Great Lakes Eliot Ness

355 mL bottle. Copper orange with a small white head. Malty aroma with a touch of earthy hops. Smooth malty flavour, with just enough hops to balance the sweetness, without getting in the way of the caramel. Just a nice, drinkable beer; nothing fancy.

Are we alone in this infinitely vast and yet tiny world we live in? Are there creepy crawlies that go bump in the night? Is Bigfoot real? Does the loch really have a Ness? I don’t have the answers to those and other burning questions of mythology, but I can offer you an alternative. He is smaller than his motherly namesake, but the Eliot Ness that I hold in my hands is an amber lager from Great Lakes Brewing. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, Great Lakes has an amazing standard portfolio of which Elliot Ness is part one of them. Based not on myth but fact, historically speaking the Eliot Ness is named after Mr. Eliot Ness himself, a notorious agent and advocate of prohibition in the 1920s. Ok, a bit removed from being front page news in the latest Enquirer, but far more invigorating and fascinating, and if nothing else, definitely controversial for this beer geek.

He burbles and boils over in my glass as a copper-tinged head churns above deep amber depths with brilliant copper highlights reflecting in my eyes. While his head holds fast, his nose captures my rapt attention with toast glazed in sweet, crunchy caramelized sugars. A bouquet of floral esters and fields of grass carry under it a soft whisper of lemon, melon, and orange. Sweet, toasty, and rich with nutmeg and cinnamon sticks adding the final touch. Amber lagers and amber ales are rather incongruous unto themselves, but there is usually a reasonable level of uniformity and expectancy. So far, the Eliot Ness from Great Lakes has performed admirably. I throw all inhibitions to the wind and dive headfirst into the deep-end. Effervescent and vibrant, the top of my tongue tingles with fresh lemons and key limes while a sweet, meaty undercurrent of oranges and cantaloupe lingers with a tropical kiss. Each quaff leaves trails of lace sticking to the sides of my glass, much like his honey sweetness sticks to my lips. His malty finish is subtle and lightly crunchy with soft grains, toast, and caramelized sugars. Rinse and repeat; each quaff is admirably refreshing and soothing at the same time. A growing presence of dryness on top of my tongue hints of bitter lemon skins. There is something to be said about a good session beer, but I’ll have to get back to you on that because my glass is empty.

UFOs are still Unidentified Flying Objects, Bigfoot apparently has big feet, and Eliot Ness is anything but mythical. I imagine that no matter what fate may have conspired during those tumultuous days, a pint of amber in hand would have made it all OK.

Pours a nice rich amber color with a tan head. Aroma is malty, caramel, biscuit, and some light spicy notes. Flavor is caramel, biscuit, malty, and a nice spicy finish.

Presentation: It was poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a pint glass. It was sampled on 6-4-09 and had a best before date of 6-19-09 on the label. Appearance: The body has an inviting deep reddish amber color with very good clarity. On top there is a modest sized, just off white colored head that hangs on well and makes some nice lacing on the glass. Smell: The aroma has some sweet and toasted malty character with light mineral and leafy hop notes. Taste/Mouth: Its flavor has a sweet malty and toasted bread base with notes of brown sugar, caramel and toasted malt. Hop flavor is solid and matches the sweetness of the malt with earthy, leafy and mineral flavors and balanced bitterness. The finish has toasted grains and hops fading slowly off the tongue. Its texture is smooth and slick with soft carbonation. Notes: This is an outstanding Vienna Lager!!! The balance of sweet, toasty and hops is spot on. Well done Great Lakes!!!

Bottle. Amber brown pour, minimal carbonation and a pronounced nutty and caramel aroma. Flavor is rich, silky, sweet caramel and finished with a little bitterness. Decent beer, but nothing too amazing.

Bottle. Aroma is some caramel and funk. A bit of bread. Pours a really nice shade of red. Taste is a whole lot of odd sweetness, some sweat, and a mystery fruit. It all seems to come together pretty well for what it is, with a strange dry aftertaste. Better than the last Vienna I had.

12 oz from Weilands Gourmet Market. Pours dark amber with an off-white head. Nose is bread, malt, toast, caramel, and sweetness. Flavor is smooth toasted malt, caramel, sweet and fruity (plum?), with nice depth. Finish is sweetness in this medium-bodied Vienna. Outstanding.

12oz bottle. amber color, small, lasting fluffy tan head. aroma of hops and a bit of sweetness. love the taste. nice balance between the hop and malt, the finish being very smooth.