Goose Endless IPA

Add the words "Limited Edition" to the list of phrases that open my wallet like a can of beans. That's true even when the beer being referenced comes from a subsidiary of a multinational beer giant (that used to be a premier micro, until it changed hands). This time, the beer that sucked me in with the lure of limited availability was Goose Endless IPA, an ale built by the Goose Island Brewery, formerly of Chicago, but now seemingly made in every major Canadian beer producing city (London, Creston, Edmonton, Montreal, Halifax, and St. John's are all listed on the 473mL can). The beer itself is a strikingly clear number, golden, and topped with a pretty luscious white head.

According to the can, Endless is a session IPA, but at 5%, it's pushing the boundaries of what is sessionable for mere mortals. I'd have called it an American Pale Ale, but what do I know? As promised by the can, the there are pretty substantial orange notes, first in the aroma and later in the flavour. As well, the scent suggests a mild but assertive bitterness that caught my interest. The flavour is not assertive though. Rather, the beer is verging on thin, with a delicate but pleasant taste.

Endless is a sessionable ale, but in a dangerous sense. At 5%, it has the strength of a macro-brewed beer, but the name of one with less juice. All told, this beer was fine. I was glad to have bought it (and another can for later), but I don't think it has the prowess to go beyond a limited edition into Goose Island's regular lineup.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.