Saying Goodbye To An Old Friend

It was a slightly cooler summer evening so I decided to drink the last of my Goose Island Oatmeal Stout.  Goose retired this beer early this year.  What a shame.  The stout was the only year round locally produced stout in Chicago.  Sure some of the other breweries would produce stouts from time to time, but not constant.  If I recall correctly Goose cited a need to free up shelf space.  My theory is Goose seems to be really focused on increasing their Belgian/sour line of beer as well as their territory.  I think it may work in the short term, but  I doubt it will pay off.  My theory is that they are slowly dropping in local market share as they move out of Chicago.  It is a shame to see this place slowly die.  Goose was a major player in making me what I am today.