Goose Island Harvest Ale

Our latest creation is brewed in the style of a traditional American Extra Special Bitter (ESB). As Summertime fades, the sun shines less bright, and evening comes a little sooner. Harvest time arrives – it’s a time to reap the benefits of a great Summer. Fresh picked cascade hops from Washington and the richest Midwestern malts makes Goose Island Harvest Ale an extra special beer worthy of your devotion.

3.5

534 reviews

Chicago, United States

Community reviews

3.4 Tallahassee, Fl.- World Market - 12 oz bottle. Sparkling medium copper pour, light off-white head. Aroma has a wort-like essence to it, a touch of spruce. Flavor has a nice underlying subtle bitterness to it with some citrus, a touch of spiciness and some nuttiness. Mouthfeel has a nice bit of carbonation to it. Pretty decent.

3.5 Standard US longneck. Garden variety Goose Island label. Clear, intense ruddy oak color, very thin, filmy whitish head. Toffee, tannic, moderately sweet malty aroma with modest hops. A brisk, tea-like flavor with mild, lemony hops -- lightly sweet, maybe a itsy bit toasted. Medium body, good session fare. Aftertaste is bitter in the upper palate at first, drifting off to a cereal/wood/starchy affair. Not half bad.

3.4 Poured from bottle to glass. Crystal clear amber hue with fizzy white head that dissipated rather quickly. Aroma is malty, caramel, hay, chocolate, sugary, resiny hop, citrus, melon. Mouthfeel is a fantastic balance of medium body and carbonation which is very smooth. Very sweet initially with a nice hop bitterness that follows. Slight CO2 and good bitterness in the finish really round out well. Overall, this is a really nice play on an ESB. It isn’t quite traditional "English" style but the Northwest-style hopping works really well.

3.3 A clear golden beer with a thick orangey head. The aroma is sweet malty with grassy notes of hops. The flavor is very malty with notes of newly harvested grain, leading to a dry straw finish.

3.5 Clear, light copper pour, creamy but thin head. Nose is malt and hops blended. Lightly bitter. Middle is sweeter; bread with butter that coats the tongue, bananas and soft tropical fruits. Finish shows carbonation and subtle hop exit.

3.1 Nice copper color and happy aroma. Caramel malts are also present with a slight fruit aftertaste. Wife liked it.

3.3 Bottle to glass at room temp. Pours a deep copper colour and has a citrus aroma. Slightly hopped and very drinkable.

3.3 Hints of orange citrus and bread blend with the caramel malts to make a tasty beer.

3.1 Malty, biscuity aroma with a deep reddish copper color. Aberage seasonal with a little bite in the palate.

3.8 Pours a clear dark amber with decent head that lasts a little while. Not much lacing, but this looks great at first. Aroma is sweet with caramel and a little citrus. Taste is moderately sweet with some citrus in the middle, and a pleasant aftertaste with just a touch of hop bitterness. Fades pretty quickly and leaves you wanting more. Super drinkable.

3.1 Tap at metlife stadium. Clear copper pour. Nose has floral hops and biscuit. Sweet caramel malt finish. Thin body. Not too bad

3.4 Draft at beer fest. Pours clear copper with a medium sized off white head. The aroma is light floral. The taste is medium bitter with a nice sweet finish. Decent brew but could use more hop presence.

3.3 Poured from 12 oz. bottle at the Goose Island pub on Pier L, Terminal 3 at Chicago's O'Hare airport. Clear, medium copper with a thin off-white head and fair to good lacing. Aroma of caramel, citrus and light fruit. Taste of bread, citrus, light fruit caramel and grass. Medium body and medium/low carbonization with a comfortable soft and smooth mouthfeel.

3.7 Pours an amber color with a medium sized foamy canvas head. Notes of roasted biscuits, orange citrus, metal, earthy hops, and brown sugar.

3.4 Pint at Tylers Apex. Good aroma. Sweet. Malty. Caramel. Light citrus. Clean brownish orange color. Good head and lace. Bitter flavor. Light body. Creamy mouthfeel. Bitter finish. Nice. Flavor the best part.

2.3 Bottle. Amber color. Decent head. Aroma, watery, some caramel. Taste, also watery, cascades with a touch of caramel.

3.3 Happy Thanksgiving! A perfect brew to drink while cooking the titling and making the sausage stuffing. Perfect brew to drink in preparation for winter after toasting a nice fall season. Very drinkable with a crisp malty flavor and perfect appearance.

3.7 Bottled, amber brown in color with foamy head, aroma and flavor of hoppy buttered caramel with balanced bitter finish, nice

3.7 Malty nose with some spice. Fall flavor with a good hop bitterness and finish. Good beer. Like an amber/ipa hybrid.

3.9 I had this at Global Brew. Pours orangish with a off white head. Taste floral, bitter. I thought this was good. I would drink this again.

3.9 Bottle Aroma-caramel, herbs, Taste-medium bitterness, lightly sour, Palate-light body, slick feel, soft carbonation, bitter finish Overall-perfect

3.3 Nice little seasonal. It had a malty, roasted and sweet aroma. Dark copper color with a regular white head. A little higher than average weight with a certain smoothness. Average carbonation. Three was a slight hop bitterness at the front end followed by a caramel touch. Pleasant.

4.5 I didn’t know there was such a thing as an American ESB but I like it. The flavor certainly has a little bit of malt and caramel to it but also a fair amount of hops, mostly piney. Nice.

3.9 Lots of caramel. Dry after taste. Tasty. Perfect choice and use of hops. Well rounded.

3.5 Light copper, clear Light body, intense initial flavor but turning weak in the middle, smooth texture, dry, lean finish. Very bitter, which saves it from being flat, lasting to the finish. Complex and long hop flavors

3.0 Poured from the bottle into a glass. A nice ale very easy to drink. Had as part of a variety pack and this was this was my least fav of the three but still good.

3.3 12 oz bottle, bottled on 9/1/13--a little over two months old. Aroma is spicy, perfumy, floral hops, caramel malt, earth. Pours clear copper with a medium off-white head with decent retention; leaves some lace. Taste is mostly sweet with a light bitter edge. Caramel is the dominant flavor, but piney hops hover in the background. Creamy mouthfeel, somewhat soft carbonation. Not bad in execution, but not for me. With this style, at least for me, it’s give me a Fuller’s or give me something else.

3.8 12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled on 8/2/2013. Bit of a gusher upon opening. Pours lightly cloudy orange copper color with a 2 finger dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of caramel, grapefruit, orange zest, pear, toast, biscuit, floral, light pine, and floral earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance of hop and malt notes; with decent strength. Taste of caramel, grapefruit, orange zest, lemon zest, floral, toast, biscuit, light pine, and floral earthiness. Fair amount of earthy floral/pine bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, citrus, floral, toast, biscuit, and light pine on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance of malt and hop flavors; with a very nice malt/bitterness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth and crisp mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a very good ESB style. Good balance of malt and hop flavors; and very smooth and crisp to drink. A nicely enjoyable offering.

3.5 Bottle into an ale glass. Pour is a dark Amber,gold with a fine head. Aroma is hop and lite grains. Taste is a great bitter wash. Finish is smooth with more bitter than a lot of ipa’s. A great ale.

3.9 A: Amber/Golden Straw Hue, Passes Some Light, White Head Ring, Decent Lacing S: Sweet Bread, Mildly Floral, Mildly Grainy T: Semi Sweet Bread, Floral, Mild Banana??? M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Bitter Overall, a slightly above average harvest, nice blend of malts and mild hoppiness.