Matilda - Goose Island, Chicago

Goose Island's Belgian ales are by far my favorite beers from Clybourn. Goose Island's six pack offerings never really appealed to me, I found them pretty bland and uninteresting. The Belgians on the other hand were a lot more flavorful and just better beers. Tonight I'm sitting down to a bomber of Matilda, a Belgian style Pale Ale with Brettanomyces. Brett and I go way back, I'm a big fan of his work and we along really well. I've had the Matilda once or twice but I don't remember ever having a bottle and I generally like brett fermented beers better out of a bottle, so I'm excited to try this Goose Island Matilda again.

The Matilda pours a warm orange color. It's quite clear and doesn't develop much of a head or leave any lacing behind. The aroma is definitely pale but not as sharp as some other Belgian Pale Ales I've had before. There's a definite brett character in the nose but the pale malt seems to cover a lot of it up. Smells a little peachy with a bit of spice, nothing too crazy or too overwhelming. The Matilda ended up being more subtle than expected.

The flavor of this beer is anything but subtle. The Matilda is robust but not overbearing. The first flavors you get right off the bar are the peachy citrus and brett semi-sour yeast. Just as you start to enjoy the sweet and yeasty flavor of the Matilda there's a big pale malt component that washes away most of the early flavor of this beer. By the finish you're left with a spicy, hoppy and mostly pale beer that isn't quite what I was expecting.

I was hoping the Matilda would be a bit sweeter and showcase its brett a little more. The big pale malt character was a little too distracting in this beer. It still makes for a great warm summer drinker, but that's not what I was looking for what I picked up this bomber.