Belgian Week Day Five: Juliet

Sadly, we draw to a close on a wonderful week of Goose Island Belgian-Style Ales. Tonight we have a Belgian Style Sour Ale that goes by the name of Juliet.
I have to give a special thanks to Dale over at Finnegan's Irish Pub for helping me out with getting a bottle. I had not been able to find a 2010 bottle anywhere - I even asked the manager at the South Loop Binny's, and he said their computers had no record of it for over a year. Apparently, this year it was a June only release and was only available at their brewpub. Lame!

Juliet is Goose Island's take on a Belgian Sour Ale. And what a unique take it is. This beer is fermented with wild yeasts, which greatly contributes to its unique flavor. On top of that, each batch is aged in Cabernet barrels infused with blackberries. Ends up with a very sweet, wine-like taste. This beer is amazing. I guarantee that if you are a wine person, you will enjoy this beer just as well as most wines.

I did encounter a small problem with pouring this beer. There is so much carbonation that upon opening the bottle it started overflowing, not only soaking the label but also my shelf. And the carpet. So, two photos instead of a single messy one should be fine I guess.

Juliet
Brewery: Goose Island
Country: USA (Illinois)
Style: Belgian Sour Ale
ABV: 6.7%
IBUs: 15
Serving Size: 22oz Bottle
Cost: $15

Appearance: Saturated dark rose color. Opaque haze from the high amount of yeast. Very, very high levels of carbonation. I should have read the many warning about this. Glad I did not get the same effects as what people wrote about - some were reporting that their beer gushed out around 4-6 inches upwards. Yeesh. Poured a high head that wasn't creamy at all, but had an interesting pinkish tint. be prepared for sediment. Don't worry, it is safe to drink, but not too many people find chunky bits in their beer to be appetizing. If you want to avoid getting any in your glass, let the bottle settle before opening, pour very slowly, and leave a few ounces in the bottle.

Aroma: wine grapes and blackberries. Reminded me a lot of a sparkling wine. You can also smell the presence of the wild yeasts. Besides the blackberries, there is a smell of other berry fruits including raspberries and strawberries.

Taste: Like a sparkling wine with malt and yeast. The high levels of carbonation give it a crisp and light taste. The middle of it is very yeasty with a small amount of spices. Aftertaste is a bit sour with a little dryness.

Drinkability: Juliet is very crisp, light, and refreshing. I could drink it all day and night, if it wasn't for the high cost and rarity of a bottle.

Verdict: Buy immediately it if you can find it. You might have to do a beer trade on BeerAdvocate to procure a bottle, but I can imagine that at this point is will be impossible to get a hold of. Even if you are more of a wine person, you will fall in love with Juliet.

And this brings me to the end of Goose Island's Belgian-Style Ales Week. It was fun while it lasted. I think I need to do more themed weeks to get into the habit of writing, reviewing, and drinking more! Until next time - cheers.