Pulpit Rock Brewing | Silly Goose Imperial Stout

The craft scene is not only an environment full of incredibly unique and exceptionally brewed beers, but it’s also full of incredible people. And when I look back at the countless breweries I’ve worked with and the amazing collaborative opportunities I’ve been given, Pulpit Rock Brewing always stands out as one of the best relationships I’ve built. The Decorah, Iowa team recently celebrated 11 years in the beer game, and it seems like every year they just continue to get better. I’ve got yet another anniversary-exclusive release to share, and this one’s undoubtedly the silliest one yet.

Cheers to 11 Years

It’s been over a decade now since Peter Espinosa founded Pulpit Rock back in 2015, and they’ve since spent the last 11 years carving out their place in the American craft beer scene. This now-iconic Iowa brewery has built a reputation for innovative, high-quality beer, fueled by the creative minds of head brewers Bob Slack and Justin Teff. While their barrel program in particular has continued to turn heads, they’re always exploring new ideas and tweaking old ones, forever committed to pushing boundaries. All that said, they’ve never lost sight of what makes great beer great, and even eleven years in, Pulpit Rock is showing no signs of slowing down.

All the Festivities

If there’s one thing we’ve come to expect from Pulpit Rock, it’s that they go all out to celebrate their birthday. While we’ve highlighted multiple anniversary beers from years past, this is one we were particularly excited about.

The Anniversary event took place on August 22, a family-friendly affair with all-day music, balloons, face painting, caricatures, inflatables, and fireworks. And of course, a brand new barrel-aged stout, exclusive tap list, and a new Gin bottle from their distillery. Certainly no shortage of things to do!

Silly Goose

But of course we’re here for the beer. Silly Goose is a 14.3% barrel-aged and blended Imperial Stout comprised of three different cask-aged threads. The first aged for 38 months in Willett, the second for 30 months in Buffalo Trace, and the third spent 30 months in Wild Turkey Barrels. The final cuvée was then treated with salted caramel, peanuts, and coconut.

And of course it wouldn’t be a Pulpit Rock anniversary release if not for a special topper to adorn the wax. For this year’s release a little goose sat atop each bottle, and to go with it there was even an 11th anniversary glass, a 4oz mini Frankfurt sampling mug to complete the set. 

Justin and the rest of the Pulpit Rock team were amazing to send a bottle to us for review. And I gotta say, this is up there with my favorite anniversary release they’ve ever done. Let’s get into it.

The Review

The pour is essentially motor oil, with an absurd amount of viscosity and pitch black coloration. A tiny amount of deep brown head rises with the pour before settling nearly flat.

The nose is pastry bliss. Chocolate syrup comes through immediately, followed by Snickers bars and roasted peanuts. There’s a rich combination of chocolate, caramelized sugar, and roasted nuttiness that makes the aromatic profile feel almost dessert-like, but the roasted peanut character keeps everything in check.

The palate largely mirrors the aromatics, with chocolate-covered peanuts taking center stage. Coconut is more subdued than the chocolate and peanut character, but it still makes its presence known through a mild bitterness and oily richness. The initial impression is decidedly pastry-sweet, but the barrel character becomes increasingly prominent as the sip develops. Bourbon-soaked oak, vanilla, and a touch of astringency emerge on the backend, adding some much-needed dryness and structure to the upfront sweetness.

The mouthfeel is thick, viscous, and intensely coating, with enough body to completely cover the palate. Despite the richness, the sweetness never becomes cloying, and it actually becomes more balanced as the beer warms. There’s a comfortable alcohol heat throughout, but remarkably little harshness for 14.3%. The combination of massive viscosity, dessert-like sweetness, and increasingly expressive barrel character makes this a truly enjoyable experience.

Party Fowl

Pulpit Rock continues to remind us why this brewery is so easy to root for. Silly Goose is a ridiculous beer in all the right ways, bringing together years of barrel aging to go along with pure decadence in the form of chocolate-coated peanuts, caramel, and rich coconut. There’s just enough barrel character to keep everything in check, and while still an indulgent pour, it’s one that shows plenty of intention behind the excess. And I mean that little goose perched on top? It’s impossible not to appreciate the playful spirit that makes these anniversary releases so much fun.

It’s been an absolute pleasure sharing as many Pulpit Rock beers as I have with our readership, and it’s worth noting how high Silly Goose sits in my list of favorites. The ship may have sailed on the festivities, but track down some Iowa friends or join some trading threads, because this beer is worth it. Here’s to eleven years of great beer and even better people, and to a brewery that never seems content in playing it safe. A huge congrats to Peter, Bob, Justin, and the entire Pulpit Rock team. I’m already looking forward to seeing what kind of trouble this crew gets into next year. And stay tuned, because in the meantime there’s a ridiculously fun collaboration in the works that I’ll be teasing very soon.