Great Lakes Christmas Ale

Posted on Dec 29, 2008 in beer reviews |

I purchased an entire case on a whim. I went into my local distributor for a case of Yuengling and came out with this one too. I’ve been drinking this for a few weeks now. It has taken me several weeks to get through that case. No help from the wife on this one. The Great Lakes Brewing Company, from Cleveland Ohio, makes this Winter Warmer as a seasonal offering. 7.50% ABV.

Appearance

A loping, aggressive pour into a pint glass provides a thick, well retained head. The color is sort of a nice, dirty white. Fluffy, it clings to the edges of the glass as it fades down to a ¼” where it stays for some time. Impressive. The beer itself is a cloudy light reddish cooper. Raw Sienna.

Smell

Toasty malts ride over top of slight hops and caramel. Spices ride shotgun. Typical winter spices here. Cinnamon and clove. Thickly sweet as well. Honey.

Taste

Complex. A little on the thin side but there is so much going on that I do like it. Caramel flavors dominate with very little hops to balance out the sweetness.

Mouthfeel

Feels full in the mouth for an instant yet doesn’t coat in a negative way. The sensation is slightly slimey. Certainly smoother than most heavily spiced beers.

Drinkability

The higher alcohol content is not a problem. It does go down easy. I’m down to less than a six-pack. I don’t think I’ve ever had more than one in a night. That should about say it all.

Bottomline

Learned a valuable lesson here. Never buy an entire case you know nothing about. Looking back, I can’t even remember what it was that prompted my impulse purchase. Oh well. It does taste all right I suppose – it just isn’t amazingly drinkable in a “one and done” kind of way. Not the worst thing I’ve had to drink tonight. Overall,

C+

Great Lakes Oktoberfest

Posted on Dec 21, 2008 in beer reviews |

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From the “mistake on the lake” comes the Great Lakes Oktoberfest. APV is a top number for the night at 6.00%

The beer pours out a golden copper, lighter than other in the same style. The head is again foamy and light. It drops quick and leaves most lace on the edge. Some across the top as well.

Smells slightly sweet, but still very malty. There is a sour quality to it that confuses me. 3222

The taste is nice. Light but still malty, very toasted. Slightly nutty even. Sweeter than i like for the style.

The mouthfeel is the final nail here. It has a nice dryness that has hoppy overtones. I lilke it. Seems more of a mature beer. But at the same time… the mouthfeel is severe enough that it might put some off.

Tough call here. I like the structure and complexity but it lacks a smoothness that would put it over the top.

B-

Great Lakes Moondog ESB

Posted on Dec 21, 2008 in beer reviews |

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Great Lakes ESB Great Lakes Moondog ESB proves that Cleveland can have at least one thing to be proud of… cause the Browns sure ain’t it. ABV is 5.0%. Their website, www.greatlakesbrewing.com details how this dog is named after the 1952 Moondog Coronation Ball held at the Cleveland Arena, what many consider the first “rock and roll” concert. This beer won a Gold Medal at the World Beer Championships three years running from 1994 to 1996. I can see why

Poured into an unchilled pint glass, the color was very pleasant. Best described as a pale golden yellow, it was bright enough under the light to be quite appealing. The head was fresh smelling, but dropped very quickly – leaving a nice soft head and medium lacing. The lacing remained throughout the entire glass.

The smell is quite bready, lots of yeast. The mouthfeel is smooth and somewhat bubbly.

The taste is quite surprising. I’ve never had an ESB before and I was fearful. Overly bitter, heavily hopped beers don’t really appeal to me – despite trying them time and time again. I was intimidated by the name i suppose. Very little aftertaste to ruin the experience.

I would order this beer at a pub throughout the night. May make for a great session beer. Curious to try it on tap somewhere. If I see it on draft, I will be trying it for sure.

Yeah, I would definitely drink this again. I was afraid of the E.S.B style. Not being a fan of heavily hopped beers, I was not very optimistic. Glad to be proven wrong. I enjoyed this beer. I’ve read that this ESB may not be the best representative of the style but its enough to get me to try another. The final grade…