First Post - Goose Island Fleur

My outlaws got me a beer-of-the-month club for my birthday a couple weeks ago. They are monitoring the twitter feed for Schneider's of Capitol Hill and sending me and my dog on walks to pick up their choices each month, while depositing money in my bank account to cover the costs. Not your typical beer club, but it's pretty good for me (and my dog). I'm not a beer sommelier by any stretch of the imagination, but I enjoy drinking craft beers and wanted to chronicle my journey, so here goes. The first beer they chose is Goose Island Fleur.

Goose Island is a Chicago brewery. I'm not terribly familiar with their stuff. I've had a few of their Bourbon County beers (or multiples of the same one), and I've enjoyed what I've had.

This beer is golden in color. It doesn't have much of a bouquet that I could pick out. It's on the lighter side, not thick like some of the barleywines and tripels I typically enjoy. It's a little sweet up front and tart going down. It's pretty easy to drink, but I'm not the biggest fan of sweet beers. I'm not sure what I'd call this beer. The tartness reminds me of Kasteel Rouge or some ciders I've had. The sweetness also reminds me of ciders, but it's not that sweet. Schneiders describes it as a Belgian Pale with tea and hibiscus. I can pick out the tea definitely. It's interesting. Probably not something I'd order or buy again, but I'd drink it if someone gave me a glass.

Here's what the Goose Island website says about this beer:

Brewmasters Notes:

A Belgian style pale ale blended with hibiscus and kombucha tea, Fleur is a beautiful, rose-colored ale with an aroma of strawberries and hibiscus flowers. Her flavor balance starts with a hint of sweet, ripe berry and finishes tart.

Recipe Information:

Style: Belgian Style Pale Ale
Alcohol by Volume: 7.0%
International Bitterness Units: 32
Color: Rose
Hops: Super Styrian, Styrian Golding, Saaz
Malt: 2-Row, Caramel, Sugar

Serving Suggestions:

Preferred Glass: Wide Mouth Glass
Preferred Serving Temperature: 40º

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Thanks, Steve and fam.