John Hall decided to thumb his nose at convention and started business on Friday the 13th. More than 20 years hence, Goose Island is a landmark brewery, producing distinctive beers that are anything but conventional.
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Latest Reviews
Explore The Beer Connoisseur® magazine's database of most recent beer and cider reviews as evaluated by our panel of judges in the Official Review.
Reviewed by: BC Review
Aroma:
21 / 24
Appearance:
5 / 6
Flavor:
32 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
15 / 20
Reviewed by: BC Review
Aroma:
20 / 24
Appearance:
5 / 6
Flavor:
33 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
17 / 20
Since opening its original brewpub in downtown Bend, Ore. in 1988, Deschutes has been throwing down a solid lineup of classically-styled brews.
Reviewed by: BC Review
Aroma:
22 / 24
Appearance:
6 / 6
Flavor:
34 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
17 / 20
Harking from a city familiar with top shelf breweries, BridgePort Brewing of Portland has produced some of the Oregon’s best-selling beers for almost three decades. In production for almost 25 years, Blue Heron Pale Ale is unquestionably... Read More
Reviewed by: BC Review
Aroma:
23 / 24
Appearance:
5 / 6
Flavor:
36 / 40
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20
Producing a small range of beguilingly complex beers, Urthel’s brew master Hildegard van Ostaden recently introduced Saisonnière, which falls somewhere between saison and golden ale.
Reviewed by: BC Review
Aroma:
23 / 24
Appearance:
6 / 6
Flavor:
35 / 40
Mouthfeel:
10 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20
Touted as “Texas’ Oldest Craft Brewery,” St. Arnolds continues to produce a respectable lineup of characterful beers in Houston including Fancy Lawnmower. Crisp and refreshing, Fancy Lawnmower won the 2010 Great American Beer Festival’s gold... Read More
Reviewed by: BC Review
Aroma:
22 / 24
Appearance:
6 / 6
Flavor:
36 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
19 / 20
Located where a hop farm once produced the annual harvest, Brewery Ommegang brews a very limited range of Belgian-style beers, preferring to focus on quality over quantity, traditional ingredients and brewing methods.
Reviewed by: BC Review
Aroma:
22 / 24
Appearance:
6 / 6
Flavor:
38 / 40
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
19 / 20
The waves of clove, ripe banana, and sweet tangerine aromas wafting from the glass of Schneider Weisse Original promise great things within. This brew from the producers of acclaimed Bavarian weissbiers impressed Pete with its luscious banana and... Read More
Reviewed by: BC Review
Aroma:
24 / 24
Appearance:
5 / 6
Flavor:
37 / 40
Mouthfeel:
10 / 10
Overall Impression:
19 / 20
A recent addition to the brewery’s lineup, the St. Bernardus Witbier is a wonderful example of a style that nearly went extinct. Developed in cooperation with Pierre Celis, who almost single-handedly resurrected witbier, the St.
Reviewed by: BC Review
Aroma:
24 / 24
Appearance:
6 / 6
Flavor:
39 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
20 / 20
Experimenting with the recently developed Japanese Sorachi Ace hop, Brooklyn Brewery delivers in a big way with its beer of the same name.
Reviewed by: BC Review
Aroma:
19 / 24
Appearance:
6 / 6
Flavor:
30 / 40
Mouthfeel:
7 / 10
Overall Impression:
14 / 20
The fourth and final entrant from the Class of 1996 in this issue, Flying Fish has grown from humble beginnings to become the “largest craft brewery in New Jersey.” The brewery produces a number of quality ales and has a dedicated following in... Read More
Reviewed by: BC Review
Aroma:
20 / 24
Appearance:
6 / 6
Flavor:
36 / 40
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
16 / 20
Firmly straddling the line between Old World classicism and New World swagger, Jolly Pumpkin produces quirky, hugely flavorful beers, providing drinkers with an updated take on the more rustic “farmhouse” brewing tradition.
Reviewed by: BC Review
Aroma:
21 / 24
Appearance:
6 / 6
Flavor:
37 / 40
Mouthfeel:
7 / 10
Overall Impression:
16 / 20
Canned beer continues to carve out an increasingly sizeable niche in the American craft beer market, and Surly Brewing’s brown ale, Bender, stands shoulder to shoulder with the best and brightest.
Reviewed by: BC Review
Aroma:
21 / 24
Appearance:
6 / 6
Flavor:
36 / 40
Mouthfeel:
10 / 10
Overall Impression:
17 / 20
One of four breweries in this review from the now-legendary Class of 1996, Three Floyds has become an Indiana institution, providing monstrously flavorful beers to a thirsty (and rapidly expanding) fan base.
Reviewed by: BC Review
Aroma:
21 / 24
Appearance:
6 / 6
Flavor:
36 / 40
Mouthfeel:
10 / 10
Overall Impression:
17 / 20
From their humble beginnings in the back of a San Diego homebrewing supply shop, the folks at Ballast Point have built a true beer juggernaut, knocking out superlative brews across a broad range of styles.
Reviewed by: BC Review
Aroma:
24 / 24
Appearance:
6 / 6
Flavor:
35 / 40
Mouthfeel:
10 / 10
Overall Impression:
16 / 20
A perennial British brewing powerhouse, Wells & Young’s enjoys worldwide acclaim for their flagship ales. Lesser known than their bitters, yet nonetheless a fine beer, Double Chocolate Stout continues to garner accolades.
Reviewed by: BC Review
Aroma:
22 / 24
Appearance:
6 / 6
Flavor:
37 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
17 / 20
With an eye toward sustainable brewing and boasting a 100 percent wind-powered brewery, Philadelphia’s Yards Brewing has been producing standout ales since 1994. Brawler is brewed broadly in the mild style, and though it weighs in at only 4.2... Read More