I will admit to having very low expectations for this beverage. The previous two Goose Island shandies were not great. The thing is, I think the strawberry had the best chance of success, as I particularly like strawberry lemonade. I've never had anything like a grapefruit lemonade, and I can't imagine it's going to be great. That said, I could be entirely wrong. I've been wrong before, and I will be wrong again. The fact is, the grapefruit and lemon may add to the wheat ale in a way the complements that beer in particular. Fruit wasn't really the problem I have with the previous incarnations, though, and that may be the sticking point here as well.
The beverage is darker than it siblings, but it's not quite as hazy as they were. It produces more head than either of the other two beverages, but that head once again boils away to nothing. The aroma is overwhelmingly grapefruit. It is so much grapefruit that I might be convinced that I'm simply holding a grapefruit that has been cut in half under my nose. It does smell like it has little sugar sprinkled on top, but the sweetness did not help the previous incarnations of this drink. The natural tartness of a grapefruit, however, may balance this out. There is still hope.First sip is not an immediate fail. That said, it's also not immediately good. For as strong as the aroma is, the actual beverage tastes weak. I guess that's why it's not nearly as offensive as the other two right off the bat. That said, I'm already noticing that the flavor lasts a little too long. It's almost like the aftertaste from an artificial sweetener. I don't know why it's hanging on so long, and it's not doing good things as it sticks around.
Tip-in is grapefruit and a hitherto unknown metallic taste with almost no carbonation to speak of. The middle of the beverage is fairly well-balanced with lemons joining the grapefruit and wheat propping up those flavors while a sweetness keeps the tart down without being too intrusive. The finish is a jumbled mess of tartness, bitterness, sweetness, and excessive citrus.
Bottom Line: Honestly, the best of the bunch, and it's not great.
1.5/5