers. Rumor on the street is that Goose Island plans to increase production on their Bourbon County line...so maybe this isn't terrible news. 

Goose Island is a Chicago-based brewery that began as a brewpub on Clybourn, which opened on May 1988. The actual brewery opened on 1995, and is located on the Southwest side of Chicago. The second brewpub, located in Wrigleyville by the Chicago Cubs, was opened in 1999. On March 28, 2011, Goose Island sold 58% of the brewery to Anheuser-Busch. The remaining 42% of the brewery is supposed to be acquired by A-B InBev in the future, and there has been much discussion about the brewery's takeover.

The Fleur is a Belgian Pale Ale blended with hibiscus and kombucha tea. Kombucha is a really interesting ingredient to put in a beer. According to Wikipedia, it is an effervescent tea-based beverage that is made using yeast and bacteria which forms the kombucha culture. The kombucha culture is created by mixing acetic acid bacteria with one or more yeasts. What is really interesting to me is that common yeasts used include Brettanomyces bruxellensis. Small world, right? Kombucha is described as having sparkling apple cider and champagne flavors. Hibiscus is a flower, of course, and has floral and sour notes that can be sweetened up when you add sugar to it. Along with the hibiscus and kombucha tea, the Fleur uses Super Styrian, Stryian Golding, and Saaz hops. The beer clocks in at 7.0% ABV, and packs 32 IBUs. Goose Island's website describes the beer as having aromas of strawberries and hibiscus flowers, and berries in the taste. This brew sounds very interesting, and I'm excited to try it.  

It's probably worth noting that the Goose Island website and Ratebeer peg this beer at 5.2% ABV. My bottle clearly states 7.0% ABV. This is a beer that is bottle conditioned, and can "develop in the bottle for up to 5 years." My bottle was born on 2/26/11, making this almost one year old.

Goose Island Fleur

This is an interesting looking beer, for sure. In low light this beer has a golden/bronze/yellow-orange color. I was able to get about one finger of white head made up of thin bubbles. The head dissolved pretty quickly, but it is leaving behind a pretty nice cauldron effect. The cauldron effect looks like a Saison or a Brett beer with that kind of "wild" or "infected" look. When held to bright light this beer is yellow-orange, hazy, and effervescent with a steady stream of tiny rising bubbles. There is some lacing from the head tugging on my glass.

The aroma on this is floral, fruity, hoppy, and earthy with hints of toffee or biscuit. Straight up I do get huge floral notes in the form of hibiscus. There are pulls towards strawberry and berry, and maybe lemon. But I'm really pulling out a huge tea note from this. I'm pulling out that slightly bitter, slightly medicinal, slightly earthy note you get from tea leaves, a tea bag, or freshly steeped tea. This beer smells like a Belgian Ale that has had tea bags soaking in it. There is also hints of Belgian funk and that back drop of 2-Row malt which is imparting a wheat or grain note.

The taste on this is very subtle, mellow, earthy, medicinal, and tea-like. I'm really getting malt presence on the back end, with lots of subtle tea flavors in the front and middle. I taste hibiscus, flowers, thin and pungent lemon, hints of apple and pear. You get some very clean berry notes; almost tea-like berry notes. Maybe some hints of faded blueberry or strawberry; hints of rhubarb. The back palate leaves hints of malt in the form of wheat or grain. I get touches of toffee and biscuit. There is definitely some hop jive in here; very earthy, medicinal like accents from the hops.

This beer is mellow as hell. Very fine carbonation dances on your tongue, and the mouthfeel is light-full or medium-light. The finish is soothing and not really dry. I'm still getting a nice storm of carbonation from the center of my glass, and there is nice lacing as well. I would say the palate depth on this is medium, and this beer has moderate complexity. You get really nice flavors on the front of the palate - hibiscus, berry, tea, fruit; the middle continues the tea notes; the back starts off with tea and turns into a malty finish with that wheat/grain note.

Rating: Above-Average

Score: 77%

 

I haven't really had any tea beers before. The Belgian Ale seems like a good platform to use to build a tea beer. I really like the soothing, mellow notes I'm pulling off this beer. The hibiscus is subdued and subtle. This is a very refreshing and fresh beer. I would say this is the perfect Spring beer. I would love to see this beer in April or May, and I think this beer would pair wonderfully with Asian cuisine or with a peppery or fruity dish.  

Alas, Goose Island is axing this beer. I guess if I had to pick between this or the Bourbon County Stout, I would take the Bourbon County Stout. Still, this was interesting and enjoyable. If you see any bottles of the Fleur on the shelves, you should pick them up while you still can. Remember, you can throw this in the cellar for 5 years.