More is... more?

A typical complaint I've had over the years is a reaction to the idea, especially in American brewing, that more equals more. Hops add flavor, so if we consider that American macrobrews (Budweiser, Miller, Coors, etc.) lack that flavor, then more hops equals more flavor. Sam Adams runs an ad that says they put a full pound of hops in every batch of their (I think) Boston Lager. But of course, there are other things that add flavor besides hops, because more hops will probably only mean more hops flavor. On the far end of this spectrum are beers that end up drinking like pine cones.

Hold still: I want to beat you about the face with this branch while you chew on a pine cone.

Among these is the Goose Island IPA. Out of Chicago, Goose Island picks up on a great Midwestern brewing tradition, though they've been in the news of late for moving productionof their signature 312 Wheat (named for Chicago's area code) out of Chicago entirely.

Now, I'm not here to pile on Goose Island for their business practices. I'm here to drink their beer. And drink it I have. The IPA pours a hazy dark gold with a nice fluffy head that traps a lot of wonderful grapefruit/lemon hops oils. That haze isn't a function of leaving the beer unfiltered: rather, this is probably due to the sheer amount of hops that are added. I also smell some pine as well.

Not a bad pour. And a classic looking label too.

The flavor is instantly bitter and sharp, like sticking my face into a pine forest and licking the branches. It's refreshing, in as much as being smacked in the head with a Christmas wreath could be refreshing. I honestly couldn't taste anything else after finishing half a bottle. With that in mind, I ended up drinking the rest of the bottle. And then another, and then another. Genius marketing strategy, Goose Island. I'M ONTO YOU.