Great Lakes 15th Anniversary Ale

Formerly brewed at Great Lakes Brewing Company
Style: Abbey Tripel
Cleveland, Ohio USA

Bottle pours cloudy golden, minor head white head, and lively carbonation.   Enjoyable, smells of honey, banana, cloves, sweet malts, with a touch of sour fruit.   Tastes viscous, a bit slick, with notes of belgian yeast, sweet malts, corriander, and lemon zest.   A fruity sourness takes over midway, leading into a slightly astringint aftertaste.   Full bodied, definate alcohol warming, but well masked.   This is an easy one to enjoy.   Thanks goes out to raindog for the trade!

yeah, bummer. i have a problem with this beer. damn it. it's so tasty that i tend to guzzle my samples before i've rated them. i think that's happened two or three times now (not just tonight mind you-- i've sampled this a few times this winter). but tonight i have a plan. in cases like this i find it useful to open a "dummy" beer alongside a great beer like this one. the enormous pangs to guzzle that the 15th anniversary excites can be temporarily confused and managed by swigging on the dummy-- in this case a non-conflicting and relatively dull widmer hefewiezen. it seems to be working, i finally have a rating: on the color continuum, this goldfinch-bright ale dwells halfway between yellow and orange. head is adequate and the lace is in spangles of big dots like a page of large print braille. aroma is rich with sour dough and tropical fruits, cotton candy, wet plywood, frosted flakes and clove. the feel is at once milk and champagne, substansial and brisk, a sharp attack of honied papaya, tangerine peel, baker's yeast and a chaser of cote du rhone white wine. i'm a sucker for a sweet tripple, and this one is apple cider sweet with a smart crack of alcohol that will stun any brain cells that don't have the sense to get out of the way. yes, hic, at ten per cent, it's a good buzz: and (somewhat) like being trampled by a stampede of dallas cowboy cheerleaders, it's both discombobulating and yet somehow entirely delightful.

Golden color and very clear. Head doesn't last long. Pale malt mixed with estery-citrus-clove-banana aromas. Very complex and enjoyable nose. Good crisp malt with light hops for balance. Theere is a slight spiciness that could be from hops or spices. Overall, an enjoyable beer.

Orange gold color. Medium white foamy head. Aroma is fruity and spicy with a touch of must. Touch of alcohol as well. A medium bodied Belgian Triple. Malts are fruity and sweet, fairly spicy. Nice flavors of banana, peach, apricot, clove, orange and must. Slight touch of sourness as well. Nicely balanced, very smooth. This is a nice triple, complex and tasty. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is sweet.

Spicy Belgian yeast nose with a funky sourdough thing going on. Gold with little head. Quite sweet, some orangey tang, just a touch of hop bitterness in the finish. Has a nice bit of warming alcohol. Well-carbonated.

Hazy yellow with full creamy head. Nicely rich and complex aroma, with bubblegum, dough, pepper, coriander, banana and other phenols. Flavor is rich and smooth, with a dominant sweetness followed by a spicy and phenolic finish. Banana, dough and coriander are prominent alongside sweet malt. Sticky sweet in the lingering aftertaste, with a warming alcoholic kiss.

All I have to say right now before I open this is WOOOHOOO. $8.99 a 4-pack, but I can't wait! The label says this is brewed in recognition of the 15th anniversary of the GLBC, and has a nice slice of cake with two sparking candles depicted. Being limited edition, I sure hope it's not that good that I want some all the time (yea right, it's gotta be great!). WOW, great golden orange with the biggest head I have seen on a beer in a long time. THICK and fluffy. Shrinks down and looks like it will lace nicely! Nice bitter banana/clove aroma. Aww man, I'm disappointed in the taste. Way too thick in the mouthfeel, way too syrupy, and leaves an almost rotten aftertaste. Man oh man... I was so looking forward to this one when I got home... well maybe it is good that it's a special edition brew, that way I won't be tempted to buy it again. =( Freshness date says enjoy by March 11, 2004. Maybe this stuff needs to be aged??? (added 5-21-04: I let this stuff sit in a basement corner for 8 months, and it's much better now)

This bottled brew labeled best by 11/04 poured a small head of off-white colored fine to medium sized mostly lasting bubbles that left behind a fair lace. The body was hazy softly carbonated and dark yellow colored. The aroma was musty and fruity while the mouth feel was chewey thick malty vinuous and harsh with a vinuous bite in the finish. The flavor was malty fruity and contained some notes of passion fruit. What a kick in the pants this one was!