Beer Me! — Goose Island Beer Company — Clybourn — Chicago, Illinois, United States

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Goose Island Beer Company — Clybourn

(Anheuser-Busch InBev)

(Closed)

1800 North Clybourn Avenue
Chicago IL 60614
[Update]

Notes

Visited: June 10, 2013

Opened: 1988

Closed: 2023

Annual Production: 2,500 bbl

Contributors: Diane Crawford, Jonathan Surratt

Closed for renovations in January 2017. Closed for real in December 2023, but may reopen in a new location in 2024.

Finally, after missing for more than four years, my tasting notes from my 1993 visit magically reappeared. In May 1998, I spent a week working here as part of my training at the Siebel Institute...thanks to Matt Brennan for showing me the ropes, and for passing along quite a few great beers!

Sadly, Goose Island was unable to renegotiate a renewal of their lease, so this original brewpub was scheduled to close at the end of 2008. But the building's owner was unable to find anyone who wanted the space, so Goose Island gets to stay in its original home.

Updated: December 25, 2023

News

2023-12-12: Goose Island Clybourn Brewpub to Close (ProBrewer)
2017-01-09: Goodbye to Goose Island's Clybourn Pub for a Season, and Forever. (Good Beer Hunting)
2016-02-19: Anheuser-Busch InBev Buys Goose Island Brewpub (Brookston Beer Bulletin)
2011-12-15: Drink this! (Chicago Tribune)
2010-07-14: Behind the Scenes at Goose Island with Graham Elliot (NBC Chicago)
2010-05-25: Goose Island holds 'Name That Beer' contest (WGN)

Beer List

Alma

South German-Style Dunkel Weizen/Weissbier
American Pale Ale

American-Style Pale Ale
- Date: October 28, 2001 (#3955)
  
  Package: draught
  
  Place: at the brewery
  
  Score: 19 points
  
  Overall Impression (3½)
  Bright deep golden, thick head. Fresh spicy dry-hop aroma. Light-medium body, MASSIVE intense complex hop flavors! Moderately bitter and drying.

Aviator Doppelbock

German-Style Strong Doppelbock

Date: December 12, 1993 (#2484)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 12 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Nice deep amber and thick head. A little thin in body. Alcohol flavor OK. Otherwise unimpressive. A Doppel should grab you by the short hairs...this one doesn't.

Bad Oscar

Bohemian-Style Pilsener

6.20% abv.

Date: June 10, 2013 (#9184)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Golden, hazy. Dense head.

Aroma (2½)
Grassy hops. Spicy, floral, tropical fruit.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium body, moderate carbonation. Smoky, mildly grainy malt. Moderate noble hop flavor and bitterness, grassy, almost vegetal. Fruity, hoppy, biscuity finish.

Overall Impression (2½)

Barleywine

Barley Wine-Style Ale

Date: August 14, 1999 (#3341)

Package: draught

Place: Great Taste of the Midwest, Madison WI

Score: 14 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Dark dark red, thick head. Smells like...horseradish...? Incredibly thick and creamy. Tons of dark caramel flavor. Eternal sweet and bitterish finish.

Date: October 28, 2001 (#3952)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression (3)
Bright golden, thick head. Perfumey aroma. Light body, good malt flavor, mild fruity hop flavor and bitterness.

Date: March 31, 1998 (#2587)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 15½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Golden, flat, good head. Spicy aroma. Light body, sweet, some spicy hop flavor. Finishes quick.

Date: December 12, 1993 (#2480)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression (3)
Yellow, few bubbles. Spicy hop aroma. Good body and carbonation. Assertive pleasant hops. Good beer.

Date: August 8, 1998 (#3026)

Package: real ale

Place: Great Taste of the Midwest, Madison WI

Score: 15 points

Overall Impression (2½)
"Two years old...aged 100 days in oak casks." Black as night, with a head that takes half an hour to settle. Reeks of ALCOHOL! Syrupy thick, bitter, hi-test. It's a black roasty barleywine.

Date: December 12, 1993 (#2482)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 17 points

Overall Impression (3)
Dark brown, good head. Spicy and hoppy! Their description "rich, chocolatey, etc" is perfect. Long lingering bitter finish.

Date: March 31, 1998 (#2594)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 14½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Black, thick head. Spicy hop aroma. Lots of hop flavor and bitterness. Some chocolate at the end.

