Goose Island The Ogden
For 2014, Goose Island is releasing three new beers as part of their Imperial Series the first was their tasty The Illinois. The second release, The Ogden, is a dry-hopped Belgian style Tripel named after Chicago’s first mayor, William B. Ogden, who also happened to open the city’s first brewery.
Weighing in at 9% ABV (and 35 IBU), the beer isn’t overly big for the style, but the additional hop profile makes for a more complex beer than most. The more hop-forward presentation isn’t a smack in the face as many excessively hopped beers can be. The Ogden certainly has a more pronounced hop character, but it’s not necessarily meant to be the star of the show, instead resting comfortably with the Belgian yeast and malt bill to create a fairly well balanced beer that just so happens to have a little more citrusy and piny oomph than most of the style.
Appearance
A resilient and dense cap of off-white foam crowns the golden straw colored brew.

Aroma
Floral, peppery, moderate spices, grain and a soft yeast note come together in an aroma that gives the impression of a dry beer. The elevated alcohol content is masked quite well.
Taste
The beer is certainly complex, but not in a palate confusing manner. There is an array of hop characteristics here light citrusy, peppery and slightly grassy flavors swirl around the tastebuds as a moderate level of bitterness arrives. Distant spice notes, yeast and grain round out the profile, leading to a lasting and lightly warming finish. A touch of malt sweetness lingers.

Overall
This is a pretty darn good tripel. It’s not overly warming as many American versions of this style of beer often come across. It’s not too sweet either. There’s definitely a more pronounced hop presence than your traditional Belgian tripel, but it’s more in a complimentary aspect than a show stealer.
Rating: 4/5
This is a review of a promotional sample.