Chicago's Goose Island Beer Co., founded in 1988, has been a leader in the U.S. craft-brewing revolution, turning out many classic and innovative offerings. It's now owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev, the Belgium-based giant that makes Budweiser and Stella Artois and a host of other familiar brands. But the Goose continues to fly high even under big corporate ownership.
Endless IPA is the latest offering to cross the Canadian border, a so-called "session" beer designed to be lighter and more quaffable that most American-style India pale ales, which tend to be strongly hoppy (or bitter) and are often formidable in alcohol.
The beer is rich-gold in colour and pours with a moderately thick head that shows good retention in the glass. Medium-bodied, it's creamy and built around flavours of peach, apple and grapefruit. True to the IPA designation, Endless IPA is solidly bitter, with a citrus-rind hoppiness, though this goose's bite is relatively gentle. It's a compelling session IPA, a trendy category that's populated by many other examples that don't always hit the mark. Available at the above price in Ontario; $3.50 in Saskatchewan, $3.14 in Manitoba, $3.75 in New Brunswick, $3.60 in Nova Scotia, $4.08 in Newfoundland.