The Buyer’s Guide for Beer
Lovers, except for the
advertising, is produced by
the Beverage Testing Institute,
an independent full-time,
professional review service.
Procedures
All beers are reviewed in a
professional tasting room
designed to minimize external
factors. Panelists taste “blind,”
aware only of the category being
reviewed. To avoid palate fatigue,
a maximum of 35 beers are tasted
over a three-hour session.
Interpreting the
100-Point Scale
Consumers can translate the point
score to the following quality bands:
Availability
Some of the products reviewed are
not yet imported, or are available in
small quantities. In other cases, they
are available only at the brewpub.
For help in tracking them down,
there is no substitute for cultivating
a relationship with a good beer
retailer.
Tasting notes
BTI’s highly structured tasting
notes emphasize accurate descriptions
as well as scores.
Panelists for this portion
of the 2011 Buyer’s Guide
for Beer Lovers
Michael Miller, owner, Delilah’s
Night Club; Brian Van Zanbergen,
Merchant Du Vin (Importer);
Jerald O’Kennard, Director BTI;
Patrick Berger, Paddy Long’s;
Tom Gardner, Duvel Moortgat USA.
How to reach us
Beverage Testing Institute
910 W. Van Buren Suite 5000
Chicago, IL, USA 60607
Phone: (312) 226-7857
Fax: (312) 226-7858
www.tastings.com
LEGEND
ABV = Alcohol by volume
Date denotes the date on
which beer was tasted
96-100 points Platinum
90-95 points Gold
85-89 points Silver
80-84 points Bronze
Less than 80 Not Recommended
94 Pere Jacques, Goose
Island Beer Co. (IL) 2011. 8%
ABV (6/11)
Delightful aromas of honeyed fruit
and nut cake, cola and delicate
spices with a silky fruity-yet-dry
medium-to-full body and a caramelized
apple, melon, mineral and
peppery-spice finish. A fantastic
food beer.
93 Pere Jacques, Goose
Island Beer Co. (IL) 2009. 8%
ABV (4/09)
Luminous deep copper color with
a lacy manila head. Tangy peach
marmalade, orange blossom
honey and delicate date bread
aromas follow through on a
chewy, rich entry to a fruit-yet-dry
medium-to-full body with peppery
spice, cherry, roasted nut and
caramel soufflé notes. Finishes
with nice burnt sugar, mineral and nutshell-like astringency. A great
“session” dubbel that will excel
with grilled pork.
90 Matilda, Goose Island
Beer Co. (IL) 2011. 7% ABV
(5/11)
Bright amber color. Slightly pungent
aromas of mango granola,
tomato soup, buttermilk custard
and spice cake with a supple,
fruity-yet-dry medium-full body and
a tangy pomegranate gelato, latte,
bark and root vegetable-accented
finish. A fun, flavorful food beer.
89 Demolition, Goose
Island Beer Co. (IL). 7.2%
ABV (5/11)
Bright yet lightly hazy, golden
yellow color. Fruity aromas of pineapple
and apricot pies and cakes
with a frothy, supple, fruity-yet-dry
medium-to-full body and a long,
creamy nectarine soufflé, biscuit,
starfruit and peppery, grassy hop
finish. A nice food beer.
98 Lolita, Goose Island Beer
Co. (IL) 2010. 7% ABV (5/11)
Pretty reddish amber copper color.
Bold fresh raspberry, milk chocolate,
wet sandalwood and profiterole
aromas with a rich, juicy, fruity-yet dry
full body and a long, tangy and drying raspberry skin, jicama and
sour cherry cider finish. Deliciously
quenching.
97 Juliet, Goose Island Beer
Co. (IL) 2010. 6.7% ABV (5/11)
Penetrating reddish copper color.
Aromas of blackberry yogurt, meringue
and nut brittle with a tangy,
dry-yet-fruity medium-full body and
a long, mouthwatering sour citrus
and apple, mineral and grassy earth
finish. A fantastic food beer.
92 Fleur, Goose Island
Beer Co. (IL) 2011. 7% ABV
(5/11)
Beautiful crystal amber color. Lovely,
delicately floral aromas of peach
custard, pineapple cake and herbal
tea are enticing. Soft and satiny with
a fruity-yet-dry medium-to-full body
and a graceful pear-hibiscus jelly on
pound cake finish. Delightful.
92 Madame Rose, Goose
Island Beer Co. (IL) 2010. 6.5%
ABV (5/11)
Deep clear copper color. Lavish aromas
of dried sour cherries, Amarone wine, cocoa, nuts and delicate spice
with a tart, fruity-yet-dry medium-full
body and a long, tangy apple cider
vinegar and pomegranate molasses
finish. A sensational sour beer that
will triumph at the table with strong
cheeses.
88 Summertime Kölsch,
Goose Island Beer Co. (IL).
4.7% ABV (6/11)
Orange, melon, and nut bread
aromas and flavors with a supple,
dryish medium body and a tangy
yellow apple and peppery arugula
finish.
92 Pepe Nero, Goose Island
Beer Co. (IL) 2011. 6% ABV
(5/11)
Dark brown color. Aromas of burnt
sugar, dark roasted nuts, bacon
fat and cracked black pepper with
a supple, velvety dryish mediumto-
full body and a salty European
cheese, sprouts and grassy hop finish.
A solid food beer that will shine
with charcuterie.
89 Sofie, Goose Island Beer
Co. (IL) 2011. 6.5% ABV (5/11)
Old gold color. Fresh pulled orange
and banana taffy, herb, cream
cheese and clove gum aromas
have a hint of latex with a soft,
dry-yet-fruity medium body and a
sweet-and-sour bruised peach and
citrus, Brett and pomegranate seed
finish. An interesting sour beer best
served with pork palace foods and
cheeses.
