Goose Island Mild Winter from the Goose Island Beer Company (Chicago, IL) is a very nice Rye Beer. A rye is not a terribly popular choice by brewers for a winter seasonal beer, but Goose Island pulls it off quite nicely. Even though Mild Winter is classified as a rye beer, the rye flavor is not overbearing. This beer drinks like a mild ale with hints of rye.

Mild Winter pours a nice amber-brown color with a loose creamy head that stands about one finger tall, and has good legs for the style of beer. The aroma is fairly complex, but light. The rye is nice and spicy, but not overbearing and is complimented well by the peppery smell of the hops. The malt is sweet and smells a bit like toffee, with a hint of toasted dark bread. The 5.60% abv hides well and is barely noticeable.

The taste of Mild Winter is between a light bodied and medium bodied beer. The carbonation level is mild, and seems prefect for the beer. Overall, the beer is a bit on the dry side, but again, it's appropriate for the beer. The taste is very much like the aroma. It has a malt character, but isn't overly sweet. The flavor has hints of caramel and toffee, balanced with pepper and spice from the rye and hops. Overall, the beer is well balanced and easy to drink. We've rated it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

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