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Great Lakes Brewing Company Dortmunder Gold, Burning River and Commodore Perry

Hey everyone, thanks for stopping in!  Great Lakes Brewing Company recently expanded their distribution into the central and northern parts of New Jersey.  I was excited to get my hands on some of these highly recognized beers from Cleveland, Ohio.  My local Wegmans in Bridgewater had three of the Great Lakes beers in their mix a 6-pack section, so I quickly picked them up.  Great Lakes didn't let me down.  Here's what I thought of those three beers!


Dortmunder Gold, Dortmunder Lager, 5.8% ABV, 30 IBUs, Best by 06-30-13
Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold
Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold
Appearance:  crystal clear golden color, two finger widths of a fluffy white head that leaves lots of lacing on the glass, visible rising carbonation, small bubbles
Aroma:  strong scent of sweet biscuits and bread in the nose, caramel.  Surprisingly, not much hop presence.
Flavor:   the flavor is leaning on the sweet side initially.  I'm tasting bread, caramel, a little nuttiness.  As it warms a bit, there is a bitter touch of citrus in the finish
Mouthfeel:  fairly light mouthfeel, average carbonation
Overall:  Excellent beer.  I could drink this all day.  Haven't had many dortmunders, but I'd like to explore this style more.


Burning River, Pale Ale, 6.0% ABV, 45 IBUs, Best by 06-23-13

Great Lakes Burning River Pale Ale
Great Lakes Burning River Pale Ale
Appearance:  clear copper color, two finger width white head, pleasant lacing
Aroma:  lemon, orange
Flavor:  smooth mix of caramel and lemony citrus hops
Mouthfeel:  a bit lighter than a medium bodied beer, only slightly bitter at the end
Overall:  fairly solid pale ale.  very drinkable, but with lots of flavor (wow, can I sound like a Miller commercial much?)


Commodore Perry, India Pale Ale, 7.5% ABV, 70 IBUs, Best by 06-18-13

Great Lakes Commodore Perry India Pale Ale
Great Lakes Commodore Perry India Pale Ale
Appearance:  pale copper, one and a half finger white head, pleasant lacing
Aroma:  piney and floral aroma
Flavor:  sweet caramel malt up front, followed by a piney, fruity and onion-like finish/bitterness
Mouthfeel:  medium bodied, average carbonation
Overall:  great IPA, could drink this a lot, but it's missing something that I can't put my finger on that would make it superb.

Although they were all splendid beers, my favorite of the bunch was Dortmunder Gold.  Burning River and Commodore Perry were good stuff, but they left me wanting just a little more.  However, Dortmunder Gold was completely satisfying, and I couldn't ask anything more from it.  If you haven't had any of these beers before and you see them in your bottle shop, pick them up!

What are your thoughts on the beers from Great Lakes Brewing Company?  Let me know in the comments!

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Comments

  1. Professor SudzMay 7, 2013 at 9:16 PM

    Love Great Lakes - if you haven't had their porter yet check that out, its world class.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMay 7, 2013 at 10:02 PM

      I'm going for that one next! I think it's called Edmund Fitzgerald. I'm so happy they're now in my area!

      Delete
  2. Professor SudzMay 7, 2013 at 10:06 PM

    Yeah, used to be on Beer Advocate's top 100 prior to the hop explosion. They have a new spring seasonal called Alchemy Hour, a Double IPA, which is probably sold out, but if you run into any, be sure to grab it.

    And try all of their beers, they know what they're doing

    Cheers

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMay 7, 2013 at 10:11 PM

      Yea, I'm keeping an eye out for that Alchemy Hour, haven't seen any around me yet. I look forward to trying all their beers, great quality stuff. Thanks for the suggestions.

      Cheers!

      Delete

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