Great Lakes Imperial Dortmunder - 20th Anniversary Beer

Brewed by Great Lakes Brewing Company
Style: European Strong Lager
Cleveland, Ohio USA

12 oz bottle from Premier Gourmet. Pours light coppery colour, with almost pale yellow coloured head, which did not dissiptate quickly at all. Nice floral aroma. Nicely balanced flavour, with faint alcohol taste. Little bit cloudy

Bottle from Archer Liquors. Amber copper color with a frothy off-white head. Bready aroma with some definite noble hop. Medium body with frothy carbonation. Flavor is a bit pale malty sweet with not quite enough hop to balance. Definitely finishes less than dry. The non-Imperial Dortmunder is definitely much hoppier. That aside, this is a rather pleasant drink. Somewhat reminiscent of a Belgian ale! Trust me.

12 oz. bottle. Pours a clear golden color with a small off white head. The aroma is biscuity malt, bread, a hint of fruit, and light floral hops. The flavor is biscuity malt, light citrus, light floral hops, and bread with a little spice. The finish is only slightly bitter. Decent drinking beer.

Bottle courtesy of Styles. Aroma of corn and wheat more like a lager of sorts. Dark golden body with white disipating head. Flavor had a thicker body malt presence with the wheat flavor most dectectable. Easy on the palate with out a strong spicey bittering. Thanks, Chris

Bottle… Mostly clear yellow lager with a small, creamy, white head. Decent retention. Toffee, biscuit and grain aroma with a hint of lactic acid. Full-bodied with a heavy-cream mouthfeel and prickly carbonation. The flavor is remarkably well-balanced. Big time toffee and biscuit sweetness up front; followed closely by solid, minerally/grassy bitterness and a touch of acidity. Crisp, gently bitter finish. Bottle provided by Kevin Berry!

Quite a massive pils malt aroma for a lager with explosive bread in the nose, stuffy dough. Frankly, it does not promise to be too complex from the nose, but the aromas which are there are well presented, including a gentle grassiness from beautiful noble hops. In mouth though, you must be into sugariness to enjoy this as honeyed bread syrup dominates the portrait. It is very sweet, but thankfully fresh enough to remain drinkable. On the other hand, the fair alcohol presence detracts and you quickly wonder what’s the purpose for that beer which is more or less like drinking 3 diet cokes because they contain 1/3 the calories.

Pours golden with a fizzy white head. Heavy carbonation. Aroma is of cheap malt, spice, grain, and grass. Taste is really weak malt, spice, citrus, grain, and slight hops. Tastes earthy in a very bad way. Alcohol presence is not noticable. Not a good beer by any means.

12 oz draft courtesy of Cardinal Liquors Singles Cooler (Frankfort, IL). Pours a really lightly hazed golden hue with a touch of orange and a moderate whit bubbly head that dissipates down to a small layer. Aromas are largely pilsner malt, a touch of funk and stink mixed with light European bittering hops and a nice graininess. Mediocre. Lacking hoppy presence. Initial is a touch strong on the alcohol, bitter up front with some pilsner malt action and alcohol. Finishes grainy and malty, with a subtle sweetness that smooths out the initial bitter that wasn’t very pleasant. Ehhh. Not a good tribute to 20 years.