Goose Island Beer Company Big John

Big John

 

Goose Island Beer Company in Chicago, Illinois, United States 🇺🇸

  Stout - Imperial Rotating Out of Production
Score
7.81
ABV: 11.5% IBU: 60 Ticks: 79
Inspired by the epic skyline of Chicago, Goose Island’s brewers set out to craft Big John; a tall, bold slugger of a stout that stands out vividly against the little soft beers out there. Epic amounts of roasted malt and an addition of cacao nibs give Big John a massive chocolate flavor and aroma. With a body as substantial and black as the building to which it pays homage, Big John is sure to inspire a sense of awe with every sip.
 

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7.8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

650ml bottle shared at the Hoppy Pub, Thessaloniki. Black color with beige head. Roasted malty aroma, quite bready, fruity, dark dried fruits, plums and figs, chocolate, wood, alcohol. Sweet and bitter taste, chocolate and fruits, light alcohol. Almost full, silky body with soft carbonation.

Tried from Bottle on 23 Apr 2015 at 15:13


6.8
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Bottle split at Bruce’s farewell drinks, thanks to LKS, 15/04/15. Black with a decent tan siwrl and edgeing. Nose is rich roast, bitter dark chocolate, earthy, spice, charr, toffee fudge. Taste comprises molasses, earthy cocoa rub, light coffee strains, dark fruit rinds, rich roast. Full bodied, oily mouthfeel - a touch cloying, warming alcohol in the close. A touch heavy handed.

Tried from Bottle on 20 Apr 2015 at 16:33


7.6
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Bottle shared at Bruce’s farewell drinks. Many thanks to Leighton for this one. Dark mahogany brown / black coloured pour with lasting tan head. Aroma is nice marshmallow, minty, praline, sugar. Flavour is composed of big rounded roast, coco, mint choc chip, praline, little age, sweet brown sugars, little tangy in the finish. Full and warming alcohol palate is full and velvety, moderate carbonation. Bit of age. But lasted well.

Tried from Bottle on 19 Apr 2015 at 13:22


6.5
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Bottle at Bruce’s leaving drinks, thanks to Leighton. It pours near black with a small tan head. The nose is rich roast, charcoal, umami, sour malts, soy sauce, chocolate and tar. The taste is slick, oily, dirt, fudge, charred wood, umami, soy sauce, warming alcohol, cocoa, chocolate gateaux and booze. Full body, moderate carbonation and slick mouth-feel. A bit viscous and cloying. Good depth, but a touch too much umami/soy sauce action going on.

Tried from Bottle on 19 Apr 2015 at 05:22


8

Tried on 15 Apr 2015 at 14:14


8
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

I preferred the night stalker to this one - a little better. This pours black with great head and lacing. Mocha head. Some booze and roast. Caramel. Chocolate. Aroma and palate a little thinner than night stalker. Tap at Meridian pint.

Tried from Draft on 20 Jan 2015 at 16:42


8.4
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

22 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled on 12/7/2012. Pours dense pitch black color with a 1-2 finger dense dark tan head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big milk chocolate, cocoa, caramel, toffee, toast, molasses, dark bread, light coffee, raisin, plum, fig, light licorice, and roast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/roasted malt, cocoa nib, and dark fruit notes; with good strength. Taste of big milk chocolate, cocoa, caramel, toffee, toast, molasses, dark bread, light coffee, raisin, plum, fig, light licorice, and roast/toasted earthiness. Light roasted bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of milk chocolate, cocoa, caramel, toffee, toast, molasses, dark bread, light coffee, raisin, plum, fig, light licorice, and roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roasted malt, cocoa nib, and dark fruit flavors; with a solid roasted bitterness/sweetness balance. Flavor leans much more towards sweet malt notes, but never gets cloying. Light carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a very smooth, creamy, and lightly slick/chalky mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is an awesome imperial stout. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roasted malt, cocoa nib, and dark fruit flavors; and very smooth to sip on for the big ABV. A highly enjoyable offering.

Tried from Bottle on 16 Jan 2015 at 23:05


7.5
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Sample at the Bourbon County tasting, De Molen. Poured a dark mahogany with a bubbly round tan head. The aroma is rich roasty, yeast, some fruit. The flavour is moderate bitter sweet with a dry yeasty fruit liqourice bitter palate. Full bodied with flat carbonation.

Tried on 10 Jan 2015 at 09:35


8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

22 oz. bottle, with a bottle date of 12/07/2012. Very dark brown and black color. Aroma is tons of chocolate, sugar, deep roast.

Flavor has a just as much chocolate and deep roast as the aroma. Good molasses, espresso bean and oak as secondary flavors. The body is what I really love about this stout, full and bold. The carbonation is soft with a velvet like smoothness. No sign of alcohol and no notes of oxidation anyplace. Damn fine.

Tried from Bottle on 28 Sep 2014 at 20:50


8
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

23.08.2014, 0,65l bottle shared with friends @ home:
Small light brown mediumlasting head. Aroma is slightly rich and sweet, dark malts, caramel, dark sugar, coffee, cocoa, alcohol, oak, grass, licorice, vanilla. Taste is sweet sour-ish roasted, dark malts, sugar, roasted grain, coffee, grass, vanilla, sweet licorice, "knekk", cocoa. Medium to longlasting bitterness, dry mouthfeel. Nice.

Tried from Bottle on 24 Aug 2014 at 12:11