Gose is probably the last style I tend to associate with barrel ageing but here we are, one week after Nevel + Dok’s Kwiek I encounter an “imperial” Gose (something which obviously never existed historically) aged on tequila barrels and flavoured with lime. An elaborate and seemingly far-fetched idea… Thanks to Craftmember for sharing the bottle. Mousy, off-white, medium thick, opening head on a misty peach blonde beer with ruddy-brownish tinge indicating oxidation – which in a barrel aged blonde beer is to be expected, of course. Beguiling, complex, stunningly beautiful nose: caramel, peaches soaked in cognac, indeed tequila but a good barrel-aged one, lots of that typical vanilla-ish scent associated with oak wood, fig, almond, cooked pear and then this lovely smoky touch in the background as well as a very vague whiff of lime, clearly faded by the barrel treatment. Sweet onset, candied fruitiness, peach, fig, raisin, light salty edges in a soft and subtle way but interestingly blending with the sweetness, providing balance, though what mysteriously lacks, is lactic sourness; soft carb, notably vinous, oily mouthfeel. Hazelnutty, bit caramelly and biscuity malt core, sweetish with a drying finish, very complex with a ‘kaleidoscopic’ play of this smoky hint I assume comes from the tequila, tannic woodiness from the barrel releasing vanilla-like scents retronasally, lingering biscuity malt sweetness and fruitiness, the echo of this vague salty accent and equally faded lime citrusiness. Very barleywine-esque, especially due to the lack of sourness essential to the whole ‘Gose’ idea, even if you make it ‘imperial’: the salty touch and the lime addition do match the tequila idea well, as it is often drunk with a pinch of salt and lime, but it is not because you add some salt to a beer that it automatically becomes a Gose… Seen as some kind of ‘exotic’ barleywine, however, this beer is truly fantastic, original and delicious to the last drop so I will make judging this one easy on myself by simply ignoring the ‘Gose’ mention on the label.