Great Lakes Barrel Select Pils

Brewed by Great Lakes Brewing Company
Style: Pilsener
Cleveland, Ohio USA

Draft at Brewpub. I should mention that I’ve always wanted to have a Great Lakes Pilsener. I imagined they could make a great one being how adept they are at making solid lagers and Pilsener being one of my favorite styles, sometimes. Pours very light, pale, completely clear yellow color with a small, barely existing white head. Looks like a Budweiser. Aroma is subtle hops, normal Pilsener malt aroma, a little beery, with that typical toasty Great Lakes signature aroma buried in there too. Taste is very dry, lightly bitter with no residual sweetness and a touch (not loaded) of hop flavor. Clean, very clean, smooth and drinkable. I wish this were a bit more hoppy, both in the flavor and especially in the nose. This was decent of course but it didn’t knock my socks off the way I wanted it to.

Draft at brewpub. Golden body, nice white head, slight sourness in the nose with muted spicy hop notes. Picks up nicely in the mouth with a clean, bracing bitterness, nice noble hop spiciness, and a clean bready finish. Very nice.

Cleveland, Oh - on tap at the brewpub. Light gold. soft white pillowy head, decent lacing. Neutral aroma - not much to pick up. Flavor has some sweet honey accents, a bit of grain, some grassiness, malty backbone - good session starter and suitable for the masses. Mouthfeel is crisp and clean.

Approximately 4 oz. pour, on tap at the brewpub in Ohio City on 6-13-08. Pours a clear, very pale yellow with almost a green tint. Produces a small amount of short-lasting white head. Light noble hops in the floral aroma, which also features grapefruit and some dryness. Very nice smell; I wish it were stronger. Dry start with a slow-developing sweetness in the flavor. Tastes a bit "beery" (i.e., like a macro pale lager). Grows on me upon multiple sips. Good, dry aftertaste. Surprisingly full body for a lager. Not as crisp in the palate as I expected. Lively on the tongue.

On tap at the brewpub. Poured a clear hay color with a thick white head. Semi-sweet grainy aromas laced with a thick hop dankness. Nice clean crisp flavor with a great noble bitterness that lasts in the finish. A nice pils.

Straw color pour, medium white head. Aroma is crisp malts and light fresh hops. Flavor is grainy with some biscuit and a touch of corn. Hops are really there throughout with a good amount of bitterness and some floral and grassy notes in the finish. Very well done pilsener.