Goose Island Brewing Co. Sofie
Sofie was introduced by Goose Island Brewing last year as the newest member of a series of special edition Belgian-style beers, joining Matilda, Pere Jacques, Juliet, and Fleur. Each beer in the lineup is either Belgian-inspired or brewed to (however loosely) resemble a specific Belgian-style of beer. Pere Jacques is an abbey ale similar to a Belgian dubbel, Matilda is similar to a Flanders red, albeit more sweet than tart. Sofie lies somewhere between a tripel and a saison, although the method they use to produce it is distinctly American in its approach.
The beer itself starts fairly simply, brewed with a blend of pilsner and wheat malts and Amarillo hops. But it’s at this point that things begin to get interesting. The yeast used includes some brettanomyces, and 20% of the beer is aged in Chardonnay wine barrels. They add orange zest from 20 pounds of oranges to the barrels as well. The combination of the brett, Chardonnay barrels, and orange zest ends up playing a significant role in the finished flavors of this beer.
All of the beers that I’ve tasted from this series have been excellent, most notably Sofie and Matilda, both of which I’ve enjoyed on a couple of occasions. Sofie particularly intrigues me on account of Goose Island using brettanomyces to brew it. It’s so interesting to me how much more commonplace it is for American brewers to use wild yeasts these days. Even just four years ago, when I first became especially interested in beers, and fascinated by Belgian lambics, it was very unusual for American brewers to use wild yeasts. Today, along with the brewers who really pioneered the use of wild yeasts, such as Lost Abbey/Tomme Arthur and Russian River Brewing, loads of other brewers have taken on the challenge of incorporating these beers into their brewing systems. What’s most exciting is the range of brewers doing so, running the gamut from rather large breweries such as Goose Island, to smaller, local breweries such as Cambridge Brewing Company in Cambridge, Mass., or White Birch Brewing in Hooksett, NH. These last two breweries are absolutely stellar by the way, and you simply must try their beers if you ever have the chance. Top-notch, locally brewed, creative…very inspiring breweries.
Tasting Notes
Sofie pours pale gold, with lots of carbonation seething up out of the glass, and a billowy white head that settles into a thin layer with a fair amount of lacing. The nose has soft belgian phenolics of sweet, subtle spices, alongside notes of lemon, wheat, and green grapes. Effervescent carbonation supports a soft, lightly textured body. Flavors include citrusy and herbal hop bitterness, lemon-lime sorbet, orange peel, bready malt, and a hint of clove-like spiciness. The wine barrel aging comes through in a white-wine-like dryness that runs like an undercurrent throughout the beer. On the finish, sweet maltiness gives way to wine grapiness followed by the sweet tartness of Meyer lemons.
This beer is perfectly suited to a gently warm summer day. The texture and flavors combine to lend the beer a wonderfully refreshing character, and the 6.5% alcohol is almost unnoticeable as a result. This is a beer I’d happily choose to a accompany dinner on a summer evening.
Related Posts:
No comments yet.