The Koehler Brewery

Goose Island Honker’s Ale

Tonight I tasted some Honker’s Ale from Goose Island Brewery in Chicago that Stephanie brought back for me from a recent trip to Illinois. Thanks Stephanie for everything. Once again I didn’t look up any internet reviews until after I had recorded my thoughts on paper. Before I finished the pint I read a few reviews to see if I was missing anything most people mentioned.

Honker’s Ale pours a hazy orange amber color with a fairly substantial 1/2″ head that is moderately creamy. A small amount of the head covering the surface of the beer is persistent through out my drinking of the pint. The aroma is of earthy English hops and some light pale malt with a touch of caramel. There is only a very slight aroma of pale malt after the head has fallen. It smells more like American 2-row malt than the Maris Otter I have tasted and which reminds me most of British ales. The drink is carbonation and some hop spiciness up front, followed by a slight caramel malt flavor and finally a mild hop bitterness that fades quickly. The body is light and watery. I find that the carbonation level is too high for an English ale and more in line with an American APA. The beer needs a creamier, malty-er body to be able to support that level of carbonation. The beer is easy drinking but would be well served in that regard by lighter carbonation. I think the malt and bitterness are well balanced and both light. Honker’s Ale taste’s like a cross between an APA and an English bitter to me. The malt tastes very American and the hops very British.

Online reviews sometimes mention fruity and floral characters to the beer. I know that English beers/yeasts are often described as fruity, but I don’t get any fruitiness even searching for it. Perhaps I don’t know what I am looking to taste and confuse English malt with the fruity character of the yeast. I don’t get any floral aroma or flavor either, just a hop spiciness and some bitterness.

Overall I think Honker’s Ale is alright but probably would choose another pale ale or bitter were one available. I prefer a heartier pale ale or bitter with a touch more malt and hops. If choosing between lowering the carbonation to match the beer’s body or upping the malt and hops to match the carbonation, I’d take the second path. As a session beer, I’d serve it a little cold and let it sit a while to degas a little as it warms up to proper drinking temperature before I drank it.

Anyone out there with thoughts on my tasting comments, please post them. I’d like to know if I am making sense to anyone other than myself.

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