So there I was at Bruisin Ales in Asheville, North Carolina, walking around with eyes wide open like a kid in a candy store. I had already selected a number of singles and six-packs, glasses and bombers and laid them carefully at the register whilst I wandered around in search of even more beer. One of the sales team brought over a bottle of some barrel aged saison, but when I saw the $22 price tag I gave him a thanks but no thanks.

Not that I’m cheap, mind you. It’s just that you’re really going to have to offer up something special if you want me to pay $22 for 22 ounces of beer. I ended up spending $165 on my beer haul here, amongst which was a $17.25 bottle of Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof Gewurzgose Ale Brewed with Spices. Now that’s a beer I’ll fork over cash for, at least once anyway.

Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof makes the first German gose that I ever tried, Leipziger Gose. Gewurzgose (translation: spice Gose) is a version of that beer brewed with coriander, vanilla, nutmeg, clove, cardamom, and orange peel according to the label. From the label:

Gewurzgose is a spicier version of the historic Gose first brewed in the early 18^th century in the town of Goslar.

Gewurzgose is brewed with the classic coriander and salt in addition to the spices enumerated above. It has an alcohol content of 4.6% by volume, the same as the classic Gose Bayerischer Bahnhof produces. As I said, I paid $17.25 and that for a 750 ML bottle.

Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof Gewurzgose Ale Brewed with Spices pours to a yellow to slightly orange color with a medium sized head formation and a spicy nose that really reminds me of an old fashioned doughnut. Taking a sip, the beer is tart up front in a wheaty way, rather light bodied then quite spicy indeed with very apparent but not overwhelming notes of clove, coriander, and cardamom.

The orange peel is gently apparent in a light citrusy way, and the vanilla is barely perceptible but it is there. The finish is slightly tart but not overly acidic, and the interesting thing is how the salt really makes all the spices pop without being overbearing. This might go well as a Christmas Gose if you will, and I think I might like it better for the holidays.

Would I buy it again? I doubt it, not at the high price charged. Not that I didn’t enjoy it; I did. I’m also glad I bought it, as this was the last bottle at Bruisin Ales, and I’m uncertain if I will ever see it again. It was well worth the price paid to experience a Gose variation from a classic German Gose producer, but I think that in complete honesty I would prefer the classic Leipziger Gose over this in future.  

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



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