Reuben’s Brews built its name in Seattle’s crowded craft beer scene partly on the strength of this gose, which won gold at the Great American Beer Festival in both 2015 and 2016, a rare back-to-back result for the style. It was also the brewery’s first beer to be canned, and it remains one of the more decorated American goses despite operating on a smaller regional footprint than national names.
Reuben’s Brews Gose at a glance
| Style | Gose (sour wheat beer) |
| ABV | 4.3% |
| Calories | Around 150 per 12 fl oz |
| Origin | Reuben’s Brews, Seattle, Washington, USA |
| Ingredients | Pilsner malt, white wheat malt, Mt. Hood hops, Lactobacillus, sea salt, coriander |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Gluten free | No, contains wheat and barley |
| Typical price | Around $9 to $13 for a 4-pack of 16oz cans |
How it tastes, by the numbers
Reuben’s Gose leans crisp and wine-like rather than heavily salty or fruity, which helped it stand out at competition.
The full review
It pours an incredibly clear, pale straw colour with champagne-like carbonation and a very thin head of tiny bubbles. The aroma leans toward pear and sparkling wine rather than the more aggressive salinity found in some other gose.
The taste follows the aroma closely: a wine-like quality, pear and green apple fruity tartness, and a chardonnay-like dryness. It finishes with a dry saltiness, and the aftertaste is abbreviated and crisp rather than lingering.
This is a fantastic, well-balanced representation of the style, and the back-to-back GABF golds are easy to understand once you taste how cleanly everything comes together, particularly the way the carbonation and acidity mimic sparkling wine.
A gose that drinks more like a crisp sparkling wine than a beer, and it has the GABF gold medals to back that up.
- Back-to-back Great American Beer Festival gold medals
- Clean, wine-like balance that stands out among American gose
- Consistent, well-regarded quality from a smaller regional brewery
- More limited distribution than national gose brands
- Subtler salt and fruit character than drinkers wanting a bolder gose might expect
- Harder to find outside the Pacific Northwest
Who it is for
Sour beer fans who want a genuinely award-winning, well-balanced gose, and drinkers in or visiting the Pacific Northwest looking to try a well-regarded regional favourite.
Reuben’s Brews Gose FAQs
What does Reuben’s Brews Gose taste like?
A wine-like quality with pear and green apple tartness, a chardonnay-like dryness, and a dry, salty finish with a crisp, short aftertaste.
How strong is Reuben’s Brews Gose?
4.3% ABV.
Has Reuben’s Brews Gose won any awards?
Yes, it won gold at the Great American Beer Festival in both 2015 and 2016, along with other regional competition medals.
Is Reuben’s Brews Gose gluten free?
No, it is brewed with Pilsner and white wheat malt.
Was Reuben’s Brews Gose the brewery’s first canned beer?
Yes, it was the first beer Reuben’s Brews put into cans.
Where is Reuben’s Brews Gose brewed?
In Seattle, Washington, at Reuben’s Brews.
Where to find it
Primarily available in the Pacific Northwest US through the brewery’s taproom and regional craft beer retailers; more limited distribution elsewhere.
The verdict
Reuben’s Brews Gose is a genuinely award-winning, well-balanced take on the style, cleaner and more wine-like than many competitors. A polished four out of five.