The Buyer’s Guide for Beer
Lovers, except for the
advertising, is produced by
the Beverage Testing Institute,
an independent full-time,
professional review service.
Procedures
All beers are reviewed in a
professional tasting room
designed to minimize external
factors. Panelists taste “blind,”
aware only of the category being
reviewed. To avoid palate fatigue,
a maximum of 35 beers are tasted
over a three-hour session.
Interpreting the
100-Point Scale
Consumers can translate the point
score to the following quality bands:
Availability
Some of the products reviewed are
not yet imported, or are available in
small quantities. In other cases, they
are available only at the brewpub.
For help in tracking them down,
there is no substitute for cultivating
a relationship with a good beer
retailer.
Tasting notes
BTI’s highly structured tasting
notes emphasize accurate descriptions
as well as scores.
Panelists for this portion
of the 2011 Buyer’s Guide
for Beer Lovers
Michael Miller, owner, Delilah’s
Night Club; Brian Van Zanbergen,
Merchant Du Vin (Importer);
Jerald O’Kennard, Director BTI;
Patrick Berger, Paddy Long’s;
Tom Gardner, Duvel Moortgat USA.
How to reach us
Beverage Testing Institute
910 W. Van Buren Suite 5000
Chicago, IL, USA 60607
Phone: (312) 226-7857
Fax: (312) 226-7858
www.tastings.com
LEGEND
ABV = Alcohol by volume
Date denotes the date on
which beer was tasted
96-100 points Platinum
90-95 points Gold
85-89 points Silver
80-84 points Bronze
Less than 80 Not Recommended
94 Pere Jacques, Goose
Island Beer Co. (IL) 2011. 8%
ABV (6/11)
Delightful aromas of honeyed fruit
and nut cake, cola and delicate
spices with a silky fruity-yet-dry
medium-to-full body and a caramelized
apple, melon, mineral and
peppery-spice finish. A fantastic
food beer.
93 Pere Jacques, Goose
Island Beer Co. (IL) 2009. 8%
ABV (4/09)
Luminous deep copper color with
a lacy manila head. Tangy peach
marmalade, orange blossom
honey and delicate date bread
aromas follow through on a
chewy, rich entry to a fruit-yet-dry
medium-to-full body with peppery
spice, cherry, roasted nut and
caramel soufflé notes. Finishes
with nice burnt sugar, mineral and nutshell-like astringency. A great
“session” dubbel that will excel
with grilled pork.
90 Matilda, Goose Island
Beer Co. (IL) 2011. 7% ABV
(5/11)
Bright amber color. Slightly pungent
aromas of mango granola,
tomato soup, buttermilk custard
and spice cake with a supple,
fruity-yet-dry medium-full body and
a tangy pomegranate gelato, latte,
bark and root vegetable-accented
finish. A fun, flavorful food beer.
89 Demolition, Goose
Island Beer Co. (IL). 7.2%
ABV (5/11)
Bright yet lightly hazy, golden
yellow color. Fruity aromas of pineapple
and apricot pies and cakes
with a frothy, supple, fruity-yet-dry
medium-to-full body and a long,
creamy nectarine soufflé, biscuit,
starfruit and peppery, grassy hop
finish. A nice food beer.
98 Lolita, Goose Island Beer
Co. (IL) 2010. 7% ABV (5/11)
Pretty reddish amber copper color.
Bold fresh raspberry, milk chocolate,
wet sandalwood and profiterole
aromas with a rich, juicy, fruity-yet dry
full body and a long, tangy and drying raspberry skin, jicama and
sour cherry cider finish. Deliciously
quenching.
97 Juliet, Goose Island Beer
Co. (IL) 2010. 6.7% ABV (5/11)
Penetrating reddish copper color.
Aromas of blackberry yogurt, meringue
and nut brittle with a tangy,
dry-yet-fruity medium-full body and
a long, mouthwatering sour citrus
and apple, mineral and grassy earth
finish. A fantastic food beer.
92 Fleur, Goose Island
Beer Co. (IL) 2011. 7% ABV
(5/11)
Beautiful crystal amber color. Lovely,
delicately floral aromas of peach
custard, pineapple cake and herbal
tea are enticing. Soft and satiny with
a fruity-yet-dry medium-to-full body
and a graceful pear-hibiscus jelly on
pound cake finish. Delightful.
92 Madame Rose, Goose
Island Beer Co. (IL) 2010. 6.5%
ABV (5/11)
Deep clear copper color. Lavish aromas
of dried sour cherries, Amarone wine, cocoa, nuts and delicate spice
with a tart, fruity-yet-dry medium-full
body and a long, tangy apple cider
vinegar and pomegranate molasses
finish. A sensational sour beer that
will triumph at the table with strong
cheeses.
88 Summertime Kölsch,
Goose Island Beer Co. (IL).
4.7% ABV (6/11)
Orange, melon, and nut bread
aromas and flavors with a supple,
dryish medium body and a tangy
yellow apple and peppery arugula
finish.
92 Pepe Nero, Goose Island
Beer Co. (IL) 2011. 6% ABV
(5/11)
Dark brown color. Aromas of burnt
sugar, dark roasted nuts, bacon
fat and cracked black pepper with
a supple, velvety dryish mediumto-
full body and a salty European
cheese, sprouts and grassy hop finish.
A solid food beer that will shine
with charcuterie.
89 Sofie, Goose Island Beer
Co. (IL) 2011. 6.5% ABV (5/11)
Old gold color. Fresh pulled orange
and banana taffy, herb, cream
cheese and clove gum aromas
have a hint of latex with a soft,
dry-yet-fruity medium body and a
sweet-and-sour bruised peach and
citrus, Brett and pomegranate seed
finish. An interesting sour beer best
served with pork palace foods and
cheeses.
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