Goose Island Fulton Street Blend Coffee Ale

One might expect a coffee ale to be dark-colored, and usually coffee flavoring is added to stouts and porters; I was surprised to see how light-colored this brew was. Fulton Street Blend is named after the street where Goose Island is located, as well as their neighbor, cofee brewer Intelligencia. Fulton Street Blend is a golden ale, pouring an apricot hue with a one-finger white head. At 20 IBU's there's not a enough hop bite to overcome the coffee flavor, which is frankly overwhelming. In addition to the strong coffee aroma, there's hints of cocoa and vanilla. The underlying beer is pretty decent though, similar to a pale ale. A bit strong for everyday drinking, but okay for holiday parties.