Goose Island Halia

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

Purchased: 765ml bottle bought at Evolution Wine & Spirits in Chicago, IL; 2013 (bottled 8/06/2013)

Style/ABV: American Wild Ale/Sour/Farmhouse Ale, 7.5% 

Reported IBUs: 11

After yesterday's unseasonable warm spell, the temperatures have taken a dive towards cold. Freezing cold. The only connection I can make with tonight's beer and the freezing cold is freeze peaches. Everyone loves freeze peaches. About Goose Island:

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. On November 16th, founder and CEO, John Hall, announced he would be leaving Goose Island. On January 1st, 2013, Anheuser-Busch "veteran" Andy Goeler will take over Goose Island. Additionally, around the same time as John Hall's departure, resident barrel-program leader John Laffler also announced his departure from Goose Island. There have been many changes regarding Goose Island...so we will see what the future has in store for Goose Island. 

The Halia is a farmhouse ale aged in wine barrels. What differentiates this from the other Goose Island Wild Ales is that this is aged with whole peaches in the aforementioned wine barrels. Brewed with a Pilsner, 2-Row, and Torrified Wheat malt base; this one uses Amarillo hops, and is fermented out with a Belgian Style Farmhouse Ale yeast.

Goose Island Halia

I guess all that wheat malt has a payoff, as this is the first of the Goose Island Sours to have a long lasting head. This one pours into a hazy, golden/straw body, and looks very farmhouse-esque. I kicked up a pinky of golden white head, and there's some hazy white haze hanging around the top of the beer. There's also some lacing as well. In bright light, the beer looks like yellow Gatorade, with violent streams of tiny carbonation bubbles rising upwards. A ring of wheat head has settled around the glass. 

One reason why I want to drink this beer now is because I think the peach in this is going to fall off pretty fast. And the aroma on this instantly reminds me of a Gueuze. I'm getting a lot of lemon, tart lactic funk, and lots of wheat. There is some apricot, tart citrus, and lemon on here as well. I'm getting some sour lemon candy. There's also some barrel character present on the aroma, with some wood tannin and white wine-oak coming out. I'm getting some gooseberry and tart peaches. Oh yeah, peaches. You do get peaches on the aroma, but it's mostly a lemon aroma, and peaches would be hard to place as a specific fruit addition in a blind smelling.

The taste is like an amazing blend of a Belgian Golden Strong Ale and a Gueuze. I'm getting a lot of light tartness, Brett, barrel/wood funk, and must in the taste. This is my idea of a farmhouse ale. There is tons of floral citrus, with lemon, peaches, apricot, and pineapple. There's also a hint of peppery spice. I have to imagine that the Brett is going to get nice and funky if you age this. Hot damn.

I like this. This is definitely not as tart or sour as the Juliet or Lolita, or even the Gillian. But this beer works as a Saison/Farmhouse-esque beer brewed with Brett and wheat. It's like a funky Saison, or Orval. Palate depth is great, complexity is okay, and the mouthfeel is medium-light and refreshing, with tons of carbonation, citrus, and a wet-dry finish. You get a splash of tart lemon and musty Brett funk up front; that rolls into citrus, wheat, peaches, gooseberry, white wine/barrel, some bready malts; that rolls into lingering malt/citrus, with a wet-dry finish. Kind of simple, but very enjoyable nevertheless.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average on this. The subtle hint of white wine, gooseberry, oak, peaches, and Brett funk all contribute to an enjoyable drinking experience. Plus, this beer is super refined. I would pair this with a white pasta or anything that goes good with white wine. As far as availability and price go, I think this may be a better investment than the Gillian, though I enjoyed them both. 

Random Thought: I'm going to be M-I-A for a week or longer, as I head out on a vacation. So...check out my shitty archives, or whatever. Spring break!!! Woo!