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.
