Gose
(pronounced “GOES-uh”) is a German style sour whitbier brewed with coriander
and salt. First brewed in the
early 16th century, its popularity waned and it almost
went extinct after World War II (apparently that can happen if no one bothers
to write down the recipe). Today
gose is alive and kicking in the Lowcountry thanks to the always creative and
historically appreciative minds over at Westbrook.
The
Westbrook Gose is the first sour beer I’ve ever had, and I had no idea what to
expect. I knew what sour beers
were, and was told to stay away from them, but didn’t even know the Gose fell
into that category of nefarious brews.
I just knew that Westbrook came out with a new beer and when that
happens its usually worth getting excited about. My significant other was jonesin’ for some tequila early one
Saturday morning so we hit Total Wine and that’s where I bought two 12oz single
cans of the stuff.
I
imagined this to taste like a regular wheat beer. But after cracking the tab I took a deep sniff and was
nearly knocked over by the strong citrus scent. Ok, so maybe it’s more like a shandy. I took a healthy glug and my face about
turned itself inside out; it was like biting into a lemon that had been jammed
with Sour Patch Kids. Yea, that’s
a bit of hyperbole, but it was just so far off from anything I’d ever tasted
that was still supposed to be considered a beer. My initiation into the sour beer subcategory was a baptism
by fire.
While
I was initially put off because it was just so foreign to me, I ended up
finding it incredibly interesting and really began to embrace the complex
tastes. After I made it through
the first can I immediately cracked open the second. As mentioned it is sour, yes, but also uniquely salty, a
taste that was very refreshing on a hot sticky day. The aftertaste is very bitter, a lingering sour that at
first may seem intrusive, but quickly mellows into a smooth, cold sensation
where the subtle coriander makes its presence known. In football terms, I’d call this a nice third-down,
change-of-pace beer. It may not be
your reliable go-to brew, but is a great option for mixing it up when you need
a spark. I suggest serving this as
cold as possible, preferably in a hot and sunny setting; pack a few in your
cooler the next time you head to the beach. Spread the word that the gose is back by having your friends
give it a try; just be sure they know what they’re getting in to.
Review By Joe Geglio
Other Beer Reviews
Other Beer Reviews
New York-Keegan Ale Mother's Milk Stout
North Carolina-Cottonwood Pumpkin Spiced Ale
Deleware- Dogfish Head Burton Baton
California- Ballast Point Sculpin IPA
Georgia- Terrapin Hopsecutioner
Idaho- Grand Teton Sweet Grass APA
Michigan- Bell's Brewery Hop Slam Ale
South Carolina- Palmetto Brewing Extra Pale IPA
0 comments:
Post a Comment