From the Goose Island website:

Every year we brew a brown ale to celebrate the holidays. To make each year’s special, we alter the recipe. This year we wrapped caramel and dark fruit malt flavors inside a creamy toasty brown ale. May your holidays be filled with Festivity.

Lately, it seems, they’ve taken to changing the name of that beer as well. Is this a nod to beer geeks that are constantly on the lookout for a new beer they haven’t tried before? Perhaps. I do know this. Back in the 90s, Goose Island called their Christmas Ale, well, Goose Island Christmas Ale. It was a Scotch Ale/Scottish Ale which when you think of it, is not all that far removed from a brown ale.

Last year (2013) Goose Island released Sixth Day Festive Ale, another strong American brown ale. Of 8.3% alcohol by volume. I didn’t see it show up locally until January of 2014, though, and ended up enjoying my bottle during my annual Christmas in July celebration. It was very tasty indeed.

This year, Goose Island gives us Goose Island Festivity Ale, yet another hoppy brown ale with a new name for Christmas. It may just be the best one yet. At 7.7% alcohol by volume, it’s a little less potent than last year’s brew, but still rather strong for a brown ale. Even an American brown ale. The beer has 50 IBUs, runs $8.99 a six-pack here in Atlanta, and my bottle was packaged on 14OCT14.

Ingredients from the website:

Hops: Pilgrim, English Golding

Malts: Special Pale, Bon Munich, Caramel-60, Caramel-120, Rice Hulls, ECJ Sugar

Goose Island Festivity pours to a dark mahogany color with a full creamy tan head and a soft and sweet brown sugar malt nose. Taking a sip the beer has a full rich mouthfeel followed by more of the brown sugar notes the nose promised, some cookie like chocolate chip notes, toasted nuts, raisins, buttered toast, and a dry grassy hop finish. Once again, I am reminded of a Scotch Ale with the butter and treacle notes here, and I am really enjoying the delicious dark malts, the gently buttery yeastiness, the bitter hops, and the warming alcohol all playing together so nicely here.

Like the Sixth Day, I’d style this as an old ale/winter warmer more than a brown ale. Whatever you call it, it’s a lovely beer for the end of the year, and the start of a new one……

Update 12/6/2015: Here I am at Taco Mac enjoying a brimming mug of Goose Island Festivity Ale. Although this beer impressed me last year, I'm finding it even more delightful this year. The beer is packed with light chocolate and bursting with dark fruity notes of fig, raisin and prune. It's like a plum pudding in a glass, and at just $5.50 a deal to boot. I'm tacking on another half star to bring it up to a full five. It's one of the best Christmas Ales I've tasted this year.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

(G)=Growler

 

 



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