Great Lakes Grassroots Ale

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

12 oz. bottle. Pours a hazy golden color with a nice sized fluffy ivory head. The aroma is strangely vegetal with some earthiness. Some herbs and floral notes sneak through. Flavor also has some off vegetal notes around what is otherwise sweet, lightly toasted, herbal, and citrusy. I don’t know if we had the best bottle and will be giving this another chance at some time. I know this brewery can do better.

Nice creme color head. Cloudy golden color beer. Sweet aroma, spices and honey. Mildly sweet citrus and floral flavor with spices, hint of lemon underneath. Medium bodied with a frothy finish and leaves a tangy spicy taste in the mouth. Mild carbonation. Beer leaves some lacing and warms nicely. Mediocre beer that is not overly complex and seems to just fall short.

another 12 oz’er from BeerVirgin for winning her contest, thanks Dawn. while always glad to have the opportunity to try a new beer, this one just did not do it for me. aroma was an overpowering mix of lemon zest, ginger and other spices. two minutes after pouring this into my snifter, the beer is completely devoid of any hint of lace, foam or any bubbles. no, it’s not flat, it’s lightly carbonated. lemon and all the other spices dominate the flavor. a strange brew from start to finish.

Date: August 20, 2009
Mode: Bottle
Source: Roadtrip
Appearance: hazy light gold, frothy off white head, drippy lace
Aroma: sweet and spicy aroma, touch of funky feet
Flavor: sweet malt flavor, lots of spicyness, growing touch of funk
Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.7/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: *4

Poured a cloudy dark gold brown color with small layer of foamy offwhite head that lasts. Aroma is dominated by spices with the character yeasty base. Flavor was a medium mouthfeel with a bready base and definitely lots of ginger and spice. Overall I thought it was pretty decent and a bit different.

Poured a cloudy golden color.Lots of citrus and spice on the nose.Flavor of breadiness, cirus with some black peper on the back end.

12oz bottle. Slightly cloudy with a thin spotty head. Aroma is spicy, fruity, herbs. Flavors are spicy and sweet - actually not refreshing because its way too sweet. And not warming or complex. I’m sad to say this isn’t a winner in my book.

On draft at the brewpub. Pours a slightly cloudy light orange gold with a medium white head. Aroma of saison, light spice and cloves. Taste is much the same. A bit watery, yet refreshing.