Goose Island Pepe Nero

A black rye saison that combines a roasted/smoky malt character in balance with a pepper spice from the yeast. Finishes dry with a refreshing level of carbonation.

3.5

794 reviews

Chicago, United States

Community reviews

3.7 Was hoping for a golden ale for some reason. Charred flavor, not much Belgian yeast flavor.

2.9 The aroma is life a porter with roasted malt and soapy hops. The appearance is like a porter. The palate is average. Overall a nice find but not a farmhouse.

3.5 A great combo of porter and a farm house. Some nuts, toast, cocoa powder and grain. Slight funk at the end with a smooth texture

3.4 2012 bottle from BrookFalls Discount. 6/13/12 bottle date. Note on the bottle says can age up to 5 years. Shrug? Chocolate brown foamy pour with a tan head leading nice lacing. Aroma has chocolate, caramel and tangy raisins. Later down the glass some herbs, some molasses and a bit of olive show through. Taste is of tangy caramel, light cocoa, some herbs, maybe mushroom (came and went). Medium bodied and effervescent. Finishes tangy and somewhat sweet. No idea what style they were going for, but certainly a different type tasting brew. Possibly a touch infected. And certainly 3 years old. 12.7

3.4 355ml bottle, trade with Skinnyviking. Lacing rings from an opaque mahogany coloured body. Tan-coloured head that stayed well. Moderate smell of earthy, brown and black malts, hints of molasses. Rather comprehensive taste of prunes, ash, molasses, and sweet liquorice offset by dark spices. Prolonged finish. Medium bodied. Pretty nice (Tromsø 17.09.2015).

3.0 This bottled brew from a bottle shop poured a head of foamy auburn colored bubbles that were long lasting and left behind a no visible carbonation opaque dark black colored body and a thick foamy lacing. The mild aroma was malty. The crisp mouth feel was tingly at the start and at the finish with a medium mild malty aftertaste. The mild flavor contained notes of mild rye mild spice dark malt and crisp. An OK brew just nothing special.

3.5 Bottle at home. Dark black body with thin, tan head. Nose is smoky, malty, spicy. Taste is malty, caramel, dark chocolate, plums and fruity. Finished drier, again with chocolate kicking in. Not bad at all.

3.2 Tart pepper and spices aroma. Appearance is live body with lots of active legs. Quickly diminishing head. Kind of a spiced saison. Flavors are smoke, sour candy, cookie, pepper. Kind of unique even though I am not a huge fan.

4.1 12 oz bottle. Pours dark dark reddish brown. Tan, lively head, good retention. Aroma is spicy, yeast, dark fruits, roasted malt. Flavor is dark fruit, slightly tart, roasted malt on the finish. Dry, with a creamy finish and lively carbonation to start. Long, slightly spicy finish. ABV seems higher than 6.4%. This beer is nuanced; I’m a big fan.

4.0 2013 version. Pours reddish brown. Mellowed out nice with age. Mellow Brett, red wine and hazelnuts.

3.2 Bottle sample at a tasting at Tempo. Thanks Tom L. Very dark brown with a quickly dissolving head. Vinous aroma with some nuts, alcoholic, sweet, a little bitter and spicy taste. Medium body, vinous, spiced apple finish.

2.8 Bottle sample at a tasting at Tempo. Thanks Tom L. Brown with reddish hues. Soapy aroma, spicy, with tree sap, a bit of roast, olives. Sweetish flavor with caramel, roast, some spiciness. Medium-bodied.

3.6 Bouteille, Anno 2013, bottled 09/20/2013. Brune foncée, col blanc-cassé moyen. Arôme est malté grillé, pointe de levure belge, retrouve une note de mélasse et un côté herbacé , botanique-soda dont le poivré reste un peu en retrait. Plais est malté, clairement orienté sur un côté belge dans la levure, petite note venant chatouiller la gorge, raisin, fruité noir, sucre candi. Malt carapils, pâle et chocolat. Retrouve une épaisseur caractéristique du seigle. Fini reste belge, grillé avec une fine note d’amertume houblonnée.

3.1 This looks, smells, and tastes like a slightly boozy Irish stout. Taste of rum and roast. Not a lot of floral.

3.8 2011 vintage bottle from Mark. Unique style and flavors from this American-Belgian Black Rye Saison. -

3.6 750ml bottle from 2013. Pours black with a generous beige head. Aroma is a mixture or fruitiness and some roastiness. Fruity and spicy character up front on the palate which is balanced by a roasty finish with just a hint of smoke. Quite good and very interesting.

3.6 2013 750ml. Pours dark brown with a nice beige head. Head retention is good. AROMA: roasted malts, peppercorn, herbal/floral hops, caramel, chocolate, light coffee, slight citrus, smoke, vanilla and light candied sugar. TASTE: peppercorns, hop bitterness, slight citrus, caramel, coffee, chocolate, smoke, roasted coffee beans and light candied sugar. AFTER TASTE: caramel, coffee, peppercorns and very slight alcohol with an oily finish. Great tasting brew but I prefer Monkish Shaolin Fist over Pepe Nero.

2.9 Bottle. Appearance: dark, mild head Aroma: cereal, roasty, Taste: light sweetness, lightly bitter, Palate:light body, soft carbonation, not much finish OK, Not a favorite

3.8 Version 2012, bue après 2 ans. Goût de baies confites, raisins secs et cassonade. Goût de madère évident mais cela ajoute une autre dimension au liquide.

3.4 duft. svag duft. lidt karamel lidt krydret smag: karamel lidt røget eftersmag. lidt krydret.

2.6 Pours a dark brown with a gray-taupe head. Sweet and tart nose consisting fig, grape, brown sugar, bits of chocolate, and Belgian earthiness. Smells like an appealing quad. Full body and a bit crisp. The flavor expresses the Belgian earthiness much more abundantly then what is detected in the nose. A blank, bitterish seltzer flavor persists throughout. Some tart grape. None of that wonderful brown sugar or chocolate in the flavor. At least none that can compete with the aforementioned ones.

3.5 Vintage bottle at Goose Island Clybourn. Poured very dark brown with light thin beige head. Aroma is nutty caramel malty. Light carb med bod. Taste is very dry very roasted malt.

4.1 Large bottle purchased at Haskells. Consumed with commonshawn. A dark brown nearly black color...even purple? Off white head. Aroma has unexpected chocolate elements plus some plum and espresso. Taste has Belgian qualities bringing to mind a less sweet, alcohol-centric quad or a milder, less spice-forward saison. The black pepper is very subtle but comes through towards the finish. Dark fruit tart and funk can be found. Very interesting beer. Just short of excellent.

4.2 Big bottle from Haskells with commonmac. Almost black with off white head. Smells plum and raisin and some nearly chocolate sweetness. Almost a chocolate porter malt initial taste. then spicy dark fruit and slight alcohol. Lingering taste is spicy and peppery and nice. Very interesting and unique profile to this one. Quite complex.

3.7 Dark brown color , thin off-white head. Pepper , wood , yeasts in roasted aroma - the strange combination for my sense of smell. Rich taste of roasted/ smoked malt , yeasts and fruits . Dry finish.

3.6 Roasted caramel malt aroma. Deep dark brown body. Thick fluffy off white head. Smokey roasted malt taste. Clean wet finish.

3.9 Thanks Bill for sending. This was poured into a tulip. The appearance was a dark brown ranging close to black in color with a creamy close to off white colored slim foamy head that dissipated within less than a minute. Light lacing strings in and out along the glass. The smell had a light pepper spice over top of a smoky yeasty/slightly breadiness. The taste was pretty much the same with a slight added roasted nutty note to lead to a semi-sweet smoky and yet spicy aftertaste that’s very nice. There was a semi-dry finish. On the palate, this one sat about a medium on the body with a tolerable sessionability about it. The carbonation is so smooth and helps to lead to creamy palatable quality rolling over my tongue. Overall, I’d say that this was a very good dark saison. I’d definitely have it again.

3.2 Dark black. Thin head. Oily. Peppery. Sweet brown sugar. Somewhat woody. Thanks Casey.

3.8 Bottle at home. Pours deep brown, nose is peppery, spicy, roasty, taste is similar, fruity.

3.6 From the 12 oz bottle. Pours a reddish black with a Thick off white head. Dry Belgian yeast esters, spicy rye aroma. Smooth spicy malt body with peppery and clove notes in the taste.