Rating Horny Goat’s Beers

Horny Goat. Photo taken by Audrey Jean Posten.

Founded in 2008, Horny Goat Brewing Co. is one of Milwaukee’s newest breweries. It’s also a brewpub: its brewery is attached to the Horny Goat Hideaway, a fun bar and grill located just south of Downtown along the Kinnickinnic River. This marriage of craft brewing, American cuisine, and urban entertainment translates into a line of beers that pays tribute to many of the classic styles as well as the spirit of experimentation. The list of beers tends a to change a bit, with seasonal beers coming and and going, but here’s a rating of my favorite Horny Goat beers.

Horny Blonde

Horny Blonde

Style – German Blonde Lager

ABV – 5%

Bitterness – 2/10

Rating – 8/10

Recommendation: Best enjoyed by those who prefer a light adjunct or pilsner.

Thoughts: Golden with a frothy white head and a grainy aroma, Blonde is a promising beer at first glance and sniff. Munich and Pale malt give this beer its pale straw color and malty flavor, while dry hopped German noble hops at the end of the boil give this beer a crisp bite without being overpowering, making for a smooth, well balanced, and flavorful session beer.

Exposed

Exposed

Style – Cream Ale

ABV – 4.9%

Bitterness – 2/10

Rating – 9/10

Recommended: For fans of cream ales, full-bodied lagers, and of course, Spotted Cow.

Thoughts: Golden, creamy, and smooth with a hint of oats, wheat, and pear ester, there’s a reason Exposed is the flagship of the Horny Goat brand.

Watermelon Wheat

Watermelon Wheat

Style – American Pale Wheat Ale

ABV – 5.6%

Bitterness – 1/10

Rating – 7/10

Recommended: For fans of light beer, flavored pilsners, wheat ale, and Weiss.

Thoughts: Despite having pure watermelon puree added during fermentation, the color of this beer is a shimmering deep gold as expected of a wheat beer. Though lacking a distinct aroma, the marriage of the sweet watermelon and bittering hops make for a smooth and refreshing flavored beer without sacrificing the distinctive wheat character. The watermelon flavor, however, is quite subtle, for the malt quite dominate. Regardless, the subtle watermelon shines through the malt just enough to make for a smooth and refreshing beer that balances sweetness and bitterness almost perfectly.

Laka-Laka

Laka-Laka

Style – Hefeweizen

ABV – 5.1%

Bitterness – 1/10

Rating – 10/10

Thoughts: Named for the Hawaiian Goddess of fertility and nature, Laka-Laka is a Hefeweizen with a tropical charm. Deep gold with a creamy white head, and a tropical aroma, this beer does draw you in. One sip and you’d swear you were on Maui, for with a prominent pineapple and banana flavor and very little bitterness, this beer is easily drinkable and highly satisfying.

Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest

Style – Märzen

ABV – 6%

Bitterness – 3/10

Rating – 7/10

Recommendation: A must try for fans of German style beers, especially during the Oktoberfest season.

Thought: When it comes to making an Oktoberfest, it’s almost a mortal sin to deviate from the master plan established centuries ago in Bavaria. As such, one comes to expect an Oktoberfest to feature a deep amber color, a faint hop aroma, and a bittersweet caramel aftertaste. HG’s Oktoberfest covers all of these parameters making for a good, but not overly noteworthy tribute to the legendary German harvest beer.

Hornycopia

Hornycopia

Style – Pumpkin Ale

ABV – 6.3%

Bitterness – 2/10

Rating – 6/10

Recommended: For the spirited drinker who enjoys light beer and mild ales.

Thoughts: Orange-gold from caramel malt and roasted pumpkin mash, this Fall seasonal beer is fit for any Thanksgiving celebration. With a rich pumpkin pie flavor and mild bitterness from Cascade hops, Hornycopia is a smooth, easy drinker, but one beer might be enough for most people.

Wisconzin IPA

Wisconzin IPA

Style – Specialty IPA

ABV – 7.1%

Bitterness – 6/10

Rating – 9/10

Recommendation: For the ambitious IPA fan and don’t let the wine fool you, this is no wine cooler.

Thoughts: A wine-beer hybrid, this is one of HG’s most ambitious, if not the most curious, brews. Made from red zinfandel juice, Wisconzin has a prominent raspberry and blackberry flavor that balances the notable strength and flavor of the Citra and Amarillo hops making for a smooth beer that starts sweet and creamy but finishes dry and bitter.

Hopped Up ‘n Horny

Hopped Up ‘n Horny

Style – India Pale Ale

ABV – 6.3%

Bitterness – 5/10

Rating – 7/10

Recommendation: Sure to please the IPA crowd, but perhaps a bit too strong for anyone unaccustomed to the style.

Thoughts: This IPA goes the distance with four distinct hop varieties making for a complex flavor profile, while keeping it simple with just a pair of malts. The end result is a flavorful, aromatic, golden brew that is best served on a hot summer day.

Horny Goat Hideaway