Day 22 of the 7th Annual Holiday Beer Advent-ure Calendar
Day 22: Goose Island Christmas IPA
We’re down to the final IPA on the calendar. Goose Island generally has solid beers and we recall this one doing well the last time it appeared on the calendar. According to the Goose Island website: “Christmas IPA is a malt-forward IPA using 6 different hops throughout the process. Moderate citrus and pine notes balanced with caramel malt on the palate dry-hopped with Meridian, Chinook, and Cashmere. It’s got a bit of an old-school feel on the malt side with caramel malt and a lovely red hue to go with the classic kettle hop backbone. Nicely balanced and dry, this little number dons a big fruity aroma.”
Reflections
Ben: I was a little afraid about how fresh this IPA would taste this late in the calendar but it’s held up very nicely! I remember liking this the last time it appeared on the calendar (last year?) and my opinion has not changed. It has a nice balance between hops and maltiness. I still think there’s better hoppy holiday beers out there, but I think this would make my top five.
Julia: I’m excited to have this one again, I remember liking it in the past. It smells citrusy and piney, but its not too much. It’s pretty hoppy but I also get a lot of citrus flavor. It’s actually a very smooth and light IPA. It’s extremely drinkable and I think even non-IPA drinkers may like it. I’m not sure if I would classify this as a winter beer. I could picture drinking this in the summer when it’s super warm.
Scott: The Goose Island Christmas IPA is a very easy to drink IPA with a slight malty, Christmas inspired flavor. I could probably crush 4-5 of these, well before the alcohol puts me into a slumber. I do think it’s missing notable spices and flavors that other Christmas ales have so I wouldn’t hold this in the same regard as our previous favorites. But good beer is good beer, I’m happy with it.
Christa: Well this is definitely the year of the IPA for us. I love Goose Island on any day and this holiday IPA is no exception. This IPA feels more holiday than some of the others, more sweetness to balance the bitterness of the malty hops. It’s very drinkable to me but my criticism is nothing truly stands out. While delightful as I’m drinking, I imagine I’ll forget about it come tomorrow.
Tony: This is a good example that all IPAs are not created equal. We’ve had a few in a row that I wasn’t a fan of because they were just hoppy and one note, but this one is different. I like this Goose Island Christmas IPA. It’s a darker IPA which brings it closer to my wheelhouse and it has a more robust flavor than just hops. I also think it is pretty “festively smooth” as they say on the can. Speaking of the can I like the understated, knitted sweater design. I’ve had some good beers from Goose Island and I think this is another one to add to the list. If you’re someone who likes darker beers but tends to shy away from IPAs I would say this one would be a good one to dip your toe into the IPA waters. I think you’ll enjoy it.
Megan: I know this is an IPA but it doesn’t smell like it. I’m not getting bitterness or hops and seems pretty dark for an IPA. That being said, it smells nice, I’m getting cinnamon and sweetness. It’s not too powerful, just a hint. I don’t know if this stands out to me in the long line of beers we’ve had so far but it does stand out as an out of the box IPA so I would definitely be interested to try this one!
Brad: What I wrote last year (below) still holds true. Still a solid IPA and the can art is nice.
Oh how I miss traveling to Chicago and visiting Goose Island! When I saw this Christmas IPA it called my name. I love the simplicity of the can and really enjoyed the beer. It’s basically a red IPA with Christmas marketing. I didn’t get a strong holiday spice taste but it’s still a good IPA that I would happily drink again.
Heather: This is the sole IPA I remember liking last year, and it’s still a banger this year. Smooth and perfectly balanced, I even think the hops are just the right amount. It lingers a bit on the tongue, but it’s a pleasant aftertaste, so I’ll allow it. The sweater-like can is fun, but then again, Goose Island’s branding is always high on my list. Beautiful job again, GI! Can’t wait to get back there in person.