Goose Islane Pere Jacques
After drinking a few varieties of these seasonal/limited releases from Goose Island, I find myself really enjoying the refined and clean label presentation these bottles have. Just wanted to get that out there first. Now, onto the beer.
While Goose Island’s Sofie a light and refreshing Saison, the brewery’s Pere Jacques is a more full and rich in flavor. This 8.7% ABV Belgian Dubbel carries a solid malt character that, along with the yeast strain, delivers flavors of dark fruits and herbal spice notes. It’s a beer that is complex without overly confusing the palate and fully satisfies.
Appearance
Pere Jacques pours a rusty brown with a a smallish light tan head that dropped fairly quickly.
Aroma
Sweet dark fruits, yeast, and an herbal/spice presence that I can’t quite pinpoint come together for a nose that reminded me vaguely of the Rocheforte beers.
Taste
While the nose was reminiscent of a personal favorite, the flavors don’t quite meet that classic Dubbel. Burnt caramel, candi sugar, raisin, fig, prune, yeast and a moderate level of sweetness layer the tongue evenly throughout the Per Jacques’ life. The beer is super smooth and deceptively drinkable — the higher alcohol content is masked well, leaving only a hint of warmth in the finish.
Overall
This was a pretty solid beer. I do believe that it’s one that will develop nicely with some time in the cellar and plan on buying a few more bottles of it to do just that. In the meantime, when served fresh, it’s a flavorful brew that wants to be a classic, but it still has a little more work to do. A great beer that I plan on drinking more of.
Rating: 4/5