Date: March 31, 1998 (#2591)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 14 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Very very dark, thick head. Sweet, brown, alcohol aroma. Bitter, sweet, alcoholic. Sticky at the end.

Date: October 28, 2001 (#3957)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression (3)
Deep dark red, good head. Roasty coffee aroma. Medium body, rich toffee/coffee flavor all the way through.

Date: December 12, 1993 (#2483)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 14 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Black. Some burnt aroma. Creamy with a pleasant astringency/bitterness. OK beer.

Date: March 31, 1998 (#2589)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 14½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Amber, low carbonation, big head. A little citrus aroma, a little sweet. Medium body, hoppy but not bitter. Quick finish.

Date: December 12, 1993 (#2481)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 14 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Amber...just a little light to be brown. Sweet, fruity aroma. Fairly chewy. Good caramel flavors, but masked by the hops. Good beer, but overhopping...

Date: April 2, 1998 (#2616)

Package: real ale

Place: at the brewery

Score: 18 points

Overall Impression (3)
Red, clear, thick head. Herbal aroma, sweet. Smooth, very low carbonation. Excellent caramel flavor. Herbal hops up front, sweet malty finish. "Kilgubbin" is Gaelic for "Goose Island".

Date: March 31, 1998 (#2590)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 15½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Ruby red, clear, thick head. Roasted barley aroma. Medium body, some roastiness but not a lot. Pretty clean beer.

Date: October 28, 2001 (#3962)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 15½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Very dark red opaque, thin head. Mild cherry aroma. Medium body, big sour cherry flavor, mild sour cherry finish. Eight hundred pounds of cherries per ten barrels!

Date: October 28, 2001 (#3960)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 15½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Deep dark red, low head. Very very faintly toasty aroma. Medium-light body, lots of sweet toasty malt flavor.

Date: October 28, 2001 (#3958)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 15 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Rich golden-brown, thick head. Burnt toast and mild hop aromas. Medium-big body, lots of burnt toast flavor, very drying.

Date: October 28, 2001 (#3954)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 17 points

Overall Impression (3)
Deep red-brown, moderate head. Clean aroma. Light body, hugely malty flavor, toasty, toffee. "Old Ale" flavors in a light-bodied beer! (The pint seemed to have some DMS, whereas the sample glass didn't.)

Date: March 31, 1998 (#2592)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 17½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Very dark red, thick head. Roasty aroma. Medium body, bitter from hops and bitter from black malt. Nice sweet balance. Good beer.

Date: March 31, 1998 (#2588)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 15½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Red brown opaque, thick head. Intense brown malt aroma, almost smells like rye. Sweet, amber/roasty.

Date: March 31, 1998 (#2593)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression (3)
Black, thick head. Roasty aroma, a little malty. Big, sweet, roasty. Vague hints of rye.

Date: October 28, 2001 (#3956)

Package: nitrogenated

Place: at the brewery

Score: 18 points

Overall Impression (3)
Bright even deeper golden than the APA, massive nitro head. Moderately spicy, toasty aroma. Medium-light creamy body, lots of fresh dry-hop flavor. Moderately bitter, but it grows toward the end.

Date: October 28, 2001 (#3959)

Package: nitrogenated

Place: at the brewery

Score: 15½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Deep dark red, thick nitro head. Fresh ground coffee aroma. Light body, huge coffee/malty flavor, mildly sweet, creamy.

Date: June 10, 2013 (#9185)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 17½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright yellow. High carbonation. Dense head.

Aroma (3½)
Floral-spicy hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium body, smooth. Grainy, sweet malt. Mild grassy hops, low-medium bitterness. Grainy, grassy finish.

Overall Impression (2)

Date: April 2, 1998 (#2617)

Package: real ale

Place: at the brewery

Score: 19 points

Overall Impression (3½)
Very dark brown, massive head. Aroma is a little roasty sweet. Thick, sweet, flat. Drying. Alcohol burn late. Hell of a sippin' beer.

Date: March 31, 1998 (#2595)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 14½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Black, thick head. Smells too sweet, too black. Medium body, very chocolatey. Very sweet finish.

Date: October 28, 2001 (#3961)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 14½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Black-brown, thick head. Hugely dry-hopped. Medium-light body, INTENSELY hoppy, with some roast malt in the background.