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

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

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

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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