Romeo’s Real Love

Brewer-Goose Island Beer Company

Beer- Juliet

Style- American Wild Ale

ABV- 8.00%

Description – Juliet pours a deep red raspberry with slight peach-like hues and a wispy white head that dissipates rather quickly and leaves very little lacing.  The aroma is perfect for the style with notes of sour funkiness coming up front backed with tart blackberries, oak, red wine, and berry sweetness rounding out the aroma.  Upon the first sip the Brettanomyces makes its appearance on the tongue with its wonderful tart punch.  The Brett is followed by sweet blackberries and quite a bit of barrel character also comes through with the oak and red wine making a strong presence as well with some very subtle spicing from the rye, but you would certainly not know that this is a rye beer.  The body leans more towards the thin side and is airy with very nice carbonation and Juliet has a very clean dry finish.  This is a top notch sour that competes with some of the best in the world.

Food Pairing – This is a beer that brings a lot of flavor and added complexity to any dish.  However, the thin body of the beer can create pairing combinations that overwhelm the beer so keep that in mind as you explore pairings.  This beer certainly lends itself to salads and is great with goat cheese salad topped with berries and any sweet vinaigrette.  Juliet is also fantastic with a wide range of seafood, try with smoked salmon, mussels, oysters, or shrimp, the bright effervescent characteristics of this beer add amazing layers of complexity and acidity that truly meld into all these seafood dishes.  Also try pairing Juliet with venison in a sour cherry sauce.

The Final Word – Juliet is just a stunning example of what a sour beer can be in the hands of a talented brewer.  The tart notes come through enough to make their presence but do not overwhelm the palate and leave with a very clean and dry finish, just what one wants in this style of beer.  Goose Island has gained a fantastic reputation for stellar beers whether it be Bourbon Country Stout, Matilda, or Sofie, they have an extensive list of world class beers.  Juliet is yet another feather in the cap for this fantastic brewery.

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Where can I get it? -  Goose Island brews Juliet as a rotating seasonal release in limited batches.  It may require some hunting, but is definitely worth your time in tracking down!