Beer 382 - Goose Island IPA (3 stars out of 5)

Brewed and kegged in Chicago, IL. Bought and Drunk at the Australian, a pub on 38th street in New York between 5th and 6th, while I was walking around the New York streets close to the hotel while waiting for Patricia and Sofia to finish the Calculus test that has to be submitted this weekend.

We had a full morning climbing to the pedestal and exploring the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (what an amazing place) then a nap before lunch at Au Bon Pain on 5th Street. While Patricia and Sofia prepared for and took the test, I walked to Park Avenue and bought coffee and the New York Times at Starbucks, then to a drugstore for Aleeve and a toothbrush for Sofia, a short stop in a used book store looking for books on beer, and a walk around the 5th, 6th, 34th, 36th, 37th and 38th enjoying the sights and sounds of New York and now looking for New York beer, which this pub did not have.

Web site: www.gooseisland.com/pages/india_pale_​ale/18.php

The web site says “Our India Pale Ale recalls a time when ales shipped from England to India were highly hopped to preserve their distinct taste during the long journey. The result is a hop lover’s dream with a fruity aroma, set off by a dry malt middle, and long hop finish.
Recipe Information:

Style: English Style India Pale Ale
Alcohol by Volume: 5.9%
International Bitterness Units: 55
Color: Bourbon
Hops: Styrian, Fuggle, Cascade, Centennial
Malts: Pale

This beer was OK. A pleasant flavor that was not too hoppy and quite well balanced. Still needs a little work to meld the flavors together and change the hoppiness to character. This was my first Goose island beer and I will search out others to try.

The 1,197 raters at RateBeer.com really like this beer. (http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/goose-island-india-pale-ale/814/ )  They gave it an average score of 3.59 which puts it in the 96^th percentile overall and the 93^rd percentile in its style of India Pale Ale.

BeerAdvocate.com had similar ratings from 841 drinkers.  (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1549/3968 ) They gave the beer an average of 3.9 which equates to a B+ - very good overall.