Great Lakes 15th Anniversary Ale

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

This Trippel pours with a golden body topped by a thick white fizzy head with a good amount of lacing. The aroma is slightly sour yet slightly sweet and lemony with strong yeasty notes and a touch of spice. The flavor is sweet and fruity (lemons and other citrus fruits) with yeasty notes, a touch of spice and a slight tomato character. Medium to full bodied, surprisingly smooth and slightly warming.

Hazy golden color out of the bottle with a thin white head. Strong doughy yeast nose with some spice. Initially has a strong syrup sweetness of dark brown sugar and candied orange peel. There is a spicey corriander burn on the tongue. Very purfumey beer that I hope will dry out as it ages.

Good aroma of yeast and spices. Appearance is nice gold color with egg white head that completely diminishes. Flavor is pleasantly sweet, grape, banana, with spices. Very nice flavor. Good overall.

Yowza: beautifully colored with light head, but little lace; honey overtones in smell and taste with added banana and melon in flavor; strong crisp finish. Dorothy I do not think we are in Ohio anymore!!

Poured a cloudy yellow-orange, with a thin white head. Aroma of banana, clove, and sharper (lemony) citrus. Flavor of strong lemony, tangy citrus, a touch of banana, clove and other spices. Tart and full-bodied. Some alchohol evident in the aftertaste, which finishes dry. My only complaint is that this beer is too syrupy, and the tartness is cloying after a few sips.

My second sample of this is close to exactly one year after the bottling date. I actually forgot I had this and when I cracked it I had no idea I was in for a treat. This time around it poured an absolutely crystal clear orange golden, leaving behind a solid cake of sediment. The nose has improved greatly from the first sample--a nutty sherry scent up front backed by tart apples and a solid smack of spice. Alcohol is apparent but subdued. I find it grows almost cidery as I drink it but, unlike most beers with this quality, I am enjoying it thoroughly. There is a depth to the spiciness along with some tartness and it’s really working well now. I wish I had another to try at this age. I bet it will be long gone by next year.

Original Rating: Light golden with a very small ring of white head. Surprisingly mild nose but exceptionally flavorful--cloves, spice, banana. Very sweet but the depth of flavor prevents it from becoming cloying. Thick and the slightest bit sticky with a touch of carbonated bite. Mild hops add a slight citrus note. It all comes together very nicely.

It's amazing that over a year ago, this brew could not have been made in Ohio without breaking some laws. Good job, guys!

Spicy/herbal nose to in in tangent with a copper color. It isnt too mentionable as far as an abbey tripel, but it is a better specimine of a spice beer. It seems they should have gond for one or the other, not missing the mark on both. Origonal score: 8:3:6:3:15. Rerate 8.27.05. Ive kind of belgianed out as of now, tonight especially. We’ll see how this holds up. It pours a really nice orange thick hue and some specks of yeast came out with it. No real head, no suprise, its an older beer. Aroma is a more subdued one. Its got some spice, some yeast and a light sweetness, and some aging present. Flavor still is pretty good. I mean, its not great, still has some sugary sweetness and malt, but its turned a bit. I’m going to keep the old rating since I dont think Great Lakes knows to make their beers age-able.