Beer Review: Sofie by Goose Island Brewing

Welcome to my Beer Review: Sofie by Goose Island Brewing Company. Lets start with the basics:

Beer: Sofie | Brewery: Goose Island | Locale: Chicago, IL | Style: Saison / Farmhouse | ABV: 6.5% | IBU: 25 | Color: Golden Yellow | Aroma: Sour Fruit, Lemon, Spice | Flavor: Citrus Peel, Lemon, White Grapes, Pepper | Untappd: DogFishThis

                                                    My Personal Rating:  3.75/5 

Ideal Place to Drink This Beer: On a tropical beach while listening to Hawaiian Monk Seals grunt as they sunbath 50 ft to your left 
                
I have had the Bourbon County Goose Island beers on my wishlist for a long time. I only get access to a few of their more average beers in my area and while I was hoping to get my hands on Lolita or Matilda, I had resigned to the fact that I wouldn't be coming across them. I was pleasantly surprised when I found Sofie sitting on a bottom shelf in the back corner of a local bottle shop. Couldn't pass it up!



(Photo courtesy of: http://chicago.eater.com/2014/10/3/6901711/goose-island-to-add-taproom-tours-to-fulton-street-brewery-in-2015 )

Sofie is a blend of 80% Belgian Style Saison and 20% Belgian Style Saison aged in wine barrels with citrus peel (Untappd). This beer has a champagne feel to it with a a pretty dry finish. It is a medium body beverage with a refreshing citrus and slightly sour bite, with a hint of pepper and spice.

Overall, This beer was great and very refreshing and I recommend it highly. The simple beige label with the cursive title and splash of lime highlight represent maturity and classiness, and would have caught my attention without knowing the brewery. At first pour there was about an inch of head and the first few sips did not impress me; however, after Sofie started to warm up the flavors become more apparent and complex and really hit the spot. It's been recommended to me to age this beer for a year to get the best out of it but I couldn't wait and drank it a couple days after purchase. I may by another 2015 Sofie for the cellar. Either way you go, I would recommend sipping slowly and letting the beer aerate and work its way to room temperature. Prost!