Name: The Ghost / 고스트
Brewer: Magpie Brewing Co. (South Korea)
Style: Historical Beer: Gose
ABV: 4.5%
Review Year: 2020
The Ghost (고스트) is a gose brewed by Jeju Island’s Magpie Brewing Co. A batch of this beer won gold for the Gose category and the Barth-Haas Champion Beer of Asia in the Asia Beer Championship 2019. In 2020, The Ghost repeated the same feat and brought home another gold medal.
Read More: Magpie Brewing Co. “Duck Ale” Kettle Sour
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a Historical Beer: Gose (27A) in the context of the 2015 Beer Style Guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). The most current version of the guidelines can be found on the BJCP website.
TASTING NOTES
Slightly hazy straw color; flat head. A subtle kefir-like aroma blend with soft fruity, floral, and citrus characters. Light-bodied; moderately carbonated. The flavor profile painted a scene on the beach with a tropical fruit kefir smoothie: think of saltwater or brine with the distinct but modest sourness from lemon, kefir, and green mango. Faint floral and bready characters were noted secondarily. Finally, the aftertaste lingers with delightful green mangoes, apple cider, and sourdough. No coriander.
THE VERDICT
The Ghost is a gose ideal for the summer season outdoors. It is light and refreshing as it highlights the hallmark sour and salt characters the style is known for. The green mango and floral qualities made this beer memorable. However, we did not pick up hints of coriander. These may have been overpowered or manifested simply as the style-appropriate citrus character we noted. Overall, very good.
Read More: Catching the First Train: A Glimpse of the Craft Beer and Specialty Coffee Scenes of South Korea
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